Man Utd ‘add fuel to fire’ for Ratcliffe as banned journalists ‘form alliance’ against new owner | OneFootball

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to buy a 25 per cent stake in the Red Devils.

Graeme Souness says Manchester United made a mistake in banning media organisations from Erik ten Hag’s press conference this week, claiming the decision ‘adds fuel to the fire’ ahead of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s arrival.

Sky Sports’ Kaveh Solekhol, Manchester Evening News’ Samuel Luckhurst, The Mirror’s David McDonnell and ESPN’s Rob Dawson were all refused entry to the media briefing ahead of Thursday’s (AEDT) game against Chelsea at Old Trafford.

The decision was made from the club’s communications director Andrew Ward because the quartet failed to reach out to the club for comment before publishing stories.

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Souness believes the banned journalists are ‘forming an alliance’ against United, who have given them the ‘early Christmas present’ of a ‘free hit’ against Ratcliffe.

The Ineos owner is set to be announced as a minority shareholder, buying a 25 per cent stake in the club in order to take over all football operations at Old Trafford.

Given his imminent arrival, Souness doesn’t think United’s decision to ban the media organisations who will be writing about his impact on the club was a wise decision.

Souness wrote in his Daily Mail column: ‘I was surprised to hear that Manchester United have banned a number of media organisations this week. I don’t think that was wise.

‘There was an occasion, as a manager at Newcastle, when I terminated all contact with a newspaper, whose journalist I felt was continually working against the club. But I never made that kind of move en masse. It’s an extremely dangerous one because the excluded ones are then forming an alliance against you.

‘This is an early Christmas present for all the banned group, who now have a free hit. United have a new minority owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, walking through the door next week and this only adds fuel to the fire he is walking in on.

‘What puzzles me most is that the story United are unhappy about concerns disharmony in the dressing room. If I’m a manager reading that story, then I’m not happy about it. But quite honestly, it’s a statement of the absolutely obvious. Of course there’s going to be unhappiness in that United dressing room with the way they’re playing. If there’s not, then United really do have something to worry about.’