Fresh information has come to light regarding a closed-door meeting that was held earlier this week between high-ranking Manchester United chiefs and club staff.
United aiming for improved season
United endured an extremely difficult 2024/25 season, finishing a lowly 15th place in the Premier League, having suffered 18 top-flight defeats.
It was statistically United’s worst campaign in 51 years. The Red Devils also suffered a humiliating 1-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final, blowing their only chance of clinching Champions League football.
Ruben Amorim failed to inspire the kind of turnaround that INEOS and supporters envisioned when he came in as Erik ten Hag’s replacement. The Portuguese coach struggled to implement his preferred 3-4-2-1 system and as a consequence, positive performances and results became few and far between.
However, the additions of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and 18-year-old Diego Leon have brought about renewed optimism that 2025/26 will come with far better fortunes.
United also enjoyed a superb pre-season as they went unbeaten in all their games.
Ahead of their Premier League opener against Arsenal on Sunday, The Athletic have revealed that club bosses, led by chief executive Omar Berrada, convened a meeting with club staff to offer them a review of the summer so far and devise strategies to help the team in the upcoming campaign.
Details of United’s closed-door meeting
According to The Athletic, the meeting was held at the indoor pitch of United’s academy and women’s building on Monday. Directors Jason Wilcox and Marc Armstrong were present. Amorim was also in attendance.
The newspaper notes, “Berrada also issued a new set of three core values to underpin their work, describing this particular treble as very relevant to United’s history and future. ‘Badge, bravery and spirit.’”
“Bravery came down to staying resilient in difficult times, he added, according to those in the room. He explained that nobody should be bigger than the badge.”
“He implored people to engage the same spirit that Sir Matt Busby and Jimmy Murphy had when rebuilding United in the wake of the Munich air disaster. A rousing video capturing United’s heritage accompanied Berrada’s talk.” It’s understood that Berrada also cited club legends Roy Keane and Eric Cantona as prime examples of the kind of playing personalities staff should aspire to emulate.
To stress the importance of ‘badge, bravery and spirit’, United staff were handed metallic water bottles with this message engraved on them.
United staff send message to senior hierarchy
The Athletic add that United staff also had the chance to express their concerns to Berrada and his accomplices.
Staff were directed to scan a QR code on their phones, which prompted them to answer the question: what do you need to deliver on these three principles?”
On the responses that were received, The Athletic state, “In the main, the feedback was benign. “Integrity”, “collaboration”, “hard work”. Colleagues discussed their thoughts with others around them.”
“But there were still nods to the realities of Ratcliffe’s regime, which has made a third of the workforce redundant and dramatically changed conditions through cost-cutting.”
“‘Stop being cheapskates,’ was one reply. ‘We have little trust in leadership,’ was another. Complaints were made about senior managers having allegedly no influence over budget control and a lack of autonomy, while it was claimed that the approvals process for spending was taking too long.”
A section of the club’s employees made a request for the staff restaurant at Old Trafford to be restored.
Laurie Whitwell explains that while most of the feedback from staff was positive, some scathing remarks drew sharp facial reactions from Berrada. He reacted with the word “interesting” to one such comment.
Wilcox also addressed those present, primarily speaking about Sesko’s arrival from RB Leipzig. Wilcox hailed Sesko’s determination to join United despite far more lucrative offers from the likes of Newcastle.
Meanwhile, Armstrong revealed that the club are in the process of sealing at least three major partnerships that will generate massive revenues, to the tune of £70m. One of these was recently announced. United confirmed that Coca-Cola will serve as their official Carbonated Soft Drinks Partner in the United Kingdom and Europe.
Featured image Christopher Furlong via Getty Images
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Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
