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Manchester United have suffered a stuttering start to the Glazer family’s 18th season as owners of the club.
Two wins and two defeats have opened the campaign for United but that only tells half of the story of the drama that continues to rumble on at Old Trafford.
After putting the club up for sale last November, it looked as though the much-maligned owners were finally looking to end their turbulent spell in Manchester.
However, having turned down multiple public bids and reports emerging this week that the club is no longer on the market, a full sale appears to remain as far away as ever.
Football broadcaster Richard Keys has weighed in on the ownership situation at United and has suggested Sir Alex Ferguson could hold the key to the sale.
As reported by Caught Offside, speaking on beIN Sports before United’s loss to Arsenal, Keys said Ferguson should “get off the fence” and speak out on the Glazers.
“I think he needs to get off the fence and nail his colours to the mast and tell the fans who were loyal to him exactly what he thinks should happen to that football club (United),” he said.
Keys then added that he feels Fergie’s role at the club is “buying his silence”, with the former United boss’s handsome wage being the reason he hasn’t spoken out on the situation.
“That money that he is being paid at the moment as an ambassador, at the moment, seems to me to be buying his silence. Somebody has got to stay to him, “what do you think, Alex?”, said Keys.
Keys then suggested that Sir Alex owed the fans his opinion on the current owners and believes the impact would be huge if he were he join the fans in calling out the Glazers.
“Imagine if he stayed in his seat and joined that protest last week. How powerful and impactful would that be? I think the Manchester United fans are owed the knowledge of what he believes should happen to their, his, football club,” said Keys.
United fans have been protesting against the current ownership model since they gained control of the club in 2005 but the Glazers remain steadfast in their ways and haven’t blinked at the consistent demonstrations against them.
There is still hope that a sale will be concluded with former United captain Gary Neville leading the calls for optimism. However, there is no end in sight to the eighteen-year saga and fans are at their wit’s end waiting for a resolution.