Manchester United are continuing to plan for a ruthless rebuild at Old Trafford.
INEOS boss Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been heavily criticised for his cost-cutting measures following his minority takeover in December 2023. Those cuts continue after news broke yesterday that the 13-time Premier League winners are set to axe another 150-200 staff jobs before the end of the season.
The Red Devils have already reduced their workforce, axed company credit cards, clamped down on working from home and now also want to axe the staff canteen which is likely to save the club another �1 million a year. But what does this all mean moving forward?
Manchester United provided with a huge clue over their future as the bad news keeps on coming
It seems clearer now than ever that INEOS is cleaning up the mess left by the Glazers. The US family is still the only Premier League owner to take dividends from the club, which are estimated to have totaled around �160 million since their takeover in 2005.
This would indicate Ratcliffe and his INEOS pals want to take over permanently at the Theatre of Dreams and we now see it as a given that a gentlemen's agreement has already been struck to ensure this does happen at some point further down the line. Or why else would the continued cost-cutting keep happening?
As CEO Omar Berrada delivered the news yesterday, FourFourTwo understands employees scoffed as the former Manchester City man pleaded with those in attendance not to leak the news elsewhere.
It also appeared clear from those in the Manchester Suite that the blame once again comes at the cost of their jobs for serious failings on the pitch, with Manchester United's best hopes of success this season in the Europa League after an embarrassing season in the Premier League.
The handling of Erik ten Hag and Dan Ashworth's exits also cost the club a staggering �14.5m. Ten Hag had his contract extended after the 2023/24 season, only to be sacked in October after a shocking run of results.
Ashworth was heavily courted before he arrived from Newcastle United yet again lasted just a matter of months. Player recruitment is yet another awful pillar of the club's downfall, with Antony, Jadon Sancho, Casemiro and Joshua Zirkzee all failing to come good on their heavy promises.
It again seems sad that those at the bottom will lose their jobs thanks to the high-profile failings of so many above them. Employees were actively told that money must stop being haemorrhaged given how close the club is treading in regards to Financial Fair Play and the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
The Glazers are laughing away in Florida and yet will not be held accountable for their mismanagement of a once-great club. It now feels, more than ever, that things will continue to get worse before they get better for the red half of Manchester.
