'It's simply not true' - Stefan Borson rips into Man United owner for 'headline-making' lie

Stefan Borson disputes Glazer's claim that Man United's on-pitch struggles haven't hurt commercial revenue, citing flat commercial income from 2016–2022.

Stefan Borson, former Manchester City financial adviser, has challenged Avram Glazer's recent assertion that Manchester United's lack of on-pitch success has not impacted the club's commercial power. Glazer made the comments at Deutsche Bank's Sports Investment Conference, comparing United to the Dallas Cowboys and New York Yankees.

Borson told Football Insider that Glazer's claim is false. He pointed out that commercial revenue remained flat from 2016 to 2022, with no growth during that period. While post-INEOS commercial revenue has increased, Borson attributed this largely to changes in how the club operates its retail function, bringing it in-house rather than evidence of on-field performance being irrelevant.

"It's a good headline, but it's not actually true," Borson said. "In terms of the growth that clubs have had across the period, it's simply not true that on-field performance has had no impact." The comments come amid ongoing scrutiny of manager Michael Carrick's position, with speculation about potential replacements including Eddie Howe, Julian Nagelsmann and Unai Emery.