By Manchester United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has confirmed he wants to give head coach Ruben Amorim three years to prove himself, despite growing pressure on the Portuguese manager.
Amorim is approaching the first anniversary of his appointment at Old Trafford, having taken charge on November 1 last year. His tenure so far has been turbulent, with United failing to win consecutive Premier League matches and finishing 15th last season, their lowest league position since 1974.
United’s struggles have continued into the new campaign, highlighted by a Carabao Cup defeat to League Two side Grimsby in August. The poor results have led to speculation over Amorim’s future, but Ratcliffe has reiterated his confidence in the 40-year-old.
“Ruben needs to demonstrate he is a great coach over three years,” Ratcliffe said on The Business podcast, produced by The Times. When asked if Amorim would be given the full three years, Ratcliffe replied: “Yes. That’s where I would be, three years. Because football doesn’t change overnight. You can look at Mikel Arteta at Arsenal; he had a miserable time over the first couple of years.”
Manchester United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has urged patience as he continues to reshape the club, insisting success will take time and cannot be achieved through “knee-jerk reactions.”
“We have to be patient. We have a long-term plan. It isn’t a light switch,” Ratcliffe said. “You can’t run a club like Manchester United on knee-jerk reactions to some journalist who goes off on one every week.”
Ratcliffe, who purchased just under 30 per cent of United through his company INEOS in February 2024, oversees all football operations at Old Trafford. The Glazer family, who have owned the club since 2005 and remain majority shareholders, continue to face criticism from supporters for their stewardship.
Asked what would happen if the Glazers demanded the sacking of manager Ruben Amorim, Ratcliffe was firm in his response.
“It’s not going to happen,” he said.
Ratcliffe added that the Glazers were content for him to take control of the sporting side of the club.
“That probably sums it up. We’re local, and they’re on the other side of the pond. That’s a long way away to try and manage a football club as big and complex as Manchester United. We’re here with our feet on the ground.
They [the Glazers] get a bad rap, but they are really nice people and they’re passionate about the club.”
The Glazer, Majority shareholders
Ratcliffe has faced criticism of his own following a cost-cutting drive that led to around 450 job losses and the removal of benefits such as subsidised staff lunches.
Defending the measures, he said:
“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.
I got a lot of flak for the free lunches, but no one’s ever given me a free lunch.”
The INEOS chief argued that profitability is essential for football success.
“The biggest correlation, like it or not, between results and any external factor is profitability. The more cash you’ve got, the better squad you can build.”
Ratcliffe said his focus during his first year in charge has been on stabilising the club financially and creating a platform for future growth; “Much of what we’ve done in the first year is put the club on a sustainable, healthy footing. We’re not seeing all the benefits yet, but those numbers will improve.
”Manchester United will become the most profitable football club in the world, in my view and from that, I hope, will come a long-term, sustainable, high level of football.”
