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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Matthew Hobkinson

Simon Jordan backs the Glazers as he raises Manchester United ownership question

Simon Jordan has defended the Glazers as he questioned who would replace the Manchester United owners at the club should they leave.

Avram Glazer, on only his third visit to Old Trafford in the last three years, watched United lose their Premier League curtain-raiser to Brighton in what was a sobering reality check for the club's hierarchy. The boos rang out loudly at both half-time and full-time as Erik ten Hag's first competitive game in England ended in defeat.

Last season, the Reds recorded their lowest Premier League points total of all time and it was clear that the squad desperately needed to be strengthened. With just a few weeks to go until the end of the transfer window however, United are still chasing players in their attempt to bolster their squad ahead of the September 1 deadline.

ALSO READ: Erik ten Hag warned he will lose Manchester United dressing room with Cristiano Ronaldo decision

The fans have made their feelings known for nearly a decade now as chants of 'Glazers out' ring around the stadium and concourses on a regular basis. The seats are filled with green and gold scarves, seen increasingly as a call for the club to return to its roots following the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson.

However, former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan has defended the Glazers as he questioned who would replace the current United owners.

Speaking on One-2-One with Simon Jordan for TalkSport, he said: "This narrative, and I'm no campaigner for the Glazers, that the Glazers are the devil incarnate, the Keyser Söze of football, and for Man United they are the reasons why – the reasons why the players don't perform and the managers don't do enough.

"And some of the commercial decisions made by Ed Woodward in the past were curious and maybe Richard Arnold was cut from the same cloth, but you'd look at it and say, you've got to suggest that Ten Hag has got to get hold of this dressing room whether it's Brighton or not.

"You should have enough to be able to beat Brighton on opening day. Brighton, are a good side and there's no God-given rights. So I don't think so [Ten Hag has been hung out to dry by the owners].

"When we talk about all ‘get the Glazers out’, Gary Neville was off on one of his rants about ‘get the Glazers out’, okay, and replace them with whom? Because Chelsea just got sold for two and a half billion quid. If you think Chelsea are worth two and a half billion quid what are Manchester United going to be worth? Who's going to pay that and what do you think they're going to want in return for their money?

"Everyone complains about the Glazers loading it with debt. This is debt in a different guise. This private equity player in Chelsea is going to want a return on his money. So people do need to remember about what it is that owning a football club involves.

"Not everyone is Sheikh Mansour that maybe wants to sportswash or legitimise a regime or have soft influence or just be a benefactor because they're Father Christmas."

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