"I call out Sir Alex Ferguson" - Michael Knighton slams Manchester United's legendary manager, says time has now come to 'act'
Renowned entrepreneur Michael Knighton has said that former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson should assert his influence to help bring an end to the Glazer family's ownership of the club.
The Red Devils, who are languishing at the bottom of the Premier League, were bought by the Glazers in 2005. After initially enjoying success under Ferguson, the ownership has come under fire for their questionable decision-making.
Speaking from the office of Professor David Mach at the Royal Academy of Arts in London (via Mirror), Knighton called out Ferguson and a few others for their continued oversight. He said:
"I call out Sir Alex Ferguson, and I call out David Gill. I also call out Michael Edelsen, who was a director when I spent three years on the United board, and chairman Martin Edwards used the blueprint I put forward to begin the transformation of the club into the powerhouse it became."
He continued:
"Ferguson, Gill and Edelsen still work alongside the Glazers. How can they stand by and allow the wilful destruction of Manchester United to continue? Sir Alex and David Gill could have stopped the Glazers in their tracks before the takeover happened. For reasons only they know, they didn't. But now they have to act."
Speaking about the way forward, Knighton said that multi-billionaire chemical engineer Sir Jim Ratcliffe is the answer for United's ownership. The businessman added:
"The answer is Sir Jim Ratcliffe. My consortium doesn't have the funds to do what needs to be done. You're talking £2.5 billion to buy the club, £500 million to pay off the debts, £700 million to renovate Old Trafford and another £500 million to invest in the team. We would need help – and that's why I've been smoking out Sir Jim over the last six months."
Knighton was on the cusp of buying United for just £20 milion back in August 1989.
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