Jim Ratcliffe (Simon Peach/PA)
Jim Ratcliffe (Simon Peach/PA)
Mike McGrath
©Telegraph Media Group Holdings Ltd
Today at 17:18
Manchester United staff have been warned that leaks over Ineos’s drastic cuts are “damaging to colleagues and the wider club” in an email to announce a restructuring meeting this month.
United sent correspondence to all staff on Friday about a “team briefing” which will take place on February 24 to discuss plans to reduce costs and raise revenue after losing £300 million in the past three years.
Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s plans to make another 100 staff redundant emerged this week, adding to the 250 jobs cut last summer during the radical changes at Old Trafford since he took control of football operations.
The email, seen by the Daily Telegraph, outlined disappointment with information about club issues being reported. “Any leaks, whether accidental or intended, can be damaging to colleagues and the wider club,” it added.
United have not commented on the email sent to staff but it is understood staff were told the objective behind changes is for the club to start winning again “which requires transformation on and off the pitch”. Staff will be told about further changes a week on Monday when the briefing takes place in the afternoon.
Ratcliffe has started a refurbishment of the club’s Carrington training ground since taking charge a year ago. He has made capital injections of £241 million to ease immediate pressures but there is acknowledgement the long-term financial picture is “challenging”.
Ratcliffe last summer signed off on a 250-person cull but, with the team in the bottom half of the Premier League, those behind the scenes point to costs remaining too high on and off the pitch.
Staff have already been told the club have to explore every option, including reducing costs and raising revenues. Insiders maintain there are no final decisions or announcements in relation to the proposed 100-person job cut.