Manchester United have endured a woeful first season under Ruben Amorim but there are ambitious plans for the club to win the Premier League put in place by Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s team
Manchester United’s grand plan to win the Premier League title within the next three years has been dismissed as ludicrous by former star Nicky Butt. United chief executive Omar Berrada launched Project 150, with the stated aim of winning the league title by 2028, when the club celebrates its 150th anniversary.
But with United currently languishing in 13th place after arguably their worst season of the modern era, Treble winner Butt said the idea of winning the title in three years is laughable.
“If I’m honest, I don’t like talking b******* but, to be fair, that ain’t going to happen,” said Butt. “There’s a long way to go for that. What gets me is when people talk about getting to where they want to be, everyone expects other clubs to sit still, but they’re going to go forward as well.
“Newcastle and Liverpool will get better, Manchester City will definitely get better, Chelsea are getting better, Arsenal are getting better every year. Then there’s lots of smaller clubs as well. So it’s going to be a long way off and the most important thing is starting off on the right foot and hopefully get this season put to bed, because it’s been a disaster.
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“Hopefully we get some plans in place for the stadium, get some new recruitment in and give Ruben Amorim the right tools to try and at least get a decent team on the pitch.”
United last won the title in 2013, when Sir Alex Ferguson retired, and Butt added: “I don’t think anyone’s got a given right to go and win the Premier League. It’s got to be a structure, it’s got to be a vision, it’s got to be a journey that everyone goes on together, including the supporters.”
Meanwhile, Butt and fellow United legend Ryan Giggs have criticised Sir Jim Ratcliffe for raising ticket prices – when the team are performing so badly. United announced most ticket prices will increase by about five percent for the third successive year, with a price freeze for under-16s, although some senior citizens face bigger hikes.
Giggs said friends who have sat behind the Old Trafford dugout for 25 years are being moved elsewhere in the stadium so the club can sell their seats for premium prices – to make more money.
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“United is special because of what we’ve done on the pitch over a number of years,” said Giggs. “But the fans have always made the club. Without the fans, clubs aren’t possible.
“I can only speak from my mates who have been sat near the dugout for 25 years and they’re getting turfed away. They don’t know where they’re going to go. That’s just the experience I’ve had, first-hand, of friends just wondering where they’re going to be. It’s difficult. They’ve got the names on the seats. They’ve been there 25 years and they’re having to move. It’s tough to see the club in this sort of situation.”
Ex-United midfielder Butt agreed with Giggs and said: “I just find it bizarre how they keep going up. They can’t keep going up. Something’s got to stop, something’s got to give.
“They’ve not got the added fallback of winning loads of trophies, buying the best players or having a massive budget to go to the transfer window or that the stadium’s great and the transportation around the stadium is great, because everything’s not.
“I see where it’s coming from. They’re trying to balance the books, quite obviously. But they’re punishing the wrong people, in my eyes, to try and balance the books.”
*Nicky Butt was speaking at the Champions for Children gala dinner, to raise funds for the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and Foundation 92.
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