Co-owner of Manchester United Sir Jim Ratcliffe has given his opinion on important issues surrounding the club and his leadership in a series of broad interviews. This is what we have learned …
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Man Utd would no longer have had any money at Christmas without cuts and changes
“At the end of this year, Manchester United would have had without cash – by the end of 2025 – after I had $ 300 million (£ 232.72 million) placed and if we didn't buy new players in the summer,” Ratcliffe told the BBC in a frank description of the club's financial state.
“We are in the process of change and it is an uncomfortable period and disturbing and I feel sympathy with the fans.
“The simple answer is that the club no longer has any money at Christmas if we don't do those things.”
Some man utd players are 'not good enough' and some 'probably too much'
About the quality of players who have been recruited at Man Utd in recent years, Ratcliffe told the BBC: “Some are not good enough and some are probably paid too much, but for us to form the team we are fully responsible and are responsible for time.”
… but Sir Jim is a big fan of Amorim
“I think Ruben has done an excellent job,” Ratcliffe told Gary Neville from Sky Sports. “I really love Ruben.
“Ik denk dat in de omstandigheden … Ik bedoel, hij is halverwege het seizoen aangekomen, hij had geen tijd om zijn spelers te trainen in de manier waarop hij wil spelen, hij erfde een ploeg waar hij geen invloed op had, en de ploeg is niet noodzakelijk ontworpen voor de manier waarop hij voetbal speelt, en Engels is zijn natuurlijke taal niet en hij is nooit in de Premier League en hij is het beheer van de wereld in de wereld, en hij is een jonge man.
“If you take that into account, I think he did remarkably well.”
Speaking with the BBC Ratcliffe said about Amorim: “I think Ruben is an excellent young manager. I really do that. He is an excellent manager and I think he will be there for a long time.”
He regrets not to dismiss HAG last summer
“It was too early for us to make a big decision,” said Ratcliffe when explaining the decision -making of his recently assembled leadership team in the summer about the future of Erik ten Hag. The head coach eventually received a contract extension – and then fired nine games in this campaign.
“It was quite difficult to get Erik's performance from the structure around him. Was the irregular execution a function of Erik, or was it a function of the organization? And we could not really come to the bottom with certainty, I assume, so we gave Erik the benefit of the doubt.”
By Neville asked if he is sorry, Ratcliffe said: “Yes, it was the wrong decision. We made the wrong decision. It was a mistake. So yes, I suppose I regret it in that sense.”
He also told the BBC that the term of office of sports director than Ashworth was terminated after just five months because the “chemistry” was incorrect.
Ten HAG involved in transfers – 'That's why there were Dutch players'
Ratcliffe says that the leadership of Man Utd was undecided whether he would include Ten Hag in the transfer activity of last summer in the midst of uncertainty about his future in the role – but in the end they did: “That is why one or two Dutch players were signed”.
“We had the problem with the coach, is it a yes or no? So we involve the coach or do we not involve the coach?
“He was involved in the discussion, so he influenced … I mean, a decision about a new player or a purchase is not a decision of one person, right? It is a group of people who affect that decision in one way or another.
“So yes, he had a voice, that's why there were one or two Dutch players.”
Man Utd 14th in Premier League – but the first year 'disappeared as we expected'
“In a funny way it disappeared as we expected,” Ratcliffe told Neville. “We didn't think the first year would be easy because we had difficult things to do.
“Where we are, I know that there is a difficult place and people are currently not very happy with it, that's why I am quite unpopular.
“I believe that what we do is and must be done to get United back to where United should be, what silverware and trophies win.
'If you don't like where United has been the last 12 seasons since Sir Alex [Ferguson] Retired, you must accept that there must be a period of change, and change is sometimes uncomfortable and unpleasant. “
The goal: most profitable club in the world, the most iconic stadium, and winning silverware
“The club will end in a very different place in three years than where it has been in the past, in my opinion,” Ratcliffe told the BBC.
“I think it will be the most profitable club in the world. I think we might end up with the most iconic football stadium in the world, and I think we will finish silverwork again.”
Winning the Premier League by 2028 is not 'mission impossible'
Man Utd has drawn up a plan to win the Premier League by 2028 – the 150 -year anniversary of the club.
“I don't think the mission is impossible. I think it's good to have goals and goals,” Ratcliffe told the BBC.
“If you look at Arsenal, if you look at Liverpool, when you look at the period, it took them to get the house in order and go back to your wishes, that is probably somewhat on the short side of the spectrum. But it is not impossible.”
His leadership team inherited transfer debt from the past
“If you look at the players we buy this summer – which we have not bought – we buy Antony, we buy Casemiro, we buy we [Andre] Onana, we buy [Rasmus] Hojlund, we buy [Jadon] Sancho, “he told the BBC and explained how United still has to complete payments that deals.
“These are all things from the past, whether we like it or not, we have inherited those things and have to figure it out.
“For Sancho, who now plays for Chelsea and we pay half of his wages, we pay £ 17 million to buy it in the summer.”
Men's team most important focus – but women's team 'just as important'
“It's a bit unfair,” Ratcliffe told the BBC when he was asked about criticism of his comments about the ladies team. He was not present when they won the FA Cup for women and it was claimed that he asked former Captain Katie Zelem what her role was in the club during a tour of training facilities.
“What I said in the beginning was my most important focus on the men's team, because at the end of the day it moves the needle in Manchester United. The ladies team is much smaller than the men's team.
“Of our £ 650 million in income, £ 640 million comes from the men's team and £ 10 million from the ladies team. With my business background you concentrate on the larger problems before you focus on the smaller problems.
“But the ladies team is wearing the Manchester United brand, the Manchester United logo, so in that sense they are just as important as the men's team. And to be honest they do it better than the men's team – they are second in the competition and have won the FA Cup last season. Marc Skinner does a great job as the Coach and the new Captain and the new Captain and De Nieuweaa [Le Tissier] Is doing great. “
When asked if he wanted to clean up the Zelem reports, he replied: “No, not real. I asked Maya if she was a family of Matt [Le Tissier] But the answer was no. “
Ratcliffe is happy that Rashford is doing well …
“He moved from Manchester and perhaps that is a good thing for him,” Ratcliffe told the BBC about Marcus Rashford, who is on loan in Aston Villa. “I am very happy that he is doing well. It is good to see because he has enormous talent, but for whatever reason it has not worked in Manchester in recent seasons. But he is a very talented football player, Rashford.”
… but says that Man Utd does not have to sell a top talent because of financial pressure
When selling their best players to alleviate financial worries, he said: “No no. We will not sell players because of the state in which we are financially.
“The club was blown up, so we have reduced that and will finish it with a lean and efficient organization. This way we will tackle the costs. The player's decisions will all be focused on how we will improve the performance. That is all.”
Man utd bench had 'hardly a name that you would recognize' against Arsenal
Ratcliffe says that context related to the availability of players must be taken into account when assessing Amorim's work.
“Ruben, against Arsenal, he only had half a team,” Ratcliffe told Neville. “How many players would most people recognize on the couch [on Sunday]? There was hardly a name that you would recognize.
“The man we brought, (ayden) heaven, he is only 18, we only bought him three weeks ago [sic – February 1] from Arsenal.
“Then we had (chido) obi there, which is only 16 [sic – 17]I think, and he once played for United [sic – three times].
“If you look at the top eight most expensive players we have in terms of salary, four are not available for Ruben.
“If you did that with Liverpool and Manchester City, that is half of your team gone. So I think I have seen progress.”
Ratcliffe thinks Zirkzee was 'gocked around' by Arsenal
Joshua Zirkzee has passed a difficult first season in England since the signing of Bologna, with only three goals in 28 performances in the top flight – and Ratcliffe says that the challenge of the physicality of the competition at the weekend was clear in Old Trafford.
“I think some of the players we bought in the summer, you have seen them settle,” Ratcliffe told Neville.
“It's quite difficult, isn't it? It is not an easy competition to play in and there is a lot of control. Look at how Zirkzee is going around [on Sunday] In the first half. He was really beaten, right?
“He would not be used to playing in the Italian league, so it takes time for players to settle.”
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