Pep Guardiola has responded to Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s praise of Manchester City – as well as his ambition to knock Manchester United’s neighbours off their perch.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos Group officially took charge of football operations at Manchester United this week.
The purchase of 27.7 per cent of the club’s Class A shares was finally completed on Tuesday but the new regime had already been putting bold plans in place.
Omar Berrada has been convinced to leave Manchester City to become United’s new CEO while Newcastle United’s Dan Ashworth is being pursued for the sporting director role.
Speaking to journalists for the first time since becoming co-owner on Wednesday, Ratcliffe told the Daily Mail that United have a ‘lot to learn’ from City.
Ratcliffe did maintain City were the ‘enemy’, though, and that he wants United to ‘knock them off their perch’ – in reference to Sir Alex Ferguson’s famous line on Liverpool.
Now City boss Pep Guardiola has been asked for his response to the comments.
Pep Guardiola responds to Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s comments
Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday, Guardiola said Ratcliffe was telling the truth with and, as a result, he predicts United to make progress under him.
“It’s the truth. As much as the teams admit it, they will be closer to us,” he said.
“If they want to deny it for things that are not the reality then it’s their problem. It’s not our problem.
“When I’ve been below teams I’ve always admired them and thought about what we need to do to be close, to challenge them.
“These are real competitive people. If they want to be judged on things they are comfortable with for one day they will not arrive where we are now.
“When we were below and United were winning, we were watching them, admiring them. We wanted to learn from them.
“The period of [Sir Alex] Ferguson – the generation with Roy Keane, David Beckham, Gary Neville – and all those big players. Rio Ferdinand.
“I’m pretty sure City admired and thought we want to be there. Now we are there. That’s why, for these type of comments, that I have the feeling that they will be back.
“I’m pretty sure with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the other people that United going to take a step forwards.
“I feel that they know exactly what they have to do, appoint the people they need to appoint with their experience in the business world to make projects better.
“But that is normal. It’s not just United. All the teams want it. We want to be there.”
It sounds promising
Ratcliffe may have been bullish with some of his comments, fans of many rival clubs have certainly been rubbed the wrong way, but he was humble as well.
For the man now in charge of Manchester United to give such high praise to their local rivals takes a lot of guts.
But it was the right thing to say. The truth. No messing around.
City are now the standard bearers and if Untied ever want to win the league title again then they have to reach that level.
Hopefully, Guardiola’s prediction is right.
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