Sir Jim Ratcliffe's ruthless leaked email about Manchester United facilities shows his true colours

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Sir Jim Ratcliffe's email concerning the club's facilities' condition is not the first time the part-owner has expressed his candid views on Manchester United's current state.

Ratcliffe, who owns just over 25 percent of the club, has made multiple visits since his investment was announced midway through the season and then ratified in February. The billionaire, also a United supporter, even made a quick trip to Wembley after completing the London Marathon to catch the end of the FA Cup semi-final against Coventry City.

However, this week, it came to light that he is far from satisfied with the state of the club's iconic stadium. In leaked correspondences, he described encountering a "disgrace" during a tour of the facilities and stated that the standards "would not come close" to those at chemical firm INEOS, where he holds the chairman position.

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This follows previous frustrations among some staff members due to cost-cutting measures implemented ahead of the FA Cup final. Separate leaked emails suggested that staff would have to cover their own travel expenses to and from Wembley for the final match against Manchester City, something they were not required to do in 2023.

"In recognition of your ongoing support this season, we will organise a colleague trip to Wembley for the final on 25 May," the April email read. "This year, the trip will be a little different.

"We will still provide you with a complimentary ticket to the game. However, we'll ask you to contribute towards coach travel, and lunch will not be provided. While we appreciate this is a change from previous trips, you will all be aware of the need for us to spend the club's money effectively, with a focus on performance and outcomes.

"We hope that this year's trip balances the opportunity for you to go to Wembley to support our players while also ensuring we can invest as much as possible into the club over the coming months to achieve our goal of returning Manchester United back to the top of English, European and world football."

Ahead of a busy summer in his role overseeing football activities, Ratcliffe's newest leaked message suggests other areas he wants the club to straighten out. "After touring some of the facilities, I noticed a significant amount of disorder. Specifically, the IT department, which was frankly pitiful, and the U18 and U21 dressing rooms were barely better," he wrote in the email.

"These standards would not come close to what we would expect at INEOS and we are a chemical company. Manchester United is an elite sporting organisation. It's a small thing in many ways but unless an organisation has standards and discipline it will not succeed.

"I would be grateful in future if we adopt the proper standards of housekeeping everywhere. It reflects poorly on the club if we have visitors, young player parents, new players and and the media and they see we don't care enough to keep things shipshape."

As for on-field matters, manager Erik ten Hag confirmed he has met with Ratcliffe ahead of the summer transfer window. United have yet to determine which European competition they will play in next term, if any, but some discussions have already taken place.

"Initial meetings are good," Ten Hag told Sky Sports ahead of Monday's game against Crystal Palace. "Now we have to take things quickly because the summer is coming."

"It's a very important period where you come into a window. We want to make the next step into our squad and make plans to create an environment that avoids this year's problems in injuries."

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