26 August 2023 , 19:30
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So much of what is wrong with Manchester United starts and ends with the Glazer family.
Of course, there are people working in executive roles at United who have also failed this iconic football club in recent years because they simply haven’t been up to the job. But is it really any surprise that United are in a state of limbo when the long-term direction of the club is so uncertain?
It is almost nine months since the Glazers put up a ‘For sale’ sign at Old Trafford. Yet no one knows whether they actually have any intention of cashing in or staying put. A few weeks ago, I was told that a sale was imminent – and absolutely nothing materialised.
The only crumb of comfort for United supporters is that neither Sheikh Jassim nor Sir Jim Ratcliffe have called the Glazers’ bluff and walked away. So I’m still hopeful of a deal being struck.
But it’s impossible to be certain of anything, because the people who own the club have maintained such an undignified silence.
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It has now got to the point where the temperature of the fanbase is starting to rise again. And if that is allowed to go unchecked then Erik ten Hag and his players will find themselves at the centre of a storm that is not of their making.
I know that Stock Market regulations mean that only so much information can be made public. But there have never been proper lines of communication between those who own the club and those who love it. That can’t be right.
How can the Glazer family demand respect from supporters when they give nothing back in return?
Yet, the efficient way United went about their transfer business over this summer made me believe that this was the start of a new era – because they had become a circus act. This time they identified targets quickly – a major step forward in itself – and then went about getting everything signed and sealed without the usual drama.
Erik ten Hag has held up his end of the bargain - now the Glazers must do the same (Paul Marriott/REX/Shutterstock)For once there was a refusal to get caught up in bidding wars. If the deal wasn’t right, then they walked away and looked at alternative targets. That’s how top clubs operate. It felt like the powers that be at Old Trafford had learned the lessons of the recent past and were behaving in the way we had once came to expect from Manchester United.
Signing Mason Mount and Andre Onana was astute – and it’s a shame that Rasmus Hojlund has been sidelined by injury since his arrival, because I am excited by his potential.
Could United do more? Will they do more?
I’m told that United are handcuffed by Financial Fair Play, and more significant investment in the transfer market is unlikely unless they can generate cash by moving players on. If a deal can be arranged to secure Harry Maguire’s departure then that money must be given to Ten Hag for further reinforcements.
TNT Sports pundit and Mirror Football guest columnist Rio FerdinandBalancing the books is a fact of football life. But Ten Hag delivered his part of the bargain last season by taking United back into the Champions League and winning the Carabao Cup.
United fans hoped that the Glazers would then make their exit – and allow new owners to build on that success by investing in the team and the infrastructure of the club. It turned out to be an inconsistent start to the season on the pitch, but I’ll reserve my judgement on United’s prospects until the international break next month.
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The important thing is that the fans stay behind the team, and don’t allow their vitriol for the Glazers to poison performances.
The one thing I have demanded from Manchester United since Sir Alex Ferguson left was to see an identity – and in my opinion Ten Hag is delivering that. I was a player when the green and gold campaign started, so the resentment towards the Glazers isn’t a new phenomenon.
But the only thing you can do is get your head down, try your best for the club, and try to ignore the politics. Players can’t voice an opinion, they can’t join the protest marches.
Your job is to be professional by not being affected by the background noise.
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