Manchester United part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has massively eased the pressure on under-fire head coach Ruben Amorim, revealing he has three years to get things right at Old Trafford. The news comes in the wake of a hugely disappointing start to the Premier League season, with the 20-time title winners languishing in 10th place.
Massive boost for United boss Amorim
Man Utd finished in a lowly 15th place last season, lost the Europa League final to Tottenham and performances this season have led many to believe the Portuguese boss would be let go. But Amorim has been given a major boost after an update from Ratcliffe. The INEOS chief told podcast: "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 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."
And asked what would happen if the Glazers told him to sack Amorim, Ratcliffe added: "It's not going to happen. That probably sums it up. We're local and they're the other side of the pond. 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."
AdvertisementAFPShocker of a season so far
Amorim's start to this season compounded the woes of his difficult first year, placing him under enormous pressure. After a disappointing 15th-place finish last term expectations for significant improvement were high. However, the season began with a shocking EFL Cup exit to League Two side Grimsby Town, a historic low point for the club. In the Premier League, United's inconsistency continues, and after their first seven matches, the team sit 10th. His preference for a back-three system and inconsistent results have reportedly even caused concern among the players.
Ratcliffe defends sweeping club cuts
Ratcliffe also discussed the wide-ranging, swingeing cuts made at the club in recent months, which have included 450 jobs being axed and the ending of staff perks. He said: "The costs were just too high. There are some fantastic people at Man Utd, 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 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. We're not seeing all the benefits of the restructuring that we've done in this set of financial results 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."
Getty Images SportMore reason for United to be cheerful
News of the support from Ratcliffe comes hot on the heels of the much-needed victory over Sunderland in the league, but there remains plenty of work for Amorim to do. One win over a newly-promoted side won't convince the watching fans in the Stretford End, but beat champions Liverpool after the international break and opinions will definitely start to change.