Should you ever read comments below assorted lines or on social media abominations, there’s a growing trend of readers asking to stop hearing about Manchester United. No longer a big club, they say. Rubbish at football, they say, quite reasonably. Many of them may be actual United fans. But the fall of a giant will always be a story. Beyond wars, what story from the 20th century was bigger than the sinking of the Titanic? So on Football Daily rolls, because frankly, United are giving this stuff away. But not free lunches to staff. Certainly not rolls, fruit only.

You’ve probably read on Big Website about the latest cost-cutting/penny-pinching measures. Big Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the local working-class hero returned, via Beverley, Hampshire and Monaco, is following 2025’s billionaire class in making sure the little man scrabbles for his coin. For Elon Musk and his dodgy Doge, read BSJ. Only billionaires ever work hard, see. It was pure hard work that got them there. Put aside your ideas of birthplace, opportunity, patronage and good fortune, please. Worried about your job, the axe after several of your mates got tinned? Good, we run a tight ship here. Fear rules OK. Don’t share any internal emails. Are you chewing? Would you like to share that joke with the rest of the class?

The image increasingly portrayed of life behind the scenes at Old Trafford and Carrington has come to resemble a Dickensian workhouse rather than what might be expected under a blue-chip billionaire, hero of the chino-clad LinkedIn generation. Take BSJ in 2015: “Ineos is a friendly organisation. Very few people leave. It’s collegiate. There’s not much politics, and we like decent people. We don’t like arrogance or bullies.” Perhaps where he went wrong was getting involved in football, famously a graveyard for previous business geniuses’s popularity ratings. From being viewed as saviour at Christmas 2023 when his minority ownership was confirmed, Ratcliffe is now portrayed like Mike Ashley, hollowing out a club into little more than a spreadsheet. All cuts, no glory.

Sharp practices become dreadful optics when thrown into the public glare of the United soap opera. “The club believe £1m will be saved by ending free lunches,” reads the latest report. Rewind to last Wednesday: “Manchester United have revealed hiring Dan Ashworth and ­parting ways five months later cost them £4.1m.” If all is numbers, then such wastage damns the Ratcliffe regime. As BSJ et al bungle away, the Glazers, whom he paid $1.6bn to do this, will celebrate 20 years of using United as a cash machine in May. Reports suggest the Ineos mothership may not be watertight, that BSJ’s business empire faces financial woes. Time to consult the “Ineos compass” that he himself devised. It hinges on “rigour, grit and humour”. Words we like include “northerners; work hard play hard; wood for trees; hydrogen; a beer.” Words we don’t? “Moaners, quitters, gloating.” Oof. Yes, perhaps football just isn’t for you, Jim.

Join Daniel Harris from 7.30pm GMT for hot Premier League clockwatch updates, including those from Chelsea 4-1 Southampton.

“[He has] persistently issued derogatory statements directed towards the Turkish people. Today, his discourse has escalated beyond merely immoral comments into unequivocally inhumane rhetoric. We hereby formally declare our intention to initiate criminal proceedings concerning the racist statements made by José Mourinho, and shall accordingly submit official complaints to Uefa and Fifa” – Galatasaray denounce Fenerbahce’s José Mourinho after the rivals’ 0-0 draw on Monday night. The club statement followed Mourinho’s comments that Galatasaray’s bench had been “jumping like monkeys” and that the match would have been a disaster if a Turkish referee had been in charge of the fractious Istanbul derby.

Presumably Mike Glogower (yesterday’s Footballl Daily letters) had the famous French comic album series Asterix the Gaul in mind when declaring Manchester City to be ‘Atrocius’, since he sounds like a likely ally of main antagonist Julius Caesar. There is however a football connection since the story is that, when Caesar returned from a campaign over the Alps and falsely claimed to have killed 20,000 Gauls, Asterix asserted that he had fact-checked the claim and that the true figure was only 10,000. Caesar however countered: ‘You are forgetting, Asterix, that, in Europe, away Gauls count double!’” – Adrian Irving.

Tottenham Hotspur want to be known as ‘Tottenham Hotspur’, eh (yesterday’s Football Daily, full email edition)? That’s not going to be hard for long-time readers of this tea-timely email. For example, I’ve been referring to Noble Francis as ‘Noble Francis’ – not ‘Noble’, not ‘Francis’ – from the first time I read a Noble Francis letter from Noble Francis” – Mike Wilner.

Send letters to [email protected]. Today’s letter o’ the day winner is … Adrian Irving, who gets some Football Weekly merch. We’ll be in touch. Terms and conditions for our competitions can be viewed here.

Those all-staff emails at United, woe at City and ‘Tottenham Hotspur’. All that and more in this week’s David Squires cartoon.

Sheffield United v Leeds United. Second in the Championship versus the league leaders. A pivotal Yorkshire derby as both try to pull away from third-placed Burnley. And just as they did the previous Monday against promotion-chasing Sunderland, Leeds came from behind to win a rambunctious contest 3-1 at Bramall Lane, scoring thrice in the final 20 minutes to turn the game on its head and go five points clear at the top. After Illan Meslier had chucked one into his net early on, Leeds roared back with goals from Junior Firpo, Ao Tanaka and Joël Piroe – the latter now joint-top scorer in the division. “It’s a priceless three points,” tooted Leeds boss Daniel Farke, presumably after being exposed to one too many credit card ad hoardings. “It was the worst possible start, but the reaction they showed was outstanding. We want to make sure we keep winning points and end in the best possible position. I’m very proud of the boys.”

England boss Sarina Wiegman says Jenni Hermoso is showing “remarkable courage and bravery” with her decision to lodge an appeal following the conviction of Luis Rubiales for sexual assault but acquittal for coercion.

The Football Supporters’ Association has called on Premier League suits to support its campaign to stop ticket prices rising next season. “To see Brentford and Liverpool freezing ticket prices shows what can be done,” it said. “Rises are not necessary.”

Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin been gabbing on about European politics, claiming “freedom of speech no longer exists” and “we are all fed up of political correctness”. Hmm … “My wife and I have friends who live in Switzerland,” he parped. “They said that two girls in one of the local schools said they were identifying as cats.” Oh aye? “They sit on the floor, the other children eat at the table. Of course, they have the right to be treated as cats, but don’t you think that this seems strange to the average person?”

You’ve got to hand it to Mikel Arteta, he doesn’t know when he’s beaten. And like a boxer being thrown forward from his corner for one final round of jabs, uppercuts and left hooks, Arsenal’s manager has refused to concede the Premier League title to Liverpool, despite the 11-point gap and his side’s continuing issues with knack and red cards. “I’m not going to stop; over my dead body,” roared Arteta, stumbling into the centre of the ring.

Good news for Liverpool and Arne Slot: Mo Salah can’t stop scoring. Bad news for Liverpool suits as they attempt to negotiate an affordable new contract with the Egyptian: Mo Salah can’t stop scoring.

Following their 4-0 thrashing by Japan last week, the Matildas have fallen to another flamin’ SheBelieves Cup defeat, this time to USA! USA!! USA!!!, who scored after just 42 seconds through Lynn Biyendolo in a 2-1 victory.

And while it’s not the first time, there may be some hope for Reading fans after the club entered into a period of exclusivity with a potential buyer.

Barney Ronay on the central flaw of the Premier League, football’s so-called “greatest show on earth”.

Arguments around Mohamed Salah’s future keep adding up, but what if we’re all asking the wrong question, asks Jonathan Liew.

Ben Fisher on the rise of Tyler Dibling, Southampton’s “world-class” youngster, who returns to former club Chelsea on Tuesday night.

Jonathan Wilson looks at Arsenal and another stuttering title challenge.

Ed Aarons on Oliver Glasner and 12 rollercoaster months at Crystal Palace.

Rudderless Chelsea’s sustained slump risks making Cole Palmer restless, argues Jacob Steinberg.

From James Rodríguez to Sergio Ramos, why are so many foreign stars flocking to Liga MX? Jon Arnold has the answer.

And Liam Rosenior has Strasbourg challenging for Europe despite overseeing Ligue 1’s youngest squad in front of a divided fanbase. Luke Entwistle has more.

George Burley poses with his new Ipswich Town-branded car in February 1981. The former Scotland international started and finished his playing career with the Tractor Boys, making his senior debut in 1973. Burley won both the FA Cup in 1978 and the Uefa Cup in 1981, although knack forced him out of the latter final. As a manager, Burley managed Ipswich from 1994-2002, winning promotion to the Premier League on the fourth attempt via the playoffs in 2000. The following season, in 2001-02, he guided the club to fifth place in the top flight and qualification for the Uefa Cup.