Gary Neville couldn’t believe Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s assessment of the job Ruben Amorim has done at Manchester United so far, as the co-owner engaged in some “salary bill” whataboutery.

Ratcliffe took control of football operations at United in February 2024 and his arrival has if anything seen a downturn in results, first under Erik ten Hag and now under Ruben Amorim, who has failed to lift his side from 14th in the Premier League table having taken charge in November.

In his most recent set of interviews, Ratcliffe named five United players in a “not good enough or overpaid” admission and revealed “a couple of errors” in his year at the helm while claiming the club would be “bust by Christmas” without his controversial cost-cutting strategies.

READ MORE: Ranking Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s 17 Man Utd f***-ups: 3) Ruben Amorim, 4) Dan Ashworth, 8) Kath Phipps

And in an interview conducted by Gary Neville for Sky Sports, Ratcliffe admitted they made a mistake in sticking with Ten Hag.

“It was too early for us to make a big decision in reality,” Ratcliffe said.

“We hadn’t been together as a team for very long. It was just a matter of weeks and it’s quite a big decision, isn’t it? And also, it’s quite difficult. It was quite difficult to extract in that season when we arrived, Erik’s performance from the structure around him.

“Obviously the structure around [Amorim] now is completely different. There’s a really strong relationship and a really strong support culture for Ruben. Jason and Ruben talk to each other two or three times a day, Omar speaks to Ruben every day, every time I go to the match I speak to Ruben.

“But it was quite difficult to see what environment Erik was operating in. Was it, in other words, was the erratic performance a function of Erik, or was it a function of the organisation? And we couldn’t really get to the bottom of answering that question with certainty, I suppose, so we gave Erik the benefit of the doubt.”

Asked by Neville if he regrets that now, Ratcliffe said: “Yeah, it was the wrong decision. We made the wrong decision. It was an error. So yeah, I suppose in that sense I regret it.

“I think there was some extenuating or mitigating circumstances in having made that decision, but at the end of the day it was the wrong decision, so hands up, me of course on that one.”

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United’s only remaining chance of silverware is the Europa League, with that gong also granting entry into the Champions League next season.

The second leg of their last-16 tie with Real Sociedad is on Thursday at Old Trafford after the first leg finished 1-1.

But Amorim has been criticised for his lack of impact since his arrival at the club, with United rooted in the bottom half of the Premier League having been dumped out of both cup competitions.

Speaking the day after Man Utd’s 1-1 draw at home to Arsenal in the Premier League, Ratcliffe backed the work of Amorim so far.

“I think Ruben has done an excellent job,” said Ratcliffe.

“I really like Ruben. I think in the circumstances… I mean he arrived mid-season, he didn’t have time to train his players in the way in which he wants to play, he inherited a squad which he’s had no influence on, and the squad isn’t necessarily designed for the way in which he plays football, and English isn’t his natural language, and he’s never played in the Premier League before, and he’s managing the biggest club in the world, and it’s a tough place, and he’s a young guy.

“If you take all of that into consideration, I think he’s done a remarkably good job.”

When asked by Neville what parts of the job he is referring to, Ratcliffe said: “I think what he’s got out of the players that he’s got available, I think he’s done well with,”

Neville was taken aback. “Do you?!” he said.

“If I look at the salary bill of the squad that’s available to him, that salary bill is not the salary bill of Manchester City or Liverpool, it’s a fraction of it.

“If you look at the salary bill of the players that are available to him that are not injured, or not out on loan, because we’ve got, you know, we’ve got Antony out on loan, we’ve got [Jadon] Sancho out on loan, we’ve got [Marcus] Rashford out on loan, we’ve got Mason Mount who hasn’t really played in the last two seasons, we’ve got Luke Shaw who hasn’t played in the last two seasons.

“So if you modify our salary bill for the players that are not available to Ruben, then our salary bill ranks us about, you know, middling, second half of the table. We’re sort of level with the likes of a Nottingham Forest or Everton, not a Manchester City one.

“That salary bill, if you look at that salary bill, is probably about £130m, and we’re talking about Liverpool who’s got a salary bill of £200m, Manchester City have got a salary bill of £300m, so that’s the squad that Ruben’s playing with.”

Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe admits “some are not good enough and some probably are overpaid” at Old Trafford when asked about five under-performing stars.

Ratcliffe took control of football operations at United just over a year ago and his arrival has if anything seen a downturn in results, first under Erik ten Hag and now under Ruben Amorim, who has failed to lift his side from 14th in the Premier League table having taken charge in November.

The British billionaire has been heavily criticised for his cost-cutting strategies off the pitch, which have resulted in around 400 members of club staff losing their jobs amid rising ticket prices that have led to fan protests.

READ MORE: Ranking Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s 17 Man Utd f***-ups: 3) Ruben Amorim, 4) Dan Ashworth, 8) Kath Phipps

But he insists that while many of the decisions are “unpopular”” they are necessary given the club’s financial woes, with Ratcliffe lamenting the fact that the club still has payments to make on players signed before he took control.

He cited the £17m they still need to make for Sancho, who was signed for £73m from Borussia Dortmund in 2021 but hasn’t kicked a ball for United (other than in the Community Shield) since August 2023, returning on loan to Dortmund before heading to Chelsea in the summer.

Ratcliffe told BBC Sport: “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.”

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Antony is also out on loan and loving his time at Real Betis having joined for £81.5m from Ajax in the summer of 2022, when Casemiro also joined from Real Madrid for £70m, while Hojlund cost them £64m when he arrived with £47m Onana a year later.

“It takes time for us to move away from the past into a new place in the future,” Ratcliffe added.

When asked whether he was suggesting those players were not good enough for Manchester United, he said: “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.

“There are some great players in the squad as we know, the captain is a fabulous footballer. We definitely need Bruno, he’s a fantastic footballer.”

Sir Jim Ratcliffe insists Manchester United would “run out of money by Christmas” without his controversial cost-cutting strategies and revealed his “couple of errors” in his year at the helm.

Ratcliffe took control of football operations at United in February 2024 and his arrival has if anything seen a downturn in results, first under Erik ten Hag and now under Ruben Amorim, who has failed to lift his side from 14th in the Premier League table having taken charge in November.

The British billionaire has been heavily criticised for his cost-cutting strategies off the pitch, which have resulted in around 400 members of club staff losing their jobs amid rising ticket prices that have led to fan protests.

READ MORE: Ranking Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s 17 Man Utd f***-ups: 3) Ruben Amorim, 4) Dan Ashworth, 8) Kath Phipps

In an interview with BBC Sport, Ratcliffe admitted he knew he would face challenges at the club “but the scale of it is probably slightly bigger” than he expected.

“I don’t enjoy reading the newspaper very much these days I have to say,” he added. “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.

“I recognise I’m unpopular at the moment – but I am prepared to be, and I can deal with being unpopular for a period of time because I believe that what we’re doing is the right thing.

“Manchester United has come off the rails – we need to get it back on the rails, and I believe what we are doing will put it back on the rails and we’ll finish up being where Liverpool or Real Madrid are today in the future.

“When the going gets tough people need to show a bit of resilience, a bit of grit – don’t wilt – and come out the other side fighting and that’s what we will do.”

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And he revealed just how stark the financial situation at the club had been: “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.”

It was suggested to Ratcliffe that the club’s level of debt and serving that debt – in the last financial year £37m was paid in interest – was a more pressing issue for fans.

“Interest is one of the costs but it isn’t the biggest cost in this club,” he said.

“And the club needs to get its house back into order so it’s on a good financial footing for the future.

“Most clubs in the UK – most companies – have debt of some form. But if the club is really profitable, which I think it will be in years to come, then you can do the reverse. You can start paying down the debt. That’s where I think Manchester United should be.

“Ultimately, if you look at running the club the size of Manchester United with an income of about £650m you spend a part of that £650m on operating the club and part of it on the squad.

“Where do you want to spend the money? Do you want to spend it on operating the club, or do you want to spend it on the squad? Because if you spend it on the squad you get better results. And at the end of the day what’s Manchester United here for if it’s not to win trophies and silverware? What we want to do is invest in the best players in the world if we can, rather than spend it on, I’m afraid, free lunches.

“My only interest here is returning Manchester United back to greatness again.”

Ratcliffe, at least on face value, appears to have made a number of mistakes at United, but admitted to just two, including hiring sporting director Dan Ashworth, who left the role after just five months, with the co-owner claiming the “chemistry” wasn’t right.

“We are not perfect, and we are on a journey, and there have been a couple of errors along the way, but I think in the main all the things we are doing are the right things for the club,” 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.

“If you look at the time we made the decision about Erik the management team hadn’t been in place more than five minutes,” he explained, adding that it was difficult to judge the Dutchman’s performance under the previous regime.

“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,” he added.

A report this week claimed the Ratcliffe and his United bosses had already admitted defeat in their Project 150 goal, targeting the Premier League title in 2028, the club’s 150th anniversary.

“I don’t think it’s mission impossible. I think it’s good to have goals and objectives, Ratcliffe said.

“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.”

An announcement is expected on Tuesday that could see “the most iconic football stadium in the world” being built to replace the existing stadium, as part of a wider regeneration scheme.

“The club’s going to finish up in a very very different place in three years’ time to where its been in the past, in my view,” Ratcliffe added.

“I think it will become the most profitable club in the world. I think we may well finish up with the most iconic football stadium in the world, and I think we will finish up winning silverware again.”

According to reports, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are considering ‘another revolution’ with Ruben Amorim and Ange Postecoglou under pressure.

The Red Devils and Spurs are enduring woeful seasons as they are languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League.

In November, Man Utd appointed Amorim to replace Erik ten Hag after the Dutchman was fortunate to keep his job at the end of last season.

United’s FA Cup win saved Ten Hag, but their struggles in the Premier League from last season have carried over into this campaign as they have swiftly exited the race for European qualification.

Man Utd have arguably been worse under Amorim than Ten Hag as their new head coach has struggled to implement his preferred 3-4-3 formation, which isn’t suited to their squad.

READ: 16 Conclusions on Man United 1-1 Arsenal: Arteta’s obsession, Amorim’s compromise and Neville’s wall

Spurs have been similarly woeful as they have massively declined since they narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification last season.

Injuries have impacted Spurs more than most teams, but their performances have not been good enough as Postecoglou joins Amorim among the favourites to be the next Premier League manager sacked.

It remains to be seen whether Amorim and/or Postecoglou will remain in charge heading into the summer, but Man Utd and Spurs are linked with potential replacements.

A report in Italy claims Man Utd and Spurs are ‘first and foremost’ among the Premier League and European sides tracking Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi.

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The 48-year-old has emerged as one of the leading managers in Europe as he’s done a brilliant job since joining Inter Milan in 2021.

After losing the 2022/23 Champions League final, Inter Milan won the Serie A title last season and have also lifted the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana under Inzaghi.

This season, Inter Milan are one point clear at the top of Serie A and they are well-placed to qualify for the Champions League quarter-finals.

Despite this, Inzaghi’s long-term future is in doubt as his current contract expires in 2026 and he is earning admiring glances from clubs around Europe.

The report adds.

‘Inzaghi’s name is clearly present in the dossiers of those – Manchester United and Tottenham first and foremost – in English latitudes seem ready to implement yet another revolution on the bench.

‘Inzaghi, a year ago, swore love to Inter but only obtained a one-year renewal (until June 2026) compared to the one expiring in June and, twelve months later, at the end of the season we will still be in a similar situation, considering that Inzaghi will still find himself with only one year left on his contract.’

Arsenal have made an ‘offer’ for Barcelona defender Jules Kounde ahead of the summer transfer window, according to reports.

Arteta’s side have had a decent season in the Premier League this term with Arsenal currently sitting in second place in the table ahead of the crucial run-in.

However, it would take a monumental collapse from Premier League leaders Liverpool allow the Gunners back into the title race.

Arne Slot’s men are currently 15 points ahead of Arsenal, who have a game in hand, while the two sides still have to play each other in May.

If Arsenal finish second, as expected, then it will be the third time in a row that the Gunners will have finished as runners-up in the Premier League.

READ: 16 Conclusions on Man United 1-1 Arsenal: Arteta’s obsession, Amorim’s compromise and Neville’s wall

They were expected to finally attempt to get a title challenge over the line after twice running Manchester City close – but Liverpool’s brilliant season under Slot had not been factored in.

Arsenal have been struck by injuries to key forward players at the wrong time this season with Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli all missing recently.

But other areas of their team also need strengthening ahead of the summer with reports in Spain claiming that Barcelona defender Kounde, who has had a brilliant season as right-back for the Catalan giants is of interest.

The France international, who has been heavily linked to Manchester United, is ‘on the agenda of a big club that offers up to 60 million’ with Arsenal named as that interested party as they ‘set their sights on him to strengthen their defence for next season’.

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It is understood that ‘according to sources close to the London club, the Gunners are willing to offer up to 60 million euros (£50m) for his signing, a figure that Barca could consider if they need to cash in in the summer’.

The report continues:

‘Mikel Arteta’s team is looking to strengthen its defence with a player who can play both as a right-back and a centre-back. Koundé fits that profile perfectly, and his experience in the European elite makes him a very attractive option for the Londoners.

‘Arsenal are looking to build a defensive unit that will allow them to compete at the highest level in both the Premier League and the Champions League, and the Frenchman’s versatility is a plus. In addition, his ability to get the ball out and his speed in defensive retreats make him a key piece for the style of play that Arteta has implemented at the Emirates.

‘FC Barcelona has no clear position on Kounde’s departure. On the one hand, Flick trusts him and his performance as a right-back has been key to the team’s defensive stability. But on the other hand, the club still needs income to improve its financial situation and strengthen other positions.

‘€60m is a considerable amount, although Barça would expect at least €70m to open negotiations. The final decision will depend on market movements and whether the Catalan club finds a viable alternative for the right-back should the Frenchman leave. If Arsenal insist, Barca could be forced to make a difficult decision in the summer.’

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