Rio Ferdinand urges Sir Jim Ratcliffe to be more ‘transparent’ to win over ‘unsettled’ Man united fans who wanted the Glazers to sell the club… with Americans set to remain in charge after INEOS chief agreed to buy 25 percent stake
- Ratcliffe’s offer for quarter of Manchester United was agreed earlier this month
- The offer has been viewed as the first step of a gradual takeover of the club
- Follow Mail Sport’s new Man United WhatsApp channel for all the breaking news
Former Manchester United star and TNT Sports pundit Rio Ferdinand has urged incoming minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to be more transparent with club’s ‘unsettled’ fanbase.
The British billionaire agreed a 25 percent purchase of the club for around £1.4billion last week, putting an end to the near year-long takeover impasse.
Many United fans hoping for an end to the reign of the Glazers were left a little dissapointed by the move that will see the INEOS chief and his team take control of the footballing operations at the club.
Still, the news did bring some much-needed optimism to a club who have struggled on and off the pitch this season.
Speaking ahead of the Red Devils’ crucial Champions League tie with Copenhagen, Ferdinand expressed the skeptism of many supporters and urged the incoming Ratcliffe to be more open with the fans.
Ferdinand urged incoming minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to be more transparent with fans
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s £1.4billion deal for a 25 per cent stake in Manchester United may not be completed in time for the opening of the January transfer window
Man United fans were hoping a takeover would spell the end of the reign of the Glazer family (pictured are Avram, left, and Joel, right)
‘There are still a lot of grey areas for me and that’s the biggest thing for this fanbase.’ He said on TNT Sports. ‘They’ve been in the dark a lot over the takeover in the long-term.
‘It seems to be coming to a conclusion now but when Sir Jim Ratcliffe comes into this club even at 25 percent I think one of the big things is for him to have that transparency from the board level and through the club.
‘It can appease the fans, settle the fans down. This fanbase are unsettled, they’re unhappy, they expected a full takeover and it hasn’t happened.
‘So there’s needs to be some fronting up to this and being the face of this and hopefully he’s that man.’
Ratcliffe, whose company also owns Ligue 1 outfit Nice, had been expected to complete his minority purchase last week but lawyers are continuing to work on the finer details of what is a complex agreement.
The lifelong United fan will have his work cut out to turnaround the fortunes of a club that has fallen behind many of their rivals.
Red Devils legend Paul Scholes said he believes the only world class things about the club is its ‘history’ and Ratcliffe’s ‘massive job’ is about creating some more.
‘He’s got a lot to do at this football club.’ Scholes said. ‘This is a world class football club but it’s not behaving like it, it’s not performing like it.
‘From the first team right through to the youth teams. I watched the U19s today and they got beat by Copenhagen. It’s not right, they’re underperforming in every single area.
‘The only world class thing about this club at the minute is the history. He needs to bring in some new players, new staff right through the club to make new history for this club.’
Source: Read Full Article
