Bastian Schweinsteiger has never really said anything harsh at all about one of his former clubs, Manchester United. He certainly has plenty of reasons and cause to be bitter, given what happened to him at United, but the German is just too professional, and an overall nice guy to lash out.
Then manager Jose Mourinho froze Schweinsteiger out so much that he was relegated to training with the club’s U21 players. The midfielder found his escape route, in March 2017, leaving United to sign with the Chicago Fire. It was the final club he played for during his illustrious career.
Ex-#MUFC midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger: "It is still not 100% clear to me if United are going to be successful or not. They have great names like Pogba and Ronaldo, and I think that Rashford will help them a lot in the future. It has not been easy for them."
— Shamoon Hafez (@ShamoonHafez) October 24, 2021
Schweinsteiger: "But if you compare #MUFC's football to other teams like Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool or even like Bayern Munich it is not on the same level at the moment. But United can always hurt you in one game, that is clear to me, especially at Old Trafford."
— Shamoon Hafez (@ShamoonHafez) October 24, 2021
Manchester United vs Liverpool FYIs
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Starting XI Predictions: Liverpool United
Odds: Liverpool win +120 United win +200 Draw +255
Ahead of United’s big rivalry match against Liverpool, Schweinsteiger gave a harsh, but fair critique of the overall level of quality and the general direction at Old Trafford. He was scathing, brutally honest, but still classy as he spoke to the BBC’s Shamoon Hafez.
Schweinsteiger: "#MUFC are still in progress. Solskjaer keeps mentioning that. It takes too long though for me in my eyes.
"If you look at #MCFC or #CFC and the impact that Tuchel had on them – it was unbelievable. They have a strategy and a DNA. They have more in their game."— Shamoon Hafez (@ShamoonHafez) October 24, 2021
Schweinsteiger: "When I watch #MUFC games I don't know how they play. I can't guarantee you a win and as a Manchester United fan you want to know that. They keep talking about time, but you don't have time in football. You have to win right now."
— Shamoon Hafez (@ShamoonHafez) October 24, 2021
Schweinsteiger: "Manchester United were the only club I was interested in playing for when I left Bayern Munich. They have a beautiful stadium and I was a huge fan of Eric Cantona.
"I loved playing for #MUFC, fans were absolutely amazing, I loved every moment of playing there."— Shamoon Hafez (@ShamoonHafez) October 24, 2021
There is still more to what he said, and you can go to Hafez’s Twitter feed to read the rest of the remarks. Schweinsteiger was basically telling it like it, stating that United is just a peg or two below the other clubs traditionally as big as they are.
He’s not saying anything that a lot of United fans, especially those in the #OleOut crowd aren’t also saying right now.
A lot is being made online, on social media and on message boards of what Schweinsteiger said, and deservedly so. He’s a legend, a class act and he knows what he’s talking about.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.