Manchester United finally picked up their first piece of silverware in over half a decade with their League Cup win last month and, more importantly, both the players and the fans seem much happier with how the club is performing as one of the most in-form teams in Europe right now.
Moreover, while most Reds are understandably quick to assign most of the credit to Erik ten Hag who has revolutionised the playstyle and overall culture around the club, it’s becoming more and more evident that another figure among the backroom staff has also had a significant impact: Benni McCarthy.
Explaining his role on the club’s website, ten Hag said that his objective is pretty clear: he is the “scoring trainer… He is offensive [minded] as he is a former striker and that is also a really specific job task in the team.” And so far, it not only seems like he’s fulfilling that role but people are starting to take notice.
Recognising that he himself never played up front, the Dutchman said he feels “lucky to have someone in [his] staff who played there” and an individual to add balance throughout the coaching staff.
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Ultimately, “Football is about scoring”, says ten Hag, but he noted that McCarthy has also been tasked with “working on the togetherness and he is doing a great job on that.” In fact, the Mail reported that the 45-year-old has become a “larger-than-life character” and immensely popular with the players.”
You only have to hear it from the boys themselves; Anthony Martial said that the South African gives “a lot of advice… both on and off the training ground”, and as for current star man Marcus Rashford, he remarked: “He’s definitely helped me a lot… to have them attack-minded coaches is good for us in the squad, he’s always there speaking to us about these things.”
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McCarthy might not be keen to take the credit — insisting in a recent video that he “didn’t have to do anything” as Rashford “already had everything” in his locker to hit his current heights — but even the fans are now gathering outside Old Trafford to grab his autograph and thank him for his work.
❤️ “Thanks for what you’re doing with this team.”
🇿🇦 Benni McCarthy: “Thank you, that’s the manager, it’s the manager.”
Part of having Rashford “in the right place” has clearly been about not only helping him regain the confidence to get back to what he does best, but McCarthy is also widely reported to have put the 25-year-old through regular one-on-one heading sessions to improve his aerial game.
Furthermore, the stats seem to suggest that these drills are working, as not only has he already surpassed his best-ever tally for goals in a season (now on 25 in all competitions) but, more specifically, he has always scored more headers (4) this season than any other in his career.
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And it isn’t just Rashford, of course; Antony looks to be gradually simplifying his game too. It feels unlikely he’d be able to score that curled finish he favours so much on the volley against Barcelona without first wanting to take a touch had McCarthy goalscoring advice’s not been there.
The same can be argued for Alejandro Garnacho as well, who has become seriously direct and clinical in the past few months, especially at such a young age. Again, wide forward or not, he’s playing with a striker’s instinct and not trying to overcomplicate things — he’s listening to his coaches and seeing the results.
When it comes to cases like Weghorst, it’s already been widely publicised that he was brought in more for his pressing stats and work rate than his goalscoring record, but the big man has still shown the ability to play as a false nine, holding the ball up and allowing others to run off him into dangerous areas.
Once again, it’s hard to say how much McCarthy has played a part in all that but the signs seem to point towards his impact reaching far beyond Rashford. In the same report by the Mail, it also said that Jadon Sancho made it clear he also wanted personal time with the striking coach after his own private training programme and look how well he has returned to the squad.
As a lifelong United fan, Benni McCarthy’s connection with the club looked to have been almost immediate; he is even said to have not even asked about his salary before accepting the job — he just wanted to take the opportunity, even despite the reaction from some supporters around the time of his appointment.
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There have been a lot of important signings that have helped transform Manchester United since Erik ten Hag arrived, but there is a very strong case to be made that Benni McCarthy is among the best of them.
Featured Image — Manchester United/Marcus Rashford (via Twitter)
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Casemiro is leaving Manchester United at the end of the season
Danny Jones
Manchester United player Casemiro has confirmed that he will be leaving the club when his contract expires at the end of the season.
The veteran CDM and European footballing legend joined Man United back in 2022 for around £70 million from his former team, Real Madrid, where he won everything over the best part of a decade.
Now, Old Trafford fan favourite ‘Cas’ (full name, Carlos Henrique José Francisco Venâncio Casimiro) is set to leave United following the expiration of his current and highly lucrative deal this summer.
Announcing his pending departure in an emotional video, the seasoned Brazilian midfielder admitted that he feels the time is right to leave the club – but not before giving his “everything” in the remainder of the current campaign.
Writing in the caption of the social media post, Casemiro said: “Knowing when stages come to an end. Knowing when to say goodbye when you feel that you will be remembered and respected forever.
“Four months to give my all for this badge and for our goal. Eternal respect and affection for Manchester United and its wonderful fans. Forever Red Devil.”
Responding underneath the partnered post, the club simply wrote: “Once a Red, always a Red.”
Now 33 years old and already being accused of being ‘over the hill’ even when he first landed in Manchester, Casemiro had an impressive first season under Erik ten Hag and quickly became a crucial cog in the squad; arguably, overly relied upon, some would say.
On the other hand, given his age and the fast pace of English football, it’s fair to say he’s done well to keep up with the most competitive league on the planet.
He is also one of the well-paid talents in the Premier League, so while the majority of supporters will be gutted to see him go, the board will still be relieved to see his estimated £350,000-a-week wages taken off the books.
Nevertheless, he is now regularly subbed off around the hour mark for Man United, and it’s not exactly a surprise that he is now preparing to move on. INEOS and their recruitment already look to be searching for reinforcements in the middle of the park.
They are looking to bolster their options as they chase down Champions League qualification
Bringing a wealth of experience and leadership to ten Hag, Ruben Amorim, and now Michael Carrick‘s setup for what’s left of the 2025/26 term, he’s a big presence that will no doubt be missed in the dressing room and on the pitch.
Having scored 21 times in 146 games so far, he will finish the season with more than a century of appearances, and we wouldn’t be surprised if you see him chip in with a few more goals before hanging up his red shirt.
Besides being a serial throughout pretty much the rest of his career, the midfield remains a key point of contention at United, and his departure will no doubt mean more talent will need to be brought in at least by the summer.
You can see more of his farewell announcement video down below.
💬 “I will always carry this club with me. I will always be a Manchester United fan.”
Manchester City are reimbursing fans who travelled to watch their defeat against Bodo/Glimt
Danny Jones
A bunch of Manchester City players are preparing to refund fans who travelled to watch the shock defeat against Bodo/Glimt earlier this week.
In case you missed the surprising score, Man City were on the end of a very unexpected result against the Eliteserien side, losing 3-1 in what was the club’s first-ever win in the Champions League.
More than that, it was also the first time a Norwegian team had won in the competition in nearly two decades, making it a historic night for the nation, albeit one to forget for the Blues.
Following the European upset, as a gesture of goodwill towards supporters, select members of the squad from Pep Guardiola’s so-called leadership group have now pledged to cover the trip made by the dedicated away fans, from the match ticket itself to travel costs.
JUST IN: Manchester City's players are reimbursing fans who watched their Champions League defeat against Bodo/Glimt.
They are covering the cost of match tickets for game which Pep Guardiola's side lost 3-1 🚨
The message from City stars is as follows: “Our supporters mean everything to us. We know the sacrifice that our fans make when they travel across the world to support us home and away, and we will never take it for granted.
“We also recognise that it was a lot of travelling for the fans who supported us in the freezing cold throughout a difficult evening for us on the pitch. Covering the cost of these tickets for the fans who travelled to Bodo is the least we can do.”
Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, Rodri and Scandinavian native Erling Haaland, who had a less-than-ideal return to his home country on Tuesday night, are said to be the individuals covering the fees
As per multiple reports, the figure is said to be just under £10k – approximately £9,357 spread across a total of 374 matchgoers, to be specific.
While the club and the players, specifically, have been praised by plenty for what many have labelled as a ‘classy move’, some are suggesting that the statement actually signals the opposite regarding their opponents, who shone on the night.
Scoring twice in quick succession midway through the first half before bagging the third and ultimately decisive goal in the 58th minute, it could have been four or five.
Bodo/Glimt had moments ruled offside and hit the woodwork in both halves.
Despite City pulling one back and showing promise of getting back in the game through Rayan Cherki, that momentum was quickly crushed when the aforementioned and only recently returning, Rodri, was sent off after a second yellow around the hour mark.
Following the arguably equally unexpected blow in the Manchester derby last weekend, it’s been a tough few days for the players and fans alike, but they still stand a chance of beating Arsenal to the Premier League title this season.
You can see the highlights from the Bodo/Glimt vs Man City game here.
Danny Jones -
4th March 2023 
