Jim Ratcliffe, Britain's richest man and a major stakeholder in Manchester United, has faced backlash for various unpopular decisions, including raising ticket prices and staff layoffs. Despite taking charge of football operations from the Glazer family, Ratcliffe acknowledges the dissatisfaction among fans and admits his role has been challenging. He emphasizes his willingness to handle criticism but expresses that if the hostility towards him escalates, he may step down. Ratcliffe has also critiqued prior leadership, particularly around the lack of football expertise in the club's management.
"It can be unpleasant," Ratcliffe said in the Times. "And I've probably failed on the having fun front. I can put up with it for a while. I don't mind being unpopular because I get that nobody likes seeing Manchester United down where they are, and nobody likes the decisions we're having to make."
Eventually, if it reached the extent that the Glazer family have been abused, then I'd have to say, 'look, that's enough guys, let somebody else do this'. They can't really come to a match, the Glazers. They've retreated into the shadows a bit now, so I'm getting all the bloody stick.
Ratcliffe described the Glazer family, deeply unpopular with the fanbase, as "really decent people" but suggested Joel might be too nice for the job as he failed to be ruthless during past failures.
"I wouldn't have tolerated Ed Woodward, or Richard Arnold," Ratcliffe said. "Richard was a rugby man, he didn't even understand football. Ed didn't have the credentials to manage the club."
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