Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has expressed strong support for head coach Ruben Amorim while admitting the club made a mistake in not parting ways with Erik ten Hag sooner.
Despite a challenging start to his tenure, Amorim has Ratcliffe’s full backing. The Portuguese manager has won just 10 of his 25 games in charge, with United currently languishing in 14th place in the Premier League. However, Ratcliffe insists that Amorim has exceeded expectations given the circumstances he inherited.
“I think Ruben has done an excellent job. I really like Ruben,” he said. “He arrived mid-season, had no time to train his players the way he wants, and inherited a squad that doesn’t fit his style. English isn’t his first language, he has never played in the Premier League, and he’s managing the biggest club in the world. It’s a tough situation, and he’s a young guy. Taking all that into account, I think he’s done a remarkably good job.”
Ratcliffe maintained the same stance in another interview, emphasizing his confidence in Amorim’s long-term prospects. “I think Ruben is an outstanding young manager. He’s excellent, and I believe he will be here for a long time.”
Before Amorim’s arrival, Erik ten Hag had been at the helm, but his tenure ended in October 2024. The Dutchman was close to being dismissed the previous summer, but instead, he was handed a two-year contract extension under the new football operations led by INEOS. However, after just nine games into the current season, he was sacked.
Reflecting on that decision, Ratcliffe admitted the club hesitated to act decisively. “It was too early for us to make a big decision. It was difficult to separate Erik’s performance from the overall structure. Was the inconsistency down to Erik or the organization? We couldn’t answer that with certainty, so we gave Erik the benefit of the doubt.”
However, with the benefit of hindsight, Ratcliffe now believes keeping Ten Hag was the wrong choice. “Yeah, it was the wrong decision. We made an error. I regret it,” he said. One of the key issues was that Ten Hag played a role in shaping the squad last summer, signing players who do not necessarily fit Amorim’s philosophy.
Beyond managerial decisions, Ratcliffe also defended the club’s recent mass layoffs, which were implemented as a cost-cutting measure. According to him, the financial situation at the club was more precarious than many realized.
“Manchester United would have run out of cash by the end of this year after I already put in $300 million and that’s without signing any new players in the summer,” he explained. These tough financial realities led to difficult decisions, including trimming the club’s workforce.
Despite the ongoing struggles, Ratcliffe remains optimistic about United’s long-term prospects. He insists that the target of winning the Premier League by 2028 is still achievable. While Amorim’s tenure has started on shaky ground, Ratcliffe believes the Portuguese coach will ultimately prove to be the right man to lead the club back to success.
