Leaks at MUFC isn't something we're unaccustomed to both in a literal sense and when it comes to team news. This has been happening for years.
But unlike standard drip-drip leaks from pipes that has a slight crack in it, this team news leaks is more akin to Old Trafford falls.
Over the years, United has seen their team news put out to the public well before any team should be put out ahead of a match. However, most of that time, we would get one or three names who will be starting.
As annoying as that was and still needed to be stopped, it wasn't the end of the world as the opposition still needed to figure out the other 8 players and will have to wait until an hour before kickoff to actually know the team.
Ahead of the derby on Sunday though, we got a little more than just one or three players. In fact, we got the whole team which was spot on.
This team came out on Saturday night, almost an entire day before what was a massive game for both sides.
Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News was the journalist who let the team known to the world the night before Ruben Amorim's first derby.
The leaked team was: Onana, Maguire, De Ligt, Martinez, Mazraoui, Ugarte, Fernandes, Dalot, Mount, Amad, Hojlund. This was the exact team that started.
Imagine Pep Guardiola knowing the team he's about to face 24 hours before the game. He would know precisely what he will want to do with his own team in order to combat his opponents. This would've been a huge help to the City manager given their terrible form before the match.
Thank goodness that this leaked team still managed to beat City yet to have the ENTIRE team out a day before a derby is absolutely ridiculous.
I love the fact that Amorim kept the same lineup, stuck to the plan and beat Pep again anyway.
Boss move 😄.
Luckhurst said in his post in which he leaked this team that "teams have leaked out of United for years but the current regularity, brazen manner of it and apparently public identity of the source make it more if an issue."
There is a lot of speculation as to who it could be but the MEN journalist cleared up Alejandro Garnacho and his brother Roberto, as NOT being his sources as he said in his column: “It is worth clarifying that neither Alejandro nor Roberto Garnacho sent me the United team when I got it on Saturday evening. I have never formally met or spoken to either sibling.”
But with Garnacho and Rashford not being a part of the matchday squad for the derby, people were starting to put two and two together.
With what Luckhurst said and then news about Amorim being satisfied that it wasn't United's number 17 nor indeed man of the moment Amad who are the leaks, this can all but take away Garnacho's name as the source.
The Sun have said that "#mufc have launched an investigation into which player is leaking team news information.
Both Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho have been quizzed by Ruben Amorim as to whether they are responsible.
Amorim is satisfied neither Amad or Garnacho are involved directly in the leaking", via The United Stand.
On the leaked team news itself, the Man Utd manager says that he knows the story and that he believes "it's impossible to fix nowadays" due to the amount of people at the club. "Players talk with agents" and that people talk to friends which makes it difficult to stop these leaked lineups.
He ended off by saying "It’s not a good thing but let’s move on and go to the next one and see if they find the next starting XI", via Goal.
Final Thoughts
I've hated this leaked team thing ever since it first started happening. Even when it was just a couple of players, I still didn't like my opponent knowing anything about my potential lineup.
How could whoever is at that club let it known to the world who is going to play well before the game itself? Why would you do that? Why would you even think to do that?
For the journalist or anyone else who's leaked the team on the behalf of their sources, again, why? What does that do for you?
I don't think any fan or anyone associated with a club would like for their team to be leaked at any point before one hour before the match itself. It does nothing for you except get people on your back for something that isn't completely your fault.
Even if you know the team, keep it to yourself.
It's almost as if those who leak it and those who put it out there sabotage the rest of the team and the manager. It's almost as if they want the opponent to know what to do well in advance in order to try and beat United, at least from my perspective.
It's great that Amorim kept the same lineup and won anyway. It makes me feel like those who leaked this team didn't get what they want.
This is the type of problem we've had for so long and is part of that pathetic culture at the club. Luckhurst even says that the team has been leaked for so many years which is something we know because we've seen it happen over the years.
And it only seems to happen at United. You don't see early team news for City, Chelsea, Liverpool, hell not even the likes of Southampton and Wolves who've just sacked their manager!
Only at our club.
United have to get serious in trying to find this leak because it has gone too far even though it was far gone already. It may not have worked for the opponent this time but who knows what will happen in the next match should Spurs, United's next opponents, have the team a day before a quarter final in the Carabao Cup which could be a huge tournament for either side when looking at their current situations.
The entire team leaked a day before a derby.
Shambles.
Background Image: Amad, Alejandro Garnacho and Ruben Amorim. The Man Utd boss is said to be 'satisfied' with these two players not being one of the team news leakers | Creator: Alex Livesey | Credit: Getty Images Copyright: 2024 Getty Images via Goal