2 days ago
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More cuts at Manchester United's owners INEOS have caused chaos at the struggling side.
INEOS and its CEO Jim Ratcliffe - who took over a 27.7 per cent minority stake in the club in 2024 - have recently announced further cuts, on top of recent redundancies and financial woes.
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Speaking on talkSPORT's Inside Red Devils YouTube show, host Flex was joined by Alex Crook and Angelina Kelly to discuss the owners' latest cuts.
The trio mentioned Joshua Zirkzee's controversial substitution just 33 minutes into the Premier League game against Newcastle, with Ruben Amorim bringing on Kobbie Mainoo for the Netherlands international.
Crook said the fans reaction was due to the 'toxicity INEOS have created' at Man United.
Now, things have gone from bad to worse at the club as the funding to its charitable arm - the Manchester United Foundation - is set to be cut.
The club now aim to cut its funding, which was almost £1million last year, from 2025 onwards. The foundation works with local communities and underprivileged people, as well as hosting a number of projects.
The projects include Street Reds, aimed at eight to 18-year-olds, and Primary Reds, which is for classrooms of five to 11-year-olds. They also arrange hospital visits to children with life-threatening illnesses.
"It's a reaction to the last decade, maybe longer than that actually, of the wretched Glazer regime. It's the toxicity that INEOS have created, the redundancies, getting rid of Sir Alex's ambassadorial role, cutting Christmas bonuses, cutting money for former players, cutting funding for the charity. Unfortunately Zirkzee felt the brunt of that from the fans.
"If these players have got any guts, or any balls, they will come out and say 'do you know what? We don't deserve our wages for December, we've let you down'."
He acknowledged that would not happen in reality but it also brought up the club deciding to end a yearly donation to a charity supporting former players in another cost cutting measure.
The Association of Former Manchester United Players (AFMUP) was set up in 1985 and counts former skipper Bryan Robson, Denis Law, Brian Kidd, and Denis Irwin among its 300 members.
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United donated £40,000 each year so that the trust could support players from previous eras - those who played before the sort of contracts enjoyed by modern players.
AFMUP trustee Jim Elms, who was on the books at United’s youth team and reserves from 1957 to 1960, claimed the non-profit had not received the last two quarterly payments of £10k.
"They helped fund funerals for ex-players," Kelly said, pointing out one of the numerous roles it carrys out. "They have annual events at Old Trafford for this charity and they have to pay to rent it out. United don't even give them the space to have fundraisers.
"It's an absolute disgrace" said Crook.
The show also referenced Sir Jim Ratcliffe's recent interview with the United fanzine when he said that it 'doesn't make sense' for Fulham tickets to be more expensive than Man United's.
Despite the fact that the average house price in Fulham, South West London is £1.3million - almost five times that of houses near Old Trafford.
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Flex labelled Ratcliffe as 'economically tone-deaf' after his decision to raise ticket prices to £66 per game with no concessions for children or pensioners.
Prices were originally £40 for adults and £25 for children, but now are £66 with no difference in where they are in the stadium.
Man United have only won once in their last five top-flight matches and face Liverpool at Anfield next before an FA Cup third round tie with Arsenal.
