Jim Ratcliffe wants Man United to knock ‘enemies’ Man City, Liverpool off their perch
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British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, 71, completed the purchase of a 27.7 per cent stake in Manchester United on Feb 20.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LONDON – Manchester United’s new co-owner Jim Ratcliffe said the English giants have much to learn from “enemies” Manchester City and Liverpool, as he echoed Alex Ferguson by vowing to knock the pair “off their perch” within three years.
Ratcliffe, 71, completed the purchase of a 27.7 per cent stake in the club
City and Liverpool have been the dominant forces in English football over the past decade, while United’s fortunes have faded since celebrated manager Ferguson retired in 2013.
Liverpool sit top of the English Premier League and could move level with United’s record of 20 English top-flight titles at the end of the season.
City have been champions for five of the past six seasons and this term they are aiming to become the first English side to win four consecutive top-flight titles.
Ferguson once described City as the “noisy neighbours” during the early days of the Abu Dhabi ownership that has transformed the club’s fortunes.
And he previously said his task when arriving at United in the late 1980s was to “knock Liverpool off their perch” after a period of dominance by the Merseyside club.
Both phrases were echoed by Ratcliffe when he said on Feb 21: “We have a lot to learn from our noisy neighbour (City) and the other neighbour (Liverpool). They are the enemy at the end of the day.
“There is nothing I would like better than to knock both of them off their perch. Equally, we are the three great northern clubs who are very close to one another.
“They have been in a good place for a while and there are things we can learn from both of them. They have sensible organisations, great people within the organisations, a good, driven and elite environment that they work in.
“I am very respectful of them but they are still the enemy.”
Ratcliffe has already got to work in trying to overhaul some of United’s failing structures off the field.
Omar Berrada has been poached from City to become the club’s new chief executive officer and Dan Ashworth has been put on gardening leave by Newcastle United as the Red Devils try to finalise a deal for him to become sporting director at Old Trafford.
But British billionaire Ratcliffe pleaded for patience while he attempts to restore United to the top of English and European football.
United have not won the Premier League since 2013 and last lifted the Champions League in 2008.
“It’s not a light switch. It’s not an overnight change – it’s going to take two or three seasons,” he added.
“You have to ask the fans for some patience. I know the world these days likes instant gratification but that’s not the case with football, really.
“It’s not a 10-year plan. The fans would run out of patience if it was a 10-year plan. But it’s certainly a three-year plan to get there.”
Ratcliffe also assured fans his investment is not financially motivated, as he makes “enough money in chemicals and oil and gas”.
And he has plans to either redevelop Old Trafford or build a new stadium, as he admitted the 74,000-capacity venue has “fallen behind” the homes of other leading clubs in the past 20 years. AFP
