Yahoo News Blistering Leicester City response as Sir Jim Ratcliffe makes 'arrogant' Man Utd plea
It is fair to say that new Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe's suggestion that the 'big six' should have a greater influence on how the Premier League - or the Premiership, as he he called it - is run has not been warmly received.
The billionaire minority stake holder at Old Trafford, who oversees the football side of the operation at Man Utd, has told Bloomberg that “the six clubs who drive interest in the league” should have more influence than clubs like Leicester City, Aston Villa or Nottingham Forest.
He tried to sound a warning that those clubs 'should not be disadvantaged' in a claim that football fans around the world tune in just to watch those clubs.
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"I think everybody has an equal vote and there used to be, I believe, as was explained to me, there used to be a sort of coalition of the six major clubs who would have a certain level of influence in the Premiership. But that broke down after the Super club, you know, the European Super Club Initiative," he said in an interview for Bloomberg.
“And I think they need to be careful that the top six clubs are not disadvantaged because they don’t sort of get a reasonably strong say in the committee. Because at the end of the day it’s those top six or seven clubs that drive the Premiership, and that’s what the world’s interested in.”
Responses have been flooding in from Leicester supporters and not many have any sympathy for Ratcliffe, who have a net spend, by his own calculations, of £1.1 billion in the 10 seasons after Sir Alex Ferguson left.
"Arrogance at its finest," said Alan Bennett.
Mark Chawner said: "Would he have said this in 2016 and when Leicester City were playing in the Champions League and Manchester United weren't?"
Andy Lee said: "He’s used to getting his own way. I bet it’s been a long time since someone said no to him. That’s the idea behind the Premier League that each club gets an equal vote. It’s a shame they don’t try and level the playing field in other ways I.e. financially."
"He wants the so called big six to get more money so the rest can't compete," said Tony Burrell. "When Leicester won the Premier League it upset the apple cart they didn't like that and now they are bringing in rules to make sure that doesn't happen again."
Alan Hemsley said: "The 'top six' are the clubs that finish in those positions NOT the richest six clubs."
And there were a few responses all of a similar theme.
Brian Baddondi said: "The big six, that rules Man Utd out then."
Guy McFadden-Newman said: "Aren’t Man Utd one of the ‘big 8’ these days?"
Gary Withers said: "His 'big six' team came eighth last season."
