Mark Kleinman, City editor:
My instinct is that the timing of these two announcements – just four hours apart – was pure coincidence.
The decision to explore new financing options including a sale was reached after a painstaking debate between members of the Glazer family, and began long before Ronaldo’s explosive interview with Piers Morgan.
Nevertheless, many of the issues raised by the Portuguese forward – United’s waning performance and the owners’ alleged disinterest in the club – reflect the malaise felt by many fans about the Glazers’ ownership.
To that extent, United supporters may well feel that Ronaldo’s intervention was helpful in crystallising the shareholders’ decision to explore an exit.
