From managerial farce to fan protests - Man United's mediocrity under Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos

Manchester United's performance has deteriorated since Ratcliffe and Ineos took control in February 2024, with fan protests now directed at the new ownership.

Manchester United have endured a difficult period since Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquired a minority stake and took charge of football operations in February 2024. Ineos promised to appoint 'best in class' personnel to restore the club to the top of English football, but the strategy has backfired.

The timeline of missteps includes the July 2024 contract extension of Erik ten Hag after initial plans to replace him, a wasteful summer transfer window that saw Scott McTominay sold to Napoli to fund Manuel Ugarte's arrival, and Ten Hag's eventual sacking in October following a 2-1 defeat to West Ham. Ruben Amorim was hired as replacement on November 11.

Ratcliffe's tenure has also been marked by the controversial sacking of sporting director Dan Ashworth in December, whom Ratcliffe felt lacked the ability to 'get things done'. Ashworth had advocated for Eddie Howe as Ten Hag's successor. Fan sentiment has turned sharply against Ratcliffe, with supporters now as critical of the new ownership as they were of the previous Glazer regime. Ineos' stated goal of winning the Premier League by 2028 appears increasingly unrealistic given the operational chaos.