Manchester United insist they remain ‘absolutely committed’ to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, as the club accidentally publish their financial results a day early.
Solskjaer has come under increasing pressure in recent weeks following the club’s difficult start to the new season, the Red Devils currently languishing in the Premier League‘s bottom half after taking just 10 points from their opening seven league fixtures.
United have failed to win in any of their four home Premier League fixtures and have suffered embarrassing defeats to the likes of Crystal Palace and Tottenham at Old Trafford, though executive vice-chairman, Ed Woodward, insists the club remain ‘absolutely committed’ to the Norwegian and remain confident in Solskjaer’s ability to deliver success.
“On the pitch, while there is still hard work ahead to achieve greater consistency, we remain absolutely committed to the positive path we are on under Ole as the team continues to develop,” said Woodward.
Woodward’s comments and backing of Solskjaer came as part of United’s quarterly financial results, which were accidentally published early on Thursday.
The results showed a 19.5% drop in revenue from the same quarter last year, the £109m figure largely due to the lack of match-day income as fixtures continue to be played behind-closed-doors amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Broadcast revenue was increased as a result of playing league fixtures during the summer months, though there was a 25.7% decrease in commercial revenue – a drop of £59.7m.
Woodward admits that the ongoing implications of the pandemic have caused ‘significant disruption’ to the club’s finances, though insists United retain confidence in their ‘long-term outlook’ beyond the pandemic.
“While the Covid-19 pandemic continues to cause significant disruption, we are optimistic that the recovery and normalisation phase is gradually coming into view.
“The club’s resilience and our strong commercial business continue to provide a solid foundation and gives us confidence in our long-term outlook beyond the pandemic, both on and off the pitch.”
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