Hong Kong head coach Ashley Westwood didn’t mince words when assessing Manchester United’s post-season tour of Asia.
“As a player — and I’ve been there — they probably need this like a hole in the head,” said Westwood, a former FA Youth Cup winner with United in 1995 and someone who has worked with the club’s in-house media during previous overseas trips.
His frank comments underscored the tension between commercial commitments and player welfare on such tours.
While United’s players publicly expressed support for the six-day, 14,000-mile trip, and club officials praised their handling of extensive sponsor obligations, Westwood offered a reality check. “No one will say it on the record — they can’t — but this tour is about revenue. Fans and sponsors pay the wages, and this trip is about keeping those commercial relationships strong.”
Indeed, the commercial incentives were clear. United are expected to pocket around £10 million from the tour — guaranteed, regardless of ticket sales.
The trip served to reinforce partnerships with sponsors like Maybank, Malaysia Airlines, Tiger Beer, and Apollo Tyres.
The timing, however, drew criticism: it came just days after the Premier League season ended and only weeks before the squad reconvenes for a pre-season tour of the U.S.
On the pitch, the trip had its hiccups. United’s first match ended in a 1-0 loss to a Southeast Asia select XI, drawing boos from a 72,000-strong crowd.
Mid-match, senior players Andre Onana, Harry Maguire, and Diogo Dalot were already en route to Mumbai for a day of promotional events, highlighting the business-first nature of the visit.
While the second match in Hong Kong ended in a 2-1 win — with young signings Chido Obi and Ayden Heaven scoring — the team’s presence was met with more indifference than fervor.
Attendance was modest, enthusiasm lukewarm. It was a far cry from the red-hot reception they received during their last visit to Malaysia in 2009, when 85,000 fans packed the stadium and players like Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney were mobbed.
Behind the scenes, the mood was reportedly casual. Some players were seen enjoying nightclubs and playing e-scooter games; others like Joshua Zirkzee grabbed fast food late at night.
Amad Diallo stirred controversy with a middle-finger gesture, later explaining it was a reaction to personal abuse directed at his mother. Garnacho, too, attracted criticism after initially snubbing a shirt request from a Malaysian opponent, which a kitman later resolved.
The club’s PR decisions also raised eyebrows. Despite earlier stating they would not celebrate a hypothetical Europa League win with a parade, United’s players rode a bus through Kuala Lumpur, drawing mixed reactions.
Ruben Amorim, United’s new manager, learned firsthand the weight of being the face of one of football’s biggest clubs. Introduced to Malaysia’s Prime Minister and peppered with media responsibilities, Amorim described the job as “more than a manager.” Following the embarrassing loss in Kuala Lumpur, he admitted his team had “choked,” and had to publicly encourage fans to attend the Hong Kong fixture.
His message largely went unheeded.
Amid thunderstorms and sparse crowds, the final game went ahead. Amorim now faces questions about the future of captain Bruno Fernandes, who has reportedly received a huge offer from Saudi club Al Hilal. While the manager remains confident Fernandes will stay, nothing is certain.
Despite signing autographs and posing for fans at the end of the trip, the sense lingers that this tour didn’t have the impact United might have hoped for. Market research once claimed United had 659 million global followers. But as the club endures brutal cost-cutting and trails Manchester City commercially and competitively, that figure now feels aspirational.
“We want to return,” Amorim said, “but I’d like to come back with trophies. The people here were kind and respectful — we’re thankful for that. But it would be much more enjoyable with silverware.”
For now, this trip may have kept the sponsors happy — but it left plenty of others wondering what exactly United gained.
