Durm using error to Spur on Terriers
EXECUTIVE vice-chairman Ed Woodward underlined United’s hunger for silverware after the club announced record-breaking revenues – and an eye-watering wage bill pushing £300m.
Jose Mourinho’s men are seventh in the Premier League after a topsy-turvy start to the campaign, but the club continue to achieve off-field results.
United have been top of the Deloitte Football Money League for two successive years and yesterday announced record revenues in excess of half a billion pounds for the third consecutive financial year.
The club brought in £590m in the year ending June 30, 2018 – a rise of just 1.5 per cent on the previous year – but the expectation is for revenue to rise to between £615m and £630m over the coming financial year.
Executive vice-chairman Woodward believes that will help aid United’s quest for trophies, with the huge wage bill of £295.9m surely going to increase as a result.
“Everyone at the club is working tirelessly to add to United’s 66 and Jose’s 25 trophies,” Woodward said. “That is what our passionate fans and our history demands.
“We are committed to our philosophy of blending top academy graduates with worldclass players and are proud that, once again, last season we had more academy graduate minutes on the pitch than any other Premier League club.
“Our increased revenue expectation for the year demonstrates our continued strong, long-term financial performance which underpins everything we do and allows us to compete for top talent.”
United’s revenue is substantially higher than the £500.5m posted by rivals City, although they also pay significantly more in wages than the Premier League winner’s £259.6m. experience, however, for the German World Cup winner as an error following a Town attacking corner led to Leicester breaking and equalising through Kelechi Iheanacho.
Town went on to suffer their fourth defeat in six Premier League outings so far to fall to the bottom of the table – another disappointment for the former Borussia Dortmund star who played at right wing-back.
While things have not gone the way Town wanted so far, Durm says the characters in the camp will not allow anyone to become negative.
“We are all sad and upset about the result, but we will move forward,” said Durm, who penned a one-year contract with Town in July after being out for six months with ruptured ankle ligaments.
“First of all, I have to say sorry because of my very big mistake – I feel very upset about that and I feel very sorry for the team, because I made the mistake and it cost us the goal.
“I think we had two or three good chances as well and were a little bit unlucky in the end but, again, I am very sad about my mistake and the result.
“The Premier League is one of the biggest and strongest leagues in the world and, if you get mistakes, you are going to get problems.”
Despite taking a nasty blow on the right ankle from a late challenge by Wilfried Ndidi, Durm came through the match unscathed and is hoping to press for selection again when Tottenham visit the John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday. “We have really good characters in the team,” said Durm, when asked how Town would respond to their latest setback. “There is great spirit in the team and we will look forward. It makes no sense not to. “Yes, we are disappointed (after Leicester) and everyone has to be critical of himself – but then we will come stronger out of it. “We will look to go on because we need points as fast as we can – that is important. “With our characters in the team we will do that. “We will look forward to the next game against Tottenham and we will be prepared. “We will have a good match plan again.” Durm is enjoying being back in the action at top level, having proved his talent both in the Bundesliga and at international level. He made his debut in the Carabao Cup at Stoke City and played as a substitute in the 1-1
There is a great spirit in the team and we look forward – it makes no sense not to