There is a lot to moan about when it comes to Manchester United. Nicky Butt has found a new reason.
Manchester United are trying to find a path back to the top of English football, and the journey back to the summit is certainly challenging.
The ‘Class of 92‘ are frequently critical of the way Manchester United are run these days, and one argument they have is that the club has lost its identity.
Nicky Butt was once part of the Manchester United academy set up, and he believes the club need to do more to get former players integrated behind the scenes.
While he is not campaigning to land a job at the club, or more any of his ‘Class of 92’ cohorts, Butt believes there is a younger player who the club missed an opportunity with.
Butt believes Manchester United missed an opportunity by allowing Phil Jones to leave the club.
Nicky Butt on Phil Jones
Phil Jones retired at Manchester United in 2023, after a terrible battle with injuries that wrecked his time at the club.
After retiring he went straight into coaching, working with Manchester United’s under-18s team.
Nicky Butt believes that it was ‘alarming’ that United did not offer Jones a longer term role, after noting his enthusiasm and desire to get involved.
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Butt told The Good, The Bad & The Football that after seeing Jones go straight into coaching without taking a break, United should never have let him leave.
He said: “Phil Jones was assisting the youth team for peanuts, not even getting paid. And he worked there for 18 months, doing that when you’ve been playing football.
“I know the injuries, people can say what they want about Phil, if you’ve retired from football and you’re still going to a football [club] to try to learn, try to develop yourself as a coach and not be on holiday with your missus and your kids, who you’ve not seen for a long time, and you’re still doing that, is that not telling you something, that he loves that football and would work there for free?
“And you let someone like that go? That is alarming to me. It’s just absolutely disgusting.”
Nicky Butt is furious Man Utd did not offer Phil Jones a long-term coaching role
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Darren Fletcher is an exception
Phil Jones worked with the academy in 2023/24, under Adam Lawrence, with the Under-18s winning the title.
He left the club the following season and began working as a television pundit, but wants to push on with coaching.
Jones told club media in 2025: “I really enjoyed it and it’s something I’m really excited about. It’s what I want to go into, it’s what I feel passionate about. So, like I said, let’s see what the future holds.”
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There is one figure at Manchester United who is fulfilling what Nicky Butt wants, one of his former teammates.
Darren Fletcher has switched from a role as technical director to become Under-18s coach, succeeding Adam Lawrence.
Fletcher’s Under-18s have a strong record this season, and are in action this week in the FA Youth Cup.
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