Manchester, October 1, 2025 – Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the INEOS billionaire steering Manchester United’s footballing revival, is reportedly nursing deep regrets over the glowing assurances he lavished on Rúben Amorim during their pivotal November 2024 summit at the Carrington training complex – a meeting that sealed the Portuguese’s £10 million poach from Sporting CP and ignited dreams of a post-Fergie renaissance. With United mired in crisis – 14th in the Premier League after a soul-crushing 3-1 derby loss to Manchester City on Sunday, extending their winless run to four games – sources close to the boardroom reveal Ratcliffe’s frustration boiling over, questioning if he handed Amorim a “golden ticket” too hastily amid the wreckage of Erik ten Hag’s tenure.
The clandestine huddle, shrouded in secrecy at the time, was billed as a “vision alignment” session. Ratcliffe, fresh from his £1.25 billion minority stake acquisition, reportedly told the then-39-year-old Amorim: “You’re the architect we’ve craved – build us a dynasty like Sporting’s, but with United’s roar.” Per insiders cited by The Athletic, the INEOS chief dangled unchecked transfer autonomy and a £300 million war chest, painting a picture of total empowerment to lure the three-time Primeira Liga winner from Lisbon. Amorim, dazzled by the promise of Old Trafford’s global stage, bit – quitting Sporting mid-season and inheriting a squad riddled with underperformers like Marcus Rashford (zero goals in eight) and a leaky defense conceding 2.3 goals per game. “Jim sold him the dream,” one executive confided. “Now it’s a nightmare, and he’s kicking himself for not vetting the fit deeper.”
United’s slide has been precipitous. Since Amorim’s arrival, they’ve amassed just 10 points from 12 league fixtures, with Champions League hopes flickering after a 2-0 home reversal to Porto. The City defeat – where Amorim’s high-line gamble was shredded by Erling Haaland’s hat-trick – prompted Ratcliffe to summon chief executive Omar Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth for a “crisis powwow” on Monday, per Sky Sports sources. Whispers from the meeting suggest Ratcliffe fumed: “I gave him the keys to the kingdom, and he’s driving us off a cliff. Those promises? Reckless.” The industrialist’s remorse stems from early red flags ignored: Amorim’s rigid 3-4-3 clashed with United’s transitional squad, yielding the league’s lowest possession (42%) among top-half teams and a dismal xG underperformance of -4.2.
Amorim, stoic in his post-City presser, deflected: “Results will come – we’re implementing a philosophy, not chasing quick fixes.” Yet, behind closed doors, tensions simmer. Bryan Mbeumo’s Sky Sports plea for players to “take responsibility” earlier this week was seen as a veiled swipe at Amorim’s micromanagement, with Rashford reportedly confronting the boss over benchings. Ratcliffe, a self-professed “football obsessive” who cycles to matches and meddles in minutiae, now eyes contingency plans. Bookmakers have slashed odds on Amorim’s dismissal to 2/1, with Thomas Tuchel (fresh from Bayern glory) and even a wild-card Zinedine Zidane rumored in Ratcliffe’s Rolodex. “Jim’s a businessman – he hates sunk costs,” a United source quipped. “That chat was his biggest investment; now it’s toxic.”
Fan fury amplifies the boardroom angst. Protests marred the City game, with banners decrying “INEOS Out – Sell the Glazers!” – ironic, given Ratcliffe’s partial ownership. X lit up post-match: “Ratcliffe regrets poaching Amorim? Good – guy’s tactics are prehistoric,” vented @RedDevilsCentral, sparking 28k retweets. Pundit Gary Neville, on his podcast, piled on: “Sir Jim sold the soul for style points. Amorim’s no Klopp; he’s a cult coach in a cauldron.” The INEOS blueprint – data-driven signings like Mbeumo (£71m), Benjamin Šeško (£55m), and Matheus Cunha (£63m) – was meant to fuel Amorim’s vision, but cohesion lags, with the attack misfiring at 0.9 goals per game.
As United host Everton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday – a tie screaming banana skin – Ratcliffe’s regrets cast a long shadow. Sources hint at a “performance clause” review by month’s end, potentially triggering a payout north of £15 million. For the 72-year-old tycoon, whose United obsession borders on zealotry, the sting is personal: “He thought he’d found his Guardiola,” an ally sighed. “Instead, it’s Groundhog Day.” With Champions League revenue at risk and fan trust eroding, Ratcliffe’s fateful words to Amorim – once a beacon – now haunt like a bad bet. In the cutthroat Colosseum of Old Trafford, even billionaires learn: promises made in hope can curdle into doubt all too swiftly.
