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Manchester United have responded to the backlash regarding the drop in academy coverage this season.
After a report on The Peoples Person which revealed none of the opening four fixtures for the club’s u18s and u21s had been broadcasted, furore began to rise on social media as fans displayed their discontent.
As a result, the club have responded through the Manchester Evening News but supporters will not be pleased with the answers.
It has been reported that “United will continue to provide dedicated academy coverage where they can with their resources.”
The key part of the statement was “where they can with their resources”, admitting that “in-house coverage has been indirectly impacted by job losses.”
Just weeks after mass lay-offs, it has become clear that the club are now unable to provide a full service of coverage for the fans due to a lack of staff.
It was added that “the words ‘hard choices’ have been used within United about what to cover and the club reluctantly feel they can’t capture everything across the several different teams” including the men’s first team, women’s team, and academy.
“The club insist they remain committed to covering the youth system” but the actions so far prove differently.
Some fans have been left shocked at the reasoning for the drop in coverage, citing the fact the club holds a multi-billion pound valuation and is meant to be the biggest football club in the world. Yet it doesn’t have the resources to fund a dedicated academy media channel to match even that of League One side Northampton Town.
Having won the u18s Premier League Cup last season, United opened the competition this year on Tuesday away to Leicester City but despite the club’s commitment to coverage, no highlights or match report have been published for the match in which United won in dramatic fashion.
Feeding the fans some crumbs though, the MUTV schedule has been updated to include the u21s trip to Blackburn Rovers on Friday night and the u18s match with Liverpool on Saturday morning this week.
Whether the tides have turned and fans will see the desired increase to full coverage remains to be seen, or was the quick action here just an appeasement after threats of MUTV cancellations.
Speaking at the last fans’ forum, United CEO Collette Roche said “the cost review has identified “non-essential” activities we can stop, and we therefore believe we have more people than we need to deliver future club priorities.”
After numerous staff lay-offs and the almost complete absence of academy coverage so far this season, it can be reasoned that the United academy famed for its long history may have fallen into the non-essential activities.
But while the club looks to penny pinch in certain areas, they will have to learn the deep connection United supporters have to the academy and that coverage that falls far below rival clubs will not go without criticism in the fanbase.
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2024-08-29 09:09:11
