I really hate siding with our management on any issue but this is true. The constant cry over signings is the height of a very spoilt fanbase. The next overpriced non-signing is always the one that kept us from achieving anything. It wouldn't be so hard to get behind if people didn't always have these unrealisitc lists of first team players we needed, sometimes literally half the outfield team.
What would it take for United to lose supporters en masse?
- Thread starter NewGlory
- Start date
This. For the vast majority of kids, they either inherit their fandom from their parents or they start following whatever club their coolest friend follows, so depending on the area its going to be one of the traditional "big clubs"
For example here in Norway, if i see a kid in a football kit, 90% of the cases its either going to be United, Liverpool or Arsenal.
Maybe a few sit down and look at the league table and think, "well, City are first so i am going to become a City fan", but thats the exception and not the rule
Unless we get relegated and stay in Championship for like a decade i dont see United losing its global appeal just like that
We will see what the new manager thinks in the summer.NO, it's because we havn't bought one for the last 3 years.
The kind of irreparable damage no one wants to see.
It’s coming.
United won’t exist soon.
United won’t exist soon.
There is nothing that would do this -
The only thing I can imagine is Ronaldo maybe getting unhappy at United and leaving us again; then the fans who love him more than anything else in the world would possibly think about leaving us and following him again for round 2.
Other than that it's hard for fans to leave their club unless they don't appreciate the sport.
The only thing I can imagine is Ronaldo maybe getting unhappy at United and leaving us again; then the fans who love him more than anything else in the world would possibly think about leaving us and following him again for round 2.
Other than that it's hard for fans to leave their club unless they don't appreciate the sport.
It's already happening but in a way that won't be seen for a while. Young kids are the future fans and they will be doing what kids do. They'll want to get behind the teams that excite them, show them that magic of football that let's face it, we haven't shown for a very long time.
Now more than ever we seem like a soulless money grabbing institution rather than a football club with heart and soul and it'll be pretty clear to the next generation of fans that there's no magic there anymore unless something drastically changes and this will likely be how we lose a large percentage of fans and how the likes of City will gain. Sure they're very much a soulless shell of a club that has sold out in the worst way, but they give the external appearance of excitement and magic that we're missing.
Now more than ever we seem like a soulless money grabbing institution rather than a football club with heart and soul and it'll be pretty clear to the next generation of fans that there's no magic there anymore unless something drastically changes and this will likely be how we lose a large percentage of fans and how the likes of City will gain. Sure they're very much a soulless shell of a club that has sold out in the worst way, but they give the external appearance of excitement and magic that we're missing.
So much of it comes down to getting the right manager. Obviously the board can hamper things by not giving enough funds, demanding that certain players play etc, but the right manager is essential. Unfortunately, with the owners we have and their modus operandi we will be starting from a disadvantageous position versus clubs with ambitious clubs.
Hoping Ten Hag gets the job and the chance to build something here. He will need a lot of backing though based on how our squad may look next season.
Regarding the OP, perhaps a complete rebrand and move to another part of the country?
Just for a little perspective, we have a CL knockout tie against Atletico coming up this month. For the fans of at least 80 of our 92 professional clubs, that happening to them would be the best season of their lifetime.
I actually cant wait for this tie.
United won’t lose its current fans. Well not over something football related anyway. If Greenwood were to come back into the side then I could see many people packing it in.
We are definitely losing the next generation though. I see loads of kids in City and PSG shirts when those would not have even existed here 15 years ago. The most popular shirts used to be United, Arsenal, Real and Barcelona. These days I see a lot of City, PSG and Real.
To be fair, as a child coming up in the world right now, outside of your parents influencing you there is no real reason to become a United fan when there are other clubs that are probably more enjoyable to become a fan of.
We are definitely losing the next generation though. I see loads of kids in City and PSG shirts when those would not have even existed here 15 years ago. The most popular shirts used to be United, Arsenal, Real and Barcelona. These days I see a lot of City, PSG and Real.
To be fair, as a child coming up in the world right now, outside of your parents influencing you there is no real reason to become a United fan when there are other clubs that are probably more enjoyable to become a fan of.
These sort of threads are daft.
Don't know how many times we hear these sort of topics about what would stop you supporting the club, and seems to be most of the time mostly the blow in glory hunter fans who seem to be wobbling at the fact we not winning leagues no more.
Good riddance if they split to another team.
Don't know how many times we hear these sort of topics about what would stop you supporting the club, and seems to be most of the time mostly the blow in glory hunter fans who seem to be wobbling at the fact we not winning leagues no more.
Good riddance if they split to another team.
The who”e fall from grace or the top of the tree can clearly be loaded onto the small, weasel like shoulders of the non football CEO , Woodward. His appointment and dealings were an abject failure, and with the Glazers now content to hand the reins to a doppelgänger in Murtaugh, and the negotiating skills of Judge still around, where we do we go from here.
The Glazers ownership and running of this once world leading club, is headed towards the edge of a waterfall, not a good look or outcome. The supporter base can pucker up etc, but until there is significant change at the very top. what we will see over the next 5/10 years, is little interest from the millennials who tend to be enamoured with winners and trends, not something we can see whist the Glazers are around. Brutal but realistic unfortunately.
The Glazers ownership and running of this once world leading club, is headed towards the edge of a waterfall, not a good look or outcome. The supporter base can pucker up etc, but until there is significant change at the very top. what we will see over the next 5/10 years, is little interest from the millennials who tend to be enamoured with winners and trends, not something we can see whist the Glazers are around. Brutal but realistic unfortunately.
This, we take for granted how lucky we are in a lot of respects and lose perspective, and Im as guilty of this as anyone, granted things arent going as well as they used to for us, but it could always be a shite load worse.
I was going to mention that. We have gone from selling the most shirts in the world to not even being first in our own country. Future deals with sponsors will be for less money as well. Look at the shirt sponsor compard with the global names we once had. It's all about a very slowly declining business.
Newcastle, Chelsea and City will clean up most of the trophies in the next 10 years, with Liverpool the next big player as it stands. If we are still fighting for fourth as our main objective, then I don't even think OT will be full. New football fans growing up and with all the distractions nowadays won't be so loyal to blindly follow Utd because their dad or grandad did.
I think we need to stop being so dramatic. No club has a God-given right to win anything. The majority of the people on this forum have seen their club win more titles than 99% of the football fans up and down the country, it's inevitable that it couldn't last forever, and even in the worst, most chaotic years of our recent history, we have still picked up the odd pot.
Again, there seems to be this insinuation that the Glazer's enforce a penny-pinching mentality, or that funds aren't made available and therefore we'll never challenge again, which simply hasn't been true since 2011(ish). We were never going to make a major signing this window, it just didn't make sense, especially since we don't know who the manager will be next season.
I would say that poor recruitment has been our number one mistake since SAF left, and there are a multitude of reasons behind that poor recruitment. We need to get the manager right, get the team of people supporting the manager right and then start making signings in a structured and sensible manner.
This is a positive not a negative IMO. The worst thing about United these days is the fanbase. Entitled, unwilling to accept the notion that we are not number one, all too ready to heap sh*t on the club at every opportunity because of it.
That's the contribution of the 'pick the winningest team' generation that we were bestowed with. Let this generation pick a different club. In 10 years time they'll all be doing the same thing to them.
We’re already losing the future generations. I’ve coached a group of U13’s through from U8/9 and there’s more Man City shirts than United shirts. That would have been unthinkable in my youth
Exactly this! The best football feeling ever for me was when we won our first Premier league after 26 years or so of not doing so. I suffered for about 12 of those years and that rise back to the top was beautiful.
The following 20 years of course were a dream, but if we get back to the top in 2, 3 or 10 years that feeling from 1993 will return.
Ok here is my take.
"United" is a brand. Its not a club any more, any links to a "club" died when Ferguson retired. Its well passed breaking point. "club" is just a figure of speech these days
The Glazers have ruined everything from a football perspective. But thats not their perspective so who cares right?
United is a business first and foremost these days. Fan are seen as customers. You can be guaranteed that us fans ( customers ) are categorised and the marketing is modelled to aim the right adds at the right people.
The last 9 years has proved the brand can survive even with a shit product and poor strategic product investment - viewed from a footballing perspective. Which is where our perspective lies.
Ask yourself if players are more valuable as commercial entities rather than purely fooball. How much does Pogba earn the business ? Ronaldo etc.
The fact is the business will thrive as there will always be new customers and once the marketing propaganda remains as bloody good as it is then the business survives & thrives. The MU crest is worth billions.
Will the current football get better ? possibly if things are managed right but if behind the scenes there is more of a focus on the commercial performance then it wont. It might not be that important to the board. As long as the money keeps coming in then why does it matter to owners. The customers keep coming. As much as I hate the modern iteration of what MU is - I still keep watching. I dont bother with the faff and I don't get taken in to the marketing speel but I have two kids now who are completely taken in to the romanticism of the history of the "club" and what it should mean. They want kits etc and I cant deny them that. so you see how it goes. This is my story and its repeated ad nauseum The customers keep coming. We will keep coming. The older ones are pining for the old days and the new ones are maybe of the belief that the old days are the way things are now.
The influx of billionaires into the PL to own clubs is horrific in its own right - however in a cruel twist they could be the catalyst that pushes the PL back to a sporting ethos - if all the clubs have billionaire owners then commercial performance wont matter will it? In theory anyway. Awful as that sounds.
so we make a choice - carry on or don't with being a fan.
For me fan means supporter
For the Glazers fan means customer
But applying critical thinking - would all of it matter to me if the team was winning? I think it would to me.
I started supporting united in 1993.
Safe to say the me back then wont support the 2021 version or united.
I'm already at the verge or losing interest in football altogether. There's literally no protagonist in our 2021 squad, and has been for quite a while.
Safe to say the me back then wont support the 2021 version or united.
I'm already at the verge or losing interest in football altogether. There's literally no protagonist in our 2021 squad, and has been for quite a while.
They will lose me if they are bringing Greenwood back after he gets away with the thing he is clearly guilty of.
Also can we please open the Greenwood thread again after the latest news ?
Also can we please open the Greenwood thread again after the latest news ?
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What absolute nonsense. People like you would have called Ferguson entitled back when he said he wanted to knock Liverpool off their perch.
The best teams usually play the best football and that's why they have fans, it's not just results.
And you have to laugh at all the top reds saying 'good riddance'. Good luck keeping your Rashies and Sanchos if we don't have the global fanbase that we have. Maybe then we'll become 'plucky' again and the five old men in the pub can feel they've got their club back.
You're all nuts.
My Dad supports Utd so I do.
He supports Utd because his Dad did.
My son/daughter will support Utd 'cos I do.
It's not rocket science. Maybe we'll shed some part timers, who cares.
My Dad supports Utd so I do.
He supports Utd because his Dad did.
My son/daughter will support Utd 'cos I do.
It's not rocket science. Maybe we'll shed some part timers, who cares.
Had the Saudis bought us I would have walked away. Same goes for any other murderous dictatorship that might use us in an attempt to clean up their image or launder some cash. I've grown up with the club so it would be very difficult to do but in recent years I've become more interested in the team I play for, and the local lower league team where I currently live. Manchester United and the PL seem more distant than ever.
I'm in a minority though and I don't think there is anything that will make a dent in our supporter numbers until the lack of success filters through in the next decade or two. It seems like all my friends' kids are now running around in City tops.
I'm in a minority though and I don't think there is anything that will make a dent in our supporter numbers until the lack of success filters through in the next decade or two. It seems like all my friends' kids are now running around in City tops.
People should step back and appreciate how spoilt we've been. Choosing to support this club costs nothing if you don't want it to, and the club have no say in who decides to support them. For the price of exactly nothing we've been able to enjoy every trophy as though it was our own achievement.
All that is asked in return is that you stand by the club through the leaner times, even when you don't agree with some things. Those 'lean' times haven't been relegation, or seeing our best players picked off by other clubs. We finished 2nd last season. We signed Ronaldo, and Sancho and feckin Raphael Varane! If this is even in the vicinity of rock bottom then we should thank our lucky stars.
Tell a Plymouth or Reading or Scunthorpe fan that we've got a CL knockout tie coming up and nobody seems to give a sh*t, and then watch as they laugh and roll their eyes at us. See their reaction when you tell them you're questioning your support because we didn't sign Zakaria. Our fanbase is an embarrassment really. Unless you are putting your hard earned time and money towards season tickets or European aways then you have no right to moan about anything.
If the attendances ever started to drop the owners would simply change the manager. Rightly or wrongly that always gives a club a boost and usually means new ideas and players, and the grounds return
I once read that the United board werent happy when the ground was completely full cos that meant they werent charging enough. Their ideal business model is for the ground to be just less than full, meaning they're squeezing the optimum money from the fans. Shocking, but thats how business men think
I once read that the United board werent happy when the ground was completely full cos that meant they werent charging enough. Their ideal business model is for the ground to be just less than full, meaning they're squeezing the optimum money from the fans. Shocking, but thats how business men think
Without this fanbase that you call the worst thing about the club, United is nothing. The club relies on it's image and sponsorship deals. If the fans dry up, the deals dry up and then the money dries up, and all of a sudden we're Nottingham Forest, with nothing to cling on to but how good we used to be in the past. The only reason United is relevant these days is because we used to be top dogs and we gathered the fanbase that comes along with that.
It won't be felt for decades. What is pretty apparent (at least in Continental Europe) is that " new" United fans are not being created outside of familial relations. Children are not flocking to us like back in the day. Chelsea and City's success is starting to rub off on youngsters.
We could lose 20% of our fanbase - the ones that piss and moan & never go to games or contribute anything financially other than being a statistic - and any pain that might bestow on the club would be acceptable. It isn't their twitter 'likes' that are keeping us relevant.
Pretty much nothing short of moving to a different place á la Wimbledon would make MUTD lose most of its supporters, its history is too rich for something like that to happen otherwise. Even if Glazers would were to bankrupt the club, I'm sure there are enough rich supporters to pull it back up again.
I Honestly don't understand where does all the "Glazers don't care and won't invest" arguments are coming from.
Just this summer they brought in Varane Sancho and Ronaldo. On paper You couldn't come up with better signings. I hate the Glazers as much as the bext guy but this argument is tiring. The probleqm is that our board and upper level executives are just clueless about football. They do spend money they just have no vision what so ever about the path they want to take. You just gave a bunch of accountants millions and asked them to win you trophies. It won't work. Until we can get proper Footballing people in our club decision making process we won't get anywhere.
Just this summer they brought in Varane Sancho and Ronaldo. On paper You couldn't come up with better signings. I hate the Glazers as much as the bext guy but this argument is tiring. The probleqm is that our board and upper level executives are just clueless about football. They do spend money they just have no vision what so ever about the path they want to take. You just gave a bunch of accountants millions and asked them to win you trophies. It won't work. Until we can get proper Footballing people in our club decision making process we won't get anywhere.
Absolutely. I see a lot of City and PSG shirts in particular around, which were of course nowhere to be found 5-10 years ago.
People would walk for different reasons.
Glory hunters and casuals would probably stick around for a Saudi takeover but I imagine it would alienate a lot of the more passionate supporters who care about what their clubs stands for.
Relegation would probably rid us of a lot of the casuals, at least temporarily but would probably embolden the more passionate supporters if anything.
I have genuinely long theorised that relegation would probably make me like this club a lot more, it would probably rid of the Glazers too. Impossible though.
Glory hunters and casuals would probably stick around for a Saudi takeover but I imagine it would alienate a lot of the more passionate supporters who care about what their clubs stands for.
Relegation would probably rid us of a lot of the casuals, at least temporarily but would probably embolden the more passionate supporters if anything.
I have genuinely long theorised that relegation would probably make me like this club a lot more, it would probably rid of the Glazers too. Impossible though.
Greenwood playing for the club again.
This.
My brother doesn't even particularly like football but he's been telling anyone that he speaks to he's a United fan for the last 20+ years because that's what our mam brought us up to be. He comes to a game or two a season if there's a ticket going but he doesn't have much interest overall but if he has kids that like football more than he does, I know that he'll bring them up to be United fans.
When I have kids they'll be United fans.
My sister thought she was funny as a kid calling herself a Crystal Palace fan for literally no reason other than she thought it was a fun name. Jokes on her, she's marrying a lad who's a United fan, who became a United fan because his dad was a United fan. And when they have kids, he'll bring them up as United fans.
It's the way of the world.
"Through thick and thin" is when your beloved club struggles but is genuinely trying to come back (like United after relegtion). When you see that the club is owned (!!!) by people eho do not care and are turning it into something unrecognizable? When the only thingg surviving is the name? I am not saying you would switch clubs, but how do you stick with the club that itsels has stopped caring?
This is very unusual. I don't think Liverpool ever had ownership who didn't care, or we did in previous dark times. We do now
They were literally owned by two people that hated one another, promised they were the opposites of the Glazer's before doing the exact same thing on a smaller scale, called for club officials to resign live on TV and turned down Mansour's bid to buy the club which pushed him to City.
So yeah, tbf they did have ownership who didn't care.
Agree with this.
Oh, the top reds, loyal to the core. I think calling out sections of the fan base as not real reds is pretty sad and a reflection of the state the club is in. Lots of fans across the UK, incuding the north west, chose United over many years because of the likes of Best and then Giggs and Cantona etc. Success and star players will attract broader supporters. Sure some of them may fade away without these things. But that doesnt make the club somehow better or purer.