Manchester United co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has come under fire from supporters after admitting plans for the club’s women’s team are still a work in progress.
The INEOS chief completed a £1.3billion deal to become the new part-owner of the club earlier this season, and has taken over control of the football operations.
Ratcliffe has recently overseen an end-of-season review into the men’s team, which saw INEOS decide to keep Erik ten Hag in place as manager.
But when Ratcliffe was asked about the club’s plans for their women’s team during a lengthy interview with Bloomberg, the 71-year-old had little to say.
Asked what he would be doing with the women’s team, Ratcliffe replied: ‘Well they’ve just won the FA Cup.’
Man United fans are angry Jim Ratcliffe hasn’t progressed plans for the women’s team
Women’s team coach Marc Skinner (left) believes progress under Ratcliffe’s (right) ownership however, saying
Pushed further for information, and whether United would look for outside investors like Chelsea, Ratcliffe said: ‘We haven’t really got into that level of detail with the women’s football team yet.
‘We’ve been pretty much focused on how do we resolve the first team issues, certainly in that environment. That’s been pretty full-time for the first six months.’
Asked whether the plans were still ‘TBC’, Ratcliffe replied: ‘Correct.’
Ratcliffe was criticised for missing the women’s FA Cup final, which saw United win their first major trophy, in May and his description of the men’s side as ‘the first team’ was criticised by supporters on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Both United teams won their FA Cup finals, with the women thumping Spurs 4-0 at Wembley
Others claimed his comments showed a lack of interest and disregard for the women’s set-up.
‘It’s very clear that Jim Ratcliffe has no interest in the women’s team,’ one user said.
‘The other “first team” at Manchester United. He would rather be at Old Trafford four hours before kick off than go to Wembley to see the women in a final, which they went on to win. It’s not TBC, it’s CBA.’
Another supporter wrote: ‘Imagine being a United player who’s currently being persuaded that they should commit to it long-term by signing a new contract and the owner of the club is saying that the team is not the first team. Yikes.
‘Same if you’re a transfer target. You’d flee.’
Other fans were more vociferous in their criticism, with one user writing: ‘This is absolutely despicable from the ownership.
‘INEOS and Jim Ratcliffe need to understand that women’s and men’s first teams are both a priority. This reeks of clear sexism and further diminishes their future. Why would any good women’s team player wanna join MUFC now?’
Others said Ratcliffe’s comments were disrespectful and disappointing but ‘not surprising.’
Skinner has been handed a new one-year contract following the club’s FA Cup triumph
United gave manager Marc Skinner a new one-year contract following the club’s FA Cup final triumph, though it is understood the decision to keep the 41-year-old at the club was made before that game.
Not all supporters were happy with the decision, with United finishing fifth in the Women’s Super League – their lowest position since their promotion to the top-flight in 2019.
Skinner has maintained that he has felt supported by INEOS and that they have exciting plans in place for the women’s team.
‘What INEOS have done since they’ve come in is assess where the club is at – they’re continuously assessing,’ Skinner said after the FA Cup final.
‘I have no doubt they’ll put us in a position to be successful. I absolutely believe that.’
United are still looking for a permanent head of women’s football following the departure of Polly Bancroft.
The club appointed Matt Johnson, who has a good reputation from working with United’s academy team and the foundation, on an interim six-month basis.
