Fans of Manchester United were recently filled with hope. Club legend Michael Carrick, appointed as head coach on a permanent basis, was turning the tide, steering the team back into the Champions League. The academy was again producing talent, and star player Bruno Fernandes was showcasing his best qualities.
While this season promised to be tough due to a packed schedule and mounting pressure on Carrick, initial signs of optimism were evident, allowing supporters to watch the World Cup with a sense of security, knowing their club was on the right track.
Just a short while ago, jubilation reigned. The season had a shaky start, yet fans placed immense trust in Carrick, making their uncertainty seem minor in light of the news that their noisy neighbours, Manchester City, had been found guilty of breaching 114 Premier League rules.
It seemed City could be wiped off the map, stripped of titles; surely, they would be punished in such a way that Manchester United would reclaim their status as the top club in Manchester, if only for a brief moment. Thank heavens.
However, the news of City's guilt, their doomed appeal, and the potential sanctions took a back seat as Manchester United fell back into crisis mode.
Carrick was given a reprieve following a meeting between club co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, several Glazer family members, CEO Omar Berrada, and sporting director Jason Wilcox.
He is set to lead the team against Chelsea, and unless utter disaster strikes, he will likely remain in charge for upcoming matches against Roma and Aston Villa before the international break, which may give the beleaguered manager a bit more time to settle in.
Crowds at Old Trafford applauded Carrick as he left the pitch after a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth, but the mood shifted dramatically, with the same fans later jeering their own players.
They know Carrick isn’t to blame, and if it weren't for Wilcox, Berrada, Ratcliffe, and the Glazers, who are hiding and refusing to take responsibility for the club's systematic decline, those lazy players would surely have been their next target for fury.
The only viable way to right the ship at Manchester United is through new ownership. The Glazers and their politically convenient successor that they brought to the club nearly three years ago must depart.
Since the Glazers imposed a £600 million debt on Manchester United following their leveraged takeover 21 years ago, numerous problems, both on and off the pitch, can be attributed to the absence of accountable owners.
Meanwhile, Ratcliffe, who promised "best in class" when he arrived in February 2024, has done the opposite. No top club would entrust Wilcox and Carrick with executing a coherent football vision.
The Glazers hold 72% of the club's shares, maintaining complete control over any potential sale due to a so-called drag-along clause in their agreement with Ratcliffe, meaning the petrochemical boss must offload his stake if they sell the club to a third party.
Who could they possibly sell it to? Sources at ESPN reported earlier this week that "there is currently no market for investors looking to buy a Premier League team," largely due to uncertainty surrounding Manchester City, the guilty verdict, and the outcome of their appeal.
Investing is risky given the range of potential punishments, and it's suggested that "any potential buyer is likely to wait until this process is resolved".
ESPN's sources state that there are two potential triggers for the Glazers to sell the club: City's relegation from the Premier League, eliminating them as a main rival, and the proposed construction of a new stadium at Old Trafford.
Manchester United fans responded to a survey about plans for a new 100,000-seat stadium with chants of "you can stick your stadium up your backside" on Sunday, and so far, not a single stone has been laid.
They can’t afford to wait that long. There are suggestions that City's punishment could drag on for years, but there’s also a chance it could be inevitable, and United supporters need something to cling to for hope.
And what a day it would be. Perhaps the greatest day. There have certainly been a few of those in their history. But could any compare to the day the Glazers put the club up for sale while City simultaneously found themselves relegated from the Premier League? At the very least, they can dream.
