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Rio Ferdinand tells Sir Jim Ratcliffe how he can hit the ground running at Man United

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Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has had his say on Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s 25 per cent acquisition of the club from the Glazer family.

The ex-Manchester United man has always been rather vocal about the ownership and had even claimed that the Qatari consortium were on the verge of buying the club.

This never came to fruition, however, and now Sir Jim Ratcliffe is the man who is closing in on finally allowing the Glazer family to relinquish their power at Old Trafford.

United have had a poor start to the season and Rio Ferdinand has encouraged Ratcliffe to reveal his plans for the club or risk further dressing room turmoil.

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Ferdinand on takeover

Speaking on his YouTube channel Five, Ferdinand has set out how the 71-year-old can hit the ground running when he completes the takeover of the club.

“We’ve not had it explained what 25 per cent looks like from a business standpoint, to appease the anxiety,” Ferdinand said.

“Most fans wanted a new ownership. It’s not that now, so communication is vital.

“If Mr Ratcliffe is coming in and wants to hit the ground running, show some signs of influence. One of the key areas he needs to zone in on is communication with the fanbase.

“If you can control the hype, you have a better chance of keeping the dressing room tightknit and emotions to a level to perform.”

United’s need for communication

After suffering for 18 years with next to no communication from the Glazers, despite being told twice that this wouldn’t be the case, a new owner who is keen to communicate with the fans would be crucial.

Having another owner who might be as passive as the American family would not be beneficial for anyone involved at the club.

However, from the face of it, it does seem that Ratcliffe is keen on being involved with every facet of the club as possible and is also determined to invest in the infrastructure as much as possible.