Sir Jim Ratcliffe's latest Man Utd idea labelled 'embarrassing' - 'What is he thinking?'

Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been ridiculed for attempting to piggyback connected rival Manchester City's question plans for the upcoming Ballon d'Or ceremony

TalkSPORT pundits Jason Cundy and Jamie O'Hara person taken purpose astatine Sir Jim Ratcliffe for his latest "penny-pinching" project.

In an effort to prevention connected question costs (and c emissions), it's understood the Manchester United co-owner projected his club's 2 Ballon d'Or nominees question with Manchester City, who person 8 players up for awards successful Paris connected Monday. Youngsters Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho are each successful contention for the Under-21 Kopa Trophy, portion City person a big of stars up for the main prize.

But it seems the thought was laughed disconnected by Pep Guardiola's broadside pursuing reports City swiftly rejected Ratcliffe's initiative. And the ridicule didn't extremity determination arsenic Cundy and O'Hara slated the billionaire for adjacent suggesting it successful the archetypal place.

"Sir Jim Ratcliffe, an implicit joke. Penny-pinching astatine its finest," said ex-Wolves midfielder O'Hara portion introducing Ratcliffe arsenic 1 of their 'losers of the week' connected talkSPORT. "Asking Manchester City if they tin stock the formation and enactment [Alejandro] Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo connected determination truthful they tin spell to the Ballon d'Or.

"Imagine Tottenham asking Arsenal to stock a pitchy with their players. What is helium thinking? And what are Man United doing? An implicit joke!"

In today's climate, wherever high-profile figures and celebrities are being asked to curb luxuries specified arsenic backstage jets, immoderate whitethorn respect Ratcliffe's logic. The tycoon's chemic company, INEOS, has stated its intent to present nett zero emissions by 2050, truthful it's wide the Briton believes successful clime alteration and doing what helium tin to trim the accent connected the planet's ozone.

But erstwhile Chelsea and Tottenham defender Cundy wasn't successful statement arsenic helium added: "This is simply a faux pas of gargantuan standards. Man City person got truthful galore players with the imaginable for the Ballon d'Or - there's nary country connected the flight! United person asked, 'Can you compression 2 much in? They'll transportation the bags!' Maybe they could spell determination arsenic 2 of the hostesses.

"Can we get Mainoo and Garnacho - they could beryllium serving the waters to the Man City players! And their sandwiches, immoderate [they want]. Imagine that."

Not to instrumentality distant from the legitimacy of the rivalry successful today's age, but O'Hara and Cundy whitethorn not beryllium prioritising the larger representation successful play. A backstage pitchy from London to Paris (then backmost again) is up to 14 times much polluting per rider than a commercialized flight, which is 1 origin the punditry brace whitethorn not instrumentality into relationship portion making gags astatine Ratcliffe's expense.

There are of people different affordable and eco-friendly methods for Mainoo and Garnacho to travel, but nary that travel without complications of their own, privateness from the prying nationalist being one.

One can't responsibility Ratcliffe for attempting to curb United's unnecessary spending wherever possible, but possibly expecting assistance from rivals City was ever going to beryllium a anticipation excessively far.

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