Sir Jim Ratcliffe makes brutal comments about the Man Utd squad during interview and fans are in disbelief

Sir Jim Ratcliffe made a comparison between football and sailing after INEOS Britannia lost against Emirates Team New Zealand in the Americas Cup – and it doesn't reflect well on the current Manchester United squad.

The 71-year-old British businessman, who is the founder and majority owner of INEOS – one of the world's largest chemical producers – acquired a 25 per cent stake in Manchester United in February for a fee of around £1.3 billion.

Ratcliffe and his team assumed total control of football operations at Old Trafford as they signalled their intent to implement a new structure with the hire of Omar Berrada as chief executive.

But after spending more than £200 million on five new signings in the summer window, United have made a dismal start to the 2024/25 campaign, winning just three games out of a possible nine in the Premier League.

Ruben Amorim has plenty of work to do when he arrives on November 11, the day after their home game against Leicester City. In fact, Ratcliffe himself has appeared to suggest that he is not entirely happy with the current squad.

Speaking after INEOS Britannia lost against Emirates Team New Zealand in the Americas Cup, the United co-owner pointed out a parallel between what he'd just seen to Manchester United.

Here's how the conversation played out.

Reporter: "Is there was anything you can take away from this campaign in sailing to Manchester United?"

Ratcliffe: “I think there’s one little crossover, which is that you cannot win the Americas Cup unless you arrive at the Americas Cup with a boat that 'could' win the Americas Cup.

“It's the same in Formula One. Max Verstappen in a Williams, he’s not going to win the Formula One Championship. With football it’s the same with the squad in a way. That’s the parallel for me – you can’t win anything in football if your squad isn’t good enough to win something. The quality of the squad is a bit like the speed of the boat. That’s the only parallel.”

Image credit: Getty

Here's how fans on social media reacted to Ratcliffe's comments.

One said: "If this is not a wake up of all wake up calls to this squad then they are thicker than I thought. When the owner of @ManUtd's footballing side of things comes out with this statement, you're on thin ice."

A second wrote: "Tears, he had to take a deep breath before he answered," while a third commented: "Can't get much more damning than that."

A fourth said: "Yeah we are cleaning house again next season. I love it," and a fifth added: "SJR hates the squad man."

Thoughts on Ratcliffe's comments? Do you agree? Let us know in the comments.