
Highly-rated Man United coach to leave the club in search of a new challenge amid fresh round of redundancies under Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Mail Sport exclusively revealed last month that a fresh round of redundancies are imminent at Old Trafford, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe looking to significantly cut the club's workforce for the second time since his partial takeover last February.
United's longest-serving employee, football administrator Marie Marron, is expected to depart this summer after 46 years at the club, and now a coach has made the decision to move on.
The Red Devils' Under-18s manager Adam Lawrence will be heading for the exit door in search of a new challenge.
Lawrence joined United initially as an Under-16s coach in 2021 before being promoted to the Under-18s two years later.
He helped develop several young talents in United's academy, including teenage full back Harry Amass, and won three trophies with the team last season.
Reflecting on his time at United, Lawrence told the club's website: 'It has been a privilege to work for Manchester United. It has been a very special few years with this group; I've been fortunate to work with many of this season's Under-18s right through from the Under-16s level and witness their growth as people as well as players.
'During the last two years, all the staff across the Professional Development Phase can be very proud of the work we have done to support the players. The style of play, the focus on individual development and the culture of the Academy that we have supported; it has been a real privilege to play my part in helping the group.
'I'm now ready for the next challenge but I'll always cherish the memories made at this great club and can't wait to see what the future holds for the players I've had the pleasure of working with.'
Lawrence's exit comes at a time when Ratcliffe is looking to reduce the head count at United by 200.
Eight months ago, Ratcliffe let 250 staff go, and is now set to take more drastic action as part of cost-cutting measures at United.
Mail Sport revealed on Tuesday that United's players are furious with the club's penny-pinching for next week's Europa League final when it comes to tickets, flights and hotels.
Indeed, Ruben Amorim has reportedly paid for 30 of his backroom staff and their families to attend the final out of his own pocket after United refused to hand over free tickets.
United fans are expected to be significantly outnumbered by Tottenham fans in Bilbao for next Wednesday's game as both teams aim to rescue their season.
United and Spurs currently sit 16th and 17th respectively in the Premier League, but the winners of the final will earn a spot in next season's Champions League.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Metro
7 minutes ago
- Metro
Alexander Isak responds to Man Utd approach with £110m Liverpool bid rejected
Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak has received a surprise approach from Manchester United, according to reports. Liverpool have seen their £110 million bid for the 25-year-old rejected by Newcastle this week. The Premier League champions are now willing to end talks with Newcastle and are not planning to increase their offer for the Sweden international. Newcastle, meanwhile, are understood to be holding out for a £150m fee for their striker, who has scored 62 goals in 109 appearances during his three years at St James' Park. Manchester United are also in the market for a new striker and are now pushing ahead with a deal to sign RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko before the start of the new Premier League season. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link so we can send you football news tailored to you. However, Sky Germany report that United made an enquiry for Isak this week but the striker has made it clear that he only wants to join Liverpool. Isak is attempting to force through a move away from St James' Park and is currently training away from the first-team squad in Spain at his former club Real Sociedad. The striker joined Newcastle from Real Sociedad in a £60m deal in August 2022. Speaking last week, Alan Shearer urged Newcastle to sell Isak if their asking price is met. More Trending 'Eddie Howe has to use all his persuasive powers to do what he can and try to make him stay at least one more year,' Shearer told Betfair. 'If that can't happen then it is what it is. You have to get the very best deal for the football club and if someone is prepared to pay north of £150 million, and if he really, really wants to go, you can't step in his way. 'Isak has been brilliant for Newcastle, helped us achieve our dream of winning a trophy and if there's no way whatsoever that he can be persuaded to stay at Newcastle, then they have to get the best deal possible and if someone's prepared to pay what they want, you have to say thank you and build for the future. 'There's no individual bigger than the football club.' For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Newcastle star suggests he can replace Alexander Isak: 'I like playing No.9' MORE: Premier League rival make £7m offer for Man Utd target MORE: Tottenham agree deal for Bayern Munich star after Arsenal transfer approach


The Independent
7 minutes ago
- The Independent
Tensions threaten to boil over as England and India seek edge in series decider
Tensions rose once again as England's fifth Test decider against India advanced towards a chaotic and ill-tempered conclusion at the Kia Oval. A total of 15 wickets tumbled on day two as ball dominated bat for the first time in the series, but the increasingly lengthy list of flashpoints between the rival teams ensured a spiky finish is in prospect. India ended the day 52 ahead on 75 for two, having lost their last four batters in double-quick time in the morning before bowling England out for 247 in just over 50 overs. England will rue not adding to the list of scalps, Yashasvi Jaiswal advancing to a rapid 51 not out after being shelled twice in the slips by Harry Brook and Zak Crawley. With the series up for grabs – England chasing a 3-1 win, India eyeing a creditable 2-2 draw away from home – both sides have everything to play for over the remaining three days. Whether they can keep a lid on their emotions remains to be seen after the strained relations between the sides continued. Ben Duckett was involved in two eye-catching exchanges. He reacted with an admirably cool head after Akash Deep dismissed him and then draped his arm over the left-hander's shoulder as he offered a few unsolicited words. Deep's actions could be deemed to breach ICC rules on 'inappropriate physical contact', despite being delivered with a smile. Duckett then appeared to annoy Sai Sudharsan after his own late dismissal, with the India number three spinning on his heels after heading for the pavilion and engaging in further verbals. In between those incidents, Joe Root responded furiously after an exchange with Prasidh Krishna. It is unclear what was said between the pair, but Root, who has rarely lost his cool in 13 years of international cricket, was clearly incensed as he shouted indignantly at the seamer. The umpires also saw fit to intervene, having words with the bowler as well as a handful of his team-mates. England began ruthlessly with the ball, taking the last four wickets for six runs to end the first innings on 224. After blowing hot and cold on day one Josh Tongue served up more of the same as he kicked things off for England, with three of his first four balls disappearing to the boundary. The pay-off came soon after as the Nottinghamshire quick beat Karun Nair with a fine delivery that zipped through at 91mph and had him lbw. From there it was over to Gus Atkinson, who crushed the tail in ruthless fashion to seal figures of five for 33 on his comeback. Washington Sundar was bounced out, taking on a bumper and failing, Mohammed Siraj lost his off stump and Krishna nicked behind for a duck. If the clatter of wickets gave England's openers the jitters it was impossible to tell, Crawley instantly on the offensive as he slapped three of his first nine balls for four. Duckett overcame a couple of early scares, a loud lbw shout shown to be going over and a possible catch landing safe as the fielders at gully and point left it for each other. But his response was emphatic, reversing his hands and launching Deep for six over the slips before hitting the ropes three more times in the seamer's next visit. The runs were raining down on India as the top-order pair piled up 92 in 12 overs, but Duckett's boldness cost him eventually, feeding a gentle catch behind after flipping his hands and looking for another scoop. India were much improved in the afternoon, seeing their lead dwindle but regularly breaking through. Siraj had Ollie Pope (22), Root (29) and Jacob Bethell (six) lbw, just reward for a wholehearted and excellently-executed spell of fast bowling. Bethell hit one glorious four through cover point but was pinned off the next ball, cutting short his first Test innings of the year. Krishna returned to remove Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton before the interval, but Brook rode his luck to make an important 53 before he was last man out to the impressive Siraj. There was enough time for 18 overs before bad light intervened, with plenty of action packed in. Tongue bowled a brilliant new ball burst in the absence of the injured Chris Woakes, finally getting his due when KL Rahul fenced to slip. Jaiswal played with unruly aggression, cashing in after edges were spilled on 20 and 40. Sudharsan was also badly dropped by substitute fielder Liam Dawson at fine leg, but Atkinson made sure that was not a costly drop as he pinned the batter lbw. Sudharsan's cross exchange with Duckett epitomised another frosty passage of play, with more of the same surely on the cards.


The Independent
7 minutes ago
- The Independent
Joe Root loses his cool as India's last throw of the dice keeps Test series on a knife-edge
For India, as this enthralling Test series against England seemed to be slipping away, something radical was required. In this latest episode of England and India's poking and bickering and all-out fire and fury, the piping hot visitors went for the jugular, just after lunch on day two. And in doing so, they swung this contest back into an area of neutrality, once more a one-innings shootout of sorts, heading into the final three days. It should be stated that the advantage remains in England's corner. Not only did they register a 23-run lead after the first innings, but they can play the remainder of the match in the knowledge that a draw is as good as a win, as they look to claim their biggest Test series victory in head coach Brendon McCullum's three-year reign. But under the dark clouds of south London on Friday, a dark cloud surprisingly descended for England's most accomplished performer. Joe Root is many things. A great batsman, of course. A fierce competitor, yes. But he is rarely one for explosiveness, whether it be at the crease or with his words. Even as captain, amid much hardship, his equanimity rarely wavered. But here, in the eye of a Prasidh Krishna-inspired storm, he lost his cool. A tad rattled, the strangeness of what occurred reverberated through England's batting order, leaving India firmly in the match. And out of nothing on day two, India clawed back something from the brink of no return. England's quickfire stand of 129 runs for just one wicket was followed by the remaining eight wickets falling for just 118, dismissed for 247. India saw out the day's proceedings two down, stationed steadily on 75-2, with a lead of 52. On the Oval's 'Day for Thorpey', in memory of ex-England and Surrey batter Graham Thorpe who took his own life last summer, Root (with 73 wickets) started in the field as England's most experienced wicket-taker, after Chris Woakes was ruled out of the match due to a dislocated elbow suffered on the boundary late on Thursday. With plenty in the crowd wearing Thorpe's iconic headband, the hosts blitzed through India's remaining batsmen with aplomb. In just 28 minutes, Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue stormed through an Indian tail which, not for the first time this summer, failed to muster any resistance at all. The last four wickets fell for just six runs, with Karun Nair's sturdy innings of resistance the first to fall, dismissed leg-before-wicket by the ever-changing bamboozlement that is Josh Tongue bowling a cricket ball. Erratic? Pitch perfect? How about both? With Nair gone for 57, the rest quickly followed. Washington Sundar fell into Gus Atkinson's short-pitched trap, hooking into Jamie Overton's hands for 26, before Mohammed Siraj and Krishna came and went without scoring. Not to matter, given their exploits to come, but for Atkinson, making his Test debut this summer after a hamstring injury, an unexpected five-wicket haul on his home ground was something to cherish. Chasing 226, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett were undaunted by the overcast conditions and swinging pitch. In something of a throwback to three years ago, when the other-worldly red-ball landscape of Bazball first landed on English shores, England's opening partnership tore through a shellshocked Indian attack at a run-rate of seven an over. Yet in striking two exquisite scoop shots for six – shots that fellow left-hander Thorpe would have enjoyed – Duckett stoked the fire for the rest of the day. A scoop too many resulted in his exit for 43, clipping the ball behind, and Akash Deep had the final say, goading his opponent with a patronising arm around the shoulder as he left the field of play. Words were exchanged; shots were fired. It wouldn't be the last confrontation of the day. Crawley brought up his fifty with 12 fours to his name but after lunch, a swift change in momentum. The visitors altered their approach, became more animated and vocal in the field, and undoubtedly unsettled an England outfit who could see the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy on the horizon. Skying a short ball into the air, Crawley's dismissal for 64 (another frustrating case of the opener being unable to convert a promising start into a century) brought Root to the crease at 124-2. Customarily coolness personified, here, England's greatest-ever Test batsman was properly wound up. Root clashed primarily with Krishna, a bowler he has shared the same dressing room with at IPL outfit Rajasthan Royals. No sign of any lasting friendship here, though, as Root vociferously confronted the Indian seamer with a choice collection of words. Was it retaliation for Krishna needlessly throwing the ball at Crawley minutes earlier? Was Krishna walking across the England batsman running between the wickets? Did Root, plain and simple, nibble at a line of bait? Either way, it all worked in India's favour. Shortly after the umpires intervened, stand-in captain Ollie Pope was trapped lbw by Siraj – who also inevitably brought the heat in the sledging contest – before Root followed in the same fashion, unable to get bat on a quickfire ball nipping in, trudging back a defeated man for 29. Jacob Bethell, making his first Test appearance on English soil, only managed six before Siraj took his scalp too, with the youngster not even bothering to review a yorker which was nailed on for middle stump. In an instant, India were back in the ring, on the front-foot and purring. Jamie Smith, on his home ground, edged behind off Krishna for just eight and when another Surrey player in Jamie Overton went for a duck, lbw to Krishna, India had not only stopped England's runaway train but had successfully derailed it. Six wickets to the visitors made the afternoon their session. With India only needing nine wickets due to Woakes's injury, Harry Brook was the final line of defence. He looked on course for a half-century, including one magnificent sweep for six, before the rain sprinkled down just after Atkinson hooked disconnectedly to the fielder at mid-on. With just one wicket remaining, from such a position of strength, England's lead was next to nothing. Brook went on to claim his half-century after a 42-minute delay, before he dragged on to his own stumps off the bowling of Siraj for 53. India, with a stride in their step, entered the dressing room buoyed by their afternoon's work, with England's lead just 23 runs. As the sun then came out over Kennington to conclude proceedings, India's openers put on a stand of 46 before Tongue removed KL Rahul, who edged to Root at first-slip. Back in his element, taking a catch down low to his left, the tetchiness of hours earlier was long gone for England's greatest ever batsman. Substitute fielder Liam Dawson dropped Yashasvi Jaiswal on 40 in the closing overs, a gaping chance squandered at fine-leg, before Atkinson had the final say as he trapped Sai Sudharsan leg-before-wicket. Shortly after, the teams left the field for bad light at 7:17pm. The tone has been set, in a match still tantalisingly in the balance, ahead of crunch time on day three.