A body language analyst identified the most dominant emotion that Sir Jim Ratcliffe demonstrated in relation to Manchester United during his interview with Gary Neville
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe sits down with Gary Neville
Sir Jim Ratcliffe was grilled in a recent interview with Gary Neville
(Image: The Overlap)
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s “authentic” love for Manchester United was clear to see during his bombshell interview with Gary Neville, according to a body language expert.
Ratcliffe, the billionaire co-owner of United, faced an interrogation from club legend Neville surrounding a wide range of topics. The 72-year-old gave his thoughts on the team's dismal performances this season and specifically name-dropped five players – even admitting that "some" of them are "not good enough".
The INEOS boss delved into the club's financial turmoil and the highly unpopular cost-cutting strategies he's implemented, with his reasoning leaving Neville visibly shocked. Ratcliffe even admitted to making errors in sticking with previous manager Erik ten Hag and appointing Dan Ashworth as sporting director last year – both of whom have parted ways with the club.
However, despite the alarming revelations made in the interview, it is claimed that Ratcliffe’s heart is in the right place when it comes to his love for the Old Trafford side. That’s according to Judi James, one of the country’s leading analysts on body language.
Speaking about the self-confessed boyhood United fan’s interview, she stated: “The most positive feature is Ratcliffe's authentic love of the team. When asked why he is putting himself through all the recent pain and criticism his demeanour changes to one of a childhood fan. His eyes look almost tearful and his speech speeds as his energy is restored.”
James also highlighted two other notable points regarding Ratcliffe’s body language, saying: “The second feature is Ratcliffe's clear strength and thinking style. His lack of sustained eye contact and his verbal clarity define a brain that is inspired by logic, facts and figures. During the middle section of this interview, he takes command of the narrative to explain the financial situation in detail so forensic that it almost becomes boring.
Gary Neville interviews Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Ratcliffe's passion was clear to see, according to expert Judi James
“But the most dramatic body language feature is his apparent utter discomfort when the Glazer family are mentioned. Ratcliffe squirms in his seat here before folding his arms in a barrier ritual. He rubs his nose and sniffs and rubs his neck in a gesture of anxiety.
“He scratches his mouth, sighs and rubs his chin and appears to perform some verbal swerves at this point, throwing out workplace clichés like 'Human beings don't like change', which is not only a cliché but also untrue. Humans love change when they feel they have some form of control of agreement over it.”
The widely-unpopular Glazers have owned the club since 2005. Following Ratcliffe's £1.25billion purchase of a 27.7% share in United in February 2024, the Glazers granted the British tycoon control over the club's football operations.
A day after his interview with Neville was released, United declared their intention to build a new stadium with a capacity of 100,000 seats, replacing Old Trafford. The project is estimated to cost £2bn and is not expected to be finished before 2030 at the earliest.