The problem with Manchester United fans and the Glazer family shows no sign of slowing down with the club announcing that £11 million would be paid out in dividends to shareholders on Friday. Unsurprisingly the Glazer family will profit most from this outrageous move. With moves like this aggravating fans more and more, when will the Glazers realise they are not wanted in Manchester?
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History
Having acquired the club through buying shares in 2003, the Glazers rapidly increased their purchases in the club. By 2005, Malcolm Glazer had fully purchased Manchester United despite protests from the fans who could see through the Glazer problem almost 20 years ago.
However, since then Manchester United have gone through a rocky period. Despite Sir Alex Ferguson steadying the ship on the playing side up until 2013, the wheels well and truly came off when David Moyes took over.
Since then the Glazers have seen Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Ragnick take control of the football club and experienced varying success. With Erik ten Hag in charge now, there looks to be a similar issue. However, the issue is management at the top who started buying players for shirt sales rather than worthwhile transfer investments.
Even the impressive return of Cristiano Ronaldo dismantled the idea that Solskjaer had. However, more catastrophic signings such as Romelu Lukaku, Angel Di Maria, Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez, highlighted that the United hierarchy do not understand football. It is arguable that they do not understand business with much better structures in place at local rivals Liverpool and Manchester City who have excellent structures and won several trophies in the time of United’s decline.
The Glazers have spent money. What is the issue?
Well actually they have not. They have scipehend their own debt and taken money out of the club without putting their own money in. It is just not the way to do business, if someone looked at an Avatrade review and saw a business person doing that they would tell them to stop.
Yet the Glazers have been allowed to plummet arguably the biggest club in the world into millions of pounds worth of debt. Last month it was announced that the club was in nearly £500 million of debt and yet the Glazers see no issue with taking £11 million out of the club and pocketing most of that.
Dividends problem
Dividends are paid twice a year in January and July and are usually divided between the six Glazer family members. Last year £10.7 million was taken out and £8 million was given to the Glazers.
However, with major team restructure needed and work needed on a dilapidated Old Trafford it is yet another smack in the face to the fans. A sentiment echoed by former right back Gary Neville who has been very vocal about the way the Glazers are taking the club for a ride.
Glazers football knowledge
The Glazers are treating the football club as a business and a poorly run one at that. With management in the wrong place to make big decisions on the pitch and in the boardroom. They would happily hire their mates e.g. Ed Woodward to make the decisions and consistently get them wrong.
With Woodward having left the club, despite spending half a billion pounds and no league challenge to show for it, he is still held in high regard by the Glazers. However, with Richard Arnold now taking the role he has met with fans recently to discuss the club’s path and vision.
Will it be another keep the fans sweet moment or one that will finally change the clubs fortunes?
There is one thing that is certain with the Glazers in charge, who are rarely seen at Old Trafford, United are a poorly run organisation and Arnold’s job is made even harder when the Glazer family are more concerned about their own pockets than that of Manchester United Football Club.
