SIR JIM RATCLIFFE and his team continue to leave no stone unturned in their bid to take Manchester United back to the top.
After angering most of the team with their savings, new plans emerged for the club’s training ground at Carrington.
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This includes a ‘player pre-activation and performance’ zone and – wait for it – skylights and more common areas.
Meanwhile, a toxic atmosphere remains among the beleaguered workers, who have received critical emails and offers of redundancy.
The latest blow came in what should have been a moment of celebration following United’s FA Cup final victory.
The ‘new broom’, which was apparently cheering everyone up, had already swept away the traditional perks of the last day of the World Cup, such as free travel, food, tickets for better halves and an after party.
Even worse for those working behind the scenes, they had to witness a social media clown called IShowSpeed enjoying the hospitality at the players’ post-game party, in a room that could easily house a few hundred more.
As it was, that team could have dodged a bullet. The whole thing was reminiscent of the final hour of a wedding, when the rest of the quiche and chicken thighs are brought out to be finished.
Looking ahead, here’s a radical tip for Sir Jim if he wants to save money and take United back to the top. . . go back to the cliff.
Former United training ground that still exists, although in a very dilapidated state.
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Make the modern stars – who require the most up-to-date technology, pitches, pampering and a pool to get the best out of them – grow stronger.
Show them where Sir Matt Busby laid the foundations of United’s success – and Sir Alex Ferguson built an empire.
Tell the new boss that if Fergie could plan the Treble from a small office in a building that resembles a council-run sports center, that would be good enough for them.
And don’t give me all that, ‘things have changed’ stuff.
Tottenham have some of the best facilities – and they are still Spurs.
Leicester won plaudits for their new training base when it was built in 2020 – and Luton replaced them in the top flight, even though they swapped places again last month.
So if you take United’s overpaid players back to where it all started, it could give the club a fresh start.
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Scott is so wrong to walk away
In 25 years of covering Manchester United, there have been many ups and downs in the post-match mixed zone.
But Saturday was something else as the players, apart from Jonny Evans, rejected several interview requests that used to go smoothly from big names like Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney.
At one point, Scott McTominay simply walked past ignoring everyone, before returning from the team bus so he could ignore everyone again.
This time, upon returning from the dressing room, he was carrying a box of Budweiser, inside which was a ghetto blaster playing music.
You know what goes through your head when someone stops their car at a traffic light with the window down so everyone within a square mile can listen to their favorite song. . .
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Fergie banned me from Man Utd press conferences SEVEN TIMES – I once paddled him in the bathroom
By SunSport’s Manchester United correspondent Neil Custis.
A LOT of consternation recently at the news that three football writers were denied the opportunity to ask Erik ten Hag a question during three consecutive press conferences.
The discouragement did not extend to myself, despite being one of those placed briefly on the wicked step.
I don’t agree with such ‘punishments’ for stories or opinions, but Ten Hag has had to put up with a lot this season and has never been anything but polite and helpful.
So if he wanted to do something to take it back for the first time, no problem.
It’s all sorted out now and everyone is friends again.
Having been educated on Sir Alex Ferguson’s press conferences and utterly unfair bans of varying lengths, seven in my case, you become immune to middle-aged men throwing a tantrum.
Recent events have reminded me of a beautiful warm day at the Haydock Thistle Hotel a few years ago, where managers and writers from the North West were all invited to lunch.
Sir Alex was at the top table laughing, singing and generally cheering when, simultaneously, all the writers’ phones rang with a message from United’s “department of no communications”.
He had no doubt arranged for the message to be sent in the middle of lunch, informing us all that relations would be suspended immediately.
Our crime was using words from a local radio interview he gave that week and the controversial comments he made in it.
We were all furious, so when he got up to leave, I followed him out of the lunch room.
As I talked about how unfair his actions were, he ignored me and moved on, entering another room.
I followed him, still complaining, but he turned his back to me and looked down silently.
Was he rethinking while his gaze remained focused, his head bowed?
No, he was peeing! We had entered the men’s, but in my own rage, I hadn’t noticed.
I’m not sure what the hotel guest two urinals down thought of this, but how absurd the whole scene must have seemed.
Defeated and discouraged, I returned to lunch where the free red wine was hammered and I was left in a bad mood.
There would be more such incidents, told and retold to this day with laughter.
I always say that covering United when Sir Alex was manager was like a stay at Fawlty Towers – not particularly comfortable, but certainly unforgettable.
Not Jur’s biggest boss
BRIAN CLOUGH remains one of the greatest managers of all time for his incredible feats at Nottingham Forest and Derby.
His departure was rather sad as his beloved Forest went down and his farewell speech was to TV’s Barry Davies in the City Ground tunnel.
Everyone knew in advance that he would go and the fans’ affection showed what a title, two European Cups and the man’s genius and charisma meant.
There were slaps on the back at Portman Road, where he presided over his last game. That was that.
It was months before a then-up-and-coming commentator called Darren Fletcher – you may have heard of him by now – contacted Clough’s son Nigel to ask if his father wasn’t busy would he mind doing some co-commentary on local radio? .
Nigel was delighted, commenting that the football fraternity had largely ignored his father since his retirement.
To recap, Clough won the league title with Derby and with Forest he won another title as well as consecutive European Cups and four League Cups.
Sir Alex Ferguson, of course, took to the microphone in the center of Old Trafford after his last home game, effectively saying “thank you very much – now support the next guy”.
At Liverpool, Bill Shankly – three First Division titles, two FA Cups and the UEFA Cup – was treated appallingly by the club he made great after his retirement and said he felt more welcome at Everton.
Meanwhile, the greatest of them all, Bob Paisley – six league titles and three European Cups – never seems to come up when the debate over who was the best manager of all time begins.
So to Jurgen Klopp and his nine years at Liverpool.
Honors: A Premier League title, two League Cups, an FA Cup and that Champions League trophy.
Joe Fagan did most of this in ONE SEASON.
Klopp will no doubt feature in the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup, neither of which have much importance here.
As for the farewell, well, it’s already lasted longer than Elvis Presley’s Las Vegas residency.
Just when you thought it was all over, it turns out there was another event this week with 10,000 people packing the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool.
He did a good job, but this is Liverpool and in the pantheon of truly great Reds managers there are two – still only two.
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A Kie for success
WHEN it comes to this year’s awards season, at the front of the queue must be those representing Vincent Kompany and Kieran McKenna.
After a season in which Burnley won just five Premier League games, Kompany was launched into a stratosphere frequented by today’s greats when he landed the job at Bayern Munich.
McKenna did a good job of getting successive promotions at Ipswich.
But with his close confidants convincing the world he was inches away from getting the Manchester United job, his stock rose exponentially.
And shock, horror, he gets a pay rise and a new contract with the club where he would always stay.
Wonderful things!
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Experts’ verdict on Ten Hag’s future
What are the experts’ stance on Erik ten Hag’s future at Manchester United?
Michael Owen – He has to go
“He cannot, he simply cannot, lead this team next season. He is not good enough.”
Teddy Sheringham – He can stay if he wins the World Cup, but he should go
“If United win the FA Cup, he could stay. But for me, changes are needed and United need to make them as soon as possible.”
Jamie Carragher – fired
“I don’t see how Erik ten Hag will stay. It’s just performance after performance.”
Gary Neville – Stay if you win the FA Cup
“Firing a manager who won two trophies in his first two seasons at the club would be extreme.”
Louis Saha – On the fence
“I don’t see it so clearly, but they need changes from the players, but they also need changes from him.”
Alan Shearer – fired
“I believe the future of the Man Utd manager has already been determined. Even if they win the FA Cup, I think he is gone.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
