Manchester United players are unhappy with the fit of their current kits. According to a report by Mail Sport, the Red Devils feel as if the Adidas ‘authentic’ jerseys are too tight. These official shirts are made specifically for the players of each team. Fans, on the other hand, generally buy ‘replica’ jerseys that feature a somewhat different design.
United goalkeeper Andre Onana is one of the United players to raise concerns about the shirts. The Ghana international only just joined the Red Devils from Inter Milan in the summer for around $55 million. The aforementioned news outlet claims that Onana has been wearing a replica jersey in recent weeks.
Onana came to the decision to switch his type of jersey following the team’s 2-1 victory over Sheffield United on October 21. Since then, the goalkeeper has been wearing a replica shirt. This means that Onana has played the last two games with the alternative jersey.
Jerseys are not, however, the only piece of the Adidas kit to cause problems for the players. Along with the shirts, United players have also raised concerns over the official socks as well. Many team members have complained to manager Erik ten Hag that the socks are too tight. As a result, the Red Devils have resorted to wearing replica socks.
Some players even cut holes in the back of their authentic socks to ease the constricting feeling. Several players on other teams that wear Adidas kits have also made similar moves. The last time United players wore the tight authentic socks came during a 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Aug. 19.
The Red Devils have struggled throughout the 2023/24 campaign under ten Hag. Despite finishing third last season, United currently sits eighth in the Premier League table at the moment. They have managed to lose five league fixtures so far, more than half of their total defeats during the 2022/23 season.
Scoring goals has undoubtedly been a major weakness for the club in the early stages of the current campaign. In fact, United has only scored 11 total goals in Premier League play. This is currently fewer than any team in the top 12 of the standings. This includes a Wolves side that scored the fewest goals of any team in the league during the 2022/23 season.
United is not, however, the only Premier League team to complain about their official jerseys. Aston Villa also previously had issues with their shirts made by Castore. Nevertheless, the problems with the jerseys made by the British sportswear company were not exactly due to the fit. Instead, Villa players believe that the shirts hold in sweat and, as a result, weigh them down as games progress.
Newcastle also had issues with Castore as well. The Magpies recently ended their partnership with the company after receiving several complaints from fans. This included poor customer service and shipping but also concerns about the quality of the clothing. Newcastle will now switch to Adidas ahead of the 2024/25 season.
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