Reporting is by Adam Crafton, by the way. I've been really impressed by his journalism over the last year or two.

I really don’t think we’ve even begun to see the blowback that’s going to happen if he comes back. Right now it’s like the days before a battle. Once it’s official the backlash will hopefully get so loud the club will make an embarrassing backtrack and change their mind. Seems fairly predictable.

comment by Robb Matilda (U22716)
posted 7 minutes ago
I really don’t think we’ve even begun to see the blowback that’s going to happen if he comes back. Right now it’s like the days before a battle. Once it’s official the backlash will hopefully get so loud the club will make an embarrassing backtrack and change their mind. Seems fairly predictable.
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I think this is what'll happen, but with the addition of it'll take some sort of statement from your sponsors before the backtrack happens.

Actually feel sorry for any Utd fans seeing your club being dragged through the mud over this.

comment by Robb Matilda (U22716)
posted 4 minutes ago
I really don’t think we’ve even begun to see the blowback that’s going to happen if he comes back. Right now it’s like the days before a battle. Once it’s official the backlash will hopefully get so loud the club will make an embarrassing backtrack and change their mind. Seems fairly predictable.
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Absolutely. And we would totally deserve season-derailing blowback if we did it.

Very small sample size, but I just scrolled through the comments under a popular aggregator account on Twitter that relayed the gist of the Athletic story. It's the kind of social media space where you get the most amoral fans (much more enthusiasm for Qatar ownership / European Super League than you'd find on JA606). Sure, there were a good 50% saying "we want him back" but also a substantial number of these 'global fans' expressing a smouldering moral fury. I wouldn't be surprised if the club leadership is beginning to realise that sacking Greenwood will mildly disappoint a bunch of people for five minutes, while reinstating him will cause a level of rage and disillusionment they have never seen before.

Yep the backlash to this is going to be intense and persistent

comment by Alisson Wonderland (Formerly LGT) (U13718)
posted 9 seconds ago
comment by Robb Matilda (U22716)
posted 7 minutes ago
I really don’t think we’ve even begun to see the blowback that’s going to happen if he comes back. Right now it’s like the days before a battle. Once it’s official the backlash will hopefully get so loud the club will make an embarrassing backtrack and change their mind. Seems fairly predictable.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think this is what'll happen, but with the addition of it'll take some sort of statement from your sponsors before the backtrack happens.

Actually feel sorry for any Utd fans seeing your club being dragged through the mud over this.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

It’s just so avoidable. There’s not gonna be a backlash from anyone at all if he is let go. It’s not like the club have to bring him back to placate fans. And it’s not even like he a guarantee of success anyway as he hasn’t kicked a ball in two years which in top Flight football is a lifetime. He may never get his touch back. Pun intended.

If Greenwood is allowed to return, I expect Arnold will be forced to resign within 12 months of the decision

comment by Christ We Won (U17162)
posted 13 seconds ago
Yep the backlash to this is going to be intense and persistent
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I suspect the foretaste of the backlash might be sufficient to spook them into a U-turn. That's the best outcome now, but in any case we've had an insight into how narrowly they draw their moral boundaries.

I think you lot are giving them too much credit, I think they’ll double down and try and ride it out.

Not a good look

As an outsider, I don't see what could be driving any decision to keep him. It can't be financial as he's ex-academy so has no carrying value on the balance sheet that would need to be written off if his contract his terminated. There's probably grounds for a gross misconduct termination which could mean not having to pay the rest of his contract out (he's not going to fight unfair dismissal is he?) although it could depend on the terms of the contract...

You could argue that by getting rid his position in the squad needs replacing and would cost the best part of £100m but that's been the case for the last 2 seasons...

So if there's no financial impact to binning him off, but there's a huge financial risk to keeping him (sponsor backlash, reputational damage) why is the chief exec so supportive?

Didn't the club claim they hadn't made a decision yet the other day? Surely this informations shows that was complete and utter bollox.

comment by Alisson Wonderland (Formerly LGT) (U13718)
posted 47 seconds ago
As an outsider, I don't see what could be driving any decision to keep him. It can't be financial as he's ex-academy so has no carrying value on the balance sheet that would need to be written off if his contract his terminated. There's probably grounds for a gross misconduct termination which could mean not having to pay the rest of his contract out (he's not going to fight unfair dismissal is he?) although it could depend on the terms of the contract...

You could argue that by getting rid his position in the squad needs replacing and would cost the best part of £100m but that's been the case for the last 2 seasons...

So if there's no financial impact to binning him off, but there's a huge financial risk to keeping him (sponsor backlash, reputational damage) why is the chief exec so supportive?
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Plus we have Garnacho who should be making that position his own. All just so unnecessary. An open goal ahead of us and we’re gonna Ronny Rosenthal it.

comment by Baz tard (U19119)
posted 6 minutes ago
I think you lot are giving them too much credit, I think they’ll double down and try and ride it out.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

The motivation for a U-turn would be cowardice and bowing to overwhelming pressure, not tactical intelligence or belated ethical revelation.

the club even prepared documents outlining the type of images that should be taken of the player during training sessions

at least we now know what the executives at united do with their days

comment by manutd1982 (U6633)
posted 2 minutes ago
Didn't the club claim they hadn't made a decision yet the other day? Surely this informations shows that was complete and utter bollox.
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I guess technically the decision isn't formalised until it is announced, so they had made their minds up but hadn't irrevocably set upon that path. But yeah: it's dishonest. Say what you will about Ed Woodward but at least he didn't choose to employ someone who had been accused of... oh, hang on...

comment by Baz tard (U19119)
posted 10 minutes ago
I think you lot are giving them too much credit, I think they’ll double down and try and ride it out.
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Very likely.

comment by Don Draper's dandruff (U20155)
posted 2 minutes ago
the club even prepared documents outlining the type of images that should be taken of the player during training sessions

at least we now know what the executives at united do with their days
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Bad people making bad decisions.

The easy decision would just be to terminate Greenwood's contract and be done with it.

I think the fact that they are willing to go through this potentially difficult (and perilous for their jobs) reintegration process suggests they know a lot more about the case than we do and are willing to give the lad a path forward.

comment by Onana_banana_fi_fa_fofana (U20611)
posted 41 seconds ago
The easy decision would just be to terminate Greenwood's contract and be done with it.

I think the fact that they are willing to go through this potentially difficult (and perilous for their jobs) reintegration process suggests they know a lot more about the case than we do and are willing to give the lad a path forward.

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It doesn't suggest that at all

comment by Bãleš left boot-e-cog-lou (U22081)
posted 41 seconds ago
comment by Onana_banana_fi_fa_fofana (U20611)
posted 41 seconds ago
The easy decision would just be to terminate Greenwood's contract and be done with it.

I think the fact that they are willing to go through this potentially difficult (and perilous for their jobs) reintegration process suggests they know a lot more about the case than we do and are willing to give the lad a path forward.

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It doesn't suggest that at all
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'd like to know how it suggests that too. All I think it is all about is that he's a multi million pound 'asset'.

comment by Bãleš left boot-e-cog-lou (U22081)
posted 3 minutes ago
comment by Don Draper's dandruff (U20155)
posted 2 minutes ago
the club even prepared documents outlining the type of images that should be taken of the player during training sessions

at least we now know what the executives at united do with their days
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bad people making bad decisions.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
to their credit i believe they did veto any d!ck pics

comment by Diafol Coch 77 (U2462)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by Bãleš left boot-e-cog-lou (U22081)
posted 41 seconds ago
comment by Onana_banana_fi_fa_fofana (U20611)
posted 41 seconds ago
The easy decision would just be to terminate Greenwood's contract and be done with it.

I think the fact that they are willing to go through this potentially difficult (and perilous for their jobs) reintegration process suggests they know a lot more about the case than we do and are willing to give the lad a path forward.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
It doesn't suggest that at all
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'd like to know how it suggests that too. All I think it is all about is that he's a multi million pound 'asset'.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This

We’re he a reserve or fringe player he’d have got the boot long ago

comment by Irishred (U2539)
posted 0 seconds ago
comment by Diafol Coch 77 (U2462)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by Bãleš left boot-e-cog-lou (U22081)
posted 41 seconds ago
comment by Onana_banana_fi_fa_fofana (U20611)
posted 41 seconds ago
The easy decision would just be to terminate Greenwood's contract and be done with it.

I think the fact that they are willing to go through this potentially difficult (and perilous for their jobs) reintegration process suggests they know a lot more about the case than we do and are willing to give the lad a path forward.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
It doesn't suggest that at all
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'd like to know how it suggests that too. All I think it is all about is that he's a multi million pound 'asset'.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This

We’re he a reserve or fringe player he’d have got the boot long ago
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Also diafol you got your Spain jersey for Sunday

If you start drawing up a PR plan with a list of enemies that includes domestic violence charities you know that 1. You are working for crappy people. 2. You need to resign