Ex-Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo didn’t hold back when talking about his old teammate Harry Maguire in a recent interview, along with Ole Gunnar Solskjær too.
The former United fullback didn’t spend a lot of time playing alongside the Red Devils’ current club captain, but it seems the England international didn’t leave the greatest impression on Rojo, who spent seven years at Old Trafford.
Speaking to Argentine outlet TyC Sports earlier this week, the 33-year-old spoke of the time he went into head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s office when United were playing in the Europa League and demanded that he be put in the starting lineup over Maguire or be allowed to leave.
Rojo explained how he was enjoying a good spell in his United career (which was often derailed by injuries), and was starting to play more regularly in cup games, but after Maguire signed for the club in 2019, he grew frustrated that he was playing in the team even despite poor performances.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I was playing in the Europa League, but I was really angry with the coach [Ole] because he was putting Maguire [in the squad] instead of me, who thank god they finally took him out of the starting lineup for Licha [Lisandro] Martinez.
“One day I went to Solskjaer’s office to tell him to let me leave for the other club or put [me] in the starting lineup, but he told me that Maguire had to play because of the money they paid for him.”, having signed for over £80 million — a then-world record fee for a defender.
ADVERTISEMENT
Rojo went on to say “[Maguire] was making huge mistakes already” — having regularly come under fire for lapses in concentration, poor form and general misfortune on the pitch for a while now — and said to Solskjaer: “Son of a b***h, let me play because this guy is making huge mistakes every week”.
While the remark was undercut with laughter, it’s clear that he was just as frustrated with the Norwegian as he was with Maguire.
Now playing at Boca Juniors back in his home country, Rojo’s United career might never have hit the heights he would have hoped for after singing all the way back in 2014, but it certainly looked like he spotted some of the same issues many Reds have raised for months now.
ADVERTISEMENT
With Lisandro Martinez now out for the rest of the season and Raphael Varane also struggling with injury problems, Erik ten Hag hasn’t been left with much choice other than to phase Maguire back into the starting lineup and will just hoping he can finally recover some kind of form.
Many supporters also think even one of Maguire’s current teammates may not be the biggest fan either.
As a Manc colleague remarked: ‘If someone looked at me like that I’d never wanna leave the house again’. 😂https://t.co/D2TIoFgf8Y
Featured Image — Marcos Rojo (via Instagram)/Man United (via Twitter)
Sport
Luxury Manchester gym Blok confirms permanent closure after weeks of uncertainty
Daisy Jackson
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure, weeks after the doors to the premium fitness facility mysteriously closed.
Around a fortnight ago, members began to arrive to their classes to find the gym on Ducie Street locked up and a forfeiture notice on the door – but at the time, Blok said that it was fighting to reopen.
Sadly, in an email sent to members today, its founder has confirmed that the studio is now permanently closed.
Blok – which has several very successful sites down in London – said that its relationship with its landlord has ‘broken down to a point where trust has been lost’.
The gym wrote that it’s been left with ‘no workable way forward’.
They said: “BLOK Manchester was a space built by our loyal and dedicated community. Whether you joined us for one class or one hundred, we are deeply grateful. You helped create something genuinely special in an incredible city.”
In the immediate future, they said they’ll be supporting the team of fantastic trainers who worked here, as well as looking after members.
Members will be contacted within a few hours with options and refunds owed.
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure. Credit: The Manc Group
CEO and founder Ed Stanbury said: “While this marks the end of a chapter, we don’t see it as the end of our story in Manchester. We’re already speaking with developers about potential future sites and remain committed to returning to the city when the time is right.
“Thank you for being part of our story so far. Let’s shape the future of wellness. The mission continues.”
Commenting on Blok’s Instagram post – its first in almost a fortnight – people have been sharing their sadness at the closure of its Manchester site.
One person wrote: “beautiful space, beautiful staff and beautiful community.”
Another said: “Sending love to all the instructors !! :(((( gutted”
Someone else commented: “THE BEST CLASSES. I’m gutted.”
Manchester City plotting spending spree ‘before’ Club World Cup
Danny Jones
Manchester City are set to embark on somewhat of a spending spree this summer transfer window as the club’s higher-ups are looking to get business done before the 2025 Club World Cup.
With FIFA’s intercontinental club competition set to get underway in mid-June, the Blues don’t have too long to welcome in new players, but Man City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has reiterated their urgency regarding recruitment.
Despite having brought in four new acquisitions in a very short space of time last season, the 50-year-old argued that he wasn’t completely happy with the extent and speed of their business.
Giving a lengthy interview this week, CFG‘s founding chairman has imposed an internal deadline ahead of the lucrative knockout competition.
Speaking with club media, Khaldoon recognised that while there were incomings in January of this year, he believes they “should have been more aggressive in some of the changes we needed to do, adding that he believes it “cost [them].”
“I can tell you today, we have clearly identified who exactly [the targets are], in what positions, and we have our clear number one option, our clear number two option”, he continues.
More importantly, he goes on to add: “We’ll go about our business, and it will be very clear, very swift. Our objective is to try to be ready with the new squad for the Club World Cup.”
He also suggested the flurry of activity this past January was not just atypical of the administration, but felt the squad fell into a crisis state with the number of injuries, insisting they “had to act.”
City have already been linked with a hugely talented and highly-rated European target in the wake of Kevin De Bruyne‘s departure and a lack of strength in depth in midfield.
An initial bid is said to have been received already and will likely be the first of many City summer signings.
He also insisted that the players who joined last season weren’t scattershot, emergency transfers (perhaps barring the resigning of İlkay Gündoğan) but were the start of the rebuild and “gives [fans] an idea of what’s coming this summer.”
Another player linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium is Lyon star Rayan Cherki, who scored in big moments during their Europa League run this year, registering 32 goal contributions across all competitions throughout the 24/25 campaign.
Who would you like to see added to Pep Guardiola’s side this summer, then, Man City fans?
You can watch Khaldoon Al Mubarak’s interview in full down below:
Danny Jones -
30th April 2023 
