Sir Ratcliffe's Man United job cuts 'left youth coaches and children in tears'

Man United youth coaches and players were reportedly left in tears amid job cuts to the club's academy, a new report has claimed.

Earlier this week, the club announced plans to make up to 200 more redundancies, with staff expected to learn their fate in April.

The redundancies follows 250 job cuts made last year under minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos.

According to The Sun, the initial wave of cuts included a number of coaches in the club's academy set-up.

The report claims respected academy coaches had been informed their jobs were at risk in July, ahead of welcoming back young players ahead of this season.

Coaches were reportedly left in tears at the prospect, with some children said to have broken down while other academy players sought to comfort the members of staff.

'How the club acted was outrageous,' an unnamed Dad told The Sun.

'It was like waiting all summer and then sacking all the teachers on the first day of term — in front of the kids.

'Some of the coaches were crying, some of the kids were then crying — and parents were wondering, "What on earth is going on?".'

The report states Man United academy director Nick Cox later emailed parents to explain the move was part of a cost-cutting drive aimed at making the club a 'more lean and agile organisation'.

United's youth team set-up is amongst the best in the world and has been hailed for producing a consecutive turnout of world class talents, most notably the Class of 92' featuring David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, Phil Neville and Nicky Butt.

Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho are two of the most recent graduates who have gone on to become key figures in Erik ten Hag's first team and their national sides respectively.

Seven members of academy staff, including three of United's longest-serving workers, were among those informed at meetings in July that their jobs were among the first at risk of redundancy.

The latest round of job cuts were announced to staff on Monday at Old Trafford by chief executive Omar Berrada and chief operating officer Collette Roche.

The cuts will take the overall number of redundancies to 450 within one year, representing a third of the club's workforce.

Man United announced the latest cuts as part of a plan to 'strengthen financial sustainability and modernise its operating structure'.

'Manchester United is to transform its corporate structure as part of a series of additional measures to improve the club's financial sustainability and enhance operational efficiency,' the club stated.

'The transformation plan aims to return the club to profitability after five consecutive years of losses since 2019. This will create a more solid financial platform from which the club can invest in men's and women's football success and improved infrastructure.'