Jonny Evans reveals thoughts on Ineos’ most unpopular Man United move yet, fans would agree

There is a wave of momentum and renewed energy at the club, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his staff can be credited for much of that.

The players are clearly feeling the effects, with several saying the new owners have brought renewed impetus with their decisive leadership.

However, it’s not all been rosy behind the scenes and now Jonny Evans has revealed his thoughts on the team’s most controversial move at Old Trafford, likely echoing the sentiments of many fans.

Jonny Evans on Ineos’ unpopular move

Fixing United’s financial situation has been Ineos’ main agenda since the first day it took over the club and its sporting affairs.

To that end, they have emphasised a shift in the market towards younger players and are fighting to redefine United’s image in the transfer market too.

Better contracts with bonuses instead of high base salaries are being promoted and incentives given to employees have also been reduced.

However, the measure that generated the most negative headlines for them was the staff reduction, with almost 250 people at risk of losing their jobs.

Some have already done so, while others could feel the axe falling at any moment, including those who have been here for decades.

Jonny Evans, who knows a lot about being at United for a long time, has now revealed how difficult and sad it was to see it happen.

After the Arsenal game he was asked if the club felt more organised now and while he gave credit to Ineos for having a clear plan, he emphasised United’s spirit.

He said (as quoted by The Guardian): “They have an idea of ​​what they want the structure to be like, but as someone who’s been at the club, I’ve been away for a while but I’ve been at the club for a long time: a lot of people[are at risk of losing]their jobs in the last few weeks.

“It’s been hard and laborious to see. The new owners feel this is the direction they want to go. But it hasn’t been easy for everyone at the same time.

“There are people you’ve known for 20 years and the moment it happened was when we went on tour pretty much. But it’s been a tough thing to see – people I’ve known for a long, long time. One thing about working at a club like Man United, you’re totally involved and everyone has always been totally involved. It’s a big, massive team but I think that’s just the culture of the club.

“The fact that the club is built on the academy also plays a big part in that because the players have been there for a long time, from a very young age, and the academy players have always kind of defined the culture. And the staff that have been there all the time have promoted them around the club and the people who work in the ticket office come through the departments.

“That’s been the nature of the culture, how it’s always been built and it’s a big advantage for the club. We want to maintain that as much as possible.”

A tricky balancing act

Many fans will likely agree with Evans’ message and he is a trusted voice when it comes to raising this issue due to his long relationship with the club.

That said, it was previously reported that of all the Premier League clubs, United had the biggest squad and Ineos’ playbook was the same across the board.

They reduce the workforce in a process they call “streamlining” and try to create a more focused, high-performance atmosphere.

United are set to get rid of academy coaches who have been at the club for decades, which will also be a culture shock for many youngsters.

So it’s a tricky balancing act for Ineos to balance club culture with relentless cuts. While it’s possible to accept that United have carried too many passengers, on and off the pitch, going too far to the other extreme could have a lasting detrimental effect on the culture and atmosphere.

So far they’ve handled it intelligently, but as players have started to speak out about it, they may need to dial it back and approach the matter more sensitively.