Manchester United's prolonged decline has given rise to something unexpected — a booming media industry built almost entirely around dissecting the club's every stumble.
Manager Michael Carrick, 45, is set to take charge for Saturday's trip to Chelsea, extending his starring role in what has become one of English football's most-watched soap operas. Amazon's All or Nothing documentary crews are also along for the ride, granted what is being described as "unprecedented" behind-the-scenes access at Old Trafford this season.
A platform for every legend
It is now easier to name the Manchester United legends without a media platform than those with one. Gary Neville, Roy Keane, Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes, and Nicky Butt have all carved out prominent roles as commentators on their former club's fortunes — and the audience for that commentary keeps growing.
Neville, the Sky Sports pundit, delivered a blistering on-air assessment during United's 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth, then recorded a post-match podcast from the Old Trafford gantry in which he accused certain players of lacking professionalism.
"There's a couple of them... I live in Manchester and they're not that professional, some of them. I've got no time for them. There's a few of them that don't go to bed at the right time. Don't eat the right things."
Neville launched The Overlap in 2021, and the channel has grown into one of sports media's most influential outlets. Last summer, he acquired a network of YouTube channels from United content creator Mark Goldbridge — whose real name is Brent di Cesare — adding more than 3.7 million subscribers to his operation. One of those channels, Stick to United, is now co-hosted by Rooney, the club's record goalscorer, who recently said Carrick's players "need a firework up their a***".
Keane, meanwhile, suggested Carrick and his backroom staff are "lucky boys" to still be employed. Scholes and Butt co-host their own podcast, The Good, The Bad & The Football, where they have been equally forthright. Before last season's Manchester derby — Carrick's first home game in charge — Butt predicted Erling Haaland would "pick Lisandro Martinez up and run with him," while Scholes said the Norway striker would "throw him in the net." United won that match 2-0, with Martinez outstanding.
Asked about Scholes' remarks after the final whistle, Martinez was characteristically blunt: "Honestly, he can say whatever he wants. I told him already, if he wants to say something to me, he can come to wherever he wants. To my house, wherever. I don't care."
Carrick tunes out the noise
At Thursday's press conference, Carrick said he makes a point of avoiding the chatter from former players.
"I don't see it really. I see the things that I need to see. I don't look for it — it doesn't really help in any way. I care about what the supporters think. I care about what it feels like in the stadium."
Former manager weighs in
Erik ten Hag, who managed United before Carrick, acknowledged that the constant scrutiny from ex-players created a difficult environment for the squad. Speaking to The Athletic, he said the likes of Neville and Rio Ferdinand could be "more helpful" to the club.
"Sometimes it's difficult for players. Some of them get affected by it, get annoyed by it," Ten Hag said. "They achieved massive successes. But also, they can help the club more, help the players more."
Neville himself has conceded he may not always have struck the right balance. "Sometimes, over the last maybe 10 years, the balance, maybe I've not got it right," he admitted on Ferdinand's podcast. Yet, having won 18 major honours across 19 years at Old Trafford, Neville's standing to judge the club remains largely unquestioned.
Hated, adored, never ignored
There is also a commercial dimension to United's perpetual presence in the headlines. Despite not winning the Premier League since 2013, the club has remained among football's highest-earning institutions, with industry-leading commercial deals and strong matchday revenue — only Arsenal generated more from matchday income in the Premier League last season.
Former executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward captured the club's unusual dynamic in 2018, saying: "Playing performance doesn't really have a meaningful impact on what we can do on the commercial side of the business."
The mantra "hated, adored, never ignored" has long appeared on banners at Old Trafford — and right now, at least the third part of that slogan remains firmly intact.
