Inside Qatar's plans to fix Manchester United in just three days - and how Sheikh Jassam's 'Project Ruby' could offer stumbling Ineos an exit route from chaos: MIKE KEEGAN
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In the 1980s quiz show Bullseye, contestants would often fall at the final hurdle. Amid sympathetic groans from the audience, a giant dart board would then slowly revolve to reveal the big prize they had agonisingly missed out on. Often it was a shiny new speedboat, or some other distant treasure. 'Look at what you could have won,' host Jim Bowen would declare from behind jam-jar lenses.
![[A Qatari consortium, headed by Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani, were also in the running]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/11/16/93046155-14182309-image-m-5_1733934026514.jpg)
A toned-down version of the jocular theme music would then play as the credits rolled and the unlucky couple were left to reflect on what might have been. For Manchester United supporters, what follows is a journalistic equivalent of the above. Look at what you could have won...
![[There have already been protests against Ratcliffe's methods of running United this season]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/11/16/92670417-14182309-This_was_sparked_by_a_ticket_price_hike_and_fans_called_on_the_c-a-6_1733934042648.jpg)
In February 2023, Mail Sport broke the bombshell story that a Qatari group was to enter the race to buy Britain's biggest football club. They did not win that race. Their offer for full control was shunned by the Glazer family in favour of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his own revised offer to take a quarter stake. In real terms, Ratcliffe had offered far less in total – £1.25bn to £4.79bn - but crucially for the Americans his stake had valued the totality of United at slightly more.
![[Redundancies have been made and ticket prices have been hiked off the field at United]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/11/16/93046129-14182309-image-a-7_1733934051408.jpg)
The deal was done and Ratcliffe, a lifelong fan, was effectively given the keys, taking control of all operations. The Americans quietly trousered the cash, retreated from the limelight and no doubt looked forward to benefiting from success built on the back of others' graft.
![[Sporting director Dan Ashworth, who United chased for months, was axed this month]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/11/16/93046337-14182309-image-a-8_1733934105222.jpg)
They did not, however, all live happily ever after. Almost 12 months on, the 'new' United lurches from one PR disaster to another under Ratcliffe and his Ineos lieutenants. On Christmas Day they find themselves in a lowly 13th place following Sunday's 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth. After 17 games they are 17 points behind Liverpool, who spanked them 3-0 at Old Trafford.
![[The Qatari group had plans for a new stadium that would have been announced early doors]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/11/16/93046473-14182309-image-a-9_1733934310856.jpg)
