Sir Jim Ratcliffe has acknowledged that several of the choices he made at Manchester United left him “very unpopular”, but insists those decisions are now starting to show positive results.
The 73-year-old implemented a series of controversial cost-cutting measures at Old Trafford after purchasing a stake in the club two years ago.
United have also dismissed two head coaches during that time, Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim, but under interim manager Michael Carrick they have recorded four wins and one draw to move back into the Champions League qualification places.
Ratcliffe, the founder of the Ineos chemicals company, was speaking to Sky News about how politicians must sometimes take unpopular actions to “deal with major problems”.
Referring to his experience at United, he said: “I’ve seen a lot of this happening at the football club.
“When you make tough decisions, which we believed were necessary at Manchester United… we felt they were the right calls. But they do make you unpopular for a period of time.
“Well, I’ve been very unpopular at Manchester United because we introduced many changes. But in my opinion, they were changes for the better.
“And I think we are now beginning to see signs within the club that those decisions are starting to pay off.”
On the pitch, Benjamin Sesko feels his late intervention at West Ham shows United have the determination needed to compete for a Champions League position.
Sesko entered the match as a substitute in the 69th minute at the London Stadium with his team behind after Tomas Soucek’s goal shortly after the interval.
However, deep into stoppage time, Bryan Mbeumo delivered a cross and Sesko stretched out a foot to fire home a stunning volley and secure a 1-1 draw.
“It was one of those matches that was never going to be simple because they dropped back, stayed very compact and tried to hit us on the counter,” the Slovenian forward told MUTV.
“It’s something we need to take lessons from. Everyone wanted to win, everyone was pushing to score and fighting for one another.
“Sadly, that didn’t fully happen, but at least we managed to take a draw, which is important in the end.
“I felt great because once again I knew I could help the team by making sure we earned at least a point.
“It’s also a wonderful feeling knowing I can contribute in different moments of the game. Of course, without my teammates, it wouldn’t be possible. I’m looking forward to more moments like this.
“We are playing for each other. We are doing everything we can to win matches and secure a Champions League place because we truly believe we have the squad for it.
“We have the quality and we will keep fighting for it. Unfortunately, the match unfolded the way it did. Now we must focus on the next game and aim to win it.”
