Matthew Hamilton

"To handle Manchester United, you need character. You need something about you. You need to be able to handle the weight of the badge. You need to show accountability. You need to show what you’re capable of under scrutiny. "There’s nothing like the pressure that this club brings. The pressure is a privilege here and there’s no greater place. "Along with Barcelona and maybe Ajax I think we’re the three clubs in the world that have that tradition of youth and our clubs are built on it." Steve Torpey was born in Liverpool to a Liverpudlian family, played for FC United and worked at Manchester City. But as Manchester United's academy director he believes he is working for a club "built on youth". He speaks at length to @AndyMitten about his career, his rise through the academy game and handling talents like JJ Gabriel. 🔗 nytimes.com/athletic/71220…

Is the Polish top flight the most competitive, exciting league in Europe? At this stage of the season all 18 teams can still mathematically win the title…or be relegated. With record attendances and clubs enjoying success in European competition, @Millar_Colin explains why the Ekstraklasa is the competition to watch this season. 🔗 nytimes.com/athletic/71129…

🇵🇱 Welcome to Poland's Ekstraklasa: Europe's craziest league 📉All 18 teams can still win the league...or be relegated 📈 Crowds up 50% 🇪🇺 European successes 🤝 Thanks to @UEFAComPiotrK, @wilkowicz, @JakubBalcerski 🎁 Gift article on @TheAthleticFC nytimes.com/athletic/71129…

Nigel Clough interview: 😮1500 games and counting 🍼His greatest daily challenge 🥅 Bad memories of Mikel ⚽️Miracle man Robbo ❤️Living with dad’s legacy And a mental health dog called Bobbie.. ⁦@mansfieldtownfc⁩ mol.im/a/15609191

The old Champions League group stage was a bit dull. The new format is too chaotic to understand what's going on. How about a compromise? nytimes.com/athletic/70062…

The revamped Champions League league phase delivered drama last night — but overall it feels too bloated and, on its final day, too frenetic. Splitting up the 36-team league would ensure the best of the old and new formats. 📝 @Zonal_Marking 🔗 nytimes.com/athletic/70062…

Thierry Henry really, really good on MNF. @SkySports

Sir Jim Ratcliffe did not hide his admiration for Manchester City when he bought into Manchester United. He spoke of their “very sensible structure” and “driven competitive environment” and duly hired some of Manchester City’s top executives. But, almost two years on, United’s attempted ‘City-fication’ has brought them no closer to their rivals. 📝 @OliverKay 🔗 nytimes.com/athletic/69744…

Nearly two years after Jim Ratcliffe’s investment and all those big promises, Man Utd are still miles off it. Two years of going round in circles, frankly. Talk of emulating #MCFC felt galling to #MUFC fans, but it’s far more galling when it doesn’t work nytimes.com/athletic/69744…

How Michael Carrick went from Barbados holiday to becoming Manchester United interim manager: ▪️ The meeting where he impressed club bosses ▪️ Ferguson’s backing ▪️ Concerns Solskjaer was retrograde move ▪️ Why Holland is joining ▪️ Wilcox told squad that Champions League qualification is target The inside story of another turbulent week at Old Trafford. 📝 @mjcritchley & more 🔗 nytimes.com/athletic/69652…

Michael Carrick was a cerebral, unflustered midfielder as a player and, back in 2023, he was showing similar traits in the dugout. He gave Middlesbrough an immediate identity: his side were here to out-pass the opposition in the first two-thirds of the pitch and to attack with verve in the final third. The formation was generally 4-2-3-1. Carrick was not re-inventing tactics but he imposed a definitive style and when it worked, some of the football played in those months was the best many Middlesbrough fans could remember. They accumulated 66 goals in the first 30 league games under Carrick. There were no grand statements of principles in his pre-match press conferences – attended by a fraction of the numbers who will interrogate him at Manchester United. On one routine day, when the discussion did turn towards “philosophy”, Carrick’s swift response was: “I hate that word.” It was curious to hear. Carrick may be no Ruben Amorim-style ideologue, but there was a clear, systematic approach from Middlesbrough in every game they played under him. 📝 @mwalker2771 🔗 nytimes.com/athletic/69547…

There is a simple way for the ECB to conduct their ‘thorough review’ into what went wrong for England in Australia. They should just sit in a room with coach Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key and ask them: What happened with the preparation? With Shoaib Bashir? With Zak Crawley? With bowling short and wide? Is anyone questioning the batters' shots? Why was there no fielding coach? Why was the main fast bowling coach playing in franchise cricket?And most important of all, how are they going to change things going forward? Because there has to be change. England messed up the Ashes. Key and McCullum need to explain how they are going to put it right. Then we will see if they can carry on. 📝 @nassercricket theathletic.com/6955305/?sourc…

Darren Fletcher may only lead Manchester United in one game - but he wants to make an impression. In his inaugural press conference, he discussed: ■ Possible back four switch ■ Criticisms by Neville & other former stars ■ Getting Ferguson’s blessing ■ Relations with Amorim ■ His long-term plans 📝 @mjcritchley 🔗 nytimes.com/athletic/69468…

How Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United reign ended in turmoil and toxicity: 🔺 Row with Jason Wilcox over tactics & transfers 🔺 Sir Jim Ratcliffe wanted switch to back four 🔺 Glazers uneasy since August 🔺 Training-pitch argument with Lisandro Martinez 🔺 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in frame as caretaker, Jonny Evans could return ✍️ @lauriewhitwell, @AdamCrafton_ and @mjcritchley 🔗 nytimes.com/athletic/69423…

Sir Jim Ratcliffe said in October that Ruben Amorim needed three years to prove himself at Manchester United. Less than three months later, he’s been sacked. Amorim was INEOS’ hire and he failed. Now, Ratcliffe and his executives must own their error and fix it. 📝 @mjcritchley nytimes.com/athletic/69430…

Mentored by Roy Keane, the best friend of Wayne Rooney and with Sir Alex Ferguson on speed dial. Darren Fletcher has Manchester United in his blood. The Scot has served Old Trafford as an academy talent, midfield workhorse and a coach. Now he has the chance to lead them as interim manager - and he is the obvious choice. 📝 @AndyMitten nytimes.com/athletic/69428…

Background piece on what MUFC’s interim manager Darren Fletcher will offer for @TheAthleticFC nytimes.com/athletic/69428…

It is rare that any manager is as overwhelmingly wedded to a system as Ruben Amorim was to 3-4-3 at Manchester United. It didn't work on paper, and often looked worse on the pitch. They looked predictable and disjointed. Amorim also experimented with players in two different positions within that system, which felt like square pegs in round holes. #MUFC looked completely lost for much of his 14 months in charge. 📝 @Zonal_Marking nytimes.com/athletic/69421…

Ruben Amorim departs Manchester United as one of their least successful head coaches, one who arrived with grand ambitions but leaves having shown himself to be more compelling in theory than reality. His team fielded multiple defensive players in games, but rarely defended well. This version of United looked to play with pace and precision, but were slow to react in the game’s critical moments. Amorim’s bravery in press conferences was rarely matched by his tactical setup in important matches. @Ankaman616 on the end of an error at Manchester United ⬇️ 🔗 nytimes.com/athletic/63207…

England have been out-batted, out-bowled, out-fielded and out-thought by Australia. They have not handled the key moments well enough. The Ashes were lost in 11 days. Mistakes have clearly been made: from too much emphasis on 'how' rather than 'how many' with the batting, to the whole balance of the bowling attack. Now lessons must be learned. There has to be some calm reflection. But, for me, there is one non-negotiable: as long as he still has an appetite for the job, Ben Stokes should remain as captain. 📝 @nassercricket 🔗 theathletic.com/6905810/?sourc…