Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the billionaire co-owner of Manchester United, has told BBC Sports Editor Dan Roan that the football club has “come off the rails” but will show grit and resilience and “come out the other side fighting”.

The 72-year-old spent £1.3 billion buying a 29% stake in the club in 2024, in a deal which saw Ineos take control of football operations. Ratcliffe, a lifelong Manchester United fan, is chairman of the petrochemicals company which has a big sport investment arm.

In a wide-ranging interview with BBC Sport earlier this month Ratcliffe addressed the side’s recent struggles on the pitch, as they languish in the bottom third of the Premier League table.

He said some Manchester United players are “not good enough” and some are “overpaid”. Midfielder Casemiro, striker Rasmus Hojlund, goalkeeper Andre Onana, and wingers Antony and Jadon Sancho – who are on loan at other clubs – were name-checked by the billionaire as players his regime had “inherited”.

Ratcliffe also spoke of the club’s financial difficulties, saying it was set to run out of money by the end of 2025, unless it took action which he admitted was “unpopular”.

Yet despite the financial and team issues he referred to, Ratcliffe repeated a pledge that Manchester United would win silverware by 2028.

Watch Dan Roan’s full interview with Sir Jim Ratcliffe on BBC iPlayer:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0kwv7zh

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