Ratcliffe's £8m gamble backfires as Man Utd demise results in worrying reaction
Manchester United finished their season and got straight on a flight to Asia to play two games which would earn them several millions - but their popularity is not what it was
Manchester United have flown all the way to Asia to play two exhibition matches, but their latest visit has served to underline that their stock is not what it was as one fan asked - "Why choose to support a team that loses a lot?"
The Red Devils are digesting a Premier League year which saw them finish 15th. Europa League final defeat also means they have no European football next season. That has all impacted on the balance sheet, which was perhaps a motive for Sir Jim Ratcliffe as he hauled his squad thousands of miles to play two games.
Those two contests stand to earn the club £8million in revenue, but their trip hasn't resulted in the same excitement levels as before. Once upon a time the Manchester outfit could lay claim to being the biggest in the world and they enjoyed mega popularity in Asia.
The last time the club won the Premier League trophy was in 2013. A year before that the club ran a report which claimed they had 659m followers worldwide - and half of those were from the Asia-Pacific region.
United will make use of 84,000 capacity Bukit Jalil Stadium, which is one of Asia's biggest, and whilst more than 40,000 tickets were snapped up within hours of going on sale - a number of seats are still available in most price categories. Those with local knowledge admitted the interest levels have declined.
Haresh Deol, founder of Malaysian news organisation TwentyTwo13, told the BBC: "There is chatter among fans [about the game], some form of excitement, but it isn't as intense as the club's prior visits to the region, when it was performing well in the Premier League."
There are also reports in China that Friday's game in the 40,000-seat Hong Kong Stadium against a Hong Kong XI may not sell out. Again, it shows how the United popularity has fallen give that on their last visit in 2009 games were absolute sellouts with the likes of Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen in action.
Arch rivals Liverpool have always enjoyed support in the traditional South-East Asian nations like Malaysia and Singapore, but their recent success has seen them excel in markets such as India, China and Japan. Their interest and viewership of the Premier League is more recent and United cannot rely on their historic success.
Mumbai-based United fan Rahul Singh said: "Under Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool were not just successful again but seemed more cool with the way they played, their stars as well as Anfield. City have just been so successful with Pep and Erling Haaland is very famous. United are not only not winning trophies but they are not exciting to watch."
Fans in Malaysia have grown tired with watching United lose, which they did more often than not this season. Deol admitted that "the younger generation want to associate themselves with teams that are actually consistently at the top."
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
40 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Chelsea interested in West Ham star with £85m release clause that can be triggered by Premier League clubs
Chelsea are among the clubs keen on West Ham 's Mohammed Kudus. Kudus has an £85million clause for Premier League clubs, active for the first 10 days of July. The Blues also continue to appreciate Jamie Gittens of Borussia Dortmund, Hugo Ekitike at Frankfurt and Brighton 's Joao Pedro. A bid for Gittens is expected to go in this week. The latter is also on lists at Newcastle United and Arsenal. Chelsea have also spoken to AC Milan over goalkeeper Mike Maignan who could leave for just £25m this month. The 29-year old has one year left on contract and Chelsea could offload Djordje Petrovic who has interest from West Ham. Enzo Maresca's side are set to sign Liam Delap from Ipswich after triggering the £30m release clause and agreeing personal terms. They have also announced the arrival of Sporting Lisbon's Dario Essugo for £18.5 after the two clubs reached an agreement in March. Chelsea will be hoping to add to their squad ahead of the Club World Cup. The Blues begin their campaign against Los Angeles FC on June 16 before matches against Flamengo and ES Tunis.
The Courier
41 minutes ago
- The Courier
Glenn Middleton hails 'some 3 years' at Dundee United as winger opts for English switch
Glenn Middleton has called time on his stint with Dundee United after 'some 3 years' at Tannadice. The winger, who was out of contract this summer, was made an offer to stay at United described by the club as '[reflecting] our desire to retain the winger's services'. However, after considering his options, the 25-year-old has decided to take the next step of his career in England, having signed for Doncaster Rovers. Rovers will compete in EFL League One next season after securing promotion by winning the League Two title last term. And Middleton, who ultimately made 115 appearances for the Tangerines, hailed his rollercoaster stint at Tannadice on social media. He said on X: 'From starting in Europe to finishing in Europe with a relegation and promotion in between, it's been some 3 years. 'Playing over 100 games for the club has been an honour. To all the staff and players I've worked with it's been a pleasure. Thank you Dundee United FC.' United, meanwhile, thanked the Doncaster-bound star for his efforts in tangerine, saying: 'Dundee United can confirm Glenn Middleton has left the club after opting to join EFL League One outfit Doncaster Rovers. 'A contract offer which reflected our desire to retain the winger's services was made to his representatives, however, after 115 appearances in tangerine, Glenn has decided to bring the curtain down on his United career. 'We'd like to place on record our sincere gratitude to Glenn for his contributions and professionalism during his three-year stint on Tayside, as we wish him the best of luck for his future endeavours.'
Evening Standard
an hour ago
- Evening Standard
Viktor Gyokeres responds to new Arsenal FC transfer question amid Manchester United links
United, meanwhile, are attempting to rebuild their entire attack after a torrid campaign in which they finished 15th in the Premier League and lost the Europa League final, having already completed the £62.5million signing of Brazilian forward Matheus Cunha from Wolves and now also expected to enter into talks with Brentford over Bryan Mbeumo, who is said to want a move to Old Trafford.
