posted 1 week, 5 days ago
If it gets one one star I'll be content.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
In a recent interview he conducted with the excellent United We Stand fanzine, Big Sir Jim Ratcliffe spoke of the major changes required at Old Trafford to regain the “elite status” Manchester United once enjoyed as a football club under Alex Ferguson. The public face of the club ever since he handed over £1.25bn to the Glazer family for the privilege of becoming a lightning rod for the torrent of fan abuse that used to be exclusively reserved for them, Ratcliffe always likes to convey the impression he is the smartest guy in the room – and quite possibly is until the precise moment a couple of smirking Americans named Joel and Avram walk through the door and pull up chairs.
In the nine-and-a-half months since he volunteered to became the world’s most expensive human shield, Big Sir Jim has sermonised at length about United’s need to get on a financially even keel, while simultaneously making big and often bad decisions that end up costing the club millions. In the summer he backed Erik ten Hag with a brand new contract and added several more Ajax alumni to his squad, only to sack him at great expense a few months later. By way of replacing him, he brought in Ruben Amorim and his team of coaching staff, who also didn’t come cheap. A tax exile, Ratcliffe made an unsuccessful demand upon the treasury to pay for a much-needed refurb at Old Trafford and saved the price of a couple of months’ worth of Antony’s salary by laying off 250 staff, largely washing his hands of the United women’s team and taking the unprecedented step of jacking up ticket prices in the middle of a season.
A self-made man who likes to let people know he grew up on a council estate without a backside in his trousers, Big Sir Jim insists he knows what it’s like to be poor and has no intention of pricing the ordinary working man or woman (or child) out of taking their families to Old Trafford … despite the upshot of pretty much every decision taken by him or his coterie of yes-men and flunkies suggesting nothing could be further from the truth. And on Sunday it was revealed he had spaffed several more millions up against the wall by “mutually” bouncing Dan Ashworth, United’s head of football recruitment, out of the club just five months after the suit he had once spoken so highly of had spent a similar amount of time on gardening leave from his previous gig at Newcastle.
While Football Daily is not in the business of saying “we told you so”, it behoves us to recall that our antennae started twitching feverishly as soon as Big Sir Jim, along with his sidekick and fellow marginal gains maestro Smaller Sir Dave Brailsford first started rocking up at Old Trafford, putting out very public feelers before their bid for a stake in the club. Previously best known for his ability to cajole bike-racers to Tour de France wins with little more than scented pillowcases and post-race warm-downs, Smaller Sir Dave has recently rebranded himself as a football executive at a time when the all-conquering and entirely scrupulous cycling team he once managed has been plunged into a state of staggering mediocrity under Big Sir Jim’s Ineos stewardship and has just controversially lost its star rider to a rival outfit.
The original high-performance guru and purveyor of world-class basics that other high-performance gurus and purveyors of world-class basics doff their caps to, it is worth noting that Brailsford and his fellow sharp-suited execs are currently overseeing Manchester United’s worst opening to a league campaign in almost 40 years. Their most recent reverse, at the hands of Nottingham Forest on Saturday, suggests Amorim has a hell of a job on his hands if he’s to return United to the “elite status” they enjoyed under Ferguson, a lofty standing that quickly eroded when the Scotsman got greedy and fell out with one of the club’s previous and eminently more sensible owners over a horse.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
comment by Vengeance (U23079)
posted 0 seconds ago
In a recent interview he conducted with the excellent United We Stand fanzine, Big Sir Jim Ratcliffe spoke of the major changes required at Old Trafford to regain the “elite status” Manchester United once enjoyed as a football club under Alex Ferguson. The public face of the club ever since he handed over £1.25bn to the Glazer family for the privilege of becoming a lightning rod for the torrent of fan abuse that used to be exclusively reserved for them, Ratcliffe always likes to convey the impression he is the smartest guy in the room – and quite possibly is until the precise moment a couple of smirking Americans named Joel and Avram walk through the door and pull up chairs.
In the nine-and-a-half months since he volunteered to became the world’s most expensive human shield, Big Sir Jim has sermonised at length about United’s need to get on a financially even keel, while simultaneously making big and often bad decisions that end up costing the club millions. In the summer he backed Erik ten Hag with a brand new contract and added several more Ajax alumni to his squad, only to sack him at great expense a few months later. By way of replacing him, he brought in Ruben Amorim and his team of coaching staff, who also didn’t come cheap. A tax exile, Ratcliffe made an unsuccessful demand upon the treasury to pay for a much-needed refurb at Old Trafford and saved the price of a couple of months’ worth of Antony’s salary by laying off 250 staff, largely washing his hands of the United women’s team and taking the unprecedented step of jacking up ticket prices in the middle of a season.
A self-made man who likes to let people know he grew up on a council estate without a backside in his trousers, Big Sir Jim insists he knows what it’s like to be poor and has no intention of pricing the ordinary working man or woman (or child) out of taking their families to Old Trafford … despite the upshot of pretty much every decision taken by him or his coterie of yes-men and flunkies suggesting nothing could be further from the truth. And on Sunday it was revealed he had spaffed several more millions up against the wall by “mutually” bouncing Dan Ashworth, United’s head of football recruitment, out of the club just five months after the suit he had once spoken so highly of had spent a similar amount of time on gardening leave from his previous gig at Newcastle.
While Football Daily is not in the business of saying “we told you so”, it behoves us to recall that our antennae started twitching feverishly as soon as Big Sir Jim, along with his sidekick and fellow marginal gains maestro Smaller Sir Dave Brailsford first started rocking up at Old Trafford, putting out very public feelers before their bid for a stake in the club. Previously best known for his ability to cajole bike-racers to Tour de France wins with little more than scented pillowcases and post-race warm-downs, Smaller Sir Dave has recently rebranded himself as a football executive at a time when the all-conquering and entirely scrupulous cycling team he once managed has been plunged into a state of staggering mediocrity under Big Sir Jim’s Ineos stewardship and has just controversially lost its star rider to a rival outfit.
The original high-performance guru and purveyor of world-class basics that other high-performance gurus and purveyors of world-class basics doff their caps to, it is worth noting that Brailsford and his fellow sharp-suited execs are currently overseeing Manchester United’s worst opening to a league campaign in almost 40 years. Their most recent reverse, at the hands of Nottingham Forest on Saturday, suggests Amorim has a hell of a job on his hands if he’s to return United to the “elite status” they enjoyed under Ferguson, a lofty standing that quickly eroded when the Scotsman got greedy and fell out with one of the club’s previous and eminently more sensible owners over a horse.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Just copied and pasted the article, 52.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
comment by Vengeance (U23079)
posted 31 seconds ago
comment by Vengeance (U23079)
posted 0 seconds ago
In a recent interview he conducted with the excellent United We Stand fanzine, Big Sir Jim Ratcliffe spoke of the major changes required at Old Trafford to regain the “elite status” Manchester United once enjoyed as a football club under Alex Ferguson. The public face of the club ever since he handed over £1.25bn to the Glazer family for the privilege of becoming a lightning rod for the torrent of fan abuse that used to be exclusively reserved for them, Ratcliffe always likes to convey the impression he is the smartest guy in the room – and quite possibly is until the precise moment a couple of smirking Americans named Joel and Avram walk through the door and pull up chairs.
In the nine-and-a-half months since he volunteered to became the world’s most expensive human shield, Big Sir Jim has sermonised at length about United’s need to get on a financially even keel, while simultaneously making big and often bad decisions that end up costing the club millions. In the summer he backed Erik ten Hag with a brand new contract and added several more Ajax alumni to his squad, only to sack him at great expense a few months later. By way of replacing him, he brought in Ruben Amorim and his team of coaching staff, who also didn’t come cheap. A tax exile, Ratcliffe made an unsuccessful demand upon the treasury to pay for a much-needed refurb at Old Trafford and saved the price of a couple of months’ worth of Antony’s salary by laying off 250 staff, largely washing his hands of the United women’s team and taking the unprecedented step of jacking up ticket prices in the middle of a season.
A self-made man who likes to let people know he grew up on a council estate without a backside in his trousers, Big Sir Jim insists he knows what it’s like to be poor and has no intention of pricing the ordinary working man or woman (or child) out of taking their families to Old Trafford … despite the upshot of pretty much every decision taken by him or his coterie of yes-men and flunkies suggesting nothing could be further from the truth. And on Sunday it was revealed he had spaffed several more millions up against the wall by “mutually” bouncing Dan Ashworth, United’s head of football recruitment, out of the club just five months after the suit he had once spoken so highly of had spent a similar amount of time on gardening leave from his previous gig at Newcastle.
While Football Daily is not in the business of saying “we told you so”, it behoves us to recall that our antennae started twitching feverishly as soon as Big Sir Jim, along with his sidekick and fellow marginal gains maestro Smaller Sir Dave Brailsford first started rocking up at Old Trafford, putting out very public feelers before their bid for a stake in the club. Previously best known for his ability to cajole bike-racers to Tour de France wins with little more than scented pillowcases and post-race warm-downs, Smaller Sir Dave has recently rebranded himself as a football executive at a time when the all-conquering and entirely scrupulous cycling team he once managed has been plunged into a state of staggering mediocrity under Big Sir Jim’s Ineos stewardship and has just controversially lost its star rider to a rival outfit.
The original high-performance guru and purveyor of world-class basics that other high-performance gurus and purveyors of world-class basics doff their caps to, it is worth noting that Brailsford and his fellow sharp-suited execs are currently overseeing Manchester United’s worst opening to a league campaign in almost 40 years. Their most recent reverse, at the hands of Nottingham Forest on Saturday, suggests Amorim has a hell of a job on his hands if he’s to return United to the “elite status” they enjoyed under Ferguson, a lofty standing that quickly eroded when the Scotsman got greedy and fell out with one of the club’s previous and eminently more sensible owners over a horse.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Just copied and pasted the article, 52.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yowser, cheers Vengeance. 👍
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
I am fully behind Ratcliffe. If he doesn't make tough, unpopular decisions then he's doing something wrong. As for ticket prices? People who say they can't afford £66 need to understand that someone else will indeed pay £66 for a ticket to watch us play.
We need to let go of pretending it's like the 90's or 00's as football has changed.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
Quite amusing when satire and normal life overlap.
He's trying to be funny with the article but it's genuinely don't far off the truth. It's been an abysmal start to the new era and no less chaotic or wasteful as the previous one. Fans already turned on Jim too over the ticket thing.
Feels like it's destiny for us to go 26 years again without another league title. Definitely possible too the way we are going.
As RBW posted earlier......Jim and Dave shouldn't be making any decisions at all anymore. Leave that to Berrada who, despite being a City spy behind enemy lines (joke) is still by far the most qualified football guy
we have. Let him crack on now.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
Isn't Barry Glenndenning that Scot from talksport who sounds like he's permanently stoned?
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
comment by Tyranny of the majority (SE85) (U21241)
posted 3 minutes ago
Quite amusing when satire and normal life overlap.
He's trying to be funny with the article but it's genuinely don't far off the truth. It's been an abysmal start to the new era and no less chaotic or wasteful as the previous one. Fans already turned on Jim too over the ticket thing.
Feels like it's destiny for us to go 26 years again without another league title. Definitely possible too the way we are going.
As RBW posted earlier......Jim and Dave shouldn't be making any decisions at all anymore. Leave that to Berrada who, despite being a City spy behind enemy lines (joke) is still by far the most qualified football guy
we have. Let him crack on now.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think you might go much longer. It’s not just Liverpool and Arsenal anymore, you have City and Chelsea as well and your starting from a far worse position - Amorim has a squad full of ETH players
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
It's been an abysmal start to the new era and no less chaotic or wasteful as the previous one.
..................................
Well, I do not think this is strictly true. The summer transfer window went much better than under the previous regime for starters.
Much needed clearing out of our oversized staff was a good thing.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
comment by 115 reasons why ours is better (U22832)
posted 2 minutes ago
Isn't Barry Glenndenning that Scot from talksport who sounds like he's permanently stoned?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I thought that was Alan Brazil
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
comment by Glen Bulb (U1449)
posted 8 minutes ago
comment by 115 reasons why ours is better (U22832)
posted 2 minutes ago
Isn't Barry Glenndenning that Scot from talksport who sounds like he's permanently stoned?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I thought that was Alan Brazil
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Glendenning is Irish for a start
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
comment by Striketeam7 - staying humble (U18109)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by Glen Bulb (U1449)
posted 8 minutes ago
comment by 115 reasons why ours is better (U22832)
posted 2 minutes ago
Isn't Barry Glenndenning that Scot from talksport who sounds like he's permanently stoned?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I thought that was Alan Brazil
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Glendenning is Irish for a start
----------------------------------------------------------------------
So he is permanently stoned.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by Striketeam7 - staying humble (U18109)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by Glen Bulb (U1449)
posted 8 minutes ago
comment by 115 reasons why ours is better (U22832)
posted 2 minutes ago
Isn't Barry Glenndenning that Scot from talksport who sounds like he's permanently stoned?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I thought that was Alan Brazil
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Glendenning is Irish for a start
----------------------------------------------------------------------
So he is permanently stoned.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I don’t know about that. His voice is faaaacking annoying though. However, when he is annoying me I do cheer myself up remembering he supports Everton - a club that only exists so Spurs have another big club they can punch down on
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
Sir Jim Ratcliffe may not be worse than the Glazers, but this debacle is far from reassuring. His cost cutting measures and the way they’re being implemented raise concerns amongst match going fans. As Gary Neville recently pointed out, being upfront with fans about the reasons behind a poor appointment can make a big difference. If the club doesn’t clarify the reasons surrounding Ashworth’s departure, speculation will only grow.
Admitting that they got the appointment wrong and that Ashworth was perhaps out of his depth would be better than leaving fans in the dark. If the issue was the result of personality clashes or other internal factors, it raises concerns about Sir Jim’s approach and possible toxicity at the highest level. There’s a real risk of returning to Ed Woodward’s era of wastefulness and chaos. What this club desperately needs is “best in class” DoF, something Ashworth was supposed to represent. Sacking him 5 months into the job following a lengthy and expensive pursuit does not look good on Sir Jim.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
Sir Jim will make us profitable again and commercially untouchable.
He has my backing
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
Is is true RVN obtained more points than Amorim and has equalled Amorims points total with Leicester in less games?
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
comment by Slack Alice (U9489)
posted 55 minutes ago
Sir Jim will make us profitable again and commercially untouchable.
He has my backing
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He sounds like Daniel Levy
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
He's acting exactly like Daniel Levy.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
comment by Striketeam7 - staying humble (U18109)
posted 1 hour, 40 minutes ago
comment by Tyranny of the majority (SE85) (U21241)
posted 3 minutes ago
Quite amusing when satire and normal life overlap.
He's trying to be funny with the article but it's genuinely don't far off the truth. It's been an abysmal start to the new era and no less chaotic or wasteful as the previous one. Fans already turned on Jim too over the ticket thing.
Feels like it's destiny for us to go 26 years again without another league title. Definitely possible too the way we are going.
As RBW posted earlier......Jim and Dave shouldn't be making any decisions at all anymore. Leave that to Berrada who, despite being a City spy behind enemy lines (joke) is still by far the most qualified football guy
we have. Let him crack on now.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think you might go much longer. It’s not just Liverpool and Arsenal anymore, you have City and Chelsea as well and your starting from a far worse position - Amorim has a squad full of ETH players
----------------------------------------------------------------------
We completed with Chelsea back then too so let's not pretend we didn't. Fergie and Jose had some epic battles.
We've gone 11 years already so it is very possible we could go another 8 or 9 now. Hopefully we don't go the full 26 again but yeah it ain't looking good right now.
Football can change quickly though.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
Seems like a and I think on balance there's more evidence to suggest they don't know what they're doing than to suggest that they do. Glazers reborn
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
comment by Striketeam7 - staying humble (U18109)
posted 2 hours, 54 minutes ago
comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by Striketeam7 - staying humble (U18109)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by Glen Bulb (U1449)
posted 8 minutes ago
comment by 115 reasons why ours is better (U22832)
posted 2 minutes ago
Isn't Barry Glenndenning that Scot from talksport who sounds like he's permanently stoned?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I thought that was Alan Brazil
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Glendenning is Irish for a start
----------------------------------------------------------------------
So he is permanently stoned.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I don’t know about that. His voice is faaaacking annoying though. However, when he is annoying me I do cheer myself up remembering he supports Everton - a club that only exists so Spurs have another big club they can punch down on
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Glendenning supports Sunderland.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
I remember BG saying on the Football Weekly podcast Ratcliffe would be an hilarious disaster at United. So far, so good.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
comment by Lexington 125.2 (U8879)
posted 4 minutes ago
I remember BG saying on the Football Weekly podcast Ratcliffe would be an hilarious disaster at United. So far, so good.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yeah he called it a long time ago, honestly at first I thought it would be a good thing for Utd from the noise he was making but it was BG who first brought it to my awareness that he might not be that great and after looking at other endeavours I've been skeptical since.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
It's far too early to judge Jim and Co.
We've been saying for years things need to change with the team and we are now at where we are under yet another new manager. A manager I have a good feeling about.
Had we been top of the league and let Ashworth go then I'm sure the narrative would be that Jim knows what he's doing and got rid of someone who didn't cut the mustard. If Ashworth wasn't aligned with the rest of them then probably for the best he goes. Changing your mind and acting decisively isn't a bad quality even if you have made the mistake in the first place.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
Yeah he called it a long time ago, honestly at first I thought it would be a good thing for Utd from the noise he was making but it was BG who first brought it to my awareness that he might not be that great and after looking at other endeavours I've been skeptical since
...........
I had read about his short comings at Nice so wanted to steer well clear of INEOS. Said at the time we should have gone with the Qatari's and have not changed my mind since.
Sign in if you want to comment
Big Jim Ratcliffe
Page 1 of 2
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
If it gets one one star I'll be content.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
In a recent interview he conducted with the excellent United We Stand fanzine, Big Sir Jim Ratcliffe spoke of the major changes required at Old Trafford to regain the “elite status” Manchester United once enjoyed as a football club under Alex Ferguson. The public face of the club ever since he handed over £1.25bn to the Glazer family for the privilege of becoming a lightning rod for the torrent of fan abuse that used to be exclusively reserved for them, Ratcliffe always likes to convey the impression he is the smartest guy in the room – and quite possibly is until the precise moment a couple of smirking Americans named Joel and Avram walk through the door and pull up chairs.
In the nine-and-a-half months since he volunteered to became the world’s most expensive human shield, Big Sir Jim has sermonised at length about United’s need to get on a financially even keel, while simultaneously making big and often bad decisions that end up costing the club millions. In the summer he backed Erik ten Hag with a brand new contract and added several more Ajax alumni to his squad, only to sack him at great expense a few months later. By way of replacing him, he brought in Ruben Amorim and his team of coaching staff, who also didn’t come cheap. A tax exile, Ratcliffe made an unsuccessful demand upon the treasury to pay for a much-needed refurb at Old Trafford and saved the price of a couple of months’ worth of Antony’s salary by laying off 250 staff, largely washing his hands of the United women’s team and taking the unprecedented step of jacking up ticket prices in the middle of a season.
A self-made man who likes to let people know he grew up on a council estate without a backside in his trousers, Big Sir Jim insists he knows what it’s like to be poor and has no intention of pricing the ordinary working man or woman (or child) out of taking their families to Old Trafford … despite the upshot of pretty much every decision taken by him or his coterie of yes-men and flunkies suggesting nothing could be further from the truth. And on Sunday it was revealed he had spaffed several more millions up against the wall by “mutually” bouncing Dan Ashworth, United’s head of football recruitment, out of the club just five months after the suit he had once spoken so highly of had spent a similar amount of time on gardening leave from his previous gig at Newcastle.
While Football Daily is not in the business of saying “we told you so”, it behoves us to recall that our antennae started twitching feverishly as soon as Big Sir Jim, along with his sidekick and fellow marginal gains maestro Smaller Sir Dave Brailsford first started rocking up at Old Trafford, putting out very public feelers before their bid for a stake in the club. Previously best known for his ability to cajole bike-racers to Tour de France wins with little more than scented pillowcases and post-race warm-downs, Smaller Sir Dave has recently rebranded himself as a football executive at a time when the all-conquering and entirely scrupulous cycling team he once managed has been plunged into a state of staggering mediocrity under Big Sir Jim’s Ineos stewardship and has just controversially lost its star rider to a rival outfit.
The original high-performance guru and purveyor of world-class basics that other high-performance gurus and purveyors of world-class basics doff their caps to, it is worth noting that Brailsford and his fellow sharp-suited execs are currently overseeing Manchester United’s worst opening to a league campaign in almost 40 years. Their most recent reverse, at the hands of Nottingham Forest on Saturday, suggests Amorim has a hell of a job on his hands if he’s to return United to the “elite status” they enjoyed under Ferguson, a lofty standing that quickly eroded when the Scotsman got greedy and fell out with one of the club’s previous and eminently more sensible owners over a horse.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
comment by Vengeance (U23079)
posted 0 seconds ago
In a recent interview he conducted with the excellent United We Stand fanzine, Big Sir Jim Ratcliffe spoke of the major changes required at Old Trafford to regain the “elite status” Manchester United once enjoyed as a football club under Alex Ferguson. The public face of the club ever since he handed over £1.25bn to the Glazer family for the privilege of becoming a lightning rod for the torrent of fan abuse that used to be exclusively reserved for them, Ratcliffe always likes to convey the impression he is the smartest guy in the room – and quite possibly is until the precise moment a couple of smirking Americans named Joel and Avram walk through the door and pull up chairs.
In the nine-and-a-half months since he volunteered to became the world’s most expensive human shield, Big Sir Jim has sermonised at length about United’s need to get on a financially even keel, while simultaneously making big and often bad decisions that end up costing the club millions. In the summer he backed Erik ten Hag with a brand new contract and added several more Ajax alumni to his squad, only to sack him at great expense a few months later. By way of replacing him, he brought in Ruben Amorim and his team of coaching staff, who also didn’t come cheap. A tax exile, Ratcliffe made an unsuccessful demand upon the treasury to pay for a much-needed refurb at Old Trafford and saved the price of a couple of months’ worth of Antony’s salary by laying off 250 staff, largely washing his hands of the United women’s team and taking the unprecedented step of jacking up ticket prices in the middle of a season.
A self-made man who likes to let people know he grew up on a council estate without a backside in his trousers, Big Sir Jim insists he knows what it’s like to be poor and has no intention of pricing the ordinary working man or woman (or child) out of taking their families to Old Trafford … despite the upshot of pretty much every decision taken by him or his coterie of yes-men and flunkies suggesting nothing could be further from the truth. And on Sunday it was revealed he had spaffed several more millions up against the wall by “mutually” bouncing Dan Ashworth, United’s head of football recruitment, out of the club just five months after the suit he had once spoken so highly of had spent a similar amount of time on gardening leave from his previous gig at Newcastle.
While Football Daily is not in the business of saying “we told you so”, it behoves us to recall that our antennae started twitching feverishly as soon as Big Sir Jim, along with his sidekick and fellow marginal gains maestro Smaller Sir Dave Brailsford first started rocking up at Old Trafford, putting out very public feelers before their bid for a stake in the club. Previously best known for his ability to cajole bike-racers to Tour de France wins with little more than scented pillowcases and post-race warm-downs, Smaller Sir Dave has recently rebranded himself as a football executive at a time when the all-conquering and entirely scrupulous cycling team he once managed has been plunged into a state of staggering mediocrity under Big Sir Jim’s Ineos stewardship and has just controversially lost its star rider to a rival outfit.
The original high-performance guru and purveyor of world-class basics that other high-performance gurus and purveyors of world-class basics doff their caps to, it is worth noting that Brailsford and his fellow sharp-suited execs are currently overseeing Manchester United’s worst opening to a league campaign in almost 40 years. Their most recent reverse, at the hands of Nottingham Forest on Saturday, suggests Amorim has a hell of a job on his hands if he’s to return United to the “elite status” they enjoyed under Ferguson, a lofty standing that quickly eroded when the Scotsman got greedy and fell out with one of the club’s previous and eminently more sensible owners over a horse.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Just copied and pasted the article, 52.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
comment by Vengeance (U23079)
posted 31 seconds ago
comment by Vengeance (U23079)
posted 0 seconds ago
In a recent interview he conducted with the excellent United We Stand fanzine, Big Sir Jim Ratcliffe spoke of the major changes required at Old Trafford to regain the “elite status” Manchester United once enjoyed as a football club under Alex Ferguson. The public face of the club ever since he handed over £1.25bn to the Glazer family for the privilege of becoming a lightning rod for the torrent of fan abuse that used to be exclusively reserved for them, Ratcliffe always likes to convey the impression he is the smartest guy in the room – and quite possibly is until the precise moment a couple of smirking Americans named Joel and Avram walk through the door and pull up chairs.
In the nine-and-a-half months since he volunteered to became the world’s most expensive human shield, Big Sir Jim has sermonised at length about United’s need to get on a financially even keel, while simultaneously making big and often bad decisions that end up costing the club millions. In the summer he backed Erik ten Hag with a brand new contract and added several more Ajax alumni to his squad, only to sack him at great expense a few months later. By way of replacing him, he brought in Ruben Amorim and his team of coaching staff, who also didn’t come cheap. A tax exile, Ratcliffe made an unsuccessful demand upon the treasury to pay for a much-needed refurb at Old Trafford and saved the price of a couple of months’ worth of Antony’s salary by laying off 250 staff, largely washing his hands of the United women’s team and taking the unprecedented step of jacking up ticket prices in the middle of a season.
A self-made man who likes to let people know he grew up on a council estate without a backside in his trousers, Big Sir Jim insists he knows what it’s like to be poor and has no intention of pricing the ordinary working man or woman (or child) out of taking their families to Old Trafford … despite the upshot of pretty much every decision taken by him or his coterie of yes-men and flunkies suggesting nothing could be further from the truth. And on Sunday it was revealed he had spaffed several more millions up against the wall by “mutually” bouncing Dan Ashworth, United’s head of football recruitment, out of the club just five months after the suit he had once spoken so highly of had spent a similar amount of time on gardening leave from his previous gig at Newcastle.
While Football Daily is not in the business of saying “we told you so”, it behoves us to recall that our antennae started twitching feverishly as soon as Big Sir Jim, along with his sidekick and fellow marginal gains maestro Smaller Sir Dave Brailsford first started rocking up at Old Trafford, putting out very public feelers before their bid for a stake in the club. Previously best known for his ability to cajole bike-racers to Tour de France wins with little more than scented pillowcases and post-race warm-downs, Smaller Sir Dave has recently rebranded himself as a football executive at a time when the all-conquering and entirely scrupulous cycling team he once managed has been plunged into a state of staggering mediocrity under Big Sir Jim’s Ineos stewardship and has just controversially lost its star rider to a rival outfit.
The original high-performance guru and purveyor of world-class basics that other high-performance gurus and purveyors of world-class basics doff their caps to, it is worth noting that Brailsford and his fellow sharp-suited execs are currently overseeing Manchester United’s worst opening to a league campaign in almost 40 years. Their most recent reverse, at the hands of Nottingham Forest on Saturday, suggests Amorim has a hell of a job on his hands if he’s to return United to the “elite status” they enjoyed under Ferguson, a lofty standing that quickly eroded when the Scotsman got greedy and fell out with one of the club’s previous and eminently more sensible owners over a horse.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Just copied and pasted the article, 52.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yowser, cheers Vengeance. 👍
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
I am fully behind Ratcliffe. If he doesn't make tough, unpopular decisions then he's doing something wrong. As for ticket prices? People who say they can't afford £66 need to understand that someone else will indeed pay £66 for a ticket to watch us play.
We need to let go of pretending it's like the 90's or 00's as football has changed.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
Quite amusing when satire and normal life overlap.
He's trying to be funny with the article but it's genuinely don't far off the truth. It's been an abysmal start to the new era and no less chaotic or wasteful as the previous one. Fans already turned on Jim too over the ticket thing.
Feels like it's destiny for us to go 26 years again without another league title. Definitely possible too the way we are going.
As RBW posted earlier......Jim and Dave shouldn't be making any decisions at all anymore. Leave that to Berrada who, despite being a City spy behind enemy lines (joke) is still by far the most qualified football guy
we have. Let him crack on now.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
Isn't Barry Glenndenning that Scot from talksport who sounds like he's permanently stoned?
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
comment by Tyranny of the majority (SE85) (U21241)
posted 3 minutes ago
Quite amusing when satire and normal life overlap.
He's trying to be funny with the article but it's genuinely don't far off the truth. It's been an abysmal start to the new era and no less chaotic or wasteful as the previous one. Fans already turned on Jim too over the ticket thing.
Feels like it's destiny for us to go 26 years again without another league title. Definitely possible too the way we are going.
As RBW posted earlier......Jim and Dave shouldn't be making any decisions at all anymore. Leave that to Berrada who, despite being a City spy behind enemy lines (joke) is still by far the most qualified football guy
we have. Let him crack on now.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think you might go much longer. It’s not just Liverpool and Arsenal anymore, you have City and Chelsea as well and your starting from a far worse position - Amorim has a squad full of ETH players
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
It's been an abysmal start to the new era and no less chaotic or wasteful as the previous one.
..................................
Well, I do not think this is strictly true. The summer transfer window went much better than under the previous regime for starters.
Much needed clearing out of our oversized staff was a good thing.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
comment by 115 reasons why ours is better (U22832)
posted 2 minutes ago
Isn't Barry Glenndenning that Scot from talksport who sounds like he's permanently stoned?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I thought that was Alan Brazil
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
comment by Glen Bulb (U1449)
posted 8 minutes ago
comment by 115 reasons why ours is better (U22832)
posted 2 minutes ago
Isn't Barry Glenndenning that Scot from talksport who sounds like he's permanently stoned?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I thought that was Alan Brazil
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Glendenning is Irish for a start
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
comment by Striketeam7 - staying humble (U18109)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by Glen Bulb (U1449)
posted 8 minutes ago
comment by 115 reasons why ours is better (U22832)
posted 2 minutes ago
Isn't Barry Glenndenning that Scot from talksport who sounds like he's permanently stoned?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I thought that was Alan Brazil
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Glendenning is Irish for a start
----------------------------------------------------------------------
So he is permanently stoned.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by Striketeam7 - staying humble (U18109)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by Glen Bulb (U1449)
posted 8 minutes ago
comment by 115 reasons why ours is better (U22832)
posted 2 minutes ago
Isn't Barry Glenndenning that Scot from talksport who sounds like he's permanently stoned?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I thought that was Alan Brazil
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Glendenning is Irish for a start
----------------------------------------------------------------------
So he is permanently stoned.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I don’t know about that. His voice is faaaacking annoying though. However, when he is annoying me I do cheer myself up remembering he supports Everton - a club that only exists so Spurs have another big club they can punch down on
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
Sir Jim Ratcliffe may not be worse than the Glazers, but this debacle is far from reassuring. His cost cutting measures and the way they’re being implemented raise concerns amongst match going fans. As Gary Neville recently pointed out, being upfront with fans about the reasons behind a poor appointment can make a big difference. If the club doesn’t clarify the reasons surrounding Ashworth’s departure, speculation will only grow.
Admitting that they got the appointment wrong and that Ashworth was perhaps out of his depth would be better than leaving fans in the dark. If the issue was the result of personality clashes or other internal factors, it raises concerns about Sir Jim’s approach and possible toxicity at the highest level. There’s a real risk of returning to Ed Woodward’s era of wastefulness and chaos. What this club desperately needs is “best in class” DoF, something Ashworth was supposed to represent. Sacking him 5 months into the job following a lengthy and expensive pursuit does not look good on Sir Jim.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
Sir Jim will make us profitable again and commercially untouchable.
He has my backing
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
Is is true RVN obtained more points than Amorim and has equalled Amorims points total with Leicester in less games?
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
comment by Slack Alice (U9489)
posted 55 minutes ago
Sir Jim will make us profitable again and commercially untouchable.
He has my backing
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He sounds like Daniel Levy
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
He's acting exactly like Daniel Levy.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
comment by Striketeam7 - staying humble (U18109)
posted 1 hour, 40 minutes ago
comment by Tyranny of the majority (SE85) (U21241)
posted 3 minutes ago
Quite amusing when satire and normal life overlap.
He's trying to be funny with the article but it's genuinely don't far off the truth. It's been an abysmal start to the new era and no less chaotic or wasteful as the previous one. Fans already turned on Jim too over the ticket thing.
Feels like it's destiny for us to go 26 years again without another league title. Definitely possible too the way we are going.
As RBW posted earlier......Jim and Dave shouldn't be making any decisions at all anymore. Leave that to Berrada who, despite being a City spy behind enemy lines (joke) is still by far the most qualified football guy
we have. Let him crack on now.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think you might go much longer. It’s not just Liverpool and Arsenal anymore, you have City and Chelsea as well and your starting from a far worse position - Amorim has a squad full of ETH players
----------------------------------------------------------------------
We completed with Chelsea back then too so let's not pretend we didn't. Fergie and Jose had some epic battles.
We've gone 11 years already so it is very possible we could go another 8 or 9 now. Hopefully we don't go the full 26 again but yeah it ain't looking good right now.
Football can change quickly though.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
Seems like a and I think on balance there's more evidence to suggest they don't know what they're doing than to suggest that they do. Glazers reborn
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
comment by Striketeam7 - staying humble (U18109)
posted 2 hours, 54 minutes ago
comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by Striketeam7 - staying humble (U18109)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by Glen Bulb (U1449)
posted 8 minutes ago
comment by 115 reasons why ours is better (U22832)
posted 2 minutes ago
Isn't Barry Glenndenning that Scot from talksport who sounds like he's permanently stoned?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I thought that was Alan Brazil
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Glendenning is Irish for a start
----------------------------------------------------------------------
So he is permanently stoned.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I don’t know about that. His voice is faaaacking annoying though. However, when he is annoying me I do cheer myself up remembering he supports Everton - a club that only exists so Spurs have another big club they can punch down on
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Glendenning supports Sunderland.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
I remember BG saying on the Football Weekly podcast Ratcliffe would be an hilarious disaster at United. So far, so good.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
comment by Lexington 125.2 (U8879)
posted 4 minutes ago
I remember BG saying on the Football Weekly podcast Ratcliffe would be an hilarious disaster at United. So far, so good.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yeah he called it a long time ago, honestly at first I thought it would be a good thing for Utd from the noise he was making but it was BG who first brought it to my awareness that he might not be that great and after looking at other endeavours I've been skeptical since.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
It's far too early to judge Jim and Co.
We've been saying for years things need to change with the team and we are now at where we are under yet another new manager. A manager I have a good feeling about.
Had we been top of the league and let Ashworth go then I'm sure the narrative would be that Jim knows what he's doing and got rid of someone who didn't cut the mustard. If Ashworth wasn't aligned with the rest of them then probably for the best he goes. Changing your mind and acting decisively isn't a bad quality even if you have made the mistake in the first place.
posted 1 week, 5 days ago
Yeah he called it a long time ago, honestly at first I thought it would be a good thing for Utd from the noise he was making but it was BG who first brought it to my awareness that he might not be that great and after looking at other endeavours I've been skeptical since
...........
I had read about his short comings at Nice so wanted to steer well clear of INEOS. Said at the time we should have gone with the Qatari's and have not changed my mind since.
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