Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Man Utd verdicts after ‘mistake’ and Carrick chat | Football | Sport

Sir Jim Ratcliffe was in attendance at the Emirates Stadium as Manchester United masterminded a victory over Arsenal on Sunday. The United co-owner will be delighted by the change that interim boss Michael Carrick has made to the team, summoning the United manager for a conversation after the latest victory.

The back-to-back wins over Manchester City and Arsenal have propelled United up to fourth in the Premier League table and made qualifying for the Champions League a distinct possibility. There are a cluster of teams vying for the same spots, with only five points separating United from Sunderland in 11th. Meanwhile, Carrick faces a different type of test against Fulham this weekend. However, the new boss has begun his tenure with a wave of positivity that was rarely felt under the two previous managers of Ratcliffe’s regime.

Erik ten Hag

The Dutch coach was already in the United dugout when Ratcliffe acquired his stake in the club in February 2024. The Red Devils had struggled in the league that season and were considering replacements before Ten Hag led the team to FA Cup glory, which resulted in a one-year contract extension.

Speaking shortly before Ten Hag was sacked in October 2024, Ratcliffe praised the United boss: “I like Erik. I think he’s a very good coach but at the end of the day it’s not my call. It’s the management team that’s running Manchester United that have to decide how we best run the team in many different respects.”

In March 2025, Ratcliffe admitted that extending the manager’s contract had been a mistake. “We are not perfect, and we are on a journey and there have been a couple of errors along the way, but I think in the main all the things we are doing are the right things for the club,” Ratcliffe told Sky Sports.

“I agree the Erik ten Tag and [former sporting director] Dan Ashworth decisions were errors. I think there were some mitigating circumstances, but ultimately they were errors. I accept that and I apologise for that.”

Ruben Amorim

United identified Ruben Amorim as Ten Hag’s successor following his impressive work at Sporting CP. The Portuguese coach did lead the club to the Europa League final but won just 15 of his 47 league games. However, the United co-owner often praised Amorim’s work at Old Trafford.

Speaking to BBC Sport in March 2025, Ratcliffe said: “If I actually look at the squad which is available to Ruben, I think he is doing a really good job to be honest. 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.”

However, Amorim came under increasing scrutiny after finishing 15th and losing to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final. Speaking on The Business podcast in October, Ratcliffe said of Amorim: “He has not had the best of seasons. Ruben needs to demonstrate he is a great coach over three years. That’s where I would be.”

Michael Carrick

Ratcliffe is yet to publicly discuss Carrick’s appointment. However, it is encouraging for the ex-England international that he was selected for the job ahead of former United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and fellow club icons Ruud van Nistelrooy and Darren Fletcher.

Following the win over Arsenal, Carrick delayed a post-match interview to speak to Ratcliffe in person. Ratcliffe told reporters “just get the smile” as he turned down questions.

When asked for details of his meeting with the United co-owner, Carrick told Viaplay: “No, not much as you would expect, I think. There’s a lot of happy bodies around the camp today and he’s delighted as well. So it was nice to see him.”