Ratcliffe's straight talk dissolves into double-speak

On jobs, finances or new stadium plans, itis not easy todiscern what the Unitedco-owner is saying, writes

- Barney Ronay

Hmm. That does sound bad, Sir Jim. Talk me through it one more time, these frustrating corporate shields, these blame-avoidance tactics you're so worried about. But first could you please just come out from behind the table. And stop doing that admittedly very good Donald Duck voice.

Taking in the full text of this year's annual Sir Jim Ratcliffe lecture, conveyed on this occasion via newspapers, TV and a gruelling 40 minutes with Gary Neville, is a genuinely confusing exercise. Not just because Ratcliffe has once again come armed with a script, key lines, boilerplate defences, which he repeats with impressive accuracy but also subtle variations. But because almost everything he says, despite being delivered in a hammy, straight-talking gunslinger style, needs to be stared at with hawk-like focus just to work out what he's actually saying.

Two obvious points leap out. The most obvious, one that should concern not only supporters of Manchester United but frankly everyone, given we are all now stakeholders in this regeneration project, is the extreme and visceral levels of BS involved.

The phrase "BS" is used advisedly here. This is, like the quote above on matrix structures, another borrowing from the famed Ineos corporate "Compass".

Both are listed under the Words we don't like section. Except it seems that sometimes we do like these things, given the sheer density of double-speak, evasion and vagueness contained in the latest Ratcliffe instalment. Compasses. ,John Donne was right. These are treacherous things.

As ever there is something galling in the idea Ratcliffe should be given credit simply for answering questions and "fronting up" in this way. This is essentially his job. What is he anyway? A slash-and-burn merchant, a cost-cutter, a purchaser and repackager of distressed assets.