Man United job cuts ‘difficult to see’ – Evans

Jonny Evans admits that the decision by Manchester United’s new owners to cut 250 jobs has been “difficult to see”.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS, which took control of United’s football operation earlier this year, has made the decision to downsize a workforce of more than 1,100 employees to help cut costs.

The process, which has already begun, includes the phasing-out of some of United’s long-term coaches with further meetings next month as the next stage of the process.

Evans signed a new one-year contract earlier this month to extend his second spell at the club into a second season.

Asked for his thoughts on the new ownership, the 36-year-old said: “I think they’ve got an idea of how they want the structure, but as someone who’s been at the club, I had a spell away, but been at the club a long time a lot of people have lost their jobs this last couple of weeks, it’s been hard and difficult to see.

“The new owners feel that’s the the direction that they want to go. But, you know, it’s not been easy for everyone at the same time.”

“There’s people you’ve known for 20 years and I think the timing of it happened when we came away on tour pretty much,” Evans added. “We were all a bit in the dark and I’m sure everything will be sorted out, things will be a bit more clear when we get back. But it’s been a difficult thing to see, people, I’ve known for a long, long time.”

Evans came through the academy at United alongside his brother Corry while his dad was a coach and his wife worked on the in-house television channel.

Put to him that United is a family club, Evans replied: “It is for a club of such a huge size and the staff turnover — you have family members working there.

“People are married and my wife been working at he club, my brother has been at the club, my dad’s been at the club. So it’s always had that feeling of people, they give everything, they have for the club and it’s such a huge credit to them. That’s just because they love the place so much.”

United, who lost to Arsenal in Los Angeles on Saturday, continue their pre-season tour of the United States with a friendly against Real Betis in San Diego on Wednesday.

(Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)