Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has indicated he would step away from the club if supporter abuse reached the level endured by the Glazer family, following hostile chants directed at him during Saturday's defeat at Chelsea.
Ratcliffe was absent from Stamford Bridge as Michael Carrick's side fell to Chelsea, but travelling supporters still made their feelings clear about the British billionaire. Chants of "You can stick your new stadium up your a***", "Sell United and f*** off home" and "Just like the Glazers, Jim Ratcliffe's a c***" rang out at full-time.
Ratcliffe's Previous Warning
During an interview last year, the 74-year-old acknowledged he had no wish to be regarded in the same way as the Glazer family. "Eventually, if it reached the extent that the Glazer family have been abused, then I'd have to say, 'Look, enough's enough guys, let somebody else do this,'" he said. "They can't really come to a match. At the moment, I don't have security, I don't have to walk around like that. But it would defeat the object, wouldn't it? You couldn't tolerate it at that level. It just wouldn't be fun."
Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada will have experienced the pressure in west London, while the Glazers attracted their usual chants. The INEOS chief has been challenged over his handling of supporters and personnel, and United's on-pitch performances have also drawn criticism.
Pressure Mounts on Leadership
A nine-match winless run has intensified the backlash. With matches against an unbeaten Roma side in Serie A and Aston Villa on the horizon, matters are hardly certain to improve swiftly. Even if United opt to sack Carrick during the international break, Liverpool will be next up when they return.
Discontent has mounted beyond the terraces as well. The Glazers are understood to be dissatisfied with the club's trajectory under their co-owner. A source with links to the family told the Daily Mail that "it's a travesty and not what they expected or were promised," before noting that "they have never run the club this way." Meanwhile, ESPN revealed that the Glazers believe Ratcliffe "couldn't have masterminded a worse situation."
Criticism of Strategy
A source characterised his "downgrading in all departments" at Old Trafford as "the opposite of what he said his strategy is." The ongoing criticism of Ratcliffe's leadership, combined with the fan protests at Stamford Bridge, raises questions about the co-owner's future involvement with the club.
