Gill: United can still match big spenders
City’s wage bill of £133m has rocketed up £50m in the last year, overtaking United’s £131.7m and the Eastlands club, bankrolled by Sheikh Mansour, are closing in fast on Chelsea.
United agreed a bumper new deal with Wayne Rooney last week but are still maintaining their policy of ensuring wages remain less than half their turnover.
Asked if he was concerned that United were now behind Manchester City in the wages league, Gill said: “No not really – I’m not concerned by that as ever since we have been a public company we have had a policy that wages should be 50% or less of turnover. We believe we can do that and still retain and attract the stars we need on the pitch. We think that’s the sensible model.
“Clubs have other models – that’s their prerogative. Each to their own.”
United have managed to match Chelsea on the pitch in terms of silverware since Roman Abramovich took over at Stamford Bridge.
Gill added: “That’s exactly right – we have remained competitive.”
United’s latest financial figures earlier this month revealed the club’s wage bill is £131.7m. Chelsea’s is £142m, City’s £133.3m and Arsenal are fourth with £110m spent annually on salaries. United’s total wages are 46% of turnover – the lowest ratio among Premier League clubs, Arsenal have the next lowest ratio on 49% while City spend more on wages than their total revenue.
The healthy wages-turnover ratio is one of the reasons United are confident they will meet UEFA’s financial fair play rules despite the sums they have to pay out in interest to service the loans taken out by the Glazer family when they bought the club in 2005.
Meanwhile, United’s latest goalscoring hero Javier Hernandez has put his run of goals down to the prowess of his new team-mates as he prepares for the Carling Cup tie with Wolves tonight.
The 22-year-old Mexican bagged a brace at Stoke to give United a crucial Barclays Premier League win, and could keep his place tonight as Alex Ferguson’s men continue the defence of their trophy. Michael Owen is poised for a return from a groin injury and will be looking to continue his fine run of form in the competition.
Owen has only managed one league goal for United this season, but bagged a brace alongside ‘Chicharito’ in the 5-2 win at Scunthorpe in the last round to take his tally to seven goals in his last nine appearances in the Cup.
Owen scored in last season’s final win over Aston Villa before pulling his hamstring, and Hernandez believes it is playing alongside the likes of Owen, Dimitar Berbatov and Wayne Rooney which has helped him score four times in his last five appearances.
Winning trophies has been the crucial talking point at Old Trafford during a rollercoaster week and the Carling Cup presents the first opportunity to add to the already heaving trophy shelf at United.
Last season’s 2-1 win at Wembley earned Ferguson his fourth league cup win and the signs do not look good for McCarthy’s visitors. United last lost a league cup tie to Coventry over three years ago while Wolves have not enjoyed a victory at Old Trafford in over 30 years, and lost both last season’s Premier League encounters without scoring a goal.
The sides met in last season’s third round when Danny Welbeck’s second-half strike proved decisive as United recovered from the dismissal of Fabio da Silva to register a 1-0 victory.
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