Dire mood at Man Utd barbecue as it goes ahead despites cup loss and redundancies

A team barbecue was held despite Manchester United losing the Europa League final and the club making more redundancies.

There was a subdued mood at the Carrington training ground with players, staff, and families.

Originally intended as a celebration in the event of a European trophy, the club decided to maintain the event as a gesture of unity and morale-boosting, even as the mood remained sombre after the loss and a disappointing season.

However, the barbecue took place against a backdrop of significant upheaval and uncertainty for many United employees.

Just hours before the event, staff at Carrington were informed whether they would be among up to 200 people losing their jobs in the club’s second major round of redundancies since Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s minority takeover in February 2024.

The timing of the barbecue, coming so soon after these notifications, was met with unease among some employees, particularly as many had only just learned of their fate after weeks of speculation and anxiety.

The departments hardest hit by the cuts include sports science, medical, and scouting, with both long-serving and recently hired staff affected.

The decision to delay informing first-team related staff until after the Europa League final was made to avoid disrupting preparations for the match, but it meant that for some, the barbecue was overshadowed by the news of redundancy delivered just hours earlier.

This latest round of job losses follows the first wave last summer, when around 250 staff were let go, saving the club between £8 million and £10 million.

The cumulative total of redundancies now stands at around 450 since Ratcliffe’s arrival, with United’s workforce shrinking from about 1,100 employees.

These measures are part of a broader cost-cutting strategy as the club faces a £100 million shortfall after missing out on European football next season and grapples with losses exceeding £370 million over the past five years.

Despite the barbecue’s aim to foster togetherness, morale at Manchester United is reported to be at a low ebb, with many staff feeling the strain of ongoing financial pressures and the emotional toll of widespread redundancies