Sir Jim Ratcliffe vows to give manager Ruben Amorim three years despite mounting pressure at United
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has thrown his weight behind Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim, promising the under-fire coach a full three years to prove himself despite a dismal run of results that has left fans frustrated and pundits calling for change.
The 40-year-old Portuguese coach, who has been in charge for just under a year, has struggled to inject consistency into the side. United sit 10th in the Premier League table, having failed to win back-to-back league games under his management. In his 34 matches in charge, the club have earned only 37 points and endured a humiliating Carabao Cup exit at the hands of League Two side Grimsby Town in August.
Despite a summer spend of around £170 million, Amorim’s preferred 3-4-3 system has yet to deliver the attacking flair or defensive stability expected of a club of United’s stature. However, Ratcliffe — who assumed control of football operations after acquiring a 25% stake in the club in December 2023 — has urged patience, insisting United will not repeat the cycle of short-term sackings that has plagued them since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.
Speaking on The Business podcast, Ratcliffe said: “He 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. The press, sometimes I don’t understand. They want overnight success. They think it’s a light switch. You flick it, and suddenly it’s all roses. You can’t run a club like Manchester United on kneejerk reactions to some journalist who goes off on one every week.”
Ratcliffe’s comments come at a turbulent time for the club, which continues to operate under shared ownership with the Glazer family. While Ratcliffe and his Ineos group have taken charge of day-to-day football matters, the Glazers remain majority shareholders — a setup that has sparked scepticism among fans.
Asked whether the Glazers could overrule his decision on Amorim’s future, Ratcliffe was firm: “It’s not going to happen.”
The 72-year-old billionaire was also keen to defend his fellow owners, describing them as “really nice people” who are “passionate about the club,” despite years of fan protests and growing hostility from the terraces. “We’re local and they’re the other side of the pond,” Ratcliffe explained. “That’s a long way away to try to manage a football club as big and as complex as Manchester United. We’re here with feet on the ground.”
Since taking the reins, Ratcliffe has overseen sweeping cost-cutting measures across the club. Around 450 jobs have been axed, Sir Alex Ferguson’s £2 million-a-year ambassadorial role has been scrapped, and even free staff lunches have been discontinued — decisions that have drawn widespread criticism.
But Ratcliffe has stood by those changes, describing them as necessary to build a sustainable future. “The costs were just too high,” he said. “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.”
United recently announced record revenues of £666.5 million for the financial year ending June 2025, but those numbers were offset by a £33 million loss, reflecting the financial strain of missing out on Champions League football. Ratcliffe, however, remains optimistic that his restructuring will pay off.
“We’re not seeing all the benefits yet,” he said. “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 a long-term, sustainable, high level of football.”
For Amorim, the backing from Ratcliffe offers a lifeline — but it also starts the clock. Three years to transform Manchester United’s fortunes may sound generous, but in the pressure cooker of Old Trafford, it could feel far shorter.