When Jim Ratcliffe secured his minority stake in the club in February of last year, optimism surrounding this current season was higher than it had been in years. The Glazers, who previously controlled football operations, were deeply unpopular among the fans, many of whom staged “Glazer Out” marches and protests outside Old Trafford before matches. I witnessed this firsthand in 2022, when I visited the stadium during the Erik ten Hag era. Watching the match from the iconic Stretford End left me with two lasting impressions: these are some of the most passionate supporters in football- and some of the most frustrated. To be fair, they have every right to be. This is a club that won 38 trophies in 26 years under Sir Alex Ferguson. These fans are not only used to success, they expect it. So, when Jim Ratcliffe was announced as the man in charge of football operations, many believed that a return to glory was on the horizon.

One year later, Manchester United sit 14th in the league table, have suffered 12 defeats in 27 matches, and their owner has announced over 200 job cuts in effort to save an estimated £1 million annually. Meanwhile, players like Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, and Victor Lindelöf continue to earn exorbitant wages despite contributing next to nothing on the pitch.