Jim Ratcliffe and Manchester United When I first went to work, before university, a new CEO came in, one of, I was told, Britain’s leading industrialists. Shortly after his installation he held what might nowadays be called a ‘Town Hall’ meeting at which he outlined his plan to cut costs. The proposals were, to me, pretty underwhelming with one of the most memorable being that notepads (the A4 size ones) would no longer be ordered with the company’s logo at the top right hand corner. This didn’t appear, over the next few years, to have made much difference to the company’s finances and the inevitable layoffs and sell offs followed. Jim Ratcliffe’s approach to Manchester United’s financial situation has been a little more aggressive than just buying cheaper stationery, but cutting back of low cost perks and demanding higher prices for spare seats at Old Trafford aren’t going to save or generate megabucks when his administration is reportedly having to shel...