Sir Jim Ratcliffe has opened up on his turbulent start to life at Manchester United, with the billionaire part-owner admitting to making mistakes at Old Trafford
Comments
Sport
Updated 14:14, 11 Mar 2025
Sir Jim Ratcliffe sits down with Gary Neville
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has spoken honestly about his first year at the helm of Manchester United
(Image: The Overlap)
The Sir Jim Ratcliffe era at Manchester United has so far been a tumultuous one for the billionaire and supporters.
Ratcliffe, 72, saw his minority takeover at Old Trafford officially sanctioned in February 2024. Since then, there has been a significant amount of turmoil, with misfiring transfers, difficult managerial decisions, supporter protests and poor form on the pitch dominating the agenda.
Article continues below
The INEOS chief has already had to dismiss Erik ten Hag in October, and his successor Ruben Amorim is yet to bring about any major turnaround in fortunes on the pitch. Ratcliffe has quickly learned that any development at United, positive or negative, will generate a lot of attention. After the 1-1 home draw to Arsenal, Ratcliffe gave an extensive interview to the BBC and Gary Neville on the Overlap on Monday, outlining his reactions to several recent developments at Old Trafford. Manchester Evening News examines some of the key points.
Erik ten Hag admission
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag during the post-match press conference during the Premier League match between West Ham United FC and Manchester United FC at London Stadium on October 27, 2024 in London, England
Erik ten Hag was sacked in October after an away defeat to West Ham United
(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
Ratcliffe considered the option of severing ties with manager Ten Hag over the summer, with Thomas Tuchel - who was unveiled as the new England manager in October - a top contender. However, he decided against it, not only publicly supporting the Dutchman but also rewarding him with a contract extension.
Looking back at the decision, Ratcliffe admitted that he got it wrong. He said: "If you look at the time we made the decision about Erik the management team hadn't been in place more than five minutes.
"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."
Dan Ashworth saga
Foto del 6 de octubre del 2024, el director deportivo del Manchester United Dan Ashworth en Birmingham, Inglaterra
Ashworth's time at United was ended quickly
(Image: AP)
The departure of Dan Ashworth was another point of contention for Ratcliffe. He pursued Ashworth for months and even had to wait for him to undergo a period of gardening leave by the order of Newcastle United.
Despite paying compensation for the former FA chief, Ashworth's spell in the United boardroom was shorter than his time on gardening leave. Looking back, Ratcliffe said: "I agree the Erik ten Tag and Dan Ashworth decisions were errors. I think there were some mitigating circumstances, but ultimately they were errors. I accept that and I apologise for that."
Ashworth played a key role in the summer transfer window, which saw United invest £200million in new talent such as Manuel Ugarte and Leny Yoro. Yet, future strategies will be shaped without his input.
Ruben Amorim appointment
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim after the final whistle in the Premier League match at Old Trafford, Manchester
Amorim's spell at United has also had many difficulties
(Image: PA)
Amorim's arrival at Old Trafford marked another significant investment by the club. After Ten Hag's departure, United acted swiftly to bring in Sporting CP's successful manager, hoping he would lead them to glory.
Amorim has faced backlash for sticking firmly to his tactical plan even with United's inconsistent performances. Yet, Ratcliffe stands by the manager, highlighting Amorim's qualities. He added: "If I actually look at the squad which is available to Ruben, I think he is doing a really good job to be honest. 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."
Inheriting the high earners
Manchester United midfielder Casemiro
Casemiro is one of many players who are earning huge salaries
(Image: Europa Press via Getty Images)
Ratcliffe went out of his way to illuminate the costly transfers from the previous regime that United are, quite literally, still paying for. He said: "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."
Marcus Rashford admission
Aston Villa's Marcus Rashford applauds the fans after the Premier League match at the Gtech Community Stadium, London.
Rashford has found a new lease of life at Aston Villa
(Image: PA)
After moving to Aston Villa on loan with potential for a permanent transfer, Rashford's departure might pave the way for funding Amorim's targets. The Carrington product admitted he was ready for a "new challenge" in December after being frozen out by Amorim.
When asked about the 27-year-old, Ratcliffe said: "He's moved out of Manchester and maybe that's a good thing for him. 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."
A message to the fans
A Manchester United fan holds up a sign with concerns to ticket pricing ahead of the Premier League match at Old Trafford, Manchester. The 1958 fan group have organised an anti-Glazer protest, with a march starting at the Tollgate pub at 3.15pm heading to Old Trafford
Ratcliffe addressed the recent fan protests(Image: PA)
With performances on the pitch continuing to largely disappoint and off-field decisions such as the redundancies and other budget cuts being implemented, Ratcliffe has faced a lot of protests from supporters. Addressing those who are unhappy, he responded: "I don't enjoy reading the newspaper very much these days I have to say. 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."
'United is not mission impossible'
Sir Jim Ratcliffe looks on during the Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Chelsea FC at Old Trafford on November 3, 2024 in Manchester, United Kingdom
Ratcliffe is confident he can jumpstart United's fortunes(Image: Manchester United via Getty Images)
United have not won the Premier League title since Sir Alex Ferguson's final campaign in 2013 and have constantly missed out on a top-two finish since trailing Manchester City by 12 points in 2021. Nonetheless, Ratcliffe remains optimistic about orchestrating a turnaround.
While mentioning Liverpool and Arsenal, he said: "I don't think it's mission impossible. I think it's good to have goals and objectives.
"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."
Accusations of forgetting about Manchester United women
Manchester United's Maya Le Tissier celebrates scoring her sides second goal during the Adobe Women's FA Cup quarter-final match at the Leigh Sports Village, Greater Manchester
The women's team have been doing well, despite the disappointing performances of the men's side
(Image: PA)
Ratcliffe has also faced reproach for his perceived lack of support for United’s Women's team, who are on track for Champions League qualification despite seeming to be a lesser priority than the men's squad. Ratcliffe was slammed for not attending United's Women’s FA Cup final clash against Tottenham Hotspur, which saw them run out 4-0 winners at Wembley Stadium.
Defending his stance, Ratcliffe said: "It's a bit unfair. 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.
Article continues below
"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."
Get United transfer news and updates on WhatsApp!
Our team of Manchester United experts are on top of all the goings-on at Old Trafford for this week and beyond, and you can get the latest team news, injury updates, reaction and analysis along with inside information to your phone by joining our new free WhatsApp community. You can also join the 50,000 (and growing!) band of United fans who are following our WhatsApp Channel.
Sign up to our community here, and join our WhatsApp channel here.
--
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.