Football finance expert Dr Dan Plumley has labelled the latest findings from Manchester United’s quarterly annual report as ‘fascinating’.
The report states that United made a £26.5m loss from their 2022 earnings in the first quarter. Additionally, the Glazers won’t be paying a dividend to the shareholders of the club for the first time in six years.
Speaking to Football Insider, Plumley expects the decision made by the owners is likely to do with their process of trying to find a new buyer for the club.
Plumley described the situation as ‘fascinating’, but said it was most likely a ‘positioning exercise’ in the hopes of landing a new buyer.
He stated: “This is fascinating and goes against what we have become accustomed to,
“This is the first time we have seen this in quite a few years. I do think the current state of play with the fans is something they are still quite wary of after the fallout from the Super League.
“Also, the fact they are up for sale probably does play a part here. It’s a positioning exercise as much as anything.
“The optics wouldn’t look great because the board don’t want to be seen to be recommending a dividend payment on a loss of £26m. Keeping the optics good is central to this.
“That said, if quarterly performance picks up further down the line, we might see them revert to type. But I think they have decided not to rock the boat for the time being.”
TIF Thoughts on Plumley’s comments…
We believe that whilst it’s likely a business tactic from the Man United owners, it suggests there’s good news on the horizon.
This approach could mean that any potential buyer may want to invest. In addition, this model could be used in the future by the Glazers until a new owner is put in place.
For a number of years, there’s been a large section of the Man United fanbase that want rid of the Glazers.
On the pitch, the side seems to be improving under Erik ten Hag. The Red Devils have won three of their last five matches and sit only three points off the top four.
So in the second half of the season, securing Champions League football will be the aim for the club. Should they hit the ground running, the Dutchman could even be on for a successful first campaign at Old Trafford despite their horrendous start.