Few footballers have had the honour of representing Manchester United, and even fewer can say they played a role in achieving an iconic treble like David May.
Having amassed 118 appearances for the club while collecting an impressive catalogue of silverware, the Oldham-born man arrived at Old Trafford in July 1994 for £1.2 million, with the prospect of playing for Sir Alex Ferguson presenting an unimaginable experience.
His talents were well-documented at Blackburn Rovers, with the domestic game generally bemused when Kenny Dalglish sanctioned the move to his direct Premier League rival.
Ultimately, the man once viewed as the perfect understudy for Steve Bruce enjoyed nine memorable years with United and remains an avid supporter of the club today, splitting his time between various media commitments and the Manchester United Foundation.
Ahead of a crucial season for Ruben Amorim and his Ineos hierarchy, the 54-year-old spent some time with Theatre of Red editor Shaun Connolly to discuss signings, expectations and the necessity for a unified vision in the dressing room.
“Those six months have been a blessing!” – David May on Ruben Amorim
As is common knowledge, Amorim has endured the most forgettable of debut campaigns in the Premier League with a 15th-place finish for his disgruntled Manchester United outfit.
However, amidst the inevitable frustrations, a pragmatic individual can step back and recognise the nature of the issues he inherited while appreciating the desire to persevere with a predetermined philosophy.
Speaking on the latest episode of the Theatre of Red Podcast, May was quick to highlight how crucial this time can prove to be for the former Sporting supremo.
“I think the last six months have been an unbelievable learning curve for him,” the former defender stated. “He didn’t want to come in until the start of this season.
“But I do think that those six months have probably opened his eyes, and he’s realised what sort of mess the club was in – player-wise, attitudes and culture of what’s in the dressing room as well.
“I think you talk about similar traits that Sir Alex, when he first came to the club, there was a drinking culture. One thing the manager did do was knock that on the head straight away. I think the six months that Ruben has had at the club – yes, it’s not all been plain sailing for him, he has had his ups and downs – the team hasn’t performed.
“But yet, when you have got certain players at the club that don’t want to be at the club, who want to leave the club, and they’re your only options, then it’s been very difficult for him.
“I think those six months have been a blessing!”
“A brilliant addition to the club.”
Much of the future success hinges on a delicate balance between the integration of youth, the settlement of experienced characters and the acquisition of crucial personnel.
In Matheus Cunha, Manchester United have obtained a genuine coup for a club determined to reconfigure its fortunes under the ever-watchful eye of Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
With Omar Berrada waxing lyrical about the former Wolves forward and his quality, even likening his ability and swagger to the great Eric Cantona, David believes the club has signed a genuine star.
“I think whenever we played against him, and you watched him, he was always the type of player that I thought – we thought, collectively as ex-players, would be a brilliant addition to the club,” May expressed.
“The fact now that he has actually joined, as a Manchester United fan as well, is an unbelievable signing, and I think when you’ve touched on the qualities that a certain French bloke had here as well, he could certainly be up there with him.
“I think he’s a fantastic player and a brilliant addition to the club.”
“He wants to play for Manchester United.”
As days turn to weeks, a frustrated social fanbase is becoming increasingly agitated with a perceived drawn-out negotiation for Brentford attacker Bryan Mbeumo.
The 20-goal Premier League forward has made his intentions clear with eyes firmly fixed on a dream move to Old Trafford.
We have been advised of a growing confidence in concluding a deal for the forward, and David believes he can thrive in an Amorim system while aiding players like Rasmus Hojlund.
“There weren’t many last season who scored more goals than him, and that was crying out last season so many times for someone to put the ball in the net,” he continued.
“At times, I felt sorry for Rasmus because he was up there on his own with no help and no one really to take the burden off him.
“He’s only a young kid, and it must be so hard to play centre forward for Manchester United. To not get the service as much as he probably wanted, but also the amount of pressure he’s under.
“But, with Mbeumo, I think you’ve got a player who’s not quite a finished article but someone who will thrive at this club. The other fact is that he doesn’t want to go anywhere else; he wants to play for Manchester United.”
“That wouldn’t happen when we played.”
For many, the social antics of certain first-team players epitomise the failed standards and toxic culture within the dressing room.
If Ruben is to succeed, his primary task is to remove anything that can jeopardise a unified vision at Carrington. May worries about players in the modern game and how so many are self-obsessed.
“The biggest fear for me for players now, not only that you are letting yourself down, but you are letting your teammates down,” the one-time Burnley man said.
“We could talk about the players – we all know who they are, they’re all on social media. I don’t want those players at my club, I want players that will do what Keano did, what [Paul] Scholes used to do, what [Ryan] Giggs used to do, what Becks used to do: run through brick walls. You’re only playing 90 minutes, it’s not difficult!
“Yeah, you might not like the manager, so what. Not everybody gets on well with managers. But what you’ve got, you’ve got a duty of care to the club, the fans and to your teammates, and that’s more important than anything. You’re letting your teammates down.
“That wouldn’t happen when we played because they’d be sorted out in the dressing room.”
Working with the Manchester United Foundation, David and a collection of fellow Reds will partake in the fantastic Snowdon at Sunrise in a little under a month.
For those unaware, the Foundation is the associated charity of Manchester United and has positively impacted the lives of 42,000 young people during the 2023-24 season alone!
You can join David on this amazing charitable event and much more in the heart of Manchester and other areas of outreach across the UK by playing your part at the heart of Snowdonia.
Learn more from the official Manchester United Foundation site ahead of the outing on August 2nd.
You can listen back to the entire chat on the latest episode of the Theatre of Red Podcast, and get involved in the comments or across our social channels today. We want to hear from you!
Images via mufoundation.org and manutd.com
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