Former Manchester United striker Michael Owen
Former Manchester United striker Michael Owen
Michael Owen believes the heart and soul of Manchester United has "been ripped out" by Sir Jim Ratcliffe's major changes at the club.
Ratcliffe took charge of football operations after buying a minority stake in the club from the Glazer family and he has engaged in huge cost-cutting since, making 250 members of staff redundant, hiking ticket prices and axing Sir Alex Ferguson's ambassadorial deal.
However, millions have also been spent to sack manager Erik ten Hag less than four months after his contract was extended, while sporting director Dan Ashworth has also been axed just five months after they paid Newcastle £3million in compensation for him.
And Owen, who made 52 appearances for United between 2009 and 2012, says the Red Devils are now a "different club" to when he was there as a result of Ratcliffe's cost-cutting exercises.
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"When I was at Manchester United, all the kit men, the canteen ladies, the security, the receptionist, the physios, the doctors, it's the backroom team that you know so much - if you go back now it's literally all been ripped out," Owen told the Manchester Evening News.
"It's quite heartbreaking for people that you know who have lost their jobs. The casual fans don't care, they just want to see their team lifting a trophy whereas to us players, if I speak to old Liverpool teammates and say, 'oh, you've been back to Liverpool lately, I went back to the training ground and I know nobody'.
"It's just a different club. The badge is still the same and the bricks and mortar are still the same, but inside it's just totally different and that's what matters to us who have lived it and were on the inner sanctum."
Owen did admit he can "understand" why Ratcliffe has decided to make so many changes, but he described the mass redundancies as "heartbreaking" and revealed that he has friends who were among those let go by the club.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made 250 staff redundant since taking charge
"It's quite hard to say when somebody comes in and has a massive shake-up and loads of people lose their jobs," Owen continued. "However, as I say, to the casual fan, they probably think, 'yeah, get rid of everyone, and let's start again'.
"It's easy to flippantly say that, but these are people who probably have children and lives and it's been their job for a long time and they've invested everything into it. It's quite heartbreaking the actual practicality of it.
"Tinged with a little bit of sadness when I heard some of my old friends have lost their jobs, but understand, of course, as well, that Manchester United did need a bit of a shake-up and I can understand why they've taken the axe or wielded the axe, to so many roles."
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