As Manchester United's wretched season continues to role on, Sir Jim Ratcliffe may be worried about Ruben Amorim's recent douse of brutal honesty
Comments
Sport
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Ineos CEO and minority shareholder at Manchester United. Ineos, the co-owner of Manchester United, is in talks with Tottenham to cut short a sponsorship deal with the north London club.
Chemicals firm Ineos agreed a five-year deal with Spurs in 2022 – before its founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe bought a stake in United – for Ineos Grenadier to become the London team’s official 4×4 vehicle partner.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe may be concerned by Ruben Amorim's recent comments
(Image: PA)
Ruben Amorim has admitted there are too many deep-rooted issues at Manchester United - confirming Sir Jim Ratcliffe's worst fears.
The United manager's remarks come in the wake of reports that Ratcliffe's 'Project 150', which was designed to secure a league title by 2028, United's 150th anniversary, looks likely to be abandoned. Sources suggest that the club's hierarchy no longer view this goal as realistic, given United's ongoing struggles since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013.
Amorim, who is the latest in an ever-growing line of managers attempting to revive United's fortunes, finds his team in 15th place ahead of their clash with Arsenal on Sunday. Erik ten Hag's tenure last season saw United slump to their lowest-ever Premier League finish (8th place) but the club are now set to finish even lower.
With signs of improvement being few and far between, Amorim admitted major surgery may be required to jumpstart the club's fortunes. The Portuguese manager recently told Sky Sports: "To tell you the truth, I feel sometimes there are scars in our team, in our players.
"They are good players, but they (scars) are so deep, they are so long here that it is hard to change things in one moment. Some players had one coach and then comes a new coach, new hope, new momentum and then we go to the same place.
"Imagine this for any person, in any job. Imagine this as a player, with all the media and social media. So it's really hard to turn things around just like that."
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim during a press conference at the Reale Arena in San Sebastian
Amorim is worried about the future(Image: PA)
Over 10 years have elapsed since Ferguson clinched United's last league title in 2013 in his farewell year. In the nearly 12 years since, the club has secured five major trophies but has significantly lagged behind rivals Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal.
United have registered two second-placed finishes but were 19 points and 12 points behind City on both occasions. Before the game against Arsenal, fans donned black to signal their thoughts that the club is "dying."
Recent disclosures of United's financial situation revealed a debt increase to £515.7million, alongside declines in revenue and profit across most sectors. Amorim's arrival in the autumn was met with high expectations, especially after Ten Hag's tenure began with United's poorest start to a Premier League season.
Manchester United and Everton supporters take part in a '#stopexploitingloyalty' protest organised by the Football Supporters Association outside the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Everton
There have been more protests from United supporters
However, Amorim has found it challenging to turn the tide, with a record of 10 wins and nine losses from his first 25 games at the helm. Despite these struggles, Amorim's ambition remains undiminished, as he recently expressed his determination to restore United to the pinnacle of English football.
He added: "The goal is to win the Premier League. I know we are losing games but the goal is to win the Premier League again. I don't know how long it will take. We have a goal and we continue forward no matter what."