Premier League
IT’S 15 YEARS SINCE THE GLAZERS’ £790M BUY-OUT OF MANCHESTER UNITED: RUNNING OR RUINING THE CLUB?
The Glazer family has never been ones for the details of running Manchester United.
When he first arrived at Old Trafford with his two brothers 15 years ago, behind the tinted glass of a Volkswagen people carrier, Joel Glazer grabbed the first products he could lay his hands on in the club store — a £27 blue away shirt plus a few ‘I love Man United‘ T-shirts — and rushed off for his next engagement.
His brother, Avie, went for an £18 plastic United rucksack.
It was something Joel said the following day in the Old Trafford International Lounge after gathering 550 staff — from the tea ladies to chief executive David Gill — for a 15-minute briefing which proved prophetic in light of all that has followed.
‘Our view is that this club has such a rich history and tradition that we’re not looking to change,’ declared Joel who, like Avie, their brother Bryan and late father Malcolm, has refused any media interviews about United from that day until this.
Concerns that the Glazers would bleed the club dry of transfer market investment after their £790million leveraged buy-out have proved spectacularly unfounded. Gill’s successor Ed Woodward has presided over a bigger outlay than Paris Saint-Germain in the past five years.
It is the Glazers’ absentee status and neglect — an indifference to any suggestion that the club might need to change — which has proved so devastating when fellow Americans Fenway Sports Group (FSG) have delivered such impressive strategic oversight down the M62 at Liverpool.
There were certainly grounds to leave things alone when Gill and Sir Alex Ferguson navigated the ship in the first eight years of Glazer command.
Consider, for example, the legendary quiz nights at the team hotel which always took place on the eve of European away matches.
Set by the club photographer John Peters, they were monumentally competitive, with Nicky Butt and Roy Keane incandescent with rage if they felt they had been wrongly denied points.
They reflected the extraordinarily tight nature of a club in which everyone understood the question-master’s sometimes obscure references to British life and culture.
It was around 2008, when the team become more multi-national and some
players did not understand the questions, that the quizzes were faded out.
The decision-making processes were supremely tight back then, too. At 8am every Friday, Gill would meet Ferguson at the Carrington training ground for the weekly meeting at which gaps in the squad and ongoing conversations about targets would be discussed. Football success is about judgment and they all trusted each other.
Jim Lawlor, the chief scout, ambled into Ferguson’s office one day to say it had struck him that Henrik Larsson’s season at Helsingborg was about to finish and he might be a stop-gap solution to the temporary problem of an injury to Louis Saha. ‘We’ll do it,’ said Ferguson. He and Gill always acted decisively.
The Glazers’ decision to allow Ferguson and Gill — the brains trust of Manchester United — to leave in the same summer said everything about what happens when owners are semi-detached.
If Woodward had operated with Ferguson for a few years, the outcome may have been very different. He and Gill had mapped things in such a way that the club only liked to make one or two changes each year.
But the managerial revolving door since Ferguson left has brought coaches with no time for many of the players they have inherited — particularly Jose Mourinho — and left Woodward constantly shipping them in and out in big numbers while lacking the football knowledge to cope.
There are occasional chinks of light. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s last summer transfer window was arguably United’s best since Ferguson stepped down. But the emergency stop-gap striker Odion Ighalo, who has spent the past three years in China, on £165,000-a-week wages — was a far cry from Larsson.
The deal asked questions about what on earth United’s player acquisition system has come to. Woodward, a physicist, is a great believer in data. He likes to throw resources at decisions and be presented with empirical evidence — numbers — as to why a player should be signed.
Part of the expanded United scouting system is the creation of a battery of reports on virtually every player. There can be too much information, say some who know United well.
Gill, an economist, tended to apply science to the real world, as individuals in that profession often do. There would be an element of human judgment.
For Woodward’s Radamel Falcao, read Gill and Ferguson’s calamitous Bebe, the unknown signed in 2010. Both players are thought to have been hired after deadline-day phone calls from Jorge Mendes. Falcao was only marginally the better.
Yet the Glazers appear utterly oblivious to the fact the club is listing and lacks direction, while FSG have inserted Bostonian Mike Gordon — a significant figure at Anfield — and British-American Peter Moore.
United are torn between wanting to send a message to the market that they will not overpay and a need to spend.
They waited an entire window to buy Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon and ended up getting him for the same price they would have paid in the first place.
The same fearful decision-making applied to the signing of Harry Maguire.
When Liverpool were thwarted in their attempt to buy Virgil van Dijk from Southampton, they simply went back later and upped the offer by £15m — and got their man. They know what their priorities are and act accordingly.
To owners with a modicum of curiosity, Woodward’s track record would now be coming under scrutiny. He did sharpen up the commercial operation when he took charge. But, contrary to popular belief, it is group managing director Richard Arnold, not Woodward, who has been bringing in noodle sponsors and myriad other deals which have made United a fortune.
A broader, more strategic perspective would also tell the ruling dynasty that Woodward has presided over Old Trafford becoming an aged, careworn place, in desperate need of upgrade and renewal at a time when Arsenal’s and Tottenham’s arenas place them miles ahead.
The technically challenging expansion of Anfield is something FSG have applied themselves to and the stadium is hugely enhanced.
Now is the point of greatest opportunity to install a director of football. There will not be the kind of opposition from Solskjaer that a signature managerial appointee like Mauricio Pochettino would present in a quest for power and authority.
Delegating responsibility to a board director who knows the game would also give Woodward greater justification for retaining the services of Solskjaer, who has struggled.
These are decisions for the invisible men who took the club over, but no one is expecting a revolution.
After that souvenir hunt in 2005, the brothers beat a hasty retreat through the Old Trafford North Stand door, squealing off up Sir Matt Busby Way minutes later in the people carrier.
At that point, Sir Bobby Charlton ambled out into the sunshine, where he was accosted by fans deeply concerned about what the future might hold with the Glazers. ‘I don’t expect we’ll see much of them,’ he said.
-Daily Mail
Mohamed Salah has confirmed he will leave Liverpool FC at the end of the season, bringing to a close one of the most successful and iconic eras in the club’s modern history.
The 33-year-old forward announced his decision in an emotional video shared on social media on Tuesday, expressing gratitude to the club, the city and its supporters.
“Unfortunately, the day has come. This is the first part of my farewell,” Salah said. “I will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season.
“I never imagined how deeply this club, this city, these people would become part of my life,” he added. “Liverpool is not just a football club, it’s a passion, it’s a history, it’s a spirit.”
A Legendary Anfield Career
Salah, who joined Liverpool from AS Roma in 2017, leaves as one of the club’s greatest-ever players.
During his time at Anfield, he helped Liverpool win the Premier League twice, the UEFA Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, The FA Cup, two League Cups and the Community Shield.
He scored 255 goals in 435 appearances, making him Liverpool’s third-highest goalscorer of all time, while also claiming the Premier League Golden Boot on four occasions.
His 2024/25 season stands out as one of the finest individual campaigns in league history, with 29 goals and 18 assists, earning him the Player of the Season award alongside both the Golden Boot and Playmaker honours.
However, Salah’s final campaign has been marked by inconsistency and tension.
He endured a prolonged dip in form, struggling for goals and being left out of several key matches, including fixtures in the UEFA Champions League. His reduced influence on the pitch was compounded by a public disagreement with Liverpool manager Arne Slot.
After being benched for consecutive matches in December, Salah criticised the club, accusing it of “throwing me under the bus” and hinting at a breakdown in his relationship with the coach.
Although Slot later attempted to play down the incident, it highlighted a difficult period for a player who had long been central to Liverpool’s success.
Despite the struggles, Salah has shown flashes of his brilliance, including a stunning goal in Liverpool’s recent 4-0 victory over Galatasaray in the Champions League, marking his 50th goal in Europe’s elite club competition.
Nicknamed the “Egyptian King,” Salah remains deeply adored by Liverpool supporters, with murals of his image and signature celebrations adorning streets around Anfield.
“Leaving is never easy,” Salah said in his farewell. “You gave me the best time of my life. I will always be one of you. This club will always be my home.
“Because of all of you, I will never walk alone.”
Salah’s departure will mark the end of an era at Liverpool—one defined by goals, trophies and a lasting bond between player and supporters.
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Nigerian forward Taiwo Awoniyi underlined his growing importance to Nottingham Forest’s survival push, coming off the bench to score in a crucial 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
In a match loaded with relegation implications, Awoniyi’s late strike capped a disciplined and clinical performance from Forest, who secured their first league win under manager Vitor Pereira and climbed out of immediate danger.
Forest took the lead on the stroke of halftime through Igor Jesus, who headed home from a corner delivered by Neco Williams. Despite Tottenham’s bright start, they failed to convert early dominance into goals, with Richarlison missing their clearest opportunity.
The hosts tightened their grip on the contest in the second half when Morgan Gibbs-White doubled the advantage just after the hour mark, finishing calmly to punish Spurs’ defensive lapses.
Awoniyi then delivered the final blow in the 87th minute, tapping in from close range to seal a comprehensive win and ignite celebrations among the Forest faithful. The goal marked another timely contribution from the Nigerian striker, whose physical presence and composure have proven vital in the club’s fight against relegation.
The result lifts Nottingham Forest to 16th place with 32 points from 31 matches, two points clear of Tottenham, who drop to 17th and remain perilously close to the relegation zone.
For Awoniyi, the goal not only adds to his season tally but also reinforces his reputation as a decisive figure in high-pressure moments. Introduced late in the game, his impact highlighted Forest’s improved attacking depth and ability to finish off opponents—qualities that could prove decisive in the final stretch of the campaign.
Nottingham Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi scores their third goal REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
Tottenham, meanwhile, saw their struggles continue despite recent signs of improvement. Even with Mathys Tel forcing a fine save from goalkeeper Matz Sels, they lacked cutting edge, failing to register a shot on target before conceding.
The defeat leaves Spurs just one point above 18th-placed West Ham United, who also slipped to a 2-0 loss against Aston Villa, deepening the tension at the bottom of the table.
While Forest manager Pereira cautioned that more work lies ahead, Awoniyi’s contribution offered a timely reminder that the club possesses the firepower needed to steer clear of relegation.
With the battle for survival intensifying, Forest will look to build on this momentum—and if Awoniyi continues to deliver at crucial moments, their chances of staying in the Premier League will receive a significant boost.
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Premier League
Manchester United tighten hold on third in the Premier League with win over Aston Villa
Manchester United’s Matheus Cunha buried a second‑half strike off a pinpoint through ball from Bruno Fernandes for a club-record 16th Premier League assist in a season to lift the hosts to a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa on Sunday.
Casemiro and substitute Benjamin Sesko scored United’s other goals in a result that tightened United’s grip on third place in the standings on 54 points after 30 games, while fourth-placed Villa have 51 points.
United, who were playing their first game in 11 days, were keen for a victory after interim boss Michael Carrick’s seven-game unbeaten run ended in a 2-1 loss to 10-man Newcastle United on March 4.
With 22 points from a possible 27 under Carrick’s leadership, Sunday’s win will invariably lead to more questions about his chances of becoming United’s permanent manager.
“It was a slightly different game today going into it being so close in the league and making the small jump we could if we won, off the back of a defeat,” Carrick said. “It was a small test and we haven’t really had that.
“The boys dealt with it really well, had a really good week and applied themselves well. Everything is so so encouraging. We’ve got a lot to play for.”
The game looked headed for a draw before Cunha scored from the left side of the box in the 71st minute, with Fernandes recording his 100th assist for the club across all competitions.
With eight games left, Fernandes is also four shy of matching the Premier League record for assists in one season of 20 held by Thierry Henry (2002-03) and Kevin de Bruyne (2019-20).
“He’s had so many big moments, to score a goal, to make a pass,” Carrick said of Fernandes. “Training or games, he’s always there. Really good with the corner. The pass to Matheus was fantastic to cap off a good performance all around.”
Sesko put the game out of reach 10 minutes later with a blistering shot from the centre of the box.
Casemiro put United ahead in the 53rd minute with a glancing header from a Fernandes corner.
Ross Barkley levelled in the 64th with a shot from the middle of the area. After a lengthy VAR check to determine whether the ball glanced off an offside Amadou Onana, the goal stood.
A better second half salvaged a decent game after a dreary first 45 minutes plagued by errant passes and slipping players.
United did have some decent first-half chances including a header from Amad Diallo that goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez stretched backwards to keep out of the net. Diogo Dalot had a terrific chance inside the box that he launched over the bar.
Leny Yoro’s block spoiled one of Villa’s best chances and led to a long-range shot from Fernandes at the other end that he sent just wide of the post.
Villa have not won a league game since February 11, and an animated manager Unai Emery spent much of the afternoon stomping his feet and waving his arms in frustration.
“How we are progressing after we did fantastic months in October, November, December, the last two months we are struggling,” Emery said. “It’s Manchester United here at home, and they are now in good moment. And of course, they played a very intelligent match.
“I think we can get better. The result at the end was a bad result for us. We must accept it and try to analyse now to get better for the next challenge.”
-Reuters
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