‘Man United fans forced to pay for Ten Hag mistake as fans in open mutiny’
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness has insisted Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the INEOS leadership are forcing Man United fans to pay for their mistakes.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the 67-year-old – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – suggested the decision to keep Erik ten Hag and back him with signings last summer (2024) is the root cause of the cutbacks in spending and ticket price hikes at Old Trafford.
As per the BBC (23 January), Man United have written to fans to warn them that the club are at risk of breaching Premier League financial rules – meaning ticket prices could rise as a result.
The Red Devils confirmed they face “difficult choices” and claimed they will review “ticketing strategy to ensure we are charging the right amount”.
Ratcliffe was confronted by angry supporters following the clash with Fulham last week after home ticket prices were to £66 per game – with no concessions for children or seniors.
‘INEOS tells Man United fans to pay for our mistakes’
Wyness told Football Insider‘s Insider Track podcast: “What Man United are doing doesn’t make any sense.
“How can you scrimp and save – cutting charity costs, staff costs, bonuses. It doesn’t make up for anywhere near enough money to cover the mistake of keeping Erik ten Hag on and bringing in his players, who you now want to sell.
“You saw some very angry fans confronting Ratcliffe after the Fulham game – he’s starting to feel the venom.
“Fans are angry about ticket prices, and they don’t like the idea of being told: ‘You have to pay for our mistakes’.
“Ratcliffe has the money himself. It’s just another set of PR issues which have befallen him. He’s got issues with his sailing team and his cycling team. Nice are not performing well – he’s not covering himself in glory.
“He’s hoping the stadium project will elevate him to saviour status. But meanwhile, there is big short-team unrest – especially while the team is not performing as expected.”
In other news, United to land points deduction? Stefan Borson drops strong verdict.
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