Manchester United chief executive Richard Arnold has insisted that positive changes have been made at Old Trafford.
Arnold had come under fire for the Red Devils' dreadful performances last season, before a mixed summer transfer window that saw them miss out on top target Frenkie de Jong. To cause further anger, it was revealed on Thursday that United suffered losses of more than £100million over the last financial year.
That has come with United's wage bill also at a record level, a further blight on Arnold and club chiefs. Arnold has now addressed the criticism he is facing from United supporters, insisting things are moving in the right direction.
“Clearly our on-pitch performance in finishing sixth in the Premier League last season fell short of our aims and expectations. In response, we have made important and necessary changes, including new leadership for the men’s first team under Erik ten Hag and the strengthening of the playing squad during the summer transfer window," he said.
“We also continue to develop our women’s squad, which now contains four of the England Lionesses who were victorious in this year’s UEFA European Championships. Our youth pipeline also remains strong, with major trophy wins for both our men’s Under-18 and women’s Under-21 Academy teams last season.
“I want to stress that we are working tirelessly behind the scenes to create the conditions for renewed football success. That includes ongoing investment in the training facilities at Carrington, with further improvement to come for the women’s and Academy teams.
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“When we last spoke, we set out our mission to support our football teams in delivering the titles and trophies that we know Manchester United should be competing for – this encompasses - football, fans, facilities, and financials. This process is ongoing, however we have already put in place many of the foundations of new structures and talent to drive long-term success."
He also revealed further plans to develop Old Trafford, with standards at the stadium having slipped under the Glazers' ownership. But Arnold insisted that planning is now well underway to upgrade the famous ground. “Ultimately, we know that the strength of Manchester United rests on the passion and loyalty of our fans. That’s why we have made improving fan engagement one of our strategic priorities," he added.
"In January, we launched our Fans’ Advisory Board as a new channel for board-level dialogue between fan representatives and the club, its management and owners, and this model has since been embraced by the Premier League as a mandatory model for other clubs to follow.
“For fans at Old Trafford, we believe they deserve excellent facilities and experiences when attending matches. Earlier this year, we appointed master planners to explore options for potential redevelopment of our stadium and the club-owned land which surrounds it.
“We are at an early stage of a multi-year project and will continue to gather input and feedback from our fans and other stakeholders on these options before making any firm decisions, and we will update the market in due course."
Arnold concluded by making it clear that was a long-term strategy in place to turn the club around. And he played down the recent losses by insisting the club is looking for a sustainable business plan.
“While remaining committed to long-term investment in the stadium, we will be disciplined in our capital plans, which must be sustainable, and mindful of the macro-economic pressures and inflationary environment currently impacting the UK and wider global economies." he said.
"In summary, everyone at the club is aligned on a clear strategy to deliver sustained success on the pitch and a sustainable economic model off it, to the mutual benefit of fans, shareholders, and other stakeholders.
“We believe the building blocks for future success are being put in place, but we acknowledge that there is still much more for us to do this season and beyond, and that success will not happen overnight. As a club, we are moving forward -- united and committed to achieving our goals."
