Man Utd's five worst moments under Glazer ownership

Karan Tejwani

• 23 Nov 2022 08:30 GMT
• 4 min read

Manchester United released a statement on Tuesday evening saying the Glazer family were open to additional investment or potentially a sale of the club in the near future.

This comes after 17 years of ownership by the Glazer family and the news was met with delight by many of the club’s supporters, who had been protesting their ownership for a long time.

There have been some embarrassing lows for Manchester United on and off the pitch in that time, and the fans will be happy to the see the back of the Glazers when that time comes.

READ: Man Utd share price skyrockets after Glazers announce sale plans

With that, here are the five worst moments for Manchester United under Glazer ownership.

Rising debt

The biggest issue concerning the Glazer ownership of the club was the debt. Prior to the takeover, Manchester United were debt-free, but that has risen to £592 million and has remained unchanged since the arrival of the family and that has been a major point of concern.

With the exception of Tottenham – who have accrued debt thanks to their new stadium – Manchester United became the Premier League club with the highest debt and that has always been a worry in case things went horribly wrong.

READ: Man Utd owners to explore sale after Ronaldo release

Flailing stadium

At one point in the 21st century, Manchester United had one of the most prestigious stadiums in Europe and the best in England thanks to constant investment and redevelopment. That has not been the case under Glazer ownership as it has been left to rot.

Poor facilities combined with unmanaged repairs and leaks made it an embarrassment and although it has had some great games under Glazer ownership over the years, the overriding feeling is that it’s been left behind as others have been allowed to progress.

Dividends taken

Under Glazer ownership, Manchester United frequently paid off dividends to shareholders and were the only Premier League club to do so, with the majority of the money going to the six Glazer family members that held shares in the club.

Since 2016, Manchester United have paid of £166 million to their shareholders, averaging £22 million per season, in addition to the £743 million in interest paid since 2005.

Transfer and staff mismanagement

Manchester United have often appointed non-football people to high-ranking football roles, such as Ed Woodward, since the departures of Alex Ferguson and David Gill and that has had major ramifications on the club and their overall performances.

This has led to poor recruitment across all areas and has been one of the reasons for their failures to win major trophies despite spending big in the transfer market.

Super League

In 2021, Manchester United were one of 12 clubs to be part of the breakaway European Super League project that also included clubs like Manchester City, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus and others and it did not go well. They wanted to start in 2021-22, but the plan lasted three days.

Mass protests against the Glazers forced them to reconsider their position and the fans even got a game against Liverpool postponed due to the protests. That was a breaking point for many fans who could confirm the Glazers could not be trusted.