EPL: RATCLIFFE PUTS AMORIM ON THREE-YEAR MISSION TO RESTORE MAN UNITED'S GLORY

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Ruben Amorim has been given three years to prove himself at Manchester United after co-owner Jim Ratcliffe insisted he will not make a knee-jerk decision about the under-fire manager’s future.

Amorim has endured constant speculation that he faces the sack throughout this season as United lurched from one crisis to another.

The former Sporting Lisbon boss, who was hired by Ratcliffe in November 2024, admitted earlier this term that he had considered quitting during United’s darkest moments.

Amorim’s side finished 15th in the Premier League last season — their lowest final top-flight position since 1973-74 — and squandered a chance to qualify for the Champions League when they lost the Europa League final to fellow strugglers Tottenham.

Tenth-placed United has fared no better this season, losing three of their first seven league games and suffering a shock League Cup defeat to fourth-tier Grimsby.

Amorim has failed to win consecutive Premier League games since replacing the dismissed Erik ten Hag, with United facing champions Liverpool following the international break.

Despite speculation that Amorim, whose side defeated promoted Sunderland in their last game, is in danger of being fired, Ratcliffe claimed the 40-year-old would be given time to improve matters.

“He has not had the best season. Ruben must prove himself to be an excellent coach over the course of three years. “That is where I would be,” Ratcliffe told The Business podcast, which is produced by The Times and The Sunday Times.

“The press, I do not always understand. They demand immediate success. They believe it is a light switch. You know, you can flip a switch and everything will be OK the next day.

“You can not operate a club like Manchester United based on knee-jerk reactions to some journalist who goes off on them every week.”

– “There are no free lunches.”

Ratcliffe has owned slightly less than 30% of United since February 2024, when he took over football operations at the 20-time English champions.
The Glazer family, who have faced many fan demonstrations since taking over in 2005, remained in ultimate charge at Old Trafford.

United haven’t won the English title since 2013, while their last European trophy was the 2017 Europa League.

Asked what would happen if the Glazers told him to sack Amorim, Ratcliffe said: “It’s not going to happen.”

The INEOS chief said the Glazers were happy for him to take charge, adding: “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 and 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.”

Ratcliffe has also come in from criticism after controversial cuts designed to drive down costs at United saw around 450 jobs axed and the removal of perks like subsidised staff lunches.

“The costs were just too high. There are some fantastic people at Manchester United, but there was also a level of mediocrity, and it had become bloated,” he said.

“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, 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.”

AFP