French football expert Jonathan Johnson has warned Manchester United fans that they might not be too excited about the impact Sir Jim Ratcliffe had with Ligue 1 side Nice.
Ratcliffe is aiming to complete the purchase of a 25% stake in Man Utd after Sheikh Jassim pulled out of a potential takeover deal, but it’s fair to say the INEOS chief hasn’t had the most successful period in France.
Writing exclusively for the Daily Briefing, Johnson explained that Nice have failed to make the kind of progress they will have been hoping for, with the club not any closer to competing with Paris Saint-Germain or making progress in Europe.
Red Devils fans will be desperate for change after a dismal period under the ownership of the Glazers, but it remains to be seen if the influence of Ratcliffe is really the answer to their problems.
Judging by Johnson’s analysis, it’s debatable if Sir Jim will bring about the change needed at Old Trafford, while he’s far from popular at Nice after so much interest in clubs in the Premier League in recent years.
“We’re seeing Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS move closer to purchasing a 25% stake in Manchester United, but as much as fans of the Red Devils might not want to read this, their ownership of Nice hasn’t been a huge success,” Johnson wrote.
“We have to recognise that when INEOS came in they had a very ambitious project to challenge PSG at the top of Ligue 1 and they haven’t done that. They haven’t really made any kind of progress domestically or in Europe, so it’s been a very frustrating period for the club’s fans.
“Ratcliffe’s continual flirtation with clubs in England has also been a source of frustration to the Nice fan-base, as it’s not just Manchester United he’s shown an interest in, but also Chelsea and Liverpool in the past. Had it just been Man United, given his childhood support of the club, then I think fans might have been a bit more understanding, but given that there’s clearly been a long-running interest in buying a Premier League club, I think the Nice fans have tired of it.
“More recently, Nice have made some encouraging changes – they’re the only team unbeaten in Ligue 1 and they’re going very well under highly-rated new manager Francesco Farioli. They’ve got a couple of real gems in their ranks as well, but overall you can’t paint a picture of Ratcliffe’s reign and make it look like a success. It’s been largely a tale of frustration and wasted potential.”