Jesse Lingard has hit at his former club Manchester United claiming The Red Devils are far behind their rivals in the standard of their facilities.
The Nottingham Forest attacker Lingard has backed up claims from Cristiano Ronaldo assuring the dearth of progress that has left Manchester United miles behind elite Premier League clubs.
Jesse Lingard left Manchester United last summer after 11 years at Old Trafford to join Nottingham Forest on a one-year contract.
Even though United have been basking in victories since their early return to form on the pitch, with Erik ten Hag overseeing the new epoch at Old Trafford, serious claims have been roaring around about the club being miles away from other Premier League giants.
Cristiano Ronaldo first made the revelation in his bombshell interview with Piers Morgan that led to his abrupt departure from United, hammering that “nothing has changed” behind the scenes between his two spells at Old Trafford.
Now, Jesse Lingard has also questioned why a global champion has allowed itself to stagnate with no motive to join the league of other progressive clubs.
Lingard slammed Manchester United, criticizing the Manchester club in a tell-all interview on The Diary of a CEO Podcast.
The 30-year-old England International star talked about several issues and slammed the lack of structure and control at the club, which he blamed on the American owners, the Glazers.
Lingard slammed the Red Devils, asserting that they dwell on past glory and have lacked any control since Sir Alex Ferguson departed.
Lingard said: “There was no control, no structure, people doing what they want – it was like a free-for-all.”
“We don’t know [who’s calling the shots]. And of course, now they want to sell the club. We were just behind on a lot of things. Players didn’t take a view.”
The former United midfielder Lingard, who left Old Trafford as a free agent in 2022 compared the modern facilities at rival clubs like Manchester City and Tottenham to the obsolete ones in Manchester United.
He added: “You know what it is, I think they’re so behind with everything. You see Manchester City’s facilities, you see Tottenham’s facilities when we go there with England and train at Tottenham like these clubs are miles ahead.”
The 30-year-old England International midfielder also slams United for falling behind even on social media.
He said: “Even the social side of things and that. I went to them in 2017 about YouTube and doing content, but they’re so behind on everything. I just want them to get up to date with the new things that are happening, the things that are popping. You’ve got to be relevant, you’ve got to stay relevant.”
And when asked about Ronaldo’s controversial comments being targetted at Manchester United, Lingard remarked: “Yeah, and he left [the first time] years ago!
“You want the best things, especially as United is one of the biggest clubs in the world. You want the best for the best.
“Of course, you want the best food and you want the swimming pool and the jacuzzi and the sauna, which is still there but [it should] be a bit more modern.
“Modernise, because you see City’s facilities and you think, ‘Get up to date, catch up a little bit!’ because they’re way behind at the moment.”
Lingard also told The Diary of a CEO Podcast that Manchester United informed the press against him to disallow his loan deal to Newcastle last January.
Lingard said he wanted to go on loan in January 2022 because he wasn’t playing again, and Newcastle was eager to welcome him.
Jesse Lingard claimed the Newcastle move was a done deal until United’s Director of Football John Murtough phoned and said he would no longer be leaving Old Trafford.
Lingard said John Murtough asked him if his rationale to depart was to have some days off following his unfavorable playtime at United.
Jesse Lingard noted: ‘So, they let a couple of players go out on loan, but when it came to me, John Murtough rang and said: “No, you’re not going on loan.”
“I was like, “Well, he’s gone on loan – let me go and enjoy my football as I’m not playing here.” He asked “What do you want, days off?” and I said, “No, I just want to go and play football.”
On 21 July 2022, Lingard signed for newly promoted Premier League club Nottingham Forest on a one-year contract and has played 19 matches, scoring just 2 goals.
