Club legend Paul Scholes has called out Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim for what he dubbed a “bull****” reaction to a question from a journalist regarding Kobbie Mainoo on Thursday.
The Portuguese coach saw his Premier League win rate clock in at just under 44% (the lowest of any Man United manager for, let’s just say, some time) after the 1-1 home draw against West Ham.
Conceding a late goal against the Irons, who are currently sat in the relegation zone, the Red Devils ultimately dropped another two points against a side that they should be beating, both based on present form and if they have any hopes of competing for the top spots.
Unsurprisingly, Amorim was pressed on why he didn’t make a more offensive substitution to try and claw back the victory, to which he then asked what looked to be a somewhat loaded question and gave this reaction after the response:
The laughter, in particular, hasn’t gone down well with everyone, especially the Class of ’92 graduate and retired midfielder.
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Jumping on social media after the quotes from the Amorim press conference were out, Scholes posted on his Instagram story: Bull****. This kid is being ruined, not being played in a team that can’t control a game of football.”
He went on to add: “Hate seeing homegrown players leave, but it’s probably best for him now – enough is enough.”
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First off, Reds – do you agree?
It isn’t the first time Scholes has levelled criticism at Amorim, his tactics, management and overall coaching style, having said this of their previous appointment at Old Trafford.
Paul Scholes on Ruben Amorim's tactics against 10-man Everton which frustrated him 😬 pic.twitter.com/AgsESuH83h
Safe to say he isn’t his biggest supporter at the moment.
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Fellow former teammate and England international turned pundit, Gary Neville, was also left not just confused but frustrated by the performance, telling Sky Sports in his post-match interview that he noted the camera picking up “real dejection” on the faces of the fans after the full-time whistle.
With an away trip against Wolves, a home match against Bournemouth, as well as travelling to face high-flying European place competitors, Aston Villa, before hosting Newcastle on Boxing Day, it’s anyone’s guess as to how the results will pan out.
You can see the highlights from Man United vs West Ham down below.
How many points do you see them picking up over the next four fixtures?
Manchester United Women have signed a new Swedish international defender
Danny Jones
Manchester United Women have announced that the club has reached an agreement for the signing of Swedish international defender Hanna Lundkvist.
Having just departed American outfit San Diego Wave FC last week, Hanna Lundkvist is set to become a Man United and Women’s Super League (WSL) player on 1 January 2026.
Leaving the US after more than a year in the National Women’s Soccer League – Lundkvist signed for San Diego back in February 2024 – she
At just 23 and having already made 17 appearances for her country, including every game at the most recent Women’s Euros, she’s a highly-rated European prospect.
With the club already confirming the deal ahead of being fully unveiled as an official United Women’s signing, she will be the fourth member of the Sweden national setup in the squad after Anna Sandberg, Fridolina Rolfo and Julia Zigiotti Olme.
The ex-AIK and Hammarby IF youth is also set to face another one of her former teams, Atlético Madrid, in the growing Greater Manchester side’s knockout phase play-off fixture in the UEFA Women’s Champions League (WCL) this coming February.
Making it through to the next stage after beating fellow group qualifiers Juventus earlier this month, it remains to be seen how far Marc Skinner‘s side will go in their debut WCL campaign.
Her arrival is the first in what Skinner has already built up as an “aggressive” period of recruitment in the New Year, with the women’s transfer window set to close on Tuesday, 3 February, just a day after the male equivalent does.
As for Lundkvist, she’s already been given the seal of approval by her coach and the club, even being given a big defensive number.
Putting pen to paper on a contract until 2029, Lundkvist said in a statement: “I am really excited to be here; Manchester United is a club with an amazing history. You can feel how much they have grown in the last few years, competing in one of the strongest leagues in the world and performing in the WCL.
“Speaking with Marc and the coaches confirmed all of the great things I have heard about the culture of the team here. I cannot wait to get started and help the group to achieve more success.”
Director of women’s football at Man United, Matt Johnson, went on to add: “We are delighted to have signed a player with excellent experience at both club and international level at such a young age.
“Hanna will add further quality and energy to our defence; her determination and attitude will really help the group as we continue to compete across domestic and European competitions.”
Over in the blue half of Manchester, another youngster is reportedly heading out on his second loan spell in the January transfer window.
Interview | New Salford rugby league co-owner Mason Caton-Brown on the future of phoenix club
Danny Jones
This month, we had the privilege of conducting an interview with the new co-owner of Salford RLFC and ex-Red Devils star, Mason Caton-Brown, who is part of the ‘Phoenix Bid’ consortium helping bring back the rugby league club.
A former winger turned entrepreneur, Mason Caton-Brown is now a joint director within the organisation alongside two other main business partners – one of whom he says is responsible for spearheading the resurrection in the first place.
That man is Paul Hancock – a native Salfordian and die-hard Red Devils fan for more than three decades – whose company, PH Services, has already sponsored the local sporting institution for several years.
Mason told us that, as well as having followed their financial struggles in recent times, he has been speaking to Hancock regularly for some time now, with the latter suggesting the prospect of stepping in to salvage the situation in the last couple of months.
They should be back up and running in time for the 2026 rugby league season.
“We’d just been casually speaking about it up until about five or six weeks ago”, says the Enfield-born athlete and businessman.
“We wanted to try and come up with a solution of what we could do to try and help, so we put together a group of people, and since then, it’s been late nights and early mornings every day, putting together this plan and a group of people that can you know rebuild Salford in a way where the city can be proud of it.”
Stressing the importance of building a “sustainable” strategy – as opposed to the false promises of the previous ‘investors’ who failed to rescue the club – it’s clear the consortium has a core group of principles they’re looking to stick by.
But Mason was quick to share credit and recognise that “it was Paul’s idea.”
“He’d been sitting on it for a while now, just thinking in his mind of how to try and save the club, to help them however he could. And yeah: he reached out; we were meeting for other business things, and he put it to me, and I said ‘definitely’.
“I think it’s not just about having an ex-player in there either, there are other people involved as well. It’s the fans; they are supporters who have been following this club for 20-odd years. They’re the other members in this group, and fundamentally, it’s going to be a transparent, honest club.”
For me personally”, Mason continued, “it’s a bit of a dream come true to be able to be a part of a club as a player, and now being able to help rebuild is kind of a dream.
“I moved up here as a 21-year-old kid, fresh-faced player; I still have a house in the area, and I still live in the city, and it kind of just embraced me. I was from London, so obviously a big capital city, and I came to Salford, and I was welcomed with open arms.
“The people, the club and the wider community helped me become who I am today; I have my businesses there as well, so it’s a big part of my life, and to be back involved with the club is just brilliant.”
The conversation quickly moved on to what’s next for the club and, specifically, the prospect of rebranding and potentially even a new name for Salford’s rugby league side.
After all, the ‘phoenix’ motif and wider concept are already right there for the taking.
However, if there was ever any doubt among any part of the fan base that the 32-year-old is, indeed, a business person these days and experienced enough in this department, that was quickly snuffed out in his response.
He’s even more committed to the club than his days as a teammate. (Credit: Supplied via Rumpus PR)
Mason was pretty tight-lipped when pressed on the notion of a new badge and possibly even a new name for the 152-year-old team, and rightly so – put simply, he says, “We want to get it right.”
“So, obviously, we’re going to stay Salfordian at the centre of everything, and we don’t want to just announce something; it will still be a Salford club.”
He took a similar tack when asked about the staff and a new squad. Despite the Phoenix Bid having already assured pre-agreements with a head coach and several players, he wouldn’t budge on any names or hints, simply stating that the group plans to make some announcements before the New Year.
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“Our first aim is stability and security”, he says. “Putting the fans first, bringing the fans back together, and just building something that the fans can be proud of. Locally, it’ll be good to get the community involved, and long term, obviously, our goal is to get the club back into the Super League.
“That would be an amazing story for the club. We’ve seen it happen with other clubs like Bradford [Bulls] and Hull KR, so that’s there, but for now we want to steady, get the supporters involved and provide value for he fans.
Citing that first game back and returning to Championship level against regional rivals Oldham RLFC, they’re hoping to make it “a real celebration.”
Sharing a statement via their new social media account, SRLFC wrote: “The hard work starts now. We’ve promised to build a strong, sustainable future for rugby league in Salford, one that protects our heritage and ensures the next generation has a club to be proud of.
“We know how much this club means. We’ve all felt the highs, the heartbreaks, and the hope. That’s why this moment matters so much because together, we get to start again. Our plan is simple: honesty, transparency, and community first.
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“This is about rebuilding properly, step by step and doing it the right way. We’re asking for your patience, support, and belief. There will be challenges ahead, but there will also be incredible moments that remind us why we love this game. This is for the fans. For Salford. Forever.”
If it does come to pass, it won’t be the only big rebrand taking place in the city…
A closer look at the details behind the new #SalfordCity club crest. 🦁
Danny Jones -
5th December 2025 
