Sir Jim Ratcliffe brutally criticised by Man Utd fan group for latest cost-cutting measures

Vocal supporter group The 1958 has issued a strongly-worded statement calling out recent cost-cutting initiatives put into place by Ratcliffe, suggesting the billionaire is "targeting the vulnerable factions" of the fanbase, has a "lack of understanding", and is not addressing the bigger issues.

Ratcliffe is proving to be increasingly divisive after initially being hailed as a hero when buying into the club and assuming control of sporting operations from the Glazer family last year. The summer saw 250 staff made redundant, with fans also since hit by a blanket ticket price of £66 per game without concession rates, cutting in half support for disabled supporters, and ending charitable donations to an association for former players from an era when footballers weren't insanely wealthy. All the while tens of millions has been spent hiring and firing, with Erik ten Hag dismissed for big compensation only months after being handed a new contract, the triggering of Ruben Amorim's release clause, and sporting director Dan Ashworth being shown the door in just five months. The wage bill for an underperforming playing squad also remains enormous.

The 1958 said: "A year of INEOS and Sir Jim promised so much after the generational damage caused by Glazer ownership. 

"Sir Jim stated he wanted to put 'The Manchester back into Manchester United'. Everyone thinking a local lad would understand the community, the working class and the fabric of our great club. Far from it and the disgraceful comments in the recent interview comparing United to Fulham back this up. Actions will always speak louder than words. All the evidence so far shows a different picture. 

"Price hikes for match going fans. Removal of concessions for kids & pensioners. Club staff losing jobs at all levels saving peanuts. The [Dan] Ashworth debacle costing millions. Ticketing services impacted by cuts (away collections). Moral of the club and hopes of fans in the gutter. Stewards bonuses being removed & numbers cut. 

"You've seen the queues right (more on this another time). Donations to the charity that supports ex-United players stopped without any notice. Nothing but total contempt for the fans and the very fabric of what our club was built on. 

"Sir Jim's strategy to cut costs is nothing other than an affront on the working-class foundations our club was built on. It's a penny wise and pound-foolish approach. Hitting those most in need and can least afford it who have no voice is an act of cowardice and shows a total lack of understanding. 

"An investor with strength of conviction would address the real issues impacting the club. The Glazers. Their mismanagement of the club for over 20 years. Their crippling debt placed on the club and the millions of pounds paid by the club in interest payments each year. 

"The strategy in place to recover from the Glazers s***show is targeting the vulnerable factions of our fan base. We now have the worse of both worlds. An attack from the top down with the Glazers creaming off the club and an attack from the bottom up with the 'local Failsworth lad' preying on those who can least afford it and have no voice. 

"This cannot continue! We will not allow this to continue! If we do nothing as a fan base. Then there will be no more rivalries, no more fan culture.

"Only tourists and corporates happy for a day out with no emotional attachment. We are up for the fight. Is the Supporters Trust (how long are you going to stand by and do nothing)? Is the fanbase? In times of adversity and hardship we all need to look to each other for the light.

"It's your choice. It’s now or never. No matter who you are underestimate the fans and Mancunians at your peril."

Performances on the field will always take the heat off crises off it and Manchester United are not performing. Off the back of successive recent defeats to Tottenham Hotspur, Bournemouth and Wolves, Amorim's team host Newcastle at Old Trafford on Monday night. Even if United are victorious, they will start 2025 in the bottom half of the Premier League table.