15 Jan 2014

Workers Fear Axe As "Popular Customer" Heads Abroad

Manchester Is Red was recently contacted by workers of a fast food chain (that we can't name for legal reasons) who are living in fear that they will lose their jobs very soon.

The fried chicken outlet are allegedly looking at making huge cut backs following the news that they are soon to lose a very popular customer who is responsible for a huge chunk of the company's massive annual profits.

Manchester Is Red spoke to workers of the Manchester based fast food chain, one source said: "We are really fearing the worse, this customer has kept our branch ticking over nicely, losing his custom is bound to hit the company very hard and we are all fearing the worst."

Another employee told us: "I'm scared, January is always a quite month, but losing this client will make things very hard for us to keep our jobs", he added: "our manager has pencilled in a staff meeting for tomorrow, my fear is that we will be told that we are being made redundant, so soon after Christmas".

Its not just the fried chicken store that are fearing the worst, over at a well known Brazilian restaurant in the city centre, a source told us they are "disappointed" to learn that their "best customer" was leaving Manchester and heading to Florence, she also said: "this will hit us hard, we've had to re-forecast our predicted turnover for 2014, and it makes for grim reading, I would be surprised if we were still actively operating as a business come March this year".

We also caught up with the branch manager of a bakery chain in Manchester, he was downbeat on hearing the news: "Its a real sucker punch, we are fully stocked up in anticipation of the Brazilian customer purchasing it, we are going to be stuck with stock we can't sell, we will lose out big time".

On a positive note, owners of fast food chains and restaurants in Florence were said to be delighted on hearing the news that Fiorentina had agreed a loan deal with Manchester United for Anderson, "it will give the economy a huge boost in Florence" said the owner of a small fast food shop.

There was pandemonium and scenes of madness in the city centre just seconds after the Florence based football team announced that Anderson was on his was over, as locals began panic buying from fast foods chains in fear that supplies would plummet after his arrival, a spokesman for one of the company's said: "There is no need to panic, we have upped our order accordingly after a meeting with our Manchester based area manager".


@KevinAshford7


9 Jan 2014

Come On Fergie's Boys, Play For David Moyes

The Old Trafford faithful continue to passionately sing 'Come On David Moyes, Play Like Fergie's Boys, We'll go Wild Wild Wild' to the tune of Slades 1973 hit 'Cum On Feel the Noize', I think it's time that Fergie's boys starting playing for David Moyes.

It's not been the smooth transition at Old Trafford that some had imagined following Sir Alex Ferguson's decision to call time on his incredible management career at Old Trafford, David Moyes was the chosen one, but only 6 months into his Manchester United managerial stint, the media and some supporters are already calling for his head, is David Moyes entirely to blame?

Moyes inherited a team of champions, a squad that won last seasons Barclays Premier League title with ease, now that exact same squad with the addition of Adnan Januzaj and Marouane Fellaini, find themselves struggling in the league and knocked out of the FA Cup.

Losing a manager like Sir Alex Ferguson was always going to be tough, he was responsible for greeting that extra performance out of players, he was probably worth an extra 10 to 15 points a season, Moyes is not getting the same from this squad, you certainly have to question the players in the current situation, he's getting mixed performances from players who are paid astronomical amounts of money to perform for Manchester United.

As Manchester United manager, David Moyes is taking all the criticism for the teams current problems, but let's not forget how that disastrous and embarrassing summer transfer window has shaped the clubs season.

Ed Woodward took over from David Gill as Executive Vice-Chairman, Woodwards job is to work closely with Moyes in acquiring new players in the transfer market, and whilst he was attaching numerous ridiculous bids to the legs of his carrier pigeons, time slipped away and with time ticking away on the last day of the window, United uncharacteristically involved themselves in the transfer deadline day madness, signing Marouane Fellaini, a player that they could have signed for around £7m less the week before, when his set fee buyout clause expired at Everton

Then we were told that the bushy haired Belgian was 'always the first choice target'? Yes, course he was, that's why United left it to the last 10 minutes of the window to sign him! This was a panic buy, Woodward had a series of embarrassing transfer knock backs during his summer world tour, feared a backlash if he failed to acquire a signing, Fellaini was the easy option as he'd previously played under Moyes at Everton.

Manchester United started the 2013/14 season with a good squad, a squad of champions, the real problem was their failure to strengthen when all the top teams around them did, this meant that their rivals were always going to steal a march on them once the fixtures started coming thick and fast.

What has been surprising, is that those same players who won the league last season, have worryingly showed little fight or desire in the majority of games this season, maybe now that the Fergie fear factor has gone, they've fallen into the comfort and relaxation zone?

It's David Moyes who has to address the media after these defeats whilst the players head off to the changing room, they then head home to their mansions with their fleet of super cars that us, the supporters, have contributed towards, in return we expect entertainment, desire, fight and passion, sadly we have been denied of that too often this season, the players need to stand up and be counted, they have a responsibility when representing our club.

The strong majority of supporters are firmly behind David Moyes, and although I will admit I was stunned by the news he had been installed as Sir Alex Ferguson's successor, mainly because he won nothing at Everton and lacked Champions League managerial experience, like most who heard his predecessors speech on that final day last season in the rain against Swansea, it was always going to be a case of standing by the new manager, this was the man chosen by Sir Alex Ferguson, he is going to need time to adjust to his new surroundings.

My main criticism of David Moyes in these first 6 months, is that he has not totally got to grips with the squad rotation policy at the club, this is something he's clearly never had a problem with managing a small squad at Everton where he had a strong first team, but not a strong squad of players, this will come with time.

Moyes continues to be let down by the players he selects, yes, he's had some injuries to key players that have not helped his start in the Old Trafford hot seat.

Although we are told Moyes will be given time, it does make you wonder at what stage the American owners will hit the panic button, at the start of this season they would never have envisaged a scenario that the club would fail to make Champions League qualification, if that was to happen, it would have huge repercussions financially, the last thing the Glazers would want, is to be refinancing the already mind boggling debt and loan deals that they took out to purchase the club in the first place.

It all makes for an interesting summer when Moyes will be expected to really stamp his mark on Manchester United, a clear our is needed, new players are desperately required to freshen things up, some players at Old Trafford have put on their slippers and pulled out the pipe, and as always, you'll find Anderson doing what he does best, eating fast food and continuing to baffle us all as to how he ever blagged his way into the world of professional football as a footballer.

So come on Fergie's boys, play for David Moyes.



@KevinAshford7