Manchester United football director John Murtough says a “thorough process” is underway to find their next permanent manager, and he promises the club will remain focused on challenging for “top trophies” again. United, which announced their latest financial results on Tuesday, have had another difficult season despite the return of superstar forward Cristiano Ronaldo to Old Trafford. A top four finish is the best the English giants could hope for domestically, but they were only right against lowly Watford on Saturday and are just two points clear of West Ham and Arsenal — the Gunners also have three matches in hand.
United have a tough run of games ahead of them, including encounters with title-chasing Manchester City and Liverpool, as well as the second leg of their Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid, which is subtly tied at 1-1.
The club, which have not won a trophy since 2017, have been under interim manager Ralf Rangnick since December, when Germany’s Ole Gunnar succeeded Solskjaer after a poor start to the season.
Murtough said he was encouraged by the “improved results” as they try to secure Champions League qualification.
“We know consistency is key as we aim for a top four finish this season,” he said.
“However, I would like to reiterate that this is not the ultimate goal for Manchester United, and everyone at the club is focused on competing for the highest trophies.
“We are now in a thorough process of appointing a new permanent manager who will take charge this summer, with the aim of getting us back on our feet for those domestic and European titles.”
Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino and Ajax coach Erik ten Hag are among the favorites to permanently succeed Solskjaer.
Richard Arnold echoed Murtough’s sentiments when the CEO made his first public comment since he took on the role on Feb. 1, when executive vice chairman Ed Woodward left.
“We have a clear vision and we are implementing a strategy to win with a strong leadership team to drive that forward,” he said.
“We will foster a culture of excellence through a world-class football environment, while strengthening the role of fans at the heart of the club.”
United’s second quarter results for fiscal 2022, for the period ended December 31, showed the club paid £10 million ($13.4 million) in “exceptional items”, including compensation to former manager Solskjaer and certain members. of the technical staff.
The results show an operating profit of £5.4million for the quarter, with total turnover of £185.4million – up 7.3 per cent on the same period last year, with crowds back in stadiums after the closure of the coronavirus.
promoted
United’s net debt has risen to £494.8 million — an increase of 8.6 percent — and wages rose 19.6 percent to £97.7 million “as a result of investment in the first team to play” .
(This story was not edited by DailyExpertNews staff and was generated automatically from a syndicated feed.)
Topics mentioned in this article
