When Sir Jim Ratcliffe finally completed his minority purchase of Manchester United, supporters took comfort in the knowledge that, after nearly two decades of neglect from the Glazer family, the club was back in the hands of someone who cared deeply for it.
Ratcliffe grew up in a council estate in north Manchester, went to Old Trafford as a child - although he struggled to recall which games he attended when asked - and was in the Camp Nou to watch the Red Devils win the 1999 Champions League final and complete the treble. But less than a year since becoming minority shareholder, he has taken an axe to the club’s legacy.
Not content with dismissing 250 employees, Ratcliffe has dispensed with the man who built the modern Manchester United, none other than Sir Alex Ferguson.