Big-money flops and Sir Dave Brailsford's role - the Nice errors Sir Jim Ratcliffe won't want to repeat at Man United
Sir Jim Ratcliffe stands on the cusp of achieving one of his long-term objectives.
It is expected in the coming days the INEOS founder and boyhood Manchester United supporter will acquire a 25 per cent stake in the Reds, tasked with the responsibility of lifting the club from the doldrums they have found themselves in for the past 10 years. The size of the task will not be lost on Ratcliffe but there is scepticism about his credentials.
INEOS have had a long-term objective to grow their standing in world sport and have enjoyed success in cycling with the INEOS Grenadiers and F1 at Mercedes but their ventures into football have been more understated. For many United fans, Nice has been seen as the standard bearer for what they can expect from Ratcliffe.
READ MORE: Why United is the ideal passion project for Ratcliffe
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In an interview with MEN Sport, French football expert and editor-in-chief at Get French Football News Luke Entwistle explained how Ratcliffe and the INEOS regime have been perceived at Nice.
"The major thing when he arrived was the very lofty ambitions which he came in with," he explained. He said they would compete with and be a challenger for PSG, that they were going to be a challenger for the Champions League places. You have got these incredibly high expectations coming in and then they have not been lived up to."
Ratcliffe arrived at the club in July 2019 and is reported to have paid €100m for the privilege. In his first season at the helm, the French club finished fifth before dropping to ninth the following year.
This pattern continued into the 2021/22 campaign where they finished fifth again before dropping to ninth last year in a campaign
Read on manchestereveningnews.co.uk
