Sir Jim Ratcliffe slams Manchester United’s ‘poor’ manager selection and blasts ‘players like Fred’

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s brutal verdict of Manchester United from 2019 has re-emerged, with the billionaire now wanting to buy the Old Trafford club nearly two years after lashing out at them.

On Wednesday, a spokesperson speaking on behalf of the billionaire Ineos owner, outlined that the English businessman views himself as a ‘potential buyer’ of the Red Devils.

A self-confessed Manchester United fan, Ratcliffe has the aim of taking full control of the club in the future – after seeing his last-minute £4.25billion offer to purchase Chelsea in May get rejected. 

And fans could expect some wholesale changes at the club should the takeover go through, after the 69-year-old’s savage assessment of the club from three years ago re-emerged. 

Ratcliffe told the Times in 2019: ‘[Ineos] never wants to be the dumb money in town, never.

‘They [United] are in quite a big pickle as a business.

‘They haven’t got the manager selection right, haven’t bought well. They have been the dumb money, which you see with players like Fred.

The British billionaire claimed that United had been ‘dumb money’ with ‘players like Fred’

‘United have spent an immense amount since [Sir Alex] Ferguson left and been poor, to put it mildly. Shockingly poor, to be honest.

‘We have a different approach here to be moderately intelligent about it. Try to do it more grass roots, trying to locate young talent.

‘Some clubs seem to have an ability to do that, Southampton, Lille. United have done it really poorly. They have lost the plot.’ 

Should Ratcliffe succeed in his takeover, it wouldn’t be his first foray into sports club ownership – with Ineos completing the €100million (£85million) takeover of Ligue 1 club OGC Nice in 2019.

Ratcliffe blasted United’s managerial selection since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure

Jose Mourinho brought about the last bit of silverware for United during his tenure as coach

Ineos revealed that company founder and Britain’s richest man has plans to buy the record Premier League holders after reacting to previous news regarding potential investment in the club.

‘If the club is for sale, Jim is definitely a potential buyer,’ the spokesman told The Times.

‘If something like this was possible, we would be interested in talking with a view to long-term ownership,’ the spokesman added. 

Ineos then added that Ratcliffe would use investment to upgrade current infrastructure such as the deteriorating Old Trafford, stating there is a need to press the ‘reset’ button.

Ratcliffe and Team Ineos currently own Ligue 1 French side Nice since buying the club in 2019

‘This is not about the money that has been spent or not spent. 

‘Jim is looking at what can be done now and, knowing how important the club is to the city, it feels like the time is right for a reset.’ 

The current ownership model at the club sees the majority of control lie with the Glazer family, with Avram and Joel Glazer the main representatives.

They purchased in the club in 2005, and despite coming in for swathes of criticism since their takeover, have recently felt the growing discontent increase after being publicly slammed by supporters, pundits, and former players with the club in disarray after years of poor management and recruitment. 

Brothers Avram (right) and Joel Glazer (left) are expected to keep their shares in the Red Devils