Sir Jim Ratcliffe fielded questions on everything Manchester United did during his media appearance yesterday.
Though his remarks about Mason Greenwood were quite repulsive (it appears he will extend a helping hand to the disgraced forward if he can show that he is a “good guy”—watching those disgusting recordings is enough to convince anyone of that—his remarks about Newcastle United and his pursuit of Dan Ashworth made headlines on Tyneside.
Although Jim has the right to his own opinions in private, it seemed so foolish to reveal them so readily. The fact that he is desperate to have Ashworth as a “10/10 director,” calls the gardening leave term “absurd,” and suggests Newcastle is being “stupid” all serve to bolster our negotiation position.
He’s made it quite evident that he’s frustrated, that he’s trying to corner us with the media (which won’t work and will only make us more enraged), and that he is keen to get Ashworth back at Old Trafford before his gardening leave finishes in January 2026.
Man Utd isn’t in a position to make the decisions because they waited so long to make a formal approach, which led to months of unsettling rumors and made many at Newcastle doubt Ashworth’s intentions. They are also in a rival team in the top six and are trying to sign a key player who is currently under contract. They can choose to wait until 2026 or pay up.
Although it has been generally known that Man Utd’s actions over the previous few months have left Newcastle “furious” and “angered,” Ratcliffe’s divisive remarks yesterday, which blatantly disparaged our position—which we have every right to hold—will only make us less likely to reach a solution.
At this point, I wouldn’t be shocked if we increased our asking price or decided not to do business until 2026. Man Utd, after all, had no intention of giving us any favors when they mentioned a £16.5 million loan deal for Jesse Lingard two years ago.
Jim believes that Man Utd’s strength will be demonstrated by this no-nonsense attitude, making us capitulate. In actuality, he fits in that club well because of his conceit and sense of entitlement.
From a tax evader who wants to build a new stadium with taxpayer money, we should have expected nothing less.
