If Manchester United were hoping the unseemly public spat between Lisandro Martinez and Class of ’92 members Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes might blow over and soon be forgotten, Confidential has some worrying news.
Butt has been signed up to new social media platform Peek, and Scholes is among the other big names with a United connection said to be in talks with the company.
Peek will offer high-profile sports figures the opportunity to post their opinions in return for a share of the profits – the shorter and snappier the better, which doesn’t bode well for relations between the pair and their old club, which are already strained.
Butt and Scholes caused a stir ahead of the Manchester derby by mocking Martinez’s height on their podcast The Good, The Bad & The Football. Butt joked that Erling Haaland would pick up the 5ft 9in Argentine and run with him, prompting Scholes to say the City striker would throw him in the net.
Martinez hit back after he kept Haaland quiet in United’s 2-0 win in the Manchester derby by daring Scholes to come round to his house and repeat the comment, adding that the United old boys are never quite so confident when they meet the players face-to-face at Old Trafford.
That brought a response from Scholes and Butt on the latest edition of the podcast they record with Paddy McGuinness. Butt told Martinez it was only banter and to ‘f*****g grow up’. Scholes warned him that he needs to have thicker skin to play for United.
Paul Scholes (left) and Nicky Butt haven’t won many friends in the United dressing room with comments on their ‘The Good, The Bad & The Football’ podcast
The pair made jokes about defender Lisandro Martinez’s height, with Martinez challenging Scholes to make the comments to his face
Despite Butt’s claim that Martinez got ‘so emotional’ over their comments, insiders have pointed out that he responded calmly to a question put to him in the mixed zone after Saturday’s game.
While they insist the squad as a whole is resilient, the volume of criticism – particularly from ex-players who should understand the impact of their words – creates a negativity which puts more pressure on the team.
It’s understood the United squad have expressed frustration within the dressing room that ex-players and pundits seem to kick the club when they are down to draw attention to themselves.
While they accept constructive criticism, there’s concern that it is becoming personal.
The Martinez jibes followed a dig by Roy Keane at Michael Carrick’s wife Lisa on the Stick to Football last week when he said ‘she’s got a bit of a big mouth’.
It remains to be seen if United step in to defuse the issue, but news that Butt and possibly Scholes will have a new platform to vent their opinions is unlikely to help.
Obi and Gabriel to form dream team
Darren Fletcher is ready to unleash Chido Obi alongside JJ Gabriel this week as United go all out to win their first FA Youth Cup in four years, Confidential can exclusively reveal.
The two young stars have not started a competitive match together and Obi has not played a competitive match under Fletcher since he took charge of the Under 18s in the summer.
But it’s understood Obi was drafted in to a behind-closed-doors friendly against Celtic at Carrington over the weekend with the Under 18s preparing for Friday night’s Youth Cup clash against Derby County at Old Trafford.
The addition of 18-year-old Obi represents a huge attacking boost to Fletcher, who chose to return to the Under 18s rather than stay with the first team as part of Michael Carrick’s backroom staff.
United will start Chido Obi in their FA Youth Cup tie with Derby on Friday night as they look to win the competition for the first time since 2022
JJ Gabriel, 15, will play alongside Obi in a United attacking unit blessed with talent
Obi was the competition’s leading scorer with seven goals through the first three rounds last season before stepping up to the senior squad under Ruben Amorim.
United eventually bowed out on penalties at Villa Park in the semi-final and are eager to win the competition for the first time since Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo inspired their team to glory in 2022.
Gabriel, 15, remains the star of the show in the Under 18s and it was his goal in front of the Stretford End that downed Peterborough United in the previous round.
Sources around the Under 18s are bursting with excitement at the prospect of seeing a front three of Gabriel, Obi and Bendito Mantato this week against Derby.
The doctor will see you now
New faces in the dugout are all the rage right now at United since Carrick and his backroom team assumed charge until the end of the season.
But eagle-eyed fans will also have spotted Dr Imtiaz Ahmad, United’s new head of sports medicine in tow with Carrick’s staff.
It was revealed in September that Ahmad was part of a significant Crystal Palace exodus this season, which has seen captain Marc Guehi head to Manchester City and manager Oliver Glasner confirm he will leave at the end of the campaign.
Confidential understands that despite Ahmad getting down to work at United, his predecessor in that role, Gary O’Driscoll, remains at the club as part of the handover process.
It was announced last March that O’Driscoll would be leaving after choosing to step down following an 18-month stint, but he remains in situ.
Ahmad’s arrival is now set to facilitate O’Driscoll, the cousin of former Ireland Rugby Union captain Brian, finally departing after a drawn-out exit.
Dr Imtiaz Ahmad, formerly of Crystal Palace, has been seen in the dugout with the rest of Michael Carrick’s new staff
Protest goes ahead
Plans for a protest against the Glazers and minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe before the next home game against Fulham will go ahead despite the euphoria surrounding Saturday’s win over Manchester City in Carrick’s first game in charge.
Organisers The 1958 cancelled a similar march before United faced Arsenal at Old Trafford on the opening day in August after listening to fan sentiment and a survey sent to their 95,000 members.
But the group insist that the protest on February 1 is against the ownership of the club rather than a reaction to events on the pitch, and are expected to release details in the coming days.
‘This is nothing to do with the team or Carrick in the dugout,’ said a spokesman for The 1958. ‘This is for the fans being priced out of the game, unnecessary sanctions and the hard line seemingly taken towards match-going supporters.
‘The protest has always been, and will always be, against the Glazers ownership model and their sidekick Ratcliffe propping them up. Fans need to come together to protect our game, protect the future of our game. This has never been about results on the pitch.’
Fan group the 1958 will protest United’s ownership before the match against Fulham despite Saturday’s brilliant result in the Manchester derby
Kung-fu Cunha
If there wasn’t already enough about this new-look United to strike fear into their opponents, Matheus Cunha is working towards a black belt in Jiu Jitsu!
The Brazilian attacker has always had a bite to his game since arriving in English football, and now he has started training with World Jiu Jitsu champion Lucio Rodrigues.
His fellow Brazilian, known as ‘Lagarto’, has been showing Cunha how it’s done inside the dojo since they started working together last month and the United star has now got his white belt.
In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the belt order reads white, blue, purple, brown and black, so he has plenty of work to do. But the message is clear: mess with Cunha and his team-mates at your peril!
Kobbie’s smiles better
One of the first things Carrick did when he took over as head coach was to take Kobbie Mainoo aside and reassure the young midfielder that he is central to his plans for the rest of the season.
Mainoo had become disenchanted at United after being frozen out under Amorim, to the extent that he was desperate to leave on loan this month.
But Carrick has adopted a more supportive approach with Mainoo and gave him his first Premier League start since May in last weekend’s exhilarating Manchester derby win at Old Trafford. He was rewarded with an excellent performance from Mainoo who still hopes he can break back into the England squad in time for the World Cup.
It’s understood that the 20-year-old from Stockport has been encouraged by what he has seen and heard from Carrick and is now happy to stay if he is going to have regular game time.
Kobbie Mainoo repaid Carrick’s faith with an excellent performance against Manchester City
Despite Mainoo’s change of heart, United are still deliberating over whether to sign a new midfielder in the January transfer window. They are expected to hold a meeting at Carrington this week when Carrick will join director of football Jason Wilcox, head of recruitment Christopher Vivell and other key figures in the football department to discuss the possibilities.
United have been looking at midfielders since the summer and may also consider signing a left winger.
They are reluctant to pay a fee and would prefer a loan move until the end of the season. It’s understood they are unlikely to move for Ruben Neves or Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Signing a midfield replacement could impact Manuel Ugarte’s future at Old Trafford after United rejected interest in the Uruguay international from Ajax and Galatasaray. They might be more inclined to do business over Ugarte if a new signing comes in.
Either way, Toby Collyer will go out on loan again after spending the first half of the season at West Brom. Collyer is on his way to Hull City where is expected to have a medical imminently.
United want a yes from Yisa
United are still in contention to sign Yisa Alao from Sheffield Wednesday despite Chelsea entering the race for the highly-rated left back.
Liverpool are among the other Premier League clubs showing an interest in Alao, who may end up costing as much as £5m, even though he has only just turned 17 and hasn’t signed his first professional contract.
United are also monitoring Belinho, a 17-year-old midfielder at NK Kustosija who is eligible for Croatia and Brazil. Belinho is also attracting interest from Arsenal, Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund.
United are still in contention to sign Yisa Alao (left) from Sheffield Wednesday despite Chelsea entering the race for the highly-rated left back
Overy’s on song
While Australia bowed out of the Under-23 Asian Cup in disappointing fashion, James Overy was a huge positive to come out of the camp.
Speaking to insiders involved in the Australia set-up, United youngster Overy left a lasting impression on coaches and team-mates during the tournament.
‘He’s a top, top, top kid,’ one source said of the 18-year-old. ‘He made a good impression on everyone and was solid when he played also. He will be a top player for us in the next cycle.’
Overy was trialled in one game as a right winger due to limited options, and while that wasn’t an easy assignment for the right back, it went better than his initiation song.
Standing up to sing Never Tear Us Apart by INXS, Overy is said to have had the room in stitches, having previously had to get up in front of everyone to perform a dance after arriving late to the gym for one session.
A roaring success all told… just keep him away from microphones and dance floors.
United youngster James Overy (left) impressed at the recent Under-23 Asian Cup
Carrick the party boy
People who know Carrick describe a very different man to the rather dour character sometimes portrayed in public.
When Carrick was installed as head coach until the end of the season, Daily Mail Sport reported how he got on stage at Victoria Warehouse after his testimonial in 2017 to sing Wonderwall with Robbie Keane, and would routinely end up dancing on the tables with Ryan Giggs when they took staff out for dinner at the end of the season.
In his autobiography Between The Lines, Carrick said that one of the best compliments he ever received came from Gary Neville in the programme for that testimonial game between United and a Michael Carrick XI at Old Trafford.
‘People might not know it, but Michael’s totally bought into it,’ wrote Neville. ‘He’s always there, whenever we win things, and we have a party, he’s always there, the loudest having a sing-song and he’s always the last to leave. He enjoys it the most.’
Now Glen Johnson, Carrick’s team-mate at West Ham in the early 2000s, has revealed that the youngster from Wallsend ‘liked to let his hair down’ even at the start of his playing career.
‘When I played with Carrick, he was definitely one of the more serious players in training,’ Johnson tells Confidential via BestNewBingoSites.
‘However, he knew how to let his hair down at the right times. He trained hard, very hard, and he wanted to win at all times. He was a great professional, and I’m sure that’s exactly what he brings as a manager, because I’m pretty sure that is the only way he knows how to live.’
His former team-mate Glen Johnson (far left) says that United boss Carrick’s public demeanour masks the fact he knows when to let his hair down
Legends out in force
While a former United star is back in the dugout, two of Carrick’s former team-mates are ready to lead out a Legends team against Southampton in March.
Squads are still being finalised, but Louis Saha and Dimitar Berbatov are already signed up, while Southampton have locked in an iconic former striker of their own in Rickie Lambert.
The match is to celebrate – from Southampton’s side anyway – the anniversary of winning the 1976 FA Cup against United, then led out by Tommy Docherty.
A word of warning to those who sign up, though, as Under 18s boss Darren Fletcher had to have surgery after picking up a serious injury in the last Legends outing, that time away against Celtic.
To secure your tickets, click this link.
No way for NBA
Confidential revealed in November that United were bemused at reports they will revive a basketball franchise, and it’s now been confirmed that they are not involved in NBA Europe despite commissioner Adam Silver insisting he had held talks with both Manchester clubs.
‘We have spoken to those specific clubs,’ Silver claimed. ‘We’re having conversations with everyone and it’s part of why this process has gone on so long.
‘We wanted to make sure we covered every base. We’ve talked to all interested parties, whether they be existing football clubs or basketball-only organisations.’
It’s understood there could indeed be a Manchester club, which is expected to involve City’s owners from Abu Dhabi in some capacity and be based at the Co-op Live Arena next to the Etihad, but it will definitely not be affiliated to United.
Real Madrid and Fenerbahce – who already have their own basketball teams – are considering joining NBA Europe, which is set to launch in 2027-28, while Paris Saint-Germain may also start up a franchise.
