Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the new minority owner of Manchester United, seems to have a remarkable “reverse jinx” when it comes to watching the team play. In his latest decision, he chose to watch a vital match for Nice, his other club, rather than attend a Manchester United game. This decision proved to be unlucky for United once again, as they failed to secure a win in 90 minutes.
Ratcliffe’s absence from Old Trafford meant that he missed Bruno Fernandes’ crucial contribution in setting up Rasmus Hojlund’s late goal in their victory over Newcastle. Meanwhile, Nice’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League were dashed as they suffered a 2-1 home loss to PSG.
As the CEO of Ineos, Ratcliffe is expected to make significant changes at Manchester United during the summer. However, if his poor record of watching the team in person continues, he may need to reconsider his own presence during matches.
During the Nice match, Ratcliffe witnessed PSG score twice in the first half through Bradley Barcola and Yora Zague. Mohamed-Ali Cho managed to reduce the deficit for Nice before halftime, but their hopes of a comeback faded when Melvin Bard was shown a red card in the 75th minute.
On the other hand, Rasmus Hojlund ended his 10-game goal drought by scoring a late winner for Manchester United against Newcastle. This victory ensures that United can finish no lower than eighth in the Premier League and gives them a chance to secure seventh place and a spot in the Europa Conference League.
Ratcliffe’s previous attempts to watch Manchester United play have resulted in disappointment. His first experience was a 2-2 draw with Tottenham in January, and since then, he has yet to witness a “normal” victory. The closest he came was the 3-3 FA Cup semi-final draw with Coventry, where United led 3-0 until the final 19 minutes. The team eventually secured a spot in the final with a 4-2 penalty shootout win against Manchester City.
Considering Ratcliffe’s unlucky streak, it might be wise for him to avoid attending the upcoming Wembley showpiece on May 25 and instead “be sent to Coventry” to break the cycle of misfortune.