Manchester United confirmed plans to axe up to 200 more jobs yesterday in another round of cuts that include replacing free lunches for staff at Old Trafford with fruit.
The latest measures under minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe will take the total number of job losses to 450 — more than a third of the workforce — since Ineos began running football operations at United.
Staff were given the bad news by chief executive Omar Berrada in a meeting at Old Trafford yesterday afternoon and told that they will learn their fate by April.
Berrada said: ‘We have a responsibility to put Manchester United in the strongest position to win across our men’s, women’s and academy teams. We are initiating a wide-ranging series of measures which will transform and renew the club.
‘Unfortunately, this means announcing further potential redundancies and we deeply regret the impact on those affected colleagues. However, these hard choices are necessary to put the club back on a stable financial footing.
Man United part owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has come under scrutiny for his cost-cutting measures
Ratcliffe’s cost-cutting measures have included increasing ticket prices and axing a Christmas party
‘We have lost money for the past five consecutive years. This cannot continue. Our two main priorities are delivering success on the pitch for our fans and improving our facilities. We cannot invest in these objectives if we are continuously losing money.
‘At the end of this process, we will have a more lean, agile and financially sustainable football club, while continuing to provide a world-class service to our valuable commercial partners.
‘We will then be in a much stronger position to invest in football success and improved facilities for fans, while remaining compliant with UEFA and Premier League regulations.’
United confirmed that more staff will relocate from Old Trafford to the training ground.
In a separate decision, United are set to serve just soup and sandwiches at Carrington to everybody not in the first-team squad in the latest bid to save money.
Furthermore, the Under-18s were denied the opportunity to play under the lights at Old Trafford in the FA Youth Cup.
Ordinarily, their fifth round clash with Tranmere would have been staged at the club’s iconic home, but in order to save the club £8,000 it was played out elsewhere.
Instead of Old Trafford the U18s played at Leigh Sports Village at the 12,000 capacity ground there.
It comes in a season in which the club spent almost £15million in axing Erik ten Hag and Dan Ashworth, as well as a further £9.2m to bring Ruben Amorim to the club from Sporting.
Performances on the pitch this season have left plenty to be desired, with United in 15th place in the Premier League.
With West Ham beating Arsenal at the weekend, the Red Devils are now ahead of the Hammers on goal difference alone.
Their most recent outing saw them rescue a 2-2 draw away at Everton, after a blistering first half from the Toffees, under former United boss David Moyes.
Amorim admitted after the game that his team were invisible in the first half after yet another disappointing result.
United’s Under-18s were denied the chance to play at Old Trafford in the FA Youth Cup
Ratcliffe’s cost-cutting is thought to be about giving Ruben Amorim more money to spend on his first team
‘We just played one half and we managed to draw the game,’ he said.
‘We didn’t exist in the first half. Everything we did in the week I think the free man was there, I think the space was there, but I think we lost balls we cannot lose.
‘Anyone that watches Everton know they will be really good on second balls and the two goals are second balls. That’s why you get disappointed.
‘But let’s not just focus on the negatives. In the second half I said no matter what the result, we are going to do what we did during the week but with a little bit more energy.
‘I think you saw it was not different in the positions it was different in the quality with which we played the game.’