United View: Are United at risk of alienating fans with new ownership?

Just a quick reminder that this was written before the Europa League Final, so for obvious reasons, I won’t be discussing the events of that game. 

Instead, I’d like to take a wider look at the football club as it enters a stage of evolution.

Manchester United has been lagging in football operations, particularly in comparison to their rivals. 

The likes of Manchester City and Liverpool adopting a modern approach to running the football club, which has brought them great success in recent years.

It wasn’t until 2021 that United-appointed John Murtough as their first football director, who stepped down from his role following the minority takeover of INEOS. 

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s arrival has seen the Reds overhaul the football department, as well as virtually every other part of the club.

While the shock departure of Dan Ashworth can’t be described as anything other than a failure, by all accounts, Omar Berrarda and Jason Wilcox, the club’s CEO and technical director, respectively, are working well within this new hierarchy.

And now with Christopher Vivell being appointed permanently as director of recruitment, this summer will be a huge test for Ratcliffe’s team after being settled at Old Trafford for well over a year.

Winning the Europa League and qualifying for the Champions League would provide a huge boost to funds, however, it would be reasonable to assume that plans have been made to budget for the possibility of no European football, which would see the club targeting younger and cheaper players.

With the club losing money and having to operate on a strict budget, this is likely the reason why the decision has been made to relocate the team to a new stadium. 

Whilst many would have preferred the redevelopment of Old Trafford, a new stadium would undoubtedly see profits increase.

Although this could be seen as a significant step in the right direction to make the club self-sufficient, a major concern could be that United loses its soul, for lack of a better word. 

There is already a growing resentment from a section of the fanbase towards the new ownership, as they feel they are being priced out and underappreciated.

Some season ticket holders near the team dugouts are being forced to move to accommodate hospitality seating, a method already adopted by clubs like Chelsea, charging high prices to be seated close to the coaching staff and substitutes.

Whilst it can be argued that this will only affect a small percentage of match-going fans, alienating loyal fans could further sour the ill-feeling felt towards the powers that be at United.

 And it only increases worry about what further action will be taken to cater to fans willing to pay a significant fee.

Although there are concerns about the direction United are heading in, it is without question a better one than they were heading under full Glazer ownership, who hold the majority of the blame for the club’s downfall since their arrival.

Whether this direction will be one that match-going fans will take to is uncertain, but the club cannot overlook the importance of their loyalty, who turn up religiously and in greater numbers, even when the team is experiencing its worst season in decades.

Hopefully, a balance can be found between building an effective modern football club and appeasing the worries of fans, ensuring they are treated with the respect they deserve. As the saying goes, football without fans is nothing.