Sir Jim Ratcliffe outlines plans for success and glory at Manchester United

Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has set out his vision of bringing Eric Cantona’s glamor and swagger back to Old Trafford.

The 71-year-old Ineos founder and chairman wants the club he has supported since the age of six to seriously challenge and “defeat” “noisy” north-west neighbors Manchester City and Liverpool for the domestic and European titles within three seasons. “They both rose from their perch.”

In a wide-ranging briefing, Ratcliffe also said:

:: He has expressed hope of redeveloping Old Trafford at a cost of around £1bn or building a new £2bn stadium with government support that could host England matches, FA Cup finals and Champions League finals.

:: He admitted Dan Ashworth would be a “very good addition” to the Manchester United leadership as sporting director and said it would be “ridiculous” for him to remain on gardening leave after leaving Newcastle.

:: Mason promises that a new decision will be made regarding Greenwood’s future.

:: Jokes have been made about the existence of Qatari businessman Sheikh Jassim, his long-time rival for full control of United.

Ratcliffe, who will own a 28.9 percent stake in United by the end of the year and whose Ineos company currently controls football operations at Old Trafford, conducted the interview with a bust of him wearing United’s number seven jersey, with his collar turned up. The fashion of Eric Cantona, the club’s hero of the 1990s.

“(Cantona) was the catalyst for change under Sir Alex Ferguson… and then that started it all. “He was kind of a talisman,” Ratcliffe said.

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“There’s always been a bit of charm at Manchester United that’s been missing for the last few years. You’ve been with George Best, Bobby Charlton and King Eric for a while now.

“At the end of the day, we are in the entertainment business. That’s why you don’t want to watch bland or characterless football.

“To be honest they have played some great football with the young players since Christmas.

“There have been some very good games. I don’t remember too many games at the start of the season that I was really excited about but since Christmas we’ve played some really good football and some of those players had some charm on the pitch and we really enjoyed it.

“Three young men sitting on the next board (Rasmus Hojlund, Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo) – that was a good photo. I think that’s ‘Eric’s point. We are aware of the fact that you need a little charm in this regard.”

Ratcliffe said improving the club’s record on recruitment was “at the top of the list” of what needed to be done right and publicly acknowledged his club’s interest in Dan Ashworth, who was placed on gardening leave by Newcastle after expressing his desire to leave the Tyneside club.

“I think this would be a great addition to Manchester United, but Ashworth needs to decide whether he wants to make the leap,” Ratcliffe said.

“We spoke clearly to Newcastle. They would obviously be disappointed if they lost Dan. “I understand why they are disappointed to lose Dan but then you can’t criticize Dan to the same extent because it’s a temporary industry.

“So we’ll have to see how it develops.”

Ratcliffe said it would be “a bit silly” to require £20 million to secure Ashworth’s services, adding: “I think it’s completely ridiculous to suggest that a man who is really good at his job should sit in his garden for an hour and sit somewhere else for a year and a half.”

The key to transformation, according to Ratcliffe, is a redeveloped Old Trafford or a new stadium built partly with state support.

Ratcliffe said a working group would be set up to look at the feasibility of the second option and admitted former Manchester United defender Gary Neville would be an “obvious” person to include.

Ratcliffe sees no problem with one of the world’s richest clubs in United seeking government support for such a project.

“People in the north pay their taxes just like people in the south pay taxes,” he said.

“So where is the national football stadium? In the south. Where is the rugby national stadium? In the south. Where is the national tennis stadium? In the south. Where is the national concert stadium? O2 is in the south. Where is the Olympic Village? In the south.

“All this talk of leveling up and the Northern Powerhouse… where is the northern stadium? How many Champions Leagues has the North West won and how many Champions Leagues has London won? The answer is: Northwest won 10; Liverpool won more than us and London won two.

“If you get to the semi-finals of the FA Cup and you’re a northern club, where do you have to go? You have to go to London, right?

“People in the north pay their taxes and there’s an argument that you could consider a more ambitious project in the north that would suit England, the Champions League final or the FA Cup final and act as a catalyst for the regeneration of the south. “Manchester has quite a history in England .”