Manchester United have decided to cancel their annual Player of the Season awards ceremony because first-team players were ‘too embarrassed’ to hold the black-tie event, according to reports.
United has had a forgettable season. With one game left in the season, the team is presently sixth in the Premier League table, 32 points behind leaders Manchester City.
They have not only lost out on Champions League football due to 11 league defeats, but they will also have the lowest points total in Premier League history when the season concludes against Crystal Palace on Sunday.
From the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in November following a poor run of play, to the hiring of caretaker Ralf Rangnick, who has failed to re-ignite what was already a sinking ship at Old Trafford, many supporters are keen for this season to be over.
The club’s senior players ‘felt embarrassed’ about conducting the end-of-season ceremony as a result of their poor performances on the field, according to The Mirror, which is why club executives opted to postpone plans to stage the event.
Having said that, United has chosen to do an online poll for supporters to vote for their Player of the Year, however they are still figuring out how to give the trophy.
The event is usually set for the final two weeks of the campaign, but it hasn’t happened in the last two years due to COVID.
One of the more memorable moments in the ceremony’s history involves former manager Jose Mourinho, who decided to name Scott McTominay as his ‘Manager’s Player of the Year’ – an award he invented.
It was the Scotland international’s breakthrough season at Old Trafford and he featured 20 times throughout that season under Mourinho.
As you can see in the footage below, McTominay was called up to receive the prize and posed for a picture with his boss.
Louis van Gaal, another former United manager, produced a truly iconic moment during the Player of the Year event in 2015 when he delivered an eight-minute speech for the ages.
Just take a look at the clip below, you won’t regret it. “Hello, hello, pay attention to the manager!”
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