by Wouldn’t it be great to hear a new voice, an elder in football trying to change the story, to create a new way – a story driven by a moral compass that sees footballers responsible for their actions on and off the field?
Enter stage left: Jim Ratcliffe, new part owner of Manchester United. Most people who take part in this type of role probably do so for some form of financial gain. Not Ratcliffe. It is clear from the start that he is “not interested in the financial aspects of this investment at all, really”.
Why is that, Jim? “Because I make enough money in chemicals and oil and gas.”
Ahem. Directed back sharply to the subject of football.
With a total investment of almost £1.3bn in the club, it seems to show that he is serious about Manchester United. So what is it if not a good return on investment?
Well, he’s a fan first and foremost. He says he is interested in seeing the club “be successful again”. Okay. As a main driver, this makes for a good starting point, and one that fans seem comfortable with.
But how exactly will he help the club achieve success? Well, yesterday he gave some initial indications when he spoke, among other things, about the possibility of Mason Greenwood returning to Old Trafford.
To be fair to Ratcliffe, he seems to have some sort of understanding of the world he boldly introduces when he says: “You’re dealing with young people who haven’t always been brought up in the best of circumstances, who enough of them. money and they don’t always have the guidance they should have.”
Although there is nothing to suggest that there was a problem with Greenwood’s build, you could say that it fits well with the rest of this characterization. Last year, he was charged with attempted rape, assault occasioning grievous bodily harm and controlling and coercive behaviour, following social media posts which appeared to suggest the now 22-year-old was put pressure on a woman. The Crown Prosecution Service dropped the charges last February.
Then last summer, Manchester United carried out an internal investigation into Greenwood, which seemed to spell the end of his career at the club. He joined Spanish club Getafe on loan, following a mutual agreement between the club and Greenwood that his career should continue “away from Old Trafford”.
So what replaces the findings of that investigation which concluded that “the material posted online did not give the full picture and that Mason did not commit the offenses he was originally charged with”, but that it was better for all if he continued his career elsewhere? (We do not know what the club’s detailed conclusions were, as it has not made them public.)
Greenwood has always denied committing the offenses he was accused of but accepted that he had made some mistakes.
It simply bothers me that the club are now kicking themselves for letting Greenwood ride off into the sunset in Spain where, in 21 games for Getafe, he has scored five goals and assisted another five in LaLiga. His impressive performances have even seen him linked with a move to Barcelona.
So really, this all seems to be about Manchester United putting the past aside and bringing a player back simply because he is needed on the pitch. Another sick example of how, when it comes to the Premier League, players are not held to account for their actions off the pitch while they are scoring goals. And yes, they will be paid millions of pounds every month to live that life of privilege.
Ratcliffe’s personal scales of justice appear to be based on values. He says he would be willing to open the door to the prospect of welcoming Greenwood back, as long as the decision is based on “the values of the club”.
So, Ratcliffe, what exactly are those values? Wouldn’t it be useful for the club’s stakeholders to know what they are in for when making decisions like this? Right now, it feels like decisions about players like Greenwood are deliberately made behind a heavy curtain of secrecy. The club also covered up the news that Marcus Rashford had called in “sick” after a night out in Belfast.
In many ways, however, Ratcliffe is onto something here. Certainly, fans, shareholders, pundits and players deserve to understand what our clubs really stand for. If we truly want football to improve its moral standing and if the clubs want to take us on that journey, then surely increased transparency will be vital.
Transparency breeds trust. And trust, in turn, creates better relationships and better businesses. This is the win for football that we all need – for fans to believe that their clubs are doing “the right thing”, for shareholders to see improved results, and for players to know that “there is a system value” clearly there to stand. and live it out through their behaviour, on and off the pitch.
According to the club’s mission statement, Manchester United’s goal is to be “the best club in the world on and off the pitch”. Well, come on, Ratcliffe, now’s your chance to show us what that means. But this time, don’t do it all behind closed doors. Then you might really get a name for being the best club in the world.
