Rene Meulensteen has given a damning verdict on Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Project 150 plans at Manchester United, with the Red Devils currently enduring a dismal campaign
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe arrives at the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Southampton FC at Old Trafford
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been handed a sobering opinion from Rene Meulensteen(Image: Ash Donelon, Manchester United via Getty Images)
Rene Meulensteen has real doubts about Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Project 150 and his plans to rejuvenate Manchester United. INEOS head honcho and United part-owner, Ratcliffe, has audacious ambitions to propel the club back among the elite of English football in time for their landmark anniversary in 2028.
Since Sir Alex Ferguson called time on his iconic managerial career in 2013, the coveted Premier League trophy has become a stranger to Old Trafford. United have seen a parade of high-profile managers since Ferguson's departure, from Louis van Gaal to Jose Mourinho, but none have managed to recapture the former glory days.
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And Meulensteen, who was once Ferguson's trusted lieutenant, is sceptical about Ratcliffe's current trajectory for the team. Discussing his thoughts on the High Performance Podcast, Ferguson's former assistant Meulensteen brutally said: "They're miles away."
He added: "If you look at Manchester United, what they've lost is a kind of an authority, a kind of a fear factor, a kind of an identity so to speak. When Man United came to town, they rolled up, this is what you're going to get. At this moment in time, you don't know what you're going to get, you know?
"And that is, I think, testament for a lot of things. A lot of changes that haven't taken place, so many managers have come and gone."
The lack of consistency extends to tactics as well under head coach Ruben Amorim, as Meulensteen added: "There's changes constantly about playing styles – we're going in at this moment, we're very keen on persisting to that 3-4-3 system, where everybody is debating and questioning, is that the right way forward?
"That constant winning culture that Manchester United had over the years has been diluted, and they look being further away than ever before. Look at their position in the Premier League, they're 13th or 14th, no chance of getting into the top four – very little chance of getting to Europe as well.
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson (L) laughs with first team coach Rene Meulensteen during a training session at the Carrington training complex in Manchester
Rene Meulensteen worked as a first team coach under Sir Alex Ferguson
"Europa League is a massive competition for them to make sure that they stay in that, and that might be the back door for them to get into the Champions League."
United are currently languishing in 13th place in the Premier League under the guidance of Amorim, who stepped in to replace Erik ten Hag in November after a disappointing start to the season.
With only nine league matches remaining, the Red Devils find themselves 11 points adrift of Europa League qualification for the 2025/26 season, and 12 points short of fourth spot. Last season saw the team's lowest-ever finish in the top flight, coming in eighth, with European football secured only through a surprise FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
Clinching the Europa League trophy now stands as Amorim's best shot at salvaging what has been a lacklustre season. A challenging two-legged quarter-final against Lyon looms on the horizon next month.
Despite the current challenges, Ratcliffe hasn't given up on his ambitious Project 150. He expressed optimism to Sky Sports last month, saying: "I do not think it's mission impossible. I think it's good to have goals."
Yet, Meulensteen's doubts are not solitary regarding Ratcliffe's aims for Manchester United as Nicky Butt has recently expressed scepticism. Butt told the Mail: "That ain't going to happen. It's going to be a long way off, and the most important thing is starting on the right foot.
"Hopefully get this season put to bed because it's been a disaster. What gets me is that everyone expects other clubs to sit still. Newcastle, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal will get better. Man City will definitely get better."
He added: "Over the years, Man United has looked like it's a plaster on a gaping wound. It doesn't work. They haven't got the finances, they have to get their house in order, they have to be a proper football club that work to a design, an ethos and a recruitment drive of how to get players in and get them out for big money.
"Obviously, they've got rid of Dan Ashworth, which I thought was a strange one, having worked so hard to get him from Newcastle. I think even if you got David Gill and Sir Alex back there, it's going to be a struggle for a long time. We're at the bottom of the mountain and there's a massive climb to get up."
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