Following Sunday's dramatic riots, Gary Neville has encouraged the Glazer family to sell Manchester United. His comments come as Roy Keane, another former United captain, supported the backers, saying "this was only the beginning" of their fight to oust the founders.
After the game against Liverpool at Old Trafford was postponed due to chaos and abuse, Neville expressed confidence that the demonstrations will reconcile football fans and begin in a "measured, cool, and pointed" manner. United's bid to enter a mega league has heightened long-standing fan resentment towards the Glazers.
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“This is a result of the conduct of Manchester United's owners two weeks ago,” Neville told Sky Sports. “There is widespread suspicion and mistrust of the family, but they were not complaining two or three weeks ago.
“There is a lot of dissatisfaction. They're simply saying, "Enough!" For several years, the Glazer family has remained tenacious and unyielding. I believe they have been unable to satisfy the financial demands of this club for some time.
“If you think of the club they bought in 2004, they had the best stadium in the world, perhaps one of the best in Europe; the best training ground in the country, probably the best training ground in Europe; the team was regularly reaching the semi-finals, quarter-finals, and finals of the Champions League, and they won the championship every season or any other season.
You're looking at the club right now. If you look behind the scenes, you'll see that this stadium is rusted and decaying. The training facility is possibly no longer in the top five in the world.
They haven't seen a Champions League semi-final in ten years and haven't secured the league in eight. The land around the stadium is undeveloped, dormant, and derelict, notwithstanding the fact that every other club seems to be improving its infrastructure and fan experiences.
“The Glazer family is unable to satisfy the financial standards, and fans are thinking it's time to call it quits. If they sell this football team, they will earn a fortune. If they placed it up for sale now, I believe the time is right and it will be the honorable thing to do.”
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Neville hopes that fans can band together to effect reform in English football, including with the government's fan-led investigation. The former defender called the European Super League proposal "dangerous" and said, "Today would be a waste of time if the change is not implemented."
“Perhaps I'm naive, but Manchester United and Liverpool should be behaving like the grandfathers of English football, showing humanity, sharing their money around the family, and being fair,” he said. However, they have shown self-greed by attempting to stroll away with all of the wealth whilst the family below suffers. That is not what happens in these clubs. An apology is insufficient.”
United supporters, according to Keane, descended on Old Trafford out of respect for the club. He, like Neville, was a player at United when the Glazers took over in 2005, but he quit soon after, while Neville stayed until 2011.
“There has been a buildup of friction, whether it be due to ticketing, bad coordination, or anything going on in the background,” Keane said. “The club's leadership has been inadequate. As they glance at the managers, they get the impression that it's just about making profits. The supporters of Manchester United have seen enough of the Glazers.
“We are doing so because they care for the club. Some may disagree, but often you have to bring your foot down in order for people to take note. This will be broadcast across the globe, and perhaps the owners of Manchester United will take notice. These fans are dead serious, and I can assure you that this is only the beginning of it from United fans.”
Jamie Carragher, who was also on Sky Sports, agreed with Neville and Keane that the demonstrators' goals were admirable. The former Liverpool defender chastised anyone who goes too far but insisted that this did not dominate the news.
“Do we want to see fans storming stadiums left, right, and center and forcing games to be called off?” he said. “No, we don't... But I'm not going to stay here and criticize Manchester United supporters over what happened today because I'm a Liverpool supporter... There will still be fools who get embroiled in this, but I believe what Manchester United supporters did today is actually a positive move in terms of protest and dissatisfaction about what is going on at the club.”
Graeme Souness chastised Old Trafford supporters who hurled flares at the commentary gantry. “If it had reached all of us, we would have been lying in the hospital forever scarred on one side of our face,” the former Liverpool player added.
“So that ain't a funny case. Someone tossed a whole beer can at us. Again, if you get clipped in the wrong spot, it might destroy you. So, let us not tiptoe around the case. That is intolerable.”
He also characterized the outpouring of rage as "slightly misdirected," praising the Glazers for the sum of money rendered available for transactions in recent seasons.
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