Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports , treble winner Teddy Sheringham has launched a stinging attack on the Manchester United ownership.
Sheringham has branded Avram Glazer 's comments about not needing to win trophies disgusting, warned they could haunt the Glazers , and explained why relegation would only mean more damaging cuts under Sir Jim Ratcliffe .
The former United striker has also described the toll of ownership turmoil on players, and imagined what it would mean if David Beckham came in to buy the club.
The Protests
What Do You Make of the Fan Protests Inside Old Trafford?
The issues with the ownership are the sort of outside interest you can do without as a player. I was around Tottenham Hotspur for the Terry Venables and Alan Sugar situation, and it does cast a doubt over everything. There's that outside interest you don't need to be thinking about when you're trying to win football matches. People are asking you questions before a match, and you're thinking, hold on a minute, I don't want to be talking about this, we've got a big game at the weekend.
It can mess with you. People think footballers just go out and play, but they're involved in these football clubs. We've heard from Lisandro Martinez and Bruno Fernandes , but I don't think they'll be calling for new owners; what they wanted was more investment back into the club this summer. They want to see progress, and they want to see Michael Carrick backed, because the players love Carrick .
The only conversations they want to hear with the owners would be about which players Michael wants, and then going out to get them. The problem with Manchester United is they've not got any top players now, and you have to have top players to be a top club.
When you play for a big club, you need players who can take on the mantle of leadership on the pitch, but United are buying people off the undercard. There are good players at Manchester United , don't get me wrong, but there are no top players, no proper leaders on the pitch, and that's the results and performance level you get. All these other clubs United think they should compete with are reaching for the stars, and United are just happy with good players. Good players are not good enough for Manchester United .
The Glazer Comments
Were You Disappointed to Read Recent Comments From Avram Glazer?
It was a very blase remark from Avram Glazer , but that's to be expected. They've earned too much money out of Manchester United , and that statement just says it all, doesn't it? Well, we're all right; we don't need to be winning trophies at the moment. It's disgusting. This is what a great football club like Manchester United has been reduced to.
You look all around the world, and success is why United have got so many fans in every country, because of the way they play, the way they attack, the way they entertain, and the way everyone comes together for the team.
That isn't going to last if the owners think the football is no longer important. It's already dwindling, and it'll soon dwindle away completely. I'm telling you they'll get a big shock when United fall down into the Championship if they still think the same money will be spent on merchandise once they're relegated. I'm very shocked that at this moment in particular, one of the owners would come out and say something like that. I think it could come back to haunt the Glazers in a massive way.
Could Relegation Be a Radical Way to Rid United of the Glazers and Sir Jim Ratcliffe?
Relegation is not the answer for Manchester United fans wanting a better future without the Glazers and INEOS . All that would happen is even more cost-cutting around the club, which wasn't the right move in the first place. Cutting the costs of the people who are the lifeblood of the club, like the tea ladies, the women on the door, and the everyday people who make it all tick behind the scenes.
I know Ratcliffe has described it as people not earning their money, but there used to be good people around the club that Sir Alex Ferguson leant on at times to make sure the environment was good, everything in its right place to keep the steam train rolling. It's those people who will get affected again if United go down; there'll be even more cuts, more of the wrong people affected.
When we talk about club culture and United DNA, it all comes down to these people. They're the big people in every football club, not just United . They're there to make you feel wanted and welcome; it's their football club. You could tell by the way they spoke with such pride, welcoming you and hoping you have a great time. Those little moments matter: the chats with the kit men, the masseurs and staff who've been there for years doing the jobs other people don't want to do. They are the people who make a club like Manchester United what it once was.
David Beckham
Is Sir David Beckham the Only Way Out for Fans Who Want New Ownership?
Would David Beckham have the backing to come in and buy Manchester United off the Glazers and Jim Ratcliffe ? Who knows? But what a statement that would be; he would become one of the biggest heroes in the club's history.
Even then, you can't please everyone at a club like Manchester United . Beckham could come in and buy the best players in the world, and then all of a sudden the focus would swing to the stadium the next time the roof springs a leak.
Maybe Becks would have an answer for that too; we've seen what he's done with Inter Miami . It's beyond my knowledge, but if he's in that world and he's learned what it takes in Miami , then I'm sure the fans of Manchester United , and even the people of Manchester , would love him to come back and rescue the club.
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