“Exciting combination” – Eric Ramsay’s honest assessment of INEOS’ Man United plans after MLS move

Eric Ramsay has provided an honest assessment of Manchester United’s new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS following his move to Minnesota United earlier this month.

The former United first-team coach became the youngest-ever MLS head coach after making the move from Old Trafford.

Despite his departure, Ramsay believes that INEOS will be offering his former employers all of the necessary steps to move closer to their desired destination.

He joined the club under Ole Gunnar Solskjær as a set-piece coach but moved into a more centralised and important role when Erik ten Hag took the reigns at Old Trafford.

“Erik is obviously incredibly focused, has real conviction as to how he wants the team to play, how he feels the group should be managed, as you’d expect of anyone who hits that level as a manager,” the new Minnesota United said in an interview with the PA news agency this week.

“Obviously, he’s had some difficult circumstances to deal with this year, so hopefully once that gets cleaned up then we’re going to see the trajectory recaptured that we saw last year.”

Ramsay will lead his first-ever professional game as manager this Sunday against Los Angeles FC. The 32-year-old has admitted that he rejected offers from English teams before deciding to stand on his own two feet in America.

However, despite admitting that he could not turn down the opportunity, Ramsay admitted that he was “loathed” in a certain way that he had to leave United when the new ownership had only just taken charge.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s bid was fully ratified by Premier League authorities last month, and the INEOS chief, along with Sir Dave Brailsford and Jean Claude-Blanc, is planning a major overhaul at the club.

“As has been presented in the media and as I’m sure you’ve heard lots of people say, the Ineos vision for Man United is really exciting,” Ramsay added.

“They, as well, have a lot of conviction in how elite sports teams should look and feel. There is a genuine Ineos way that I think the combination of that and the way in which Erik wants to operate, it could be a really exciting combination.

“I think you’ve got some phenomenally bright people now attached to the club, through the likes of Dave Brailsford and the people that they will inevitably bring in to wrap around the existing structure.

“So, I do think all the ingredients are there for the club to really move on to the next level. I said this to the Ineos guys as I was leaving, I’m loathed in some senses (to go) because I think I was probably a nice fit for the way in which they wanted to go about things.

“I felt like it would take a lot from them and their way of working. But, personally, I felt like this opportunity from my individual perspective was one that I couldn’t turn down in spite of all that positivity around the club.”