Manchester United staff will have grown used to a stringent lack of communication and a lingering sense of uncertainty over their futures under the Glazer family’s unpopular 19-year ownership. Less than two weeks into Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s involvement at Old Trafford, that has already changed.
United supporters have a plethora of reasons to aim ill-feeling towards the Glazers – from the controversial nature of their 2005 buyout to taking millions more out of the club than they have put in, creating over £1billion in debt in the process.
But the American family’s lack of presence at Old Trafford and the club’s Carrington training complex has also been a significant point of criticism.
Avram Glazer showed his face at last season’s Carabao Cup final and both men’s and women’s FA Cup finals at Wembley Stadium.
However, Joel Glazer hasn’t attended a match at Old Trafford since a 1-0 defeat against Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals in April 2019, almost five years ago.
Sir Dave Brailsford has already attended two since Christmas Eve, when United announced Ratcliffe’s £1.3billion investment had been agreed.
The INEOS chief watched United’s thrilling 3-2 comeback victory against Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Boxing Day before sitting alongside Sir Alex Ferguson for the 2-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest last Saturday.
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He was at Carrington the day after that dismal day out at the City Ground and was present again this week when Ratcliffe touched down in Manchester for visits of his own.
Representation of the club’s ownership at matches has been a refreshing change. And United’s staff likely didn’t expect to be sitting in the same room as Ratcliffe so soon after that festive announcement.
On Thursday, The United Stand released an image of the 71-year-old tycoons meeting with staff at Old Trafford.
Sat alongside Brailsford, Ratcliffe looked to be fielding a question from MUTV presenter Helen Evans as a seated crowd watched on in front of the stage.
