Souness explains why Man Utd protests will have zero impact on Glazers

Graeme Souness December 2019 TEAMtalk

Graeme Souness does not believe the protests that some Manchester United supporters held before their scheduled game against Liverpool will have an impact on the Glazer family.

Hundreds of United fans gathered outside Old Trafford to protest against the club’s owners. Some even broke into the stadium and got on the pitch at Old Trafford. They were venting their frustration at the owners after years of tension.

When United were part of a breakaway group that joined the European Super League last month, it further increased the rift between the owners and supporters. Even though they soon retracted their entry into the competition, the distaste at the Glazers has not gone away.

But former Liverpool midfielder Souness cannot see the protest having the impact it was designed for.

“I don’t think it will,” he told Sky Sports. “The Glazers, since Fergie retired, have given successive managers over a billion pound to spend. I think it’s £719million net spend over the eight years.

“I think it’s born out of United not being top dogs as much as what happened last week, I think that’s another excuse to have a go at them. These are serious, serious business people, I don’t think this will impact on their thoughts. I really don’t.

“We live in a country where you can demonstrate, you can vent your feelings, you’re allowed to do it. But I still don’t see it impacting on the Glazers one little bit.

“If you think you can bring serious pressure to serious business people who live 3,000 miles away, across the Atlantic, that it will drive them to accept a discounted offer for Manchester United, that will not happen.

Anger ‘misdirected’

“They’ve had to put collateral in, you don’t just go to the bank and say I want to buy Manchester United, I’ll need £500million or however much it costs to buy, without committing some sort of collateral.

“They’ve risked things to buy Manchester United, since then, they’ve given successive managers fortunes to spend.

“It’s only since Fergie stopped that the success has stopped and I think that irritates supporters and they have become the focus of their anger. I think it’s slightly misdirected.”

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