Exclusive:
Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe's interview with Gary Neville certainly caught fans' attention, and a body language specialist spotted an intriguing moment in their discussion
Sir Jim Ratcliffe sits down with Gary Neville
Sir Jim Ratcliffe sat down Gary Neville for an insightful interview
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Image: The Overlap)
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A crucial segment of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's jaw-dropping interview with Gary Neville has been called into question by one of the country’s leading body language experts.
The Manchester United co-owner's wide ranging conversation with the former Red Devils captain covered topics from the club's financial situation to underperforming players. Yet Judi James, a top analyst in dissecting body language, has exclusively disclosed to Mirror Football that she believes Ratcliffe made a false statement to Neville when it came to addressing his tenure at the club.
United's billionaire part-owner saw his investment officially approved in February 2024. Yet while Ratcliffe has say over footballing operations with his 28.94 per cent stake, the Glazers still have a hefty 48.9 per cent hold on the Red Devils. And James claimed Ratcliffe appeared agitated at the mere mention of the family who purchased United in 2005.
"The most dramatic body language feature is his apparent utter discomfort when the Glazer family are mentioned," James highlighted. "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."
James' assertion of Ratcliffe's 'false' remark came as Neville asked the INEOS chief if the challenge of taking on United has been a bigger challenge that expected. Ratcliffe responded: "We are in the middle of a period of change at the moment. Nobody likes change, it's uncomfortable, and we are in the midst of it."
Gary Neville interviews Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Neville and Ratcliffe discussed Manchester United's cost-cutting amongst other topics
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Image:
The Overlap/Youtube)
However James has said that his declaration rings untrue, adding: "He [Ratcliffe] scratches his mouth, sighs and rubs his chin and appears to perform some verbal swerves at this point, throwing out workplace cliches like 'human beings don't like change', which is not only a cliche but also untrue. Humans love change when they feel they have some form of control of agreement over it."
The United co-owner has come under fire for numerous decisions since he arrived at the club. He has made a raft of redundancies and reduced meals for non-playing staff at United, and the body language guru has insisted that Ratcliffe has a ruthless eye when it comes to the club's coffers.
"He is self-effacing, which is always an attractive trait but his moments of stronger eye contact during this interview also suggests a less obvious capacity for taking non-negotiable stands when it comes to finances.
"Ratcliffe uses the table as his imaginary financial flow-chart, with his hands pointing to the table to show off invisible figures that he can clearly see in his mind's eye.
"His moves become forensic as he places a clawed hand or a lidding hand on the table to point out the figures that pour out of his mouth."
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