Premier League

Man Utd Fans Threaten ‘Outright Rebellion’ Over Ticket Price Rises

Manchester United fans have written to Sir Jim Ratcliffe threatening “outright rebellion” after the Ineos chief was subjected to abuse while leaving Craven Cottage on Sunday.

In an open letter, Manchester United Supporters Trust (Must) called now “the worst possible time” to make significant pricing changes and blamed part of the club’s poor form on alienated fans.

And last week United wrote to fan group The 1958 saying Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) breaches were a possibility and prices could rise again due to “not sustainable” losses.

“We do not expect fans to make up all the shortfall – but we do need to look at our ticketing strategy to ensure we are charging the right amount, and offering the right discounts, across our products for our fans,” the club said.

In a 1,011-word statement, Must outlined their case for prices remaining at their current level, broken into sections titled, “why this is the wrong time”, “the value of supportive fans”, “a better way forward” and “the business case for a bold approach”.

They argued that fan discontent poisons all elements of the club and threatened further protests.

“This discontent could lead to outright rebellion, with consequences not just for matchday revenues but also for sponsor relations and the club’s global brand,” Must wrote.

“Sponsors depend on a passionate and engaged fanbase; alienating supporters risks damaging these critical partnerships.

“Major missteps without proper understanding of the unforeseen impacts could provoke severe backlash from fans, as history has shown.”

A link was also made between poor form and poor atmosphere, saying: “Fan dissatisfaction affects the matchday atmosphere, creating performance anxiety for players, rather than the vocal support needed to inspire them.

“A passive or even hostile atmosphere at Old Trafford compounding struggling team performances could spiral into a catastrophic tailspin.”

The letter then included a host of proposals for the future. Must suggested freezing ticket prices for members and season ticket holders next season, alongside exploring share issues to raise funding and allowing fans to invest.

Must also urged the club to “resist the temptation to sell off the fruits of the youth academy for short-term fixes”, as Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo have both been linked with Chelsea.

There was also a request for closer consultation with fan groups around key decisions which affect supporters, which will “ensure decisions are informed by fan perspectives and made with the best chance of securing unity rather than rebellion.”

Ratcliffe was hounded in his car after the Fulham win, with one fan saying “£66… you are taking the piss”. Another said: “You’re worse than the Glazers”.

United are 12th in the Premier League, with last season’s eighth their lowest finish since 1990. They reportedly need to sell players in order to buy more due to PSR restrictions, although one defeat in the past six matches under Ruben Amorim suggests form might gradually be improving.

Yet Ratcliffe appears set to continue on his cost-cutting and fund-raising spree undeterred, clearly believing the club do not capitalise on their massive global fanbase enough and that enough supporters will be willing to pay higher prices to make it worthwhile.

Premier League

Rashford must “change” to return for Manchester United, says Amorim

£40m Striker: Man Utd, Liverpool In Transfer ‘Tug Of War’

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has emphasized that Marcus Rashford “has to change” before being considered for selection again. The 27-year-old forward has not featured for the club in seven weeks and recently expressed his desire for a “new challenge.”

Rashford was once again omitted from United’s squad for Thursday’s Europa League match against FCSB in Bucharest.

“Imagine a talent like Rashford; our team should be so much better with him — but he has to change,” Amorim stated during a press conference on Wednesday.

“If he changes, we are more than welcome [to include him]—and we need it. But in this moment, we have to set some standards. We are waiting for Rashford, if he wants it really bad.”

Amorim dismissed suggestions that the situation was personal.

“You (the media) want to make it personal, I have nothing against Marcus, but I have to make the same rules for everybody,” he explained. “We need goals, we need [players who can go] one against one, we need threat in the final third.”

Despite training at Carrington on Wednesday, Rashford was not included in the 21-man Europa League squad, fueling speculation about a potential transfer before the window closes on Monday.

Following United’s narrow 1-0 win over Fulham, Amorim made a strong statement about maintaining team standards:

“I would prefer to select my 63-year-old goalkeeping coach rather than play someone who did not meet those standards.”

Rashford, who debuted for the club in 2016, has scored 138 goals in 426 appearances for the senior team.

“The situation is the same for every player,” Amorim reiterated. “I will not put [in] any player that doesn’t give the maximum. When I feel it is the right moment, I will put in any player to play. We are a better team with Rashford, that is clear, but until the right moment I will not change my mind.”

Premier League

Ian Wright slams Enzo Maresca’s ‘strange’ comments for impacting Chelsea’s season

Arsenal legend Ian Wright has criticized Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca for making comments that he believes have negatively impacted the Blues’ Premier League campaign.

Chelsea had emerged as surprise title contenders earlier in the season after some impressive performances. However, Maresca repeatedly stated that his team wasn’t yet ready to compete with top clubs like Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester City for the Premier League title.

Chelsea’s form has since dipped, winning only one of their last four league games, and they now sit in sixth place, 13 points behind leaders Liverpool.

Wright feels that Maresca’s remarks have had a detrimental effect on the team. Speaking on the *Wrighty’s House* podcast, he said, “I found it strange – it didn’t need to be said. At some stage, there was going to be some form of drop-off without him saying that and giving them an excuse.”

He continued, “He should have just said it’s brilliant and we’re ahead of schedule and we will see where we are. That’s what you do.”

Wright also pointed to Nuno Espirito Santo’s more measured approach with his team, saying, “Nuno would never say something like that about [Nottingham] Forest… just play. It gets into the player’s heads and gives them a get out of jail free card.”

While Wright acknowledged that Chelsea may not have won the title, he expressed his belief that the team could have avoided their recent slump. “I’m not saying they would have won the title, but I would like to think they wouldn’t have gone on a run like this after doing so well.”

Reflecting on Chelsea’s earlier performances, Wright recalled, “They were playing so well and looking so dangerous. I remember sending messages saying Chelsea scare me, Chelsea are dangerous.”

He concluded, “Why would you throw that [comment] into the mix? If Chelsea get the Champions League, magnificent. Now they might be looking at the Europa League with the way it’s dropping off.”

Premier League

Scholes suggests Amorim may need to offload up to 14 players at Man United

Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes believes that current manager Ruben Amorim may need to offload up to 14 players as part of a major rebuild.

Scholes stated that Amorim faces a far bigger rebuilding job than Mikel Arteta did at Arsenal, citing the challenges Amorim has encountered since taking over at Old Trafford. The 40-year-old manager recently referred to the team as the worst in the club’s history.

Scholes highlighted Arteta’s transformation of Arsenal, which began when he inherited a team in disarray. Arteta’s success came through significant player changes, such as moving on Matteo Guendouzi, Mesut Ozil, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Amorim appears to be following a similar path. He has left Marcus Rashford out of his matchday squad for over a month and has also sidelined Casemiro.

“The trouble Amorim’s got is there’s not just three of them,” Scholes told The Overlap fan debate. “You could be talking about 13 or 14 of them he doesn’t want.”