talkSPORT presenter Alan Brazil was branded a ‘dinosaur’ by his own co-host after an extraordinary rant about women’s football.
Brazil’s controversial comments came live on air on Thursday morning as the show discussed a recent report in The Times surrounding Manchester United’s aims to rebuild under new co-owners INEOS.
Dubbed ‘Mission 21’, the plan outlines the club’s strategy to deliver a 21st Premier League title under INEOS for the first time since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson back in 2013.
Alongside their ambitions with the men’s team, United have also launched ‘Mission 1’ aimed at delivering the first WSL title for the women’s team.
However, Brazil, who spent two seasons at Old Trafford back in the 1980s, quickly scoffed at the second target, suggesting that United fans did not care about the club’s women’s team.
‘With the greatest respect, women’s football is getting more important now but when you talk about Manchester United, it’s only the men’s (team) and the Premier League that we’re talking about here with mission impossible, not the women’s,’ he said on talkSPORT’s breakfast show.
Co-host Shebahn Aherne insisted the progress of the women’s team was important to the club, but Brazil doubled down.
‘It isn’t (a priority),’ he added. ‘I’m sorry, people around the world are not bothered. It is true. They’re not [bothered]. Within the bigger picture, they’re not.
‘The bigger picture is Manchester United fans want to see Manchester United in the Premier League challenging. That’s the bigger picture.
‘The women competing is not that important compared to the bigger picture. I’m not going to sit here and lie because it’s not.’
An increasingly frustrated Aherne hit back at Brazil, saying: ‘Al, stop being like that. You sound like a proper dinosaur this morning. I don’t know why you’re being like that.’
‘Listen to yourself. That’s unbelievable from you,’ she added.
‘You’re the one with the granddaughter playing football, listen to your language. Right now that’s important.’
INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have also faced scrutiny for their approach towards the women’s team since acquiring a minority stake in the club.
Ratcliffe faced criticism when he opted to miss the women’s team’s FA Cup final victory over Tottenham last season to watch the men’s team play Arsenal.
And speaking to the United We Stand Fanzine in December, the 72-year-old said that the men’s team was his priority in the coming years.
‘The perception is slightly misguided. There’s only so much that you can do and our focus has been on the men’s team,’ he said.
‘If not, you get spread too thinly. We need to sort out the main issue – the men’s team. The women’s team is an opportunity.
‘Women’s football is growing really quickly in popularity and size. We need to participate in that. The girls wear a Manchester United badge on their shirt and they’re representing the club.’
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