The Glazers: Have They Taken It Too Far with Their Latest Scheme?

The Glazer family has been bad news ever since they stepped in to take over mighty Manchester United.  The supporters never wanted an owner for the club, as they felt it was a supporters club and no one was needed to be the boss.

But the rich Americans eventually forced the takeover, gradually seizing control like a python’s grip on its prey.  The United faithful felt powerless each time the share grew higher; 2005 marked a black year for them when the takeover was complete. 

David Beckham epitomized the frustration of the fans and echoed the sentiment of the supporters, when he picked up the significant green and yellow scarf and draped it over his shoulders after the Champions League game between AC Milan and Manchester United. 

Things have not gotten better since; Ronaldo & Tevez have been sold to balance the books, further fueling the ire of the fans. But you have yet to hear the best—these delusional owners have been conjuring up a plan to leave this club in shambles.  

The highlight of this new plan would see the Manchester United players have a pay freeze. Amongst the proposed changes, are that all future contracts for new and current players will be incentive-based.  Under this scheme, players would no longer be entitled to negotiate a pay rise.  Instead, they would be “rewarded” with incentives for their number of appearances and honors won.  

More astonishingly, there is even a plan to pay them based on how many minutes they play in games! 

For example, let’s say the evergreen Ryan Giggs plays his best season yet for United, scoring and assisting goals. But he’s already 37-years-old, meaning he won’t feature as much as he used to. Assuming United don’t win any trophies that season, he will probably earn less than what he used to get when he started off 20 years ago!

Is this how the Glazers are planning to reward their most loyal servants? 

The situation is hypothetical, but it may very well become a reality. The Americans have already tampered with their NFL team’s salary, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, sparking fury among their fans as well. 

The Glazers cost-saving methods don’t stop there. They are even planning to restrict which staff can have meals at United’s Carrington training camp! This is an even bigger joke than Jens Lehmann coming out of retirement to help Arsenal win the league. The cheapness of these mega-rich owners have gone beyond belief. 

I repeat, this stands a rumor, nothing is affirmative yet.  Don’t be surprised if it happens though—the United fans know the feeling of pain & anguish the club has endured, accumulating debts and subsequently being refinanced in 2010. This could be déjà vu all over again.   If it happens, it is a diminutive possibility that no big name will ever step foot in Old Trafford again. 

Ultimately, the club should listen to its supporters; the identity of every club. 

They should not be listening to owners who don’t have a clue about “soccer," or ones who have put the club through such a roller-coaster ride. The only reason they have been tolerant is because of Sir Alex Ferguson, who has led the club to success time and again despite being thrown in the face of adversity. 

If the Scotsman pleads his case to the board and has the backing of all the fans, the supporters may finally see the Glazers gone; Old Trafford will become a fortress once again.