Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt FUME about 'Man City-fication' of Man United's backroom staff: 'It wouldn't happen at Barcelona or Real Madrid'

Manchester United legends Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt have expressed criticism in a new interview regarding their former club's trend of hiring executives and backroom staff from rivals Manchester City. They believe this influx could negatively impact the club's culture, with Scholes stating that it is not what Manchester United people or fans would want.

The context for this criticism is Manchester United's recent poor performance, including finishing 15th in the previous season under manager Ruben Amorim and an early exit from the Carabao Cup in the 2025-26 campaign against lower-league team Grimsby Town. This decline has occurred amid efforts by new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to overhaul the club after years of stagnation following Sir Alex Ferguson's departure in 2013.

As part of Ratcliffe's restructuring, notable hires from Manchester City include Omar Berrada, former Chief Football Operations Officer, and Jason Wilcox, the director of football. Scholes specifically named these individuals in his comments, highlighting the number of former City staff now at United and expressing disapproval of this approach, despite acknowledging City's success over the past decade.

In his remarks to the Times, Scholes emphasized that while he hopes these hires bring positive elements from City's successful model, it does not align with the traditions and desires of Manchester United supporters, reinforcing the concerns shared by Butt about the potential effects on the club's identity.