Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Man Utd board think the club is ‘heading in the right direction’ and believe they made the ‘right hire’ in Ruben Amorim, according to reports.
Ratcliffe and INEOS have had a rocky start to their time as co-owners of the Red Devils after completing a deal to buy 27.7 per cent of the Premier League club a year ago.
The British billionaire has committed to mass redundancies and cost-cutting exercises at Man Utd in an effort to get the finances at Old Trafford on a stable footing, while angering fans over potential price rises.
They spent a lot of money sacking Erik ten Hag in October and replacing the Dutchman with Portuguese head coach Amorim in November.
And their decision has so far failed to pay off with results and performances worse under Amorim than under Ten Hag’s last few months as Man Utd boss.
Man Utd are currently 15th in the Premier League table with 13 matches to play and at serious risk of having no European football at Old Trafford next season.
Amorim has brought a whole new philosophy and style of play to Man Utd and now the Red Devils hierarchy will back the Portuguese coach in the summer with a squad ‘overhaul’.
A report in the Daily Mail claims:
‘Ratcliffe aims to free up cash for football, with the hope of overhauling the squad this summer. Ruben Amorim has had a difficult start but the club still believe they have made the right hire
‘Technical director Jason Wilcox, centre, and chief executive Omar Berrada, right, have generated similar feelings, with the former a key link between the squad and executives.
‘While compliance with financial rules continues to bite, the hope is that the summer window will see the new manager take major steps towards overhauling his squad.
‘It has been a difficult start in terms of results for Ruben Amorim, but he has impressed in most other areas. The steadfast view is that, this time, they have made the right hire.
‘There are similar feelings towards Berrada and Jason Wilcox, who came in as technical director. Wilcox is seen as a link between the playing squad and the powers that be. A person who has quickly gained the trust of all sides.
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‘While it may seem perverse given what is unfolding on the pitch more weekends than not, there is a view that they are heading in the right direction. That is not to say that Amorim hasn’t been without fault.
‘His comment in the wake of the 3-1 home humbling by Brighton that this ‘may be the worst’ United side in the club’s 147-year history did not go down well, not least in the commercial department. ‘We’re trying to do deals and sell the United dream and he comes out with this,’ mused one staffer. “Not helpful.”
‘From help to hope, and a relatively simple statement that may well give the long-suffering hordes some comfort. Ratcliffe is a rich man. Those close to him are adamant that he is not here to make money. He is here to make his football club the football club they once were. The club he believes they should be.
‘As part of the terms of the deal, he has injected close to £240m. As sad as it is, that is the largest investment that Manchester United has ever seen. The latest figures show that more than £1bn has now gone on servicing the debt the Glazers burdened the club with. ‘
