On the 27th of February 2024, Sir Jim Ratcliffe finalised a £1.25 billion deal for a 27% stake in Manchester United. Since then, he and his cronies have brought chaos, not calm.
The latest instalment in INEOS’ turbulent tenure was the abrupt sacking of former head coach Ruben Amorim. Confidence had eroded in Amorim, and tensions reached a boiling point over his lack of flexibility.
Amorim and the board had been sparring for weeks, but the knockout blow was finally dealt when the Portuguese manager, a combustible character, took on the board – rightfully so in the eyes of many.
Manchester United has become a graveyard for managers. Six permanent head coaches have come, and six have tried to conquer, but instead crumbled. They have diced with different approaches, serial winners and so-called “best-in-class potential,” but ultimately whatever they have done has fought in vain.
“See how they play, where they play, if they play,” was an infamous line from then-manager Jose Mourinho in an unfiltered rant. It was directed at his players, but years on, it can be applied to managers.
Erik ten Hag lasted 62 days at Bayer Leverkusen, Mourinho’s reputation has since dwindled, and it was Louis van Gaal’s final job. This is not just United failing to realise a manager’s potential. It is a deeper-rooted issue, one where they have consistently failed to get the process right.
Are INEOS competent enough to run United?
United remain mired in malfunction, unchanged since Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s arrival heralded as a mega-rich redeemer deemed to drive away the clouds of distrust and discontent at the hands of the Glazers. Yet the gloom still hangs heavy, and the promise of progress feels painfully distant.
They have simply staggered from one baffling blunder to another. Their first mistake can be traced back to Amorim’s predecessor, Ten Hag, and the shambles that surrounded his sacking. That decision should have been made after the FA Cup win against Manchester City, but their indecision led to him being retained, an error they are still paying for.
Then came the Dan Ashworth debacle. United tracked him with meticulous care and swooned over his signature. He was viewed as a best-in-class operator, yet he lasted only five months in the role. Remarkably, Ashworth spent just as long on gardening leave as he did inside the building.
This serves as another erratic error ratified by the Ratcliffe regime.
Amorim felt micromanaged by the board
Have you ever heard the saying, “Too many cooks spoil the broth”? Well, that is what led to Amorim’s demise at United.
United now have a structure in place, something they have needed for years, but it is a brittle one. Ratcliffe conducted an interview with Gary Neville in March 2025, in which he said: “Ruben needs to demonstrate he is a great coach over three years. That is where I would be.
“The press, sometimes I don’t understand. They want overnight success. They think it’s a light switch. You cannot run a club like Manchester United on knee-jerk reactions.”
The ill-timed sacking of Amorim is certainly one. On the basis of results, perhaps not, but they had their chance when United languished in 15th, and they did not act. That tells you where their priorities lie.
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INEOS appointed a manager wedded to a back-three system midway through a season, inheriting a squad that had never played it before at a club that has never used a three-back consistently in its entire history.
They then recruited players billed as adaptable to multiple systems, persisted with the back three as the default shape, and when it failed, demanded that the same manager, who has shown no evidence of being able to coach a back four, abandon his only proven structure.
That alone is enough evidence to show the planning was not rigorous enough. There is no alignment, and that must change if United are to become a force again.
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