Sir Jim Ratcliffe pictured at Old Trafford alongside Omar Berrada
Sir Jim Ratcliffe pictured at Old Trafford alongside Omar Berrada
Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe sat down for another interview on Monday as supporters heard from the Ineos founder for the first time since another round of mass redundancies.
Ratcliffe's explanation that United were set to go bust by Christmas if he had not taken these actions may not sit well with supporters, particularly when he spent millions appointing and promptly firing Dan Ashworth. The new 100,000 seater stadium plans also feel like a pipe dream while the Reds continue to cost cut.
However, there was one snippet of the interview which United fans can believe and that is his backing of Ruben Amorim. "Every time I go to the training ground, I speak to Ruben," he told BBC Sport.
"I sit down, have a cup of coffee and tell him where it’s going wrong. And he tells me to f*** off. I like him."
While it is certainly comparable to a scene from The Office, it is also a far more glowing endorsement of the current United manager than the one Erik ten Hag received.
"I like Erik," Ratcliffe told the BBC at the America's Cup. "I think he’s a very good coach but at the end of the day it’s not my call… [Club chiefs] need to take stock and make some sensible decisions."
At the time, it seemed like one of those non-committal responses that owners like to dish out but now it shows that he was never really on board with Ten Hag.
He did not want to come out and bat for him because he did not want him to stay. It was nothing to do with having a backseat role on these decisions.
Ratcliffe has shown that, if he wishes, he is happy to back a manager and give him the support. I have no doubt that unless something drastic like relegation was to occur, Amorim will be given the opportunity to build this team in his vision.
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