Nicky Butt makes eye-opening assessment of Sir Jim Ratcliffe with what ‘every single fan’ at Man Utd must ‘understand’

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Manchester United legend Nicky Butt has highlighted a “massive” challenge facing Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Red Devils manager Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe became co-owner of Manchester United in 2023 after the 72-year-old Ineos chief purchased a minority stake in the Premier League club.

The British billionaire’s stake was ratified in 2024 by the Premier League and the Football Association (FA) and Ineos have since taken control of football operations.

Ratcliffe has become a divisive figure since Ineos’ reign began and the boyhood United fan has made deeply unpopular decisions as Red Devils co-owner.

Among the decisions made under Ineos include United increasing the price of matchday tickets for fans during the 2024-25 Premier League campaign.

Red Devils fans have been furious with the price hike in matchday tickets and United will put up the price of season tickets for the 2025-26 Premier League season.

Ratcliffe’s other measures at Old Trafford have included a spree of cost-cutting measures, including laying off club staff and axing free lunch meals for staff.

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Nicky Butt offers his two cents on Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos’ reign at Man Utd

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been left red-faced in the 2024-25 campaign over the decisions that Ineos have made during their reign at Old Trafford so far.

Erik ten Hag was sacked as Manchester United manager last October, despite Ineos handing the 55-year-old former Ajax boss a contract extension last summer.

Another high-profile moment came last December with Dan Ashworth leaving his role as United sporting director after only five months at Old Trafford.

Nicky Butt admitted that it was “strange” to see what happened to Dan Ashworth after Ineos and Ratcliffe pushed to bring him to the Red Devils in 2024.

“They’ve got rid of Dan Ashworth, which I thought was a strange one, having worked so hard to get him from Newcastle,” he said, as per the Manchester Evening News.

“Obviously, he is a fantastic football person, but he didn’t fit in with the other ones by the sounds of it, with Jason [Wilcox] and Omar [Berrada].

“I think even if you got David Gill and Sir Alex [Ferguson] back there, it’s going to be a struggle for a long time.”

READ MORE: Sir Alex Ferguson ended biggest myth around legendary Man Utd career once and for all, he set record straight

Nicky Butt reveals ‘massive’ challenge for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ruben Amorim at Man Utd

Speaking at an event for the Foundation 92, which is backed by United’s famed ‘Class of ’92,’ Butt said that United fans need to be aware of the situation at hand at the club.

The United legend claimed that the Red Devils’ “massive climb” back to the top four is dependent on Ratcliffe and Ineos behind the scenes as much as it does for Ruben Amorim’s men on the pitch.

“I think every single fan, which I consider myself one, has to understand we’re at the bottom of the mountain and there’s a massive, massive climb to get up to probably four or five clubs above them, not only on the pitch, but off the pitch as well,” Butt continued.

United languish in 13th place in the Premier League table and the Red Devils return to Premier League action on 1st April against Nottingham Forest at City Ground.