Manchester United fans need to understand something United are not financially operating like Manchester City, and the sooner we accept that, the better. United’s net debt was already around £749m, while a broader football net debt calculation including transfer obligations puts it close to £1bn. We also had around £360m in net transfer debt by March.
Then look at what Manchester City just did this summer: around £458m spent on players, including £125m on Enzo Fernández and £116m on Elliot Anderson, while also generating around £282m from sales. That is a completely different financial situation.
United still have the revenue, commercial power and global name, but the club is carrying huge financial obligations while trying to rebuild the squad at the same time. This is why some fans keep expecting United to spend like an oil backed club and then get angry when the numbers don’t add up. The name Manchester United is still carrying this club commercially. But if we want to compete financially with City at that level, we need either a massive change in ownership ambition or owners willing to put serious money into the football operation. Until then, stop pretending United have unlimited money. We simply don’t.
🚨Peter Schmeichel on Manchester United’s comeback win against Ipswich:
🗣️ Peter Schmeichel: “Looking at the scoreline, you just know Manchester United absolutely battered Ipswich. It was a complete battering. United came from behind and put in a huge performance, especially in the second half.
“I know Bruno Fernandes scored a hat-trick and provided an assist, and he was fantastic, but for me, the best player of the match was Senne Lammens. The saves he made in the first half to keep United in the game were the fire that helped United go on and win it.
“If United had conceded more than one goal in that first half, it would have been a much bigger mountain to climb. Lammens gave them the foundation they needed, and then the players in front of him completely took control.
“In the second half, Lammens had much less to do because United kept Ipswich quiet. They dominated every corner of the match possession, intensity, attacking threat and physicality. Ipswich simply couldn’t cope with them.
“That’s what impressed me most. United didn’t just win the game; they took control of it. Once they got their rhythm, Ipswich had no answer. The confidence grew with every goal, and suddenly you had Manchester United playing with freedom.
“Bruno will rightly take the headlines for the hat-trick, but don’t forget what Lammens did when this game was still in the balance. Great teams need players who can save them when they’re under pressure, and today he did exactly that.”