INEOS Struggles At Manchester United: Carragher Highlights Poor Start For Jim Ratcliffe

Add as a preferred source on Google

Jamie Carragher has criticised Sir Jim Ratcliffe's early days as Manchester United's new owner, describing them as disappointing. Ratcliffe acquired a minority stake in the club in February, taking over football operations from the Glazer family. Despite winning the FA Cup against Manchester City last season, United faces ongoing challenges both on and off the field.

Recently, Dan Ashworth departed as sporting director after just five months. His tenure was preceded by a lengthy pursuit involving Newcastle United. Erik ten Hag was also dismissed and replaced by Ruben Amorim, despite having signed a contract extension and investing £200 million in squad improvements.

The club is dealing with widespread staff layoffs and rising ticket prices. Currently, they are 13th in the Premier League after 15 matches. These issues have contributed to a challenging period for the team and its supporters.

United's latest setback came with a loss to Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford, marking Amorim's first home league defeat since February 2023. Carragher expressed his concerns about the situation, stating that recent months have been particularly difficult for the club's leadership.

"The optics are awful," Carragher told Sky Sports News. "Who knows, in the future we might look back and think [getting rid of Ashworth] was the right decision, but when you look at it from the outside, it doesn't look good."

Challenges Under New Ownership

Since INEOS took over, Carragher believes things could not have gone much worse for United. Despite their FA Cup victory, they retained a manager they were unsure about and spent heavily in transfers. Now, they find themselves at their lowest league position at this stage of the season.

The early dismissal of a manager and departure of Ashworth—who was pursued from another Premier League club—have added to their woes. Fans initially welcomed Ratcliffe's ownership as an alternative to the Glazers but are now questioning its effectiveness.

"It's been really poor from Jim Ratcliffe and the INEOS team," Carragher remarked. "It needs to change really quickly." The initial excitement over new leadership has faded amid these challenges.