Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero has questioned his former manager Pep Guardiola’s decision not to bring on Julián Álvarez against Real Madrid on Tuesday night.
The game ended up being a 1-1 draw for Man City (not a bad result to take back for the second leg at home whatsoever) with Kevin De Bruyne having to answer back with a rifled shot after Madrid opened the scoring through an equally impressive rocket from Vinicius Jr.
However, even after City drew level in the 67th minute and had plenty of time to try and grab a winner, Guardiola opted not to make a single change throughout the entirety of the game despite the talent at his disposal — a decision that left many fans scratching their heads.
Sergio Aguero was left wondering the same thing too, as it turns out. Reacting to the stalemate, the club’s all-time leading goalscorer criticised Pep for not only refusing to make a substitution but for failing to pick one player, in particular: Álvarez.
"I don't understand why he (Pep Guardiola) doesn’t put Julian (Alvarez) in. I wonder, but hay, he has Haaland. But again, Pep doesn’t marry anyone.
I would put Julian in almost every game because when the opportunity comes, he'll have a spark"
Aguero thinks Álvarez could make a difference for Pep not just against Madrid, but as a regular starter.
Speaking on the AlbicelesteTalk podcast after the full-time whistle, the now-retired Argentine striker couldn’t help but wonder why the Catalan coach didn’t bring on his fellow countryman to try and score a second which could have proved vital in the tie overall.
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“What I don’t understand is why he didn’t put Julián [on]. I wonder, but well it’s Pep.” The 23-year-old has registered 15 goals and five assists in 44 appearances this season, most of them coming off the bench, and has impressed City fans and neutrals alike almost every time he plays.
Aguero went on to say, “If it was up to me I would play Julián in almost every game because we need him to be active and for him to have a spark,” clearly backing his compatriot to play from the start more regularly. I mean, he has just won a World Cup, to be fair.
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Although Pep hasn’t gone for the overkill of having Haaland and Álvarez on the pitch at the same time too often — and you rarely want to sub someone as inevitable as the Norwegian is — it’s hard to see why he wouldn’t put on fresh legs and another serious attacking threat when trying to win a game.
On the other hand, the 52-year-old is obviously a master tactician and will no doubt have had his reasons, and is certainly no strange to being reserved when it comes to subs. In fact, last year he was among the managers to have made the fewest changes over the course of the season.
With the tie now finely poised for a blockbuster second leg over at the Etihad, City stand a real chance of making it to the final two for the second time in as many years, having been beaten by Chelsea in the 2021 Champions League final.
Nevertheless, if the game ends up being another tightly-balanced and tense affair, we imagine Pep will have no problem bringing on Álvarez and other subs once the clock starts ticking down.
Featured Image — Manchester City/Sergio Aguero/Julián Álvarez (via Instagram)
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Ruben Amorim reacts as Manchester United are booed off after Malaysia friendly
Danny Jones
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has delivered a fairly brutal response after his club were booed off by supporters during a friendly in Malaysia.
The Red Devils recently embarked on a post-season tour following a calamitous 2024/25 campaign, both domestically and continentally, with that limp loss in the Europa League final, but have already resumed what has become alarmingly normal service with yet another defeat.
Finding themselves on the wrong end of a 1-0 scoreline against ASEAN All-Stars in Kuala Lumpur – a squad comprised of various talents from around the region who had never played together before and were only founded as an actual team back in 2014 – it was all far from clean slates and fresh starts.
In the wake of the shock result, Man United were booed off by the Malaysian and other international fans inside the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, which saw more than 70,000 in attendance.
It’s the end and that’s it. Man United got boo’ed by the fans after the final whistle.
They got beaten by non-full team Asean All-Star who just trained together as a group few days before the match. pic.twitter.com/fBxnMiZPN8
For context, the ASEAN All-Stars had only trained together for the first time just days before the game itself, but the de facto exhibition outfit still managed to break the deadlock in the 71st minute against a United side that rarely looked like scoring.
All that being said, Amorim had some choice words for his own players in his post-match duties after their first post-season tour fixture, insisting that while he always remains accountable, those out on the pitch perhaps received somewhat of a deserved reckoning too.
He began by stating, “I’m always guilty of the performance of the team, no matter what. [I have been responsible] since the first day”, but went on to argue: “The boos from the fans, I think it something that we need, maybe.”
Citing that the Old Trafford faithful and die-hard away fans have always been loyal and supportive despite frustration in the league, he suggested that “maybe they will change the way they behave” following this latest reality check.
Despite adding that he has seen reasons for optimism in performances against Man City and Liverpool, for instance, where he felt he saw “belief” and seeds of what’s to come, he’s made very few excuses for the poor displays up to now.
United face the Hong Kong national team in their next friendly on Friday, 29 May, and it’s fair to say anything less than a win would be beyond bad for the predictably unpredictable Premier League club.
You can see his full post-match press conference down below.
Featured Images — Manchester United (screenshot via YouTube)/Edward Kuruvilla (via X)
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Stockport County to introduce safe standing at Edgeley Park
Danny Jones
Stockport County will soon be introducing safe standing at Edgeley Park as part of the pending stadium development plans.
The Hatters may have just missed out on promotion to the Championship, but it’s still been an exciting few years for the club that has seen a fresh surge in young new supporters in addition to their passionate lifelong followers.
In more fantastic news for fans, County have announced that brand new safe standing sections will be installed across the ground.
Confirming the news on Wednesday, the club said: “After receiving all necessary approvals and working closely with safety authorities, we are set to install rail seating in two designated areas of the stadium.
Stockport County is thrilled to announce the introduction of safe standing areas at Edgeley Park ahead of the upcoming 2025/26 season.
Visit the club site for more details on this exciting new development ⤵️#StockportCounty
— Stockport County (@StockportCounty) May 28, 2025
As detailed on the club website, there will be two new dedicated safe-standing/rail-seated zones – one in each main stand: the back five rows of seats in the Cheadle End’s upper tier and the back two rows of the Vitality Railway End.
With Stockport Council greenlighting plans for League One side to expand their home capacity, this reconfiguration is set to accommodate a total of 849 County fans and/or supporters.
Although this all depends on final approval from the Safety Advisory Group (SAG), the aim is to deliver a “vibrant and dynamic environment for both home and away fans at Edgeley Park.”
The official statement goes on to explain that the push for safe standing is not just to provide more matchday options for those in attendance, but in hopes of further “enhancing the atmosphere and improving the overall matchday experience for those who prefer to stand.”
Couty has insisted that “The rail-seating system incorporates a barrier for every seat, ensuring that supporters are protected from a sudden surge or crowd movement.”
Safe standing is part of the larger Stockport County stadium redevelopment plans.
Addressing early concerns in a ‘What This Means for You’ section, they go on to add: “Season ticket holders currently in the affected rows will be contacted directly by the Club over the coming weeks with details on their options, including relocating to a seated area if they prefer not to stand.
“Information regarding new season tickets and matchday tickets in the safe standing areas will be released in due course.
“We believe this is another significant step forward for Stockport County and will further enhance the already incredible atmosphere at Edgeley Park. We look forward to seeing and hearing the renewed energy in these new sections.”
The safe standing plan is set to be introduced for the upcoming 2025/26 season, with the administration hoping to make this their last in the third tier. Do you see them going up next year?
Danny Jones -
10th May 2023 
