Manchester United’s Sir Jim Ratcliffe assessment exactly one year after takeover deal was completed

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Exactly one year ago on Christmas Eve, a deal was struck for Sir Jim Ratcliffe to become the minority owner of Manchester United.

After a lengthy takeover battle that included Sheikh Jassim, Sir Jim Ratcliffe completed a £1.2bn deal that saw him take sporting control at Old Trafford on Christmas Eve.

Gary Neville slammed the takeover as a “disgrace”, suggesting the timing of the announcement was “truly awful” right before Christmas.

Now a year on, Ratcliffe has suffered a £4bn hit to his net worth, and there has been plenty of controversy surrounding his decisions during his first 12 months in charge.

The latest of those controversies is Ratcliffe’s decision to strip staff of their Christmas bonus – not exactly within the spirit of the holidays. Here is our assessment of Ratcliffe’s first year as United owner.

Positives from Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Man United ownership

Investment

Old Trafford and Carrington were quickly becoming a laughing stock under the Glazers.

The leaking Old Trafford roof and the outdated training facilities criticised by Cristiano Ronaldo painted the picture that United are quickly going out of fashion.

However, Ratcliffe has put his money where his mouth is and has invested £50m to refurbish and develop Carrington.

A recent £79m injection from Ratcliffe is set to go towards further infrastructure investment.

Ratcliffe wants to build a 100,000-seater stadium is also being discussed, with the cost set to rise up to £2bn.

Focus on football

A major criticism under the Glazer family was that there was far too much focus on the commercial and business side of the club.

There has been plenty of off-pitch drama under Ratcliffe, but there has been more of a shift toward a focus on football.

Ratcliffe wants to emulate Real Madrid and dominate European football. CEO Omar Berrada wants United to win the Premier League in 2028 – the club’s 150-year anniversary.

Boardroom structure

Ratcliffe immediately set out to get elite individuals in United’s boardroom.

Berrada was appointed from Manchester City to become the club’s CEO, while Dan Ashworth was poached from Newcastle United. That appointment clearly didn’t work out with Ashworth leaving as sporting director after just five months in his role.

However, Jason Wilcox is set for an enhanced role after Ashworth’s exit, with Ratcliffe a big fan of the director.

Negatives from Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Man United ownership

Staff cuts

Ratcliffe has been ruthless in his attempts to lower costs at Old Trafford.

For the price of £10m, Ratcliffe cut 250 jobs at United, while others have lost benefits such as their Christmas bonuses and travel benefits.

Ruben Amorim cited the staff cuts recently as a reason for his players to up their standards. To make matters worse, United have hardly saved a penny after spending millions sacking Erik ten Hag and Ashworth this season.

Sir Alex Ferguson controversy

Even the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson was not safe from Ratcliffe’s cost-cutting.

Ferguson’s £2.16m contract was ripped up by Ratcliffe in October despite him having served as a global club ambassador and club director since his retirement in 2013.

Ticket prices

Ratcliffe raised ticket prices and faced the fury of fans in November after United announced that all ticket brackets would rise to a minimum of £66.

Manchester United Supporters’ Trust branded the decision a “disgrace” in a letter to Berrada, but the justification for the decision was that it would help United navigate Profit and Sustainability Rules.

Post-season tour

As if there wasn’t enough games already, United are now set to fly to Malaysia at the end of the Premier League calendar for a post-season tour.

The planned trip is set to pocket United around £8 million but previous post-season tours have been slammed by other Premier League managers, who argue it overloads players.

The post-season tour is a complete money grab and is arguably one of Ineos’ worst decisions. Not only has Ratcliffe made decisions that angers fans and staff, but he now runs the risk of frustrating players and Amorim.