5 months ago
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MANCHESTER UNITED axed a number of staff from their tour party to the USA.
New part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is making 250 people redundant at the club in a cost-cutting exercise.
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Getty
Getty
GettyThose at risk who were due to fly out to Los Angeles yesterday were told last week to stay at home.
A total of 125 United staff, including the football department, are going on tour — down on last year.
And it is considerably less than the 200 they once took when Louis van Gaal was boss between 2014-16.
Employees were told of the redundancies weeks ago.
All those specifically at risk were informed on Monday, with the final decisions to be made shortly.
The club have declined to comment.
The Red Devils are heading to LA to face Arsenal on Sunday – and they will have Danish duo Rasmus Hojlund and Christian Eriksen with them after they return from their summer break on Tuesday.
The all-Premier League showdown will take place at SoFi Stadium and is the first of the US tour.
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That will be followed by a friendly against Real Betis at the Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California on August 1.
United conclude the trip to America with a match against rivals Liverpool at the Williams–Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina.
Erik ten Hag’s team began their pre-season with a 1-0 defeat at Rosenborg, after which the manager slammed his team’s performance.
That was followed by a 2-0 victory over Rangers at Murrayfield on Saturday.
That game saw new United signing Leny Yoro make a great first impression following his £52million arrival from Lille last week.
He is United’s second signing under Ratcliffe after Dutch forward Joshua Zirkzee arrived from Bologna for £36.5m.
Meanwhile, SunSport exclusively reported in May how the British billionaire turned the training ground “toxic” after slamming the cleanliness of the facilities.
That was when he sent out a memo to all staff declaring his disappointment after a tour of their HQ.
That came after staff had their FA Cup final treats of free tickets, travel and lunch revoked to save money.
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Our report then also revealed that some staff who had been able to work from home have been told to get into the offices either in Manchester or London.
Ratcliffe claims that email traffic dropped by 20 per cent at one of his other companies when they experimented with Fridays working from home.
A staff meeting took place that saw employees told bluntly by the strict Ratcliffe: “If you don’t like it, please seek alternative employment.”
That meant that staff had to return to the office permanently by June 1.
Ratcliffe also sparked fury by admitting plans for the women’s team are “to-be-continued” while describing the men’s team as the “first team”.
The chief and INEOS are attempting to transform the Red Devils from top to bottom after buying a 25 per cent stake in the club earlier this year.
United confirmed the appointment of Jason Wilcox as technical director last month from Southampton after the arrival of ex-Man City man Omar Berrada as their new chief executive.
The Red Devils then finally confirmed new sporting director Dan Ashworth was in place as he quickly outlined his plans for the season.
Dan Ashworth's open letter to Man Utd fans - that left them drooling with excitement
“This is one of my first opportunities to address Manchester United fans since joining the club as sporting director on 1 July, so I want to start by saying how delighted I am to be here.
“Although I grew up in Norfolk, I’ve always had a strong attachment with Manchester because my mum and dad were born in Middleton and my grandparents lived their whole lives there.
“When I visited as a boy, my dad would take me to games across Greater Manchester and I remember the thrill of my first visit to Old Trafford in the late 1970s, watching the likes of Lou Macari, Jimmy Nicholl and Arthur Albiston.
“I can’t claim to have been a partisan United fan – my dad enjoyed watching all the local teams – but I remember the special buzz that always seemed to surround games at Old Trafford, and it’s something I have experienced many times since during my career in football.
“So it’s going to be an incredibly proud moment entering the directors’ box on the home side for the first time when the Premier League season gets under way against Fulham on August 16. The close season is always a reset moment for every club, but the sense of renewal has been particularly strong at Manchester United this summer as our new leadership structure takes shape.
“Omar Berrada has started as chief executive, and Jason Wilcox as technical director, and I can assure you that we have lost no time in getting to work. Our first big decision of the summer was to extend Erik ten Hag’s contract as men’s first-team manager to June 2026, reflecting our strong belief in him as one of Europe’s top coaches, and the partner we want to continue working with to get the team back to the levels expected.
“We are all clear that last season fell below the required standards in the Premier League and Champions League but, by winning the FA Cup in such impressive fashion, our players and staff showed what they are capable of when everyone pulls together and performs to their potential.
“Our collective challenge is to reach those levels much more consistently. It’s my job, together with Jason, to create the right support structures and environment around Erik, the staff and players to make that possible. Already, I can feel a strong sense of energy and determination around the group, as the players and staff return fresh from their breaks, including some exciting new additions to the squad, and to the coaching team.
“There are also changes to the physical environment at Carrington as work commences on our season-long £50million redevelopment of the training ground – evidence of our commitment to improving the club’s infrastructure.
“This will require some adaptation this season, but all our teams – men’s, women’s and Academy – will maintain access to high-quality facilities, with the promise of a fully refreshed, world-class site once the project is completed.
“Delivering a successful women’s team and a thriving, productive Academy are both key objectives of my job, and I have a strong background in both areas. Women’s football was an important part of my remit in past roles with Newcastle United, Brighton & Hove Albion and the FA, and it will be the same at Manchester United. Women’s football is arguably the most exciting area of growth in the global game, and we want to be part of that.
“Last season’s FA Cup win was a fantastic landmark as our first major women’s trophy, and now we want to build on that with Marc, his staff and the players. Youth development has also been a huge part of my career and I see it as a crucial element of success for any football club – but especially for Manchester United where homegrown players have such a rich history.
“The success of our Under-18s during the 2023/24 campaign bodes well for the next generation of men’s talent coming through, and the same is true on the women’s side, with both our Under-21s and Under-16s finishing the season with trophies. Overall, my first impression is the scale of opportunity available to us at Manchester United as we review and refresh all areas of the club.
“This remains one of the biggest football clubs in the world, but that is not our measure of success; the focus is on getting back to being among the best on the pitch. It won’t happen overnight, but, together with Omar and his new leadership team, we will not rest until we have achieved it.”
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