Noel Gallagher has doubled down on his long‑running criticism of Manchester United, comparing the football team to The Libertines.
The Oasis guitarist was reacting to a suggestion that moving from Aston Villa to United would still be considered a step up — a notion he dismissed outright.
Appearing on talkSPORT Drive, he said: “I think you’re living in the past there a little bit.
“It used to be that job and players going there used to be the pinnacle in English football, right? It isn’t anymore.
“A player would be absolutely insane to go there.”
The Wonderwall hitmaker – who is laughing all the way to the bank following the Britpop legends’ Oasis Live ’25 tour – went on to compare a Villa player moving to United to “asking me to leave Oasis and go and join The Libertines”.
Noel went on to explain his Libertines comparison, suggesting that United’s reputation has become more about chaos and nostalgia than genuine success. In his view, the club’s modern identity mirrors a band known for brilliance overshadowed by disorder — still iconic, still talked about, but far removed from its peak.
The lifelong Manchester City supporter has never shied away from taking aim at United. With Villa pushing into the Premier League’s top tier under Unai Emery, Noel argued that the old hierarchy no longer applies and that players now see ambition and stability elsewhere.
Noel has never understood the hype surrounding Can’t Stand Me Now hitmakers The Libertines.
In an interview with Stuff Magazine, he said of frontman Pete Doherty: “He’s overrated. He’s marginally talented but not anywhere as good as me. If he wasn’t f****** a supermodel [ex-girlfriend Kate Moss], no one outside of NME would give a s*** about him.”