Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s 36 second answer highlights major Manchester United problem

With a resplendent vista of the French Riviera as his backdrop, Sir Jim Ratcliffe gave an insight into the current state of affairs at Manchester United Women that wasn’t quite so picture-perfect.

The Ineos boss, who assumed control of United’s sporting operations back in February, was giving a sit-down interview with American outlet Bloomberg Television from his base in Monaco. He spoke for more than 37 minutes on his plans for the club, a potential new stadium and even Brexit.

Just 36 seconds of the exchange, though, were reserved for matters pertaining to Marc Skinner’s side. And, perhaps predictably, what little Ratcliffe did say offered some cause for consternation.

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“I haven’t asked you what you’re doing with the women at Manchester United,” Bloomberg’s Francine Lacqua said as the interview entered its 26th minute.

“Well, they’ve just won the FA Cup,” Ratcliffe responded, seemingly convinced the 6.3kg of sterling silver that’s recently taken up residence in the club’s trophy cabinet rendered any further discussion obsolete.

Keen to press her interviewee further on the subject, Lacqua queried whether the club had been looking for outside investors to accelerate the growth of United Women.

“We haven’t got into that level of detail with the women’s team,” Ratcliffe said. “We’ve been pretty much focused on how we resolve the (men’s) first team and that environment and that’s been pretty full-time for the first six months.”

Clearly sensing this particular line of questioning had run its course, Lacqua asked whether plans for the women’s team were “TBC” (to be confirmed). “Correct,” was Ratcliffe’s simple reply.

It was not the illuminating analysis supporters of Skinner’s side will no doubt have been hoping for. Of course, women’s football sceptics will feel like the online furore sparked by the interview is a lot of fuss over nothing.

If Ratcliffe has no insight to give on his plans for the women’s team, then perhaps he is right to be honest about that fact, instead of trying to dress it up in PR bluster. There is an argument, too, that his unswerving focus on the men’s team is entirely justified.

Even as the profile of the women’s game continues to skyrocket, it would be naive to assume that improving the fortunes of Erik ten Hag’s side is not his priority and therefore that they will, more often than not, take precedence over the women’s team.

Ratcliffe is a businessman first and foremost and, as such, will be minded to invest his efforts most vehemently into improving the health of the club’s chief moneymaker.

And yet, it’s hard to escape the feeling his latest comments are a huge slap in the face of Skinner and his players. It’s worth noting that United Women are no strangers to being viewed as an afterthought; a small, superfluous cog deep in the bowels of one of football’s biggest institutions.

The team was disbanded in 2005 by the Glazer regime, having been deemed unprofitable and not part of the club’s “core business”. It was a hugely controversial decision and it took until 2018 for a senior women’s side to be reinstated.

During the intervening years, United supporters had to watch as the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City plundered all of the game’s top honours.

It was hoped, then, that Ratcliffe’s arrival would signal the start of a new era, one which would enable United Women to step out of the shadow of her more worldly Premier League brother and earn her own moment in the spotlight.

Those hopes were somewhat dashed when Ratcliffe and Ineos head of sport Sir Dave Brailsford opted to attend United men’s clash with Arsenal instead of the Women’s FA Cup Final back in May.

While Skinner’s side was putting Tottenham Hotspur to the sword at Wembley en route to their first major title, Ratcliffe and Brailsford were at Old Trafford, where Leandro Trossard’s strike consigned United to their 14th top flight defeat of the season.

There was Ineos representation at Wembley, with chief financial officer Roger Bell and director for corporate affairs and communications Tom Crotty watching on from the Directors’ Box alongside United’s executive co-chairman, Avram Glazer.

Ratcliffe also sent good luck messages to the players ahead of kick-off and manager Skinner was keen to downplay the significance of the 71-year-old’s absence when quizzed on the subject post-match. “In all honesty, it just feels like a really positive space to be in. I’ve been really excited by the energy (Ineos is) driving internally,” he said.

“It won’t be long until we’re talked about in the elite winning teams. I know what’s coming and it’s a really exciting time to be a Manchester United fan. What I’d say is that messages have been passed through all the time. There’s constant support and constant communication. We had more than enough representation from our club here.”

While Ratcliffe’s conspicuous absence did not appear to trouble Skinner, the Ineos chief’s latest interview surely will. The 41-year-old was, rather controversially, handed a one-year contract extension at the end of last term and, after a disappointing Women’s Super League (WSL) campaign ended with his side in fifth place, he will know the pressure – from the fanbase at least – is on him to deliver next season.

Skinner has already had to contend with significant disruption behind the scenes at the club, with the departure of assistant manager Martin Ho having been keenly felt within the squad. Ho joined Norwegian side SK Brann on a two-year deal last July, while several other key personnel – including physiotherapist Ibrahim Kerem and performance analyst Luke Wright – have moved over to join Ten Hag’s side over the past two seasons.

With head of women’s football Polly Bancroft also having left this summer to take up a new job as Chief Executive of Grimsby Town, it’s perhaps little wonder the Reds have so often appeared in flux on the pitch of late. In spite of the FA Cup triumph, this is a football operation in need of considered direction – something Ratcliffe seems either unable or unwilling to give at this present moment.

Considering a number of first-team stars, including goalkeeper Mary Earps and club captain Katie Zelem, are set to be out of contract in less than a week’s time, the petrochemicals billionaire’s perceived lack of interest in the affairs of the women’s team is startling.

It must be said, Ratcliffe’s track record when it comes to women’s sport is not massively encouraging. Ineos Grenadiers are one of the richest, most successful teams in professional cycling history, and yet they still lack a women’s road team.

OCG Nice – the club purchased by Ratcliffe in 2019 – do have a women’s team but they finished last season fourth in the French second division. The Ineos chief has done little so far to suggest his ambitions for United Women are markedly loftier.

Even the linguistics employed in his latest interview – most notably referring to the men’s team as the ‘first team’ – inspire little optimism for the future of Skinner’s side.

Those measly 36 seconds spent discussing United Women offer perhaps the clearest indication yet of where Ratcliffe’s priorities lie. And, if his mindset does not shift, it is hard to imagine the Reds ever truly establishing their place amongst European football’s elite.