Sir Jim Ratcliffe's two leaked emails show Man Utd co-owner ruthlessly laying down the law
Sir Jim Ratcliffe ‘s email about the state of club facilities isn’t the first time the part-owner has pulled no punches in his assessment of the state of play at Manchester United.
Ratcliffe, whose ownership stake sits just above 25 percent, has made multiple visits since his investment was announced midway through the season and then ratified in February. The billionaire, who is also a United fan, even made a rapid trip to Wembley after running the London Marathon so he could watch the conclusion of the FA Cup semi-final against Coventry City.
This week, though, it emerged that he is far from happy with the state of the club’s famous stadium. In leaked communications, he spoke about encountering a “disgrace” during a facilities tour and said standards “would not come close” to those at chemical company INEOS, where he serves as chairman.
It comes after some staff members were left frustrated by cost-cutting measures ahead of the FA Cup final. Separate leaked emails indicated staff members would be required to pay for their own travel to and from Wembley for the showpiece game against Manchester City – something they were not required to do in 2023.
“In recognition of your ongoing support this season, we will organise a colleague trip to Wembley for the final on 25 May,” the April email read, per The Times. “This year, the trip will be a little different. We will still provide you with a complimentary ticket to the game. However, we’ll ask you to contribute towards coach travel, and lunch will not be provided.
“While we appreciate this is a change from previous trips, you will all be aware of the need for us to spend the club’s money effectively, with a focus on performance and outcomes.
“We hope that this year’s trip balances the opportunity for you to go to Wembley to support our players while also ensuring we can invest as much as possible into the club over the coming months to achieve our goal of returning Manchester United back to the top of English, European and world football.”
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe outside Old Trafford
Ratcliffe has a big summer ahead in his role heading up football activities. However, his latest leaked communication indicates there are other areas where he wants the club to get its house in order.
“I had a good tour around the some of the facilities. I am afraid I was struck in many places by a high degree of untidiness. In particular the IT department which frankly was a disgrace and the dressing rooms of the U18 and U21 were not much better,” he wrote.
“These standards would not come close to what we would expect at INEOS and we are a chemical company. Manchester United is an elite sporting organisation. It’s a small thing in many ways but unless an organisation has standards and discipline it will not succeed.
“I would be grateful in future if we adopt the proper standards of housekeeping everywhere. It reflects poorly on the club if we have visitors, young player parents, new players and and the media and they see we don’t care enough to keep things shipshape.”
Manchester United players celebrate their FA Cup semi-final win
As for on-field matters, manager Erik ten Hag confirmed he has met with Ratcliffe ahead of the summer transfer window. United have yet to determine which European competition they will play in next term, if any, but some discussions have already taken place.
“Initial meetings are good,” Ten Hag told Sky Sports ahead of Monday’s game against Crystal Palace. “Now we have to take things quickly because the summer is coming.
“It’s a very important period where you come into a window. We want to make the next step into our squad and make plans to create an environment that avoids this year’s problems in injuries.”
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