ONCE UPON A TIME, he was bestowed their loyalty.

However, a year later, many Manchester United fans are beginning to feel that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is not reciprocating.

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A year has elapsed since Ratcliffe and his Ineos Group announced they were taking charge of football operations at Old Trafford from the Glazers.

Ratcliffe’s decisive action followed his initial investment of £1.03 billion, acquiring a minority 25 percent stake, yet it now feels insubstantial and even disgraceful.

As a loyal fan from Failsworth, Ratcliffe expressed: “Our mutual ambition is clear: We all aspire to see Manchester United restored to its rightful position, at the summit of English, European, and global football.”

Forget about Europe and the world. United, currently in 13th position, is facing the holidays in the league’s lower half for the first time in Premier League history.

The aspirations of fans to eliminate nearly 25 years of unrest caused by the Glazers and revive the glorious Premier League era under Sir Alex Ferguson remain as far away as before.

Old Trafford reverberated with boos after the recent 3-0 home defeat against Bournemouth, yet it’s not merely the on-field performances that have incited discontent.

Ratcliffe’s harsh cost-cutting strategies resulted in the termination of 250 staff members in a bid to save approximately £45 million annually.

Additionally, Ratcliffe ended Ferguson‘s contract as the club’s global ambassador in October, a role that earned £2 million annually.

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Legendary player Eric Cantona vehemently criticized his former club, stating: “It’s absolutely outrageous. I would throw them all into a large bag of s**t.”

In terms of public relations blunders, undermining the legendary manager’s position—despite him remaining a non-executive director—was undoubtedly a significant error.

Man Utd legend Lee Sharpe cautions that Marcus Rashford’s possible departure could come back to haunt the club if he joins rival Premier League teams.

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However, numerous challenges have arisen. The latest issue followed the loss to Bournemouth when new head coach Ruben Amorim experienced a press conference disrupted by a leaking roof.

This created a poor impression, and there have been few—if any—positive visuals since the Ineos takeover announcement on December 24.

Ratcliffe, along with his deputy Sir Dave Brailsford, renowned for his “marginal gains” approach during his time with British Cycling, did enjoy last season’s 2-1 FA Cup final win over their rivals, City.

However, that accomplishment now seems minimal considering the turmoil surrounding the then-manager Erik ten Hag prior to the Wembley match and the abrupt reversal of decision to retain him afterward.

Almost anyone imaginable surfaced as a potential replacement, including former England manager Gareth Southgate, Graham Potter, and Roberto De Zerbi.

Ten Hag himself even took a holiday in Ibiza, believing he was done for after two years.

But when no suitable candidates were available, Ratcliffe and Brailsford unexpectedly appeared at his vacation spot to inform him he would indeed keep his role.

Five months later, he was dismissed, leaving with a severance package of around £17 million that Ratcliffe and Brailsford were initially reluctant to endorse.

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Ratcliffe made a significant effort by paying Newcastle £3 million to secure Dan Ashworth as sporting director.

He was expected to spearhead an ambitious recruitment strategy to attract top talents.

Yet, after merely 160 days, he was dismissed—27 days longer than Ashworth had spent on gardening leave before his transfer.

Despite bringing Omar Berrada from Manchester City as CEO and Jason Wilcox as technical director, the choice was made to terminate Ashworth early this month due to concerns about too many people interfering with the process.

Now, Ratcliffe, Brailsford, and Ineos find themselves in a precarious position. With Amorim leading the charge, Old Trafford is at risk of becoming as toxic as it has been since the Glazers assumed control in 2005, burdening the club with £660 million in debt.

The challenges for Britain’s richest man continue to pile up, including issues surrounding a new stadium and adjustments to ticket prices.

In March, Ratcliffe claimed that he would build a “Wembley of the North” and increase Old Trafford’s capacity to 100,000.

Despite his considerable means, he felt he had to seek government funds for the £2 billion-plus project, only to quickly learn that taxpayer money was off the table.

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Decisions regarding the prospective new stadium will be finalized next summer.

In the meantime, supporters have expressed outrage over the increase in members’ ticket prices to £66 and the removal of concessions for children and seniors.

This has led to protests outside Old Trafford and the early signs of anti-Ratcliffe chants.

Furthermore, Ratcliffe is considering plans to reduce the annual funding by half for the Manchester United Disabled Supporters’ Association which was previously £40,000.

The club justified this decision by noting the need to borrow funds after their recent financial reports indicated that they had exhausted £232.3 million of their revolving credit facility by the end of September, compared to £35.6 million in June.

One member of the MUDSA (Manchester United Disabled Supporters’ Association) remarked: “The optics would be catastrophic—it feels as if the club has become disconnected from its identity.”

Discontent was further fueled by Ratcliffe’s decision to prioritize the men’s team over the women’s FA Cup final, where the women triumphed over Tottenham 4-0 in May.

Instead, he chose to remain in the North-West to see the men suffer a 1-0 defeat against Arsenal. Ratcliffe defended: “There’s only so much that can be accomplished. Our focus has been directed toward the men’s team.”

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Despite the joy of defeating Pep Guardiola’s City under the iconic arch.

However, United employees were informed ahead of time that they would need to cover their own expenses for meals, hotel stays, and transportation, which broke with tradition.

Senior management had their corporate credit cards revoked and could no longer utilize chauffeur-driven cars, while match-day personnel no longer received free meals for their contributions.

Furthermore, the club’s Christmas party was also canceled. Ratcliffe has raised concerns about conditions at the club’s Carrington training facility, labeling the disorganized IT department as a “shambles,” while noting that the dressing rooms for both the Under-18s and Under-21s were in a similar state.

Amorim took over during a turbulent time. Just one day prior to the Ineos announcement last December, Ten Hag’s squad faced a defeat to West Ham, putting them in eighth place.

Now, they languish in 13th place, with the £200 million invested following Ten Hag’s retention proving ineffective.

Only Noussair Mazraoui’s transfer from Bayern Munich at an initial fee of £12.8 million stands out as worthwhile. Meanwhile, Leny Yoro’s start at United has been hampered by injuries following his £42 million transfer.

The remaining signings—£36.5 million for Joshua Zirkzee, £38.5 million for Matthijs de Ligt, and £42.3 million for Manuel Ugarte—appear to be mismanaged funds, which Ratcliffe prioritizes.

These acquisitions represent another setback for Ratcliffe and the recruitment team after what has been a tumultuous year.

Oh, and Jim, the leaks from the roofs around Old Trafford are still pending resolution …