Sir Jim Ratcliffe's food fight! Man Utd chief SHUTS DOWN Old Trafford staff canteen & forces employees at Carrington training ground to eat just bread & soup as ruthless cost cutting continues

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has closed the staff canteen at Old Trafford, with training ground employees only offered soup and bread for lunch going forward.

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WHAT HAPPENED?
Workers at Old Trafford will only be given complimentary fruit after Ratcliffe ordered the staff canteen at the club's stadium to shut, according to The Guardian. The measure is just one aspect of the latest round of cost-cutting measures introduced by the INEOS regime, after The Sun reported that employees at the club's training ground at Carrington have seen their lunch options severely reduced and are only being allowed soup and bread. Players are exempt from the new measures and are free to continue to eat as they wish, although coaches and analysts will have to make do with the limited options.

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THE BIGGER PICTURE
The Sun also reports that United's youth players have been hit hard by the new regime's scrimping as the club's Under-18 side were denied the chance to play a recent FA Youth Cup match against Chelsea at Old Trafford. The likes of Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo gained valuable experience playing at the stadium when they won the 2022 edition but the current generation were deprived that opportunity and instead played at their usual home of Leigh Sports Village, saving the club an estimated £8,000.
DID YOU KNOW?
Ratcliffe made 250 staff redundant last year and is planning on cutting up to 200 more jobs in the near future. The club announced dismal financial figures last week, which revealed that it had made a loss of £27.7 million ($35m) in the last three months of 2024. Supporters group MUST accused the club of financial mismanagement and criticised Ratcliffe and Co. for squandering huge amounts of money by giving Erik ten Hag a new contract then sacking him four months later, and for hiring Dan Ashworth from Newcastle and then firing him five months after starting work.

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WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?
Ratcliffe's austerity measures shown no sign of abating as United are set to part with more prize money as they sit in 15th position in the Premier League, only separated by West Ham in 16th on goal difference. Ruben Amorim's side face relegation-fighting Ipswich Town on Wednesday night.

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