MANCHESTER UNITED’S woeful start to the season isn’t even the worst thing about the club.
United have now gone ten seasons without a Premier League title and that streak does not look like it will end anytime soon.
PAMan Utd fans have highlighted a number of issues off the pitch at the club[/caption]
GettyMany fans feel the Glazers are the first domino that needs to fall for the club to restore its former glory[/caption]
The current side are languishing – but for the angry United faithful, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Shambolic off-field issues are mounting – from a painful ‘takeover’ process that might never happen to bizarre shenanigans in the transfer market.
Here, we delve into the problems that Manchester United fans believe are ruining the Red Devils…
Glazer ownership
EVER since the Glazer family took over Man Utd in 2005, fans have vehemently voiced their discontent with the Americans’ ownership.
Between 1931 and 2005, United had almost no debt, but the leveraged buyout racked the club with £550million of debt overnight.
That debt has only grown in the 18 years since the Glazers took over.
Last month that debt reportedly passed £1billion following the club’s third-quarter results.
This massive figure is on top of the £900m in interest payments United have made since the Glazers took over.
But it is not just the finances that have infuriated fans.
Leaky Stadium
MANY fans feel there has been a basic lack of care from the Glazers in looking after the facilities which once made Man Utd the envy of world football.
Fans have long complained about the neglect Old Trafford has endured.
Old Trafford has been left to rot with leaky roofs and rusting metalRex
In United’s defeat to Crystal Palace footage revealed another leak in the stadium which left supporters drenched in their seats.
And it is not the first time these leaks have been seen, with numerous accounts in the past few years of fans being left soaked after being drenched from rain water.
Other leaks have occurred inside the ground, with staff being forced to cover their desks with plastic “pee sheets” after urine from a damaged men’s loo leaked into offices in 2019.
There are also claims the stadium is rusting made by Gary Neville in an astonishing rant at the start of last season.
It was revealed in 2021 that just £118m had been spent on stadium upkeep.
An investigation from The Athletic last season declared the Theatre of Dreams to be out-dated across the board, even down to the food served.
Cristiano Ronaldo also levelled a damning assessment of the club’s facilities, saying: “The progress was zero. Since Sir Alex left, I saw no evolution in the club. Nothing had changed.
“He [Ferguson] knows better than anybody that the club is not on the path they deserve to be. He knows. Everyone knows.
“The people who don’t see that… it’s because they don’t want to see. They are blind. I think the fans should know the truth. I want the best for the club. This is why I come to Manchester United.”
The Portuguese legend forced the club to make changes to the swimming pool in United’s Carrington training base after complaining about the state of it.
United chiefs have prepared an overhaul of the Carrington training base, but it does little to paper over the wide cracks attached to the club’s facilities as a hole.
Greenwood PR disaster
THERE has been extensive talk from within the club about trying to improve the internal culture.
Yet when it came to the Mason Greenwood situation, United chiefs were massively out of touch with the fanbase.
EPAMan Utd’s handling of the Mason Greenwood saga drew widespread criticism[/caption]
Greenwood, now on loan at Getafe, was arrested in January 2022 on charges of attempted rape, assault and coercive control which were later dropped in February this year.
Over the summer United were preparing to bring the striker back into the fold after being suspended by the club pending the outcome of their own investigation.
After news of this decision was leaked, fans including Rachel Riley were in uproar, with The Sun revealing United had made a U-Turn on their decision to bring him back.
United chief executive Richard Arnold was grilled in a “no-holds barred” Zoom meeting with staff in September over the club’s handling of the Greenwood and Antony sagas.
Takeover confusion
IN lieu of the long-standing fractured relationship between the fans and Glazers, the club was put up for sale in November last year.
However, almost a year on there is very little clarity over the future of the club.
Sheikh Jassim is said to be the front-runner to buy United
ReutersSir Jim Ratcliffe is also in the running but the future of the club is still in the air[/caption]
As it stands Qatar’s Sheihk Jassim or Brit Sir Jim Ratcliffe are the front-runners to buy the club, with the former leading the race with his £6bn bid for a full buy-out.
Despite this, the latest reports suggest the Glazers may stall their sale of the club until 2025 in order to get closer to their £10bn price tag.
The market’s did not respond well to the rumour, leading to £600m being wiped off the club’s value.
Reports in recent months have suggested Avram Glazer would prefer to retain his share at the club, with Ratcliffe’s bid said to reflect this.
Fans have continued to protest the Glazers continued ownership of the club, with £1.1bn taken out of the club as of 2022 in dividends, interest and debt repayments.
Dysfunctional transfer policy
TRANSFER policy since the departures of Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill has been underwhelming to say the least.
The lack of footballing personnel in key positions has had a detrimental impact on the club, kickstarting with the appointment of Ed Woodward.
GettyEd Woodward, left, kickstarted a tumble in United’s ability to operate in the transfer market effectively[/caption]
They are the only club to have a net transfer spend of over £1bn in the last decade, yet they are far from the pinnacle of football in the modern age.
Various managers have been appointed, many under former chief Woodward, and with that came a number of strategy shifts.
Regardless, United have been guilty of playing up to the commercial machine it has become, making a number of big name signings which made little long-term strategic sense.
Even ones that did make sense were gazumped by another huge signing, such as Jadon Sancho being signed and immediately gazumped by the return of Ronaldo.
A decade of being spend happy eventually saw United hit with an extra tax with selling club’s knowing they would be able to get some extra dough from the United coffers.
United have also been unable to land a number of top targets over the years. Last summer these were namely Harry Kane and Declan Rice, who have gone on to excel at their respective clubs.
Many other targets highlighted by scouts were passed up by United, including Erling Haaland, Moises Caicedo and Jude Bellingham.
A notable difference from United compared to rivals at the top of the tree is a long-term transfer strategy.
Manchester City have been the example to follow in the last decade, while Liverpool and more recently Arsenal have had success on the pitch thanks to their ability to make a long-term plan and stick to it.
It is helps that these clubs are unwilling to compromise on their policies and don’t buckle under pressure.
Sancho rebellion
THE dressing room has also come under scrutiny in recent years.
Jadon Sancho is the latest big name to launch a rebellion against his United boss.
GettyJadon Sancho is the latest big name to rebel at Man Utd[/caption]
There have also been notable fallouts with other huge stars such as Ronaldo, Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez during their respective times at the club.
Some accused Jose Mourinho of being too harsh on his players, while others insisted Ole Gunnar Solksjaer was too lenient.
Erik ten Hag has been trying to implement an improved culture with high standards.
But with a number of stars used to seeing the manager bite the bullet before them, things look bleak for the Dutchman amid their current poor run unless the United brass stand behind the boss.
Ralf Rangnick said the club required “open-heart surgery” to get back to winning major trophies.
For all he struggled to get a tune out of the team when he was parachuted in as an interim manager in 2021/22, Rangnick’s assessment of United has been proven correct time and time again.
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