Fearful Manchester United staff believe that they’re being spied on by a senior figure who Sir Jim Ratcliffe has brought into the club.
Members of staff at United are working in a ‘growing culture of fear’ as Ratcliffe, who owns a 28.94 per cent stake in the club, continues his brutal cost-cutting strategy. Last August, 250 people – roughly a quarter of United’s workforce – were made redundant as part of Ratcliffe’s efforts to balance the books.
The founder and chairman of petrochemicals company INEOS, who’s himself estimated to be worth £12.59billion, has garnered a reputation for being ruthless with even the most high-profile of staff as well as those with lesser-known jobs at United. In December, the stunning decision to sack sporting director Dan Ashworth after only five months in the role sent shockwaves around Old Trafford.
A new bombshell report from the Telegraph explains how staff viewed Ashworth’s departure as a sign that no one was safe under Ratcliffe’s regime. “It’s like this axe is hanging over your head all the time and you’re just waiting for it to drop,” one source is claimed to have told the newspaper.
Staff are also having to choose their words carefully whenever one particular figure is around. The unnamed male executive, who’s been part of an influx of INEOS-led appointments, has become regarded as something of a ‘spy’ for Ratcliffe and Sir Dave Brailsford, his right-hand man.
Workers have reportedly learned to be extra vigilant about what they say in the so-called spy’s presence, fearing that their comments and criticisms could come back to bite them.
It’s been one year since Ratcliffe completed a £1.25bn deal to purchase his 27.7 per cent stake in United, who he supported as a child growing up in nearby Failsworth. Recently, the 72-year-old increased his stake to 28.94 per cent and injected a further £79.3million.
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United are reportedly set to gather their employees at a staff briefing at 2:30pm on Monday to update them on the possibility of further redundancies which would no-doubt see more criticism come Ratcliffe’s way. Up to 200 more job cuts are rumoured to be on the table.
In an interview with fanzine United We Stand, Ratcliffe – who works under majority owners the Glazer family – warned fans and staff alike that he’s prepared to make unpopular decisions for the sake of bringing the glory days back to Old Trafford. “If you shy away from the difficult decisions then nothing much is going to change,” he asserted.
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