Man Utd chief Richard Arnold branded ‘stupid, gormless, wet-behind-the-ears buffoon’ by Simon Jordan over chat with fans
MANCHESTER UNITED CEO Richard Arnold has been branded a “stupid, gormless, wet-behind-the-ears buffoon” by Simon Jordan after his pub chat with fans last weekend.
The senior Red Devils chief met with a dozen fans at The Boot Inn in Cheshire after being tipped off about a planned protest.
Arnold, 51, admitted that the club “f***ing burned through cash” under predecessor Ed Woodward.
He was also filmed saying that the last year has been a “f***ing nightmare” at Old Trafford in footage that later leaked, to the disappointment of United bosses.
Speaking on talkSPORT, former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan slammed Arnold as “naive”, although co-host Jim White was more sympathetic.
Jordan, 54, blasted: “Richard Arnold sat in that meeting.
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“If you are that stupid and that gormless and that naive and that wet behind the ears that you’re going to sit there and think that what you’re saying isn’t going to find its way into the public domain, even by a regurgitation of someone verbally giving back what you’ve said or someone recording it, what the hell is the matter with you?”
White, 65, suggested that he had acted in “good faith” by meeting fans and chatting candidly.
But Jordan was having none if it, hitting back: “But Jim, be a grown up. You’re going into a room, you’re in a public domain environment.”
After White suggested it should be “about trust”, Jordan responded: “Oh, come off it. It’s about being realistic.
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“And by the way, why would Manchester United be unhappy about one iota of this content?
“It’s what their chief executive thinks, isn’t it? If you don’t think it, don’t say it.”
White later suggested that Arnold may have expected the chat to stay behind closed doors out of “good faith”.
Jordan retorted: “Then he’s a gormless buffoon then, isn’t he?”
After the footage leaked, United released a statement on Sunday.
It read: “Richard heard that a group of fans had gathered in a pub near his house.
“He went to meet them, bought them all a drink, listened to their views, and explained what the club is doing to deliver success on the pitch, improve the stadium, and strengthen engagement with fans.”
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In a potential dig at Woodward’s transfer strategy, Arnold told supporters: “Do you want me buying the players? Doesn’t that ring a bell?”
He also admitted: “Last year was a f***ing nightmare. There was hate at every game. We’ve blown through an enormous amount of money.”