Manchester United’s players have complained about items of their Adidas kits being too tight to wear during matches this season — with stitching on their home socks and the goalkeeper jersey deemed problematic.

Some players on Erik ten Hag’s team have given feedback that their socks were too tight, with several opting to cut holes in the back of the fabric during the current campaign.

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According to sources with understanding of the issue, not permitted to speak publicly, the stitching of the club’s devil logo was identified as making the sock fit too tight.

Adidas has swapped the socks for those made of identical material but without the logo for now, with the stitching to be amended at a later date.

Goalkeeper Andre Onana has also had issues with his jersey.

Adidas is understood to have had feedback from Manchester United’s goalkeepers last season that they wanted the jersey to be tighter.

But the Cameroon international, who joined the Old Trafford club this summer from Inter Milan, has sought a looser version and has moved to a replica kit for now.

The kitmaker is seeking a longer-term solution, with Onana set to get a shirt specifically made for him.

The issues are expected to be resolved by the end of the year if not the end of November.

Manchester United declined to comment when contacted by The Athletic.

Other Premier League clubs have had issues with their kits from this season.

Aston Villa’s men’s and women’s players said that their Castore shirts became heavy during matches and were impacting performance. Villa’s women’s team had additional concerns that the shirts appeared to leave large sweat patches.

Newcastle United, whose kits had been supplied by Castore since 2021-22, moved to agree a deal with Adidas for the German brand to supply their new apparel from 2024-25. 

Why do players cut holes in socks?

Manchester United’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been just one of several Premier League players to cut holes in the back of his socks.

The modern football sock is made from polyester, which is good at keeping shape and does not retain as much water, but can be tight and restrictive.

“This is often because some brands knit their socks very tightly to improve the visibility and clarity of their logos, which can result in a snug fit that some players find uncomfortable,” says Hummel CEO Allan Vad Nielsen told The Athletic. “But more advanced materials like polypropylene provide better consistency and durability.

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“New technologies have enabled better cushioning zones in the ankles and compression zones that provide better blood transportation, reducing the risk of injuries and enhancing performance. Additionally, mesh inserts are now used in football socks to improve heat control and ventilation, keeping the feet dry and cool.”

It’s easy to see why some players believe reducing the pressure on the calf muscle helps performance, increasing blood flow to the area and reducing the risk of cramp and injury. But is there any medical basis to this?

Dr Raj Brar, from 3CB Performance, is a doctor of physical therapy and says there is no real medical evidence to support cutting holes in your socks as a preventative measure.

“One way of medically reducing pressure on the calves is the opposite of cutting holes in them, through using higher pressure compression socks in between games as a recovery measure,” Brar tells Tifo Football. “That will increase circulation and reduce swelling to varying degrees based on the level of pressure (tightness) of the sock. Besides, footballers get more than enough activity through their calves to not worry about circulation and swelling pooling up.”

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Ten Hag confident of Man Utd upturn

Manchester United, meanwhile, will be looking to bounce back from their 3-0 home defeat to rivals Manchester City when they take on Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup fourth round this Wednesday.

Manager Ten Hag has expressed his confidence over Manchester United being able to overturn their poor form.

He said: “At Manchester United, every game involves high stakes. Every single day, there is pressure on everybody involved with this club, but those demands and standards are a challenge which we must always meet head-on.

“While this has not been the start to the season that we had all hoped for, I am certain that we have the talent and attitude as a collective to move in the right direction.

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“I believe that it is only a matter of time before we are showing our true selves. It will come, I am certain.”

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(Photo: Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)