JIM: WE HAD TO SHAKE UP 'LOST' UNITED

Ratcliffe says club's been in decline since departure of Ferguson and Gill

- IAN WINROW

SIR JIM RATCLIFFE says he had no choice but to launch a drastic shake-up at Manchester United after the club had "lost its way" in the post-Fergie era.

The Ineos chief took charge of the football side of the business as well as day-to-day operations when he shelled out £1.25billion for a 27.7 percent stake in the club in February.

He has since undertaken an overhaul of the Old Trafford hierarchy and announced plans for major changes at the club -including 250 redundancies - in a bid to restore the Red Devils to the top of the pile.

And Ratcliffe highlights the departure of former boss Sir Alex Ferguson and chief executive David Gill as a trigger for the club's on-field decline.

He said: "You can't put your head in the sand, you have to face facts. It needed a fresh start, so that's what we've done.

"(The club had) clearly lost its way.