Manchester United CEO Richard Arnold has attempted to reassure club staff after his pub showdown with fans.
Arnold, 51, was pictured talking to Red Devils’ supporters in a Chesire pub over the weekend. He did not pull any punches on his assessment over the club’s recent failings both on and off the pitch - with the side's lucrative transfer dealings in particular being put under the spotlight.
Arnold made headlines on Saturday night after his stunning face-to-face meeting with anti-Glazer protesters at The Boot Inn, in Willington, giving a damning verdict on predecessor Ed Woodward’s reign. In a brutal assessment of the state of the club, he said: “We’ve f***ing burned through cash. We spent a billion pounds on players, we spent more than anyone in Europe. I am not thrilled with where we are, it doesn’t sit easy and we’ve got to get this sorted.
"You can’t go to our training ground and go ‘show me where that billion pounds is here’.
“I don’t think we’ve done well with the money we’ve spent historically. We’ve blown through an enormous amount of money. Last year was a f***ing nightmare. I was hating every minute of it.”
Amid the shocking criticism from such a pivotal member of staff at Old Trafford, Arnold has made a move to assure his colleagues that the leaked video does not include any information that he would fear airing in the boardroom and also gave some added context behind the impromptu meeting.
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According to The Sun, Arnold explained that the clutch of supporters were planning to protest outside of his home and that he chose to avoid that eventuality with the meeting. Further explaining his thoughts, Arnold - the replacement for outgoing Woodward - detailed that the club’s on-field performance remains the club’s priority with the board unhappy with last season’s sixth-placed finish under Ralf Rangnick.
He reiterated that staff action had been taken in an effort to improve results, which development would only be possible with strong staff performance combined with a united fanbase.
There were also further assurances over the Red Devils’ intention to continue investing in the side albeit with a more effective end result as a consequence of the new structure at Old Trafford. Meanwhile, there were also explanations over how Arnold plans to keep United challenging from a strong financial position with investment in facilities for both supporters and players.
It of course remains to be seen whether Arnold’s claims will come to fruition after a summer of overhaul at the club. Former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag has of course been confirmed as the club’s new boss - the Dutchman bringing with him his own backroom team.
So far, there have been no new signings at the club amid continued links with Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong and Christian Eriksen.
