Manchester United[1] co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe[2] has given Ruben Amorim[3] his full backing amid speculation over the Portuguese coach’s future at the club.
The 72-year-old, who bought a minority stake in the Premier League[4] giants in February last year, has insisted that he is not planning on succumbing to outside influence urging Amorim out of the door.
Speaking to Times Radio’s new The Business podcast[5], Ratcliffe said: ‘(Amorim) has not had the best of seasons. Ruben needs to demonstrate he is a great coach over three years. That’s where I would be.’
When asked whether that meant he intended to give Amorim three years, Ratcliffe said: ‘Yes. That’s where I would be. Three years, because football’s not overnight.’
The Portuguese boss has had a difficult start to life in Manchester since joining from Sporting Lisbon just under a year ago. United are currently 10th in the Premier League, having won three, drawn one and lost three matches in the top flight so far this campaign.
Their most humbling result this season was their second round elimination from the Carabao Cup[6] by League Two Grimsby Town – losing 12-11 on penalties.
Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has given Ruben Amorim his full backing amid speculation over the Portuguese coach’s future at the club
The Portuguese boss has had a difficult start to life in Manchester since joining from Sporting Lisbon just under a year ago, with United currently 10th in the Premier League
Ratcliffe continued: ‘The press, sometimes I don’t understand. They want overnight success. They think it’s a light switch. You know, you flick a switch and it’s all going to be roses tomorrow.
‘You can’t run a club like Manchester United on knee-jerk reactions to some journalist who goes off on one every week.’
His comments come off the back of Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher claiming it is ‘inevitable’ that the 40-year-old will be sacked from his job before Christmas.
Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet, Carragher said: ‘I don’t like saying a manager should be sacked – it’s disrespectful and it’s a man’s job – but I’m at that point where I do think Ruben Amorim’s job is untenable.
‘It’s inevitable that this is going to happen before Christmas. His stats are unbelievable for a Manchester United manager – 50 games as Manchester United manager, he’s only scored two more goals than he’s conceded.’
But Ratcliffe now appears to be doubling down on his appointment, his first after inheriting Erik ten Hag from the previous regime.
Asked what would happen if the Glazers told him to sack Amorim, Ratcliffe said: ‘It’s not going to happen.’
The Ineos boss added the Glazers were happy for him to take charge, adding: ‘That probably sums it up. We’re local and they’re the other side of the pond.
United are currently 10th in the Premier League, having won three, drawn one and lost three matches in the top flight so far this campaign
‘That’s a long way away to try and manage a football club as big as complex as Manchester United. We’re here with feet on the ground.
‘They get a bad rap…but they are really nice people and they are really passionate about the club.’
Ratcliffe has come in for criticism of his own after controversial cuts designed to drive down costs saw around 450 jobs axed and the removal of perks like subsidised staff lunches.
‘The costs were just too high. There are some fantastic people at Manchester United, but there was also a level of mediocrity and it had become bloated,’ he said.
‘I got a lot of flak for the free lunches, but no-one’s ever given me a free lunch.
‘The biggest correlation, like it or not, between results and any external factor – is profitability. The more cash you have got, the better squad you can build.
‘So a lot of what we have done in the first year is spend an awful lot of time putting the club on a sustainable, healthy footing.
Ratcliffe has doubled down on his appointment, his first after inheriting Erik ten Hag from the previous regime, and insisted that there’s no chance of the Glazers asking him to fire his man
‘We’re not seeing all the benefits of the restructuring that we’ve done in this set of (financial) results (United last month reported record revenues of £666.5million for last season but a loss of £33million for the financial year) and we were not in the Champions League.
‘Those numbers will get better. Manchester United will become the most profitable football club in the world, in my view, and from that will stem, I hope, a long-term, sustainable, high-level of football.’
References
- ^ Manchester United (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Jim Ratcliffe (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Ruben Amorim (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Premier League (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ The Business podcast (podfollow.com)
- ^ Carabao Cup (www.dailymail.co.uk)