Sir Jim Ratcliffe gave a rare interview as he was grilled about his difficult start to life as Manchester United co-owner and the controversial decisions that have angered fans
11:33, 11 Mar 2025Updated 11:37, 11 Mar 2025
Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Sir Jim Ratcliffe gave an honest interview about his Manchester United challenges(Image: Manchester United via Getty Imag)
The Sir Jim Ratcliffe era at Manchester United has been a nightmare so far - with the club slumped 14th in the table and problems on and off the pitch.
The billionaire part-owner's investment was officially approved in February 2024, and since then, there has been a significant amount of upheaval. Some changes have been played out in public, such as transfers and managerial shifts, while others have occurred behind the scenes.
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If the INEOS boss thought last season's eighth-place finish was going to be the lowest point, he was soon in for a surprise. On-field struggles led him to dismiss manager Erik ten Hag in October, and his successor Ruben Amorim hasn't yet managed to turn things around.
Off-pitch decisions have also drawn criticism, such as escalating ticket prices, widespread layoffs, or the handling of United's women's team. Ratcliffe has quickly learned that any move at Manchester United, good or bad, will generate a lot of attention - and so far, there's been quite a bit of the latter.
Ratcliffe gave an extensive interview to the BBC on Monday, addressing several recent developments at Old Trafford and leaving a vast amount of talking points.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Sir Jim Ratcliffe opened up about his time as co-owner of Manchester United(Image: The Overlap)
1. Ten Hag mistake
Ratcliffe considered the idea of sacking manager Erik ten Hag over the summer, with Thomas Tuchel - now at the helm of the England team - being a top contender. However, he decided against it, not only publicly supporting the Dutchman but also rewarding him with a contract extension.
The billionaire expressed regrets about the season's rocky start, admitting a swift managerial dismissal after United found themselves struggling in the bottom half. "If you look at the time we made the decision about Erik the management team hadn't been in place more than five minutes," Ratcliffe revealed.
"It became clearer three months later and we got it wrong, but we'd moved on. I think we corrected it and we are in a very different place today."
Erik ten Hag
Erik ten Hag was sacked just months after he was handed a new contract(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
2. Ashworth blunder
Despite a prolonged battle to hire sporting director Dan Ashworth, even paying Newcastle for his services, by December he was no longer with the club. "I agree the Erik ten Tag and Dan Ashworth decisions were errors," Ratcliffe confessed.
"I think there were some mitigating circumstances, but ultimately they were errors. I accept that and I apologise for that."
Ashworth had overseen a summer spending spree of £200 million on new talent like Manuel Ugarte and Leny Yoro, but the next summer will see investments steered in a new direction.
3. Amorim support
Ruben Amorim's appointment demonstrated the club's backing for change, acting quickly post-Ten Hag's exit and shelling out compensation to Sporting CP to secure their highly-regarded manager.
Despite receiving criticism for sticking to his preferred tactics during United's miserable form, Amorim has the backing of Ratcliffe who sees no reason to switch things in the technical area. "If I actually look at the squad which is available to Ruben, I think he is doing a really good job to be honest," he praised.
"I think Ruben is an outstanding young manager. I really do. He's an excellent manager and I think he will be there for a long time.
"You are beginning to see a glimpse of what Ruben can produce. I think you saw a glimpse of it against Arsenal. How many players against Arsenal on the bench did you recognise? How many have ever worn a Manchester United shirt for [the first team]... as there's no squad left. We are down to the last 10 or 11 men in the squad really, of proper first-team players. Ruben is doing a super job."
Ruben Amorim
Ruben Amorim has been backed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe(Image: PA)
4. Damning verdict on players
Ratcliffe admitted that while the squad has talent, giving a nod to "fantastic" captain Bruno Fernandes, he also highlighted the extensive expenditure on transfers and salaries predating his tenure. He detailed the recent high-profile acquisitions by stating, "If you look at the players we are buying this summer, that we didn't buy, we're buying Antony, we're buying Casemiro, we're buying Onana, we're buying Hojlund, we're buying Sancho.
"These are all things from the past, whether we like it or not, we've inherited those things and have to sort that out. For Sancho, who now plays for Chelsea and we pay half his wages, we're paying £17m to buy him in the summer.
"Some are not good enough and some probably are overpaid. But for us to mould the squad that we are fully responsible for, and accountable for, will take time. We've got this period of transformation where we move from the past to the future."
5. Rashford saga
Another high-earner Ratcliffe cleared from the United squad in January, was Marcus Rashford, who joined Aston Villa on loan. The academy graduate had spent his entire career at United before being axed from Amorim's plans.
"He's moved out of Manchester and maybe that's a good thing for him," Ratcliffe remarked about Rashford. "I am very pleased he is doing well. It's good to see because he has got tremendous talent, but for whatever reason it wasn't working in Manchester for the past couple of seasons. But he is a very talented footballer, Rashford."
Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford joined Aston Villa in January(Image: PA)
6. Impact on fans
In the midst of various criticised cost-cutting strategies at United, a major ticket price hike has sparking protests outside of Old Trafford. However, Ratcliffe has stood by the tough decisions he's had to make, citing the club's financial woes.
"I don't enjoy reading the newspaper very much these days I have to say," he confessed. "I know it's unpopular, and this period of change is uncomfortable for people, and some of the decisions we have to make are unpleasant.
"But they are necessary to put Manchester United back on to a stable footing. If people want to see Manchester United winning trophies again then we have do all this stuff.
"Manchester United would have run out of cash by the end of this year - by the end of 2025 - after having me put $300m (£232.72m) in and if we buy no new players in the summer.
"We are in the process of change and it's an uncomfortable period and disruptive and I do feel sympathy with the fans. The simple answer is the club runs out of money at Christmas if we don't do those things."
Man Utd fan protests
Ratcliffe has angered fans with his cost-cutting measures(Image: PA)
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7. Premier League title expectations
United are yet to lift the Premier League trophy since their 2013 victory and haven't secured a top-two spot since finishing 12 points behind Manchester City in 2021. Despite the drought, Ratcliffe remains optimistic about the club's future, drawing inspiration from successful revamps at other clubs and aiming for to win the league title by 2028.
"I don't think it's mission impossible. I think it's good to have goals and objectives," he said. "If you look at Arsenal, if you look at Liverpool, if you look at the period of time it took them to get the house in order and get back to winning ways, that's probably slightly on the short end of the spectrum. But it's not impossible."
Manchester United's Maya Le Tissier celebrates
Fans have perceived United's women's team to have been neglected(Image: PA)
8. Women's team criticism
Ratcliffe has faced backlash over his perceived neglect of the club's women's team. United’s women are looking to secure Champions League qualification despite what many view as lacklustre commitment from the ownership compared to the men's squad, notably Ratcliffe's absence at the Women's FA Cup final.
"It's a bit unfair," Ratcliffe defended, responding to the criticism of how he handles the women's team issue. "What I said at the beginning was my main focus is on the men's team because that, at the end of the day, is what moves the needle at Manchester United. The women's team is much smaller than the men's team.
"Of our £650m of income, £640m of that comes from the men's team and £10m comes from the women's team. With my business background you tend to focus on the bigger issues before you focus on the smaller issues.
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"But the women's team wear the Manchester United brand, the Manchester United logo, so in that sense they are every bit as important as the men's team. And frankly, they are doing better than the men's team - they are second in the league and won the FA Cup last season. Marc Skinner is doing a great job as the coach and the new captain Maya [Le Tissier] is doing a great job."