Man Utd captain Bruno Fernandes baffled by brutal Jim Ratcliffe decision that’s left staff members worse off

Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes has reportedly been left stunned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s decision to cut back on the benefits offered to club staff.

The INEOS chief became the Red Devils’ co-owner a year ago and has now taken some very unpopular decisions that have led to backlash in the media and from supporters.

Around 250 staff have been made redundant since and credit card privileges have been stopped. The staff’s £100 Christmas bonus has also been changed to a £40 M&S gift card, while a £50 bonus given to ‘the steward of the week’ has also been cut.

Frank Robinson, who was a Man Utd steward for 24 years, told The i that he believes the cuts are unjustified. “A lot of stewards are leaving since Ratcliffe came in… It’s very petty for a football club,” Robinson said. “You’re pinching off people at the bottom of the ladder.”

Now, according to The Athletic, Fernandes has been ‘taken aback’ by Ratcliffe’s actions of late. He was so shocked that he went to the club’s executives and offered to pay for all the usual extras from his own pocket, but the proposal was rejected as the club were determined to stick to the controversial plan.

The irony of stewards and loyal staff members being made worse off by the decisions of the Red Devils chiefs is somewhat ironic given they have players such as Antony and Casemiro earning in excess of £200,000 per week.

Many fans have voiced their dissatisfaction towards Ratcliffe over the decisions but he is not for turning and won’t be reversing any of his decisions.

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Ratcliffe: ‘We have to make difficult decisions’

In a recent interview with the United We Stand magazine, Ratcliffe defended his decision to enact brutal cost-cutting measures.

“Manchester United has become mediocre,” Ratcliffe said. “It is supposed to be one of the best football clubs in the world. We have to make some difficult and unpopular decisions.

“If you shy away from the difficult decisions, then nothing much is going to change. I know we get criticism in the press but we do need to challenge the cost of running this club because what I want to be free for us to do is buy really good footballers, not spend so much of the money on infrastructure.

“We can’t run a business at a loss, which is where United have been in the last couple of years. If you are losing money you have to borrow from the bank to pay for the losses. Eventually that becomes unsustainable.

“I don’t want to end up in a position where the genuine local fans can’t afford to come but I do want to optimise the ticketing. We need to find a balance – and you can’t be popular all the time either. I don’t think it makes sense for a Manchester United ticket to cost less than a ticket to see Fulham.”

Man Utd announced last month that they have increased match-day ticket prices to £66 and removed concession prices, which led to a supporter protest. The Red Devils are now one of the most expensive teams to watch in the Premier League.

Ruben Amorim’s side currently sit 13th in the table, after they lost 3-0 to Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday.

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