17 hours Ago By Dale O'Donnell
Manchester United are planning a post-season tour to Asia.It has been a disastrous season for Manchester United with multiple challenging problems on and off the pitch.Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been tackling the financial issues impacting the club, but Ineos has also had to intervene midseason to dismiss Erik ten Hag as manager.
There have been lots of changes, but the main objective is getting the club back to previous heights. Ruben Amorim was appointed United head coach in November and has endured a rocky start to life at Old Trafford.United are 14th in the Premier League and the only way to secure Champions League football is by winning the Europa League outright.
In a bid to raise more funds, United are plotting a post-season tour expected to earn the club £8 million.Photo by Lampson Yip – Clicks Images/Getty ImagesManchester United post-season tour raises questionsA post-season tour may show disregard for United’s first team members, who will be feeling intense fatigue at the end of a gruelling campaign, but Ratcliffe is trying to fix a financial mess left by the Glazers.The increased workload on elite players has been a hot topic of conversation this season following FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup and UEFA’s extended Champions League format.
That won’t get in the way of Ratcliffe’s quest to raise revenue figures at United, though.According to BBC Sport, United are set to play two post-season games in Malaysia and Hong Kong immediately after the Premier League finishes in May.Nigel Lee, Secretary of the Manchester United Supporters Club Hong Kong, expressed surprise at the timing of the tour.
“We are surprised it’s a post-season game because United haven’t gone on a post-season tour in over 30 or 40 years,” Lee told United in Focus.“However, considering United has visited the United States in the last two years, we did expect them to come back to Asia for another pre-season tour.“It’s quite surprising because player fatigue will be hit and they will be looking forward to going on holidays.
But given the financial situation at the club, it kind of makes sense.“Personally, I am disappointed this is going to be post-season instead of pre-season.”Manchester United fans concerned over ticket pricesWhile there will be excitement in Hong Kong at the prospect of United’s visit, Lee highlighted several factors that will impact interest around the friendly match.
Football fans in Hong Kong were left disappointed last year when Inter Miami visited because Lionel Messi had to pull out of the friendly. They are aware it could happen again – with some United players – but their biggest concern is being exploited by high ticket prices.He added: “Fans in Hong Kong are aware it’s a game of 11 v 11 and there are player rotations as well as injuries that are not avoidable.
“But if the game is being marketed heavily towards star players and they don’t show up, then it could be quite an issue to the fans like we saw with Messi last year.“I think fans will be mindful of prices and making sure they don’t get ripped off.“I would imagine pricing will be a key issue if they want to sell out the stadium.
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