Manchester United co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has launched a scathing attack on some of the club’s underperforming stars, labeling them as “not good enough” and “probably overpaid”.
In a candid interview with the BBC, Ratcliffe expressed his frustration with the team’s dismal performance since he took charge of football operations in February last year.
Ratcliffe specifically mentioned Rasmus Hojlund, Andre Onana, Casemiro, Jadon Sancho, and Antony as the chief causes of his frustration.
Sancho and Antony are currently on loan at Chelsea and Real Betis respectively after failing to impress at Old Trafford.
“Some are not good enough and some probably are overpaid, but for us to mould the squad that we are fully responsible for, and accountable for, will take time,” Ratcliffe said.
The British billionaire also acknowledged that the decision to keep Erik ten Hag as manager was a mistake. “I agree the Erik ten Tag and Dan Ashworth decisions were errors,” he said.
“I think there were some mitigating circumstances, but ultimately they were errors. I accept that and I apologise for that”.
Despite the team’s struggles under new manager Ruben Amorim, Ratcliffe expressed his support for the Portuguese boss.
“If I actually look at the squad which is available to Ruben, I think he is doing a really good job to be honest,” he said.
“I think Ruben is an outstanding young manager. I really do. He’s an excellent manager and I think he will be there for a long time”.
Ratcliffe’s comments come amid growing unrest among Manchester United fans, who protested against the club’s ownership ahead of Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal.
The co-owner claimed that the “unpleasant” cost-cutting measures, including a mid-season ticket price hike and anticipated redundancies among staff, were “necessary” to prevent the club from running out of money.
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