Ratcliffe backs Amorim, defends cost cuts as United pursues profit

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Manchester United’s largest minority owner and head of the club’s football operations, said he will give head coach Ruben Amorim time to prove himself and defended a year of cost cutting as part of a plan to restore the club’s finances. Ratcliffe made the comments in a recent interview as scrutiny of United’s on-field performance and off-field decisions has intensified following a difficult 12 months at Old Trafford.

Amorim, 40, has presided over a season that saw United finish 15th in the Premier League, their lowest position in around half a century, and miss out on European competition. The coach twice offered to resign, according to club figures, and has drawn criticism after a run of poor results that included a penalty shootout exit to a lower-division opponent and defeat in May’s Europa League final. Ratcliffe said Amorim “has not had the best of seasons” but argued the coach should be judged over the length of his three-year contract, citing examples of managers who improved after difficult early periods.

United’s recent financial performance has been a central rationale for Ratcliffe’s approach. The club has not recorded a profit since 2019 and posted...