Redaction Simon Brett with Dan Murphy
Published on 2024-02-22 09:00:00
Sir Jim Ratcliffe recently completed the purchase of 27.7% of Manchester United’s shares, with his INEOS Group now in charge of football operations at Old Trafford. The 71-year-old has big ambitions for United, but he acknowledged that the club still has a long way to go before reaching Manchester City’s level.
He particularly mentioned the remarkable performance put on by City last season, when Pep Guardiola’s team secured a treble, including clinching the Champions League trophy. Ratcliffe expressed his awe at City’s striking performance, especially their destruction of Real Madrid in the semi-final second leg, where they won 4-0 on the night and 5-1 on aggregate to secure their spot in the finals. He went on to emphasize that emulating such a performance is what he would ultimately aspire for United.
Ratcliffe’s admiration for City’s performance highlights the significant gap United needs to bridge to compete at the highest level. He was also quoted as saying, “That first 45 minutes where Real Madrid couldn’t get the ball was the best quality of football I’ve ever seen. If we can ever get to that point, then that will be a great achievement for Manchester United.”
The turnover of fortune for Manchester clubs over the past decade has been remarkable. Despite United’s record 20th league title in 2013, they have since experienced a decline both on and off the field. In contrast, City has gone on to win the Premier League six times and is now considered the benchmark for United to aspire to.
Ratcliffe’s admission is an acknowledgment of the task at hand and the magnitude of the challenge it represents. It also emphasizes the new direction that the ownership change at United presents, with the hope that the club can strive to achieve the level of success that teams like City have accomplished. Such transparency from a key figure within the United structure lays out the roadmap for the future and sets the bar for the club to push forward.
Read Original article on Manchester City News
