Former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen has slammed Ineos for their sweeping job cuts following Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s minority takeover.

It didn’t take long for the cost-cutting measures to kick in after Ratcliffe and his team arrived at Old Trafford. Jean-Claude Blanc, the interim chief executive, dropped the bombshell news to club staff earlier this month that a whopping 250 positions are set to be axed before the new season kicks off.

That’s almost a quarter of the club’s current workforce, which is the biggest in the Premier League. Meulensteen, who was Sir Alex Ferguson’s first-team coach from 2007 to 2013, believes these drastic changes signal a loss of the club’s core values since their legendary manager’s era.

Reflecting on his time at Old Trafford, the Dutchman, 60, who climbed the coaching ladder at United over a 12-year spell, told the MEN: “It was just a big, big family. It was a massive club that was growing year on, year on, with the greatest manager that England has ever seen at the head of it.

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“It never lost its warmth. If I had people over to visit and they watched training, they were all in awe at how wonderful it was, and how welcoming everyone was, and how friendly it all was. That apparently has all gone out the window. You hear that so many people have lost their jobs.

“Sir Alex was there 26 years and had people who had been with him for 20 years, 22 years, 23 years. They were all there for a long time and I imagine now there’ll be people who will have to leave their jobs after being with the club for a long time. I don’t know the reasons behind it, but it needs some justification.”

Sir Jim Ratcliffe hasn’t taken long to make his presence felt at Old Trafford ( 
Image:
PA)
Ineos believe they can streamline operations at United more effectively than the current setup. In May, they presented non-football staff with a voluntary redundancy scheme promising early annual bonuses if taken up, but this was met with a limited response, prompting the cuts.

Interpath Advisory, a consultancy firm, were brought in to pinpoint “non-essential” activities where savings could be achieved. Staff were asked to foot their own expenses for the FA Cup final and players’ families had to make their own way to Wembley, with club credit cards also being suspended.

The club foundation is the only department protected from the mass redundancies, with all other employees at risk. The Athletic report the mood was solemn when the news was broken by Blanc. He and his colleagues believe it’s the only sustainable solution to bringing down expenditure long-term, though.