Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s ‘stony face’ summed up what he thought of Man Utd boss at Chelsea

Sir Jim Ratcliffe was in attendance to watch his Manchester United side throw away a 3-2 lead against Chelsea last season, and his face in the aftermath spoke a thousand words on what he had witnessed

Despite witnessing Erik ten Hag squander a 3-2 lead against Chelsea last season, Sir Jim Ratcliffe opted to keep faith in the Dutch manager.

The INEOS boss, who secured a stake in Manchester United in February 2024, was seen with a stony expression at Stamford Bridge during a Premier League clash last April. With the Red Devils undergoing a rather uninspiring season, and Ten Hag’s capacity to deliver results coming under close inspection, the defeat could have been pivotal in deciding his future amid new investment-led restructuring.

United let their advantage gained from Alejandro Garnacho’s double and a Bruno Fernandes effort slip late into stoppage time when Cole Palmer netted a penalty before scoring again a minute later to snatch victory for Chelsea in dramatic fashion.

Many supporters might have presumed Ten Hag’s tenure at Old Trafford was doomed, especially after United ended the season at an all-time low eighth position in the Premier League, but grasping the FA Cup title at the expense of local rivals Manchester City potentially postponed any immediate managerial changes.

Even so, Ten Hag would have felt the heat, particularly considering the comments of Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff upon Ratcliffe’s entry, noting that he and INEOS, who own a share of the Formula 1 team, favour a no-nonsense approach. Wolff said: “This is a no bull**** organisation.

“They are huge in terms of revenue and profit. Decisions are being made quickly – three bullet points on a page and ‘here we go.’ With Jim, all the bull**** is cut out.”

In a candid interview with Belgian newspaper De Tijd last February, Ratcliffe also shared his vision for Manchester United, saying: “We have to look at the organisation of the club, because it is not good at the moment. Take the head coach, for example: he must report directly to the CEO. That is no longer possible in a modern football organisation. We have to ensure that the right people end up in the right positions.

“Every person in management must be world-class. And then it is important to create a positive, supportive, friendly and high-quality environment. That culture was missing before. Only in such an environment can you get the best out of sportsmen. If successful, the results will follow automatically. That’s the plan, and I believe in it.”

Despite a less-than-stellar season and whispers of Gareth Southgate and Zinedine Zidane potentially taking over at Old Trafford, Ratcliffe and the United hierarchy gave their support to Ten Hag for the 2024/25 campaign. They extended his contract until June 2026 and provided him with a substantial transfer kitty to enhance his team.

Despite reportedly shelling out £36.5million for Joshua Zirkzee, £42m for Manuel Ugarte, £52m for Leny Yoro, £49.2m for Matthijs de Ligt, and £17m for Noussair Mazraoui, Ten Hag couldn’t turn things around at the start of the current season – managing just three wins in his first nine matches before being given the boot following a 2-1 defeat by West Ham in October. He was succeeded by Ruben Amorim the following month.

Fast forward to May 2025, and Ratcliffe will certainly be keeping a close eye on his team this Friday evening, as they once again head to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea. It’s been a truly woeful season for the Red Devils that many supporters will be eager to put behind them, with the club currently languishing in 16th place in the league table with a mere 10 victories to their name.

However, there is a glimmer of hope as United could still clinch the Europa League trophy, with a struggling Tottenham standing between them and victory in Wednesday’s final. A win would secure them a spot in the Champions League, but a significant shake-up is needed this summer if Amorim hopes to compete in the tournament and restore United to Premier League prominence, especially as his current squad, inherited from Ten Hag, has struggled to adapt to his distinctive style of play.

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