Manchester United supporters organised a protest outside of the home of the club's CEO Richard Arnold in the summer.
Although the demonstration was intended to be peaceful, it was actually foiled by Arnold himself, as the United chief had received advanced notice of the protest and he took the initiative to meet supporters in the Cheshire pub in which they had gathered.
That prevented a demonstration outside of his home and Arnold bought 'a few beers' for the supporters and he sat down to speak at length about matters regarding the club. Arnold was controversially covertly recorded during the conversation and the footage immediately went viral on social media, spectacularly resulting in infighting between those fans present at the meeting.
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Arnold discussed the Glazers' ownership, protests, commercial business, transfer policy and more. The reaction to the conversation on social media was mixed, but the majority at least noted their respect for Arnold for having the gumption to meet supporters.
The supporters present in the pub that afternoon made it clear to Arnold that they wanted the Glazers to sell the club and it's worth revisiting his comments, with the club having recently been up for sale, which could mean the end of their ownership.
A candid Arnold said: “For the future, for investing in a new stadium and a latest-and-greatest training ground we’ve got to do something. We’ve got to get investors in. I need that to do what I want for the club.
"I’ve got to have more cash now because no club in the world has the money to build a new stadium. You either borrow it or invest it. The money has got to come from somewhere. We spent a billion pounds on players. We have spent more than anyone in Europe.
"I’m not thrilled where we are. It doesn’t sit easy with me and I worry how we get this sorted for the future. What’s happened is we have f***ing burned through cash. You can’t go to our training ground and say 'show me where the £1billion is'.
"That's because we haven’t spent money well historically. I’m not here to defend Joel [Glazer]. He must speak for himself. But you have taken the time to come here and make your views known and I respect that. We’ve blown through an enormous amount of money.”
United announced last month they were 'exploring strategic opportunities' for the club, which could include selling it, but Arnold's comments suggest he might have been aware they were considering relinquishing their hold at the time of that chat.
The Glazers' asset-stripping regime has led to the money drying up and they can no longer afford to run the club, which Arnold hinted at by telling supporters in June that 'we've got to get investors in', although that was already suspected by most.
Old Trafford needs heavy investment to be redeveloped, or a new stadium needs to be funded, Carrington needs continued investment, which has started, and the first team also needs to be prioritised in the transfer market.
The Glazers have not spent their own money since they became majority shareholders in 2005 and they were never going to change their stance now, especially when they can sell the club for a multi-billion pound sum to ensure a sizeable profit.
Arnold said he needs investors 'to do what he wants for the club' and he might get that chance after a change of ownership. A change in ownership could also mean that Arnold leaves the club and some supporters will be hoping for that outcome.
However, he was appointed as CEO in January this year and it remains too early to judge his tenure.
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