Goldbridge: ‘Ratcliffe and The Glazers Must Go' following Man United's ‘Disaster' Season

Yahoo

22-05-2025

Man Utd's Europa League Disaster: Glazers and Ratcliffe Must Take the Fall
Disaster class in Dublin leaves Man Utd humiliated
There are defeats, and then there is humiliation. Manchester United's Europa League final loss to Spurs wasn't just a tactical failing or a dip in form. It was, as Mark Goldbridge described on The United Stand podcast, 'the worst European final I've seen from Man United in my life.' A side crippled by its own contradictions, by poor decisions at boardroom level and mismanagement on the pitch, unravelled in front of a global audience. The fallout? Nothing short of a crisis.
Goldbridge didn't hold back. 'We are lost as a club. Rest in peace,' he opened, setting the tone for a blistering 60-minute takedown of not just the players or manager Ruben Amorim, but the entire structure propping up the current regime. He wasn't ranting for entertainment. This was a lament. A requiem for a club that used to stand for greatness.
No Champions League, no vision, no trust
The consequences of this defeat are severe. Man Utd will not be playing Champions League football next season, meaning a financial black hole that few in the media have fully reckoned with. Goldbridge warned bluntly: 'Spurs, Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool… Newcastle, maybe Chelsea or Villa. That's six teams in the Champions League earning 100 million each. We're not one of them. We're done.'
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Goldbridge's fury was laced with a sense of betrayal – from owners who promised ambition, from leaders who sold a dream. 'This is worse than just bad football. It's systemic failure,' he said. 'We still owe 300 million pounds in transfers for the rubbish we've got.' The numbers don't just add up to debt. They add up to decay.
Photo: IMAGO
Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS venture was supposed to be a turning point. Instead, it's become part of the problem. 'He never ever should have done a vanity project with the Glazers,' said Goldbridge. 'We're getting poorer and worse while our rivals are getting better and richer.'
Tactical chaos and emotional detachment
On the pitch, Amorim's decisions were bewildering. Mason Mount starting a European final despite limited appearances. Luke Shaw selected at left centre-back and blamed for the goal. An unrecognisable midfield setup featuring Bruno Fernandes deep in a pivot role that neutralised his influence. 'That final tonight was a rescue mission,' said Goldbridge. 'And we blew it.'
Photo IMAGO
His assessment of the manager was brutal but balanced: 'Ruben Amorim score is a one. It's an absolute stinker. That doesn't mean he should be sacked.' Goldbridge remained consistent in his view that sacking another manager – after Mourinho, Solskjær, Ten Hag – won't solve the problem. 'While the Glazers are here, this club's finished.'
Photo by IMAGO
The players, too, were dissected with clinical precision. 'I'll never trust Bruno in a final again,' he said. 'That performance from Bruno tonight was dreadful. Indiscipline, Hollywood balls, lost possession – and he's on 300 grand a week.' Goldbridge even floated the idea of cashing in. 'I'll take 120 million now.'
Photo IMAGO
Future fears and poisoned hope
Man Utd's future, in Goldbridge's eyes, is bleak. 'This club is poisoned,' he declared. 'We needed this win to rebuild, to sign players like Gyökeres, to attract investment. That's all gone now.' And it wasn't just a one-off disaster: 'This has been happening for 12 years. It started the day Sir Alex left.'
Photo: IMAGO
What worries him most isn't just the defeat, but the direction. 'How do we get back into Europe? Next season's not a one-off. It's a trend,' he warned. And in a moment of cold clarity, he concluded: 'If this was Liverpool Football Club, the Glazers wouldn't survive. But at Man United, for some reason, they do.'
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This is where the Glazers and Sir Jim Ratcliffe must face the mirror. Their decisions are not just affecting results, they're hollowing out the club's identity. A historic institution is being asset-stripped, emotionally and financially. The fans know it. The players feel it. Even the manager knows it. 'If the board and fans feel I'm not the right guy, I'll go tomorrow,' Amorim said. But his departure wouldn't solve anything.
In truth, the Europa League final wasn't just a football match. It was a warning flare. A moment that will either be remembered as the start of something new, or the confirmation of a long, slow death.