Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made a number of unpopular decisions since taking control of Manchester United and faced protests from fans ahead of the recent win over Everton
Former Manchester United star Wes Brown has backed Sir Jim Ratcliffe over the decisions he has made at the club, despite sparking protests from fans.
Ratcliffe has made a raft of unpopular moves since buying a 25 percent stake in United earlier this year. He has made 250 staff redundant, replaced the club’s executive team, handed Erik ten Hag a contract extension, sacked Ten Hag, sacked sporting director Dan Ashworth, raised ticket prices to £66 for adults, children and seniors, and cancelled the club’s Christmas party.
That is on top of a £200million splurge in the summer transfer window, which has appeared to have had little positive impact. Those decisions, particularly over the ticket price raise, led to protests ahead of the win over Everton.
But Brown believes that Ratcliffe’s intent is corect, with the former title winner insisting change is needed. He praised the billionaire for not shying away from making difficult decisions.
“Obviously, since Jim has come into the club there have been a lot of changes. We know that a lot of people have left, you just hope that he can bring the same level of success that he’s had as a businessman to the football club,” Brown told 10Bet.
“I think we can all see that there is a plan and what he’s building towards. I’m confident that when everything comes together, it will all work out. He hasn’t shied away from making big decisions, and I like that. It’s very early doors in his tenure.
“At United, we haven’t really known a period where so much has changed, but that is typically what happens when there is a new owner or a new partnership. You have to let Jim do what he thinks is best for the club. It’s something that we’re definitely not used to, but I have every faith that he will get it right.”
Ratcliffe has fiercely defended his decisions, despite their widespread unpopularity. He insisted they were needed to return United back to its former glory and to make the club sustainable.
” Manchester United has become mediocre,” he told the United We Stand magazine. “It is supposed to be one of the best football clubs in the world. We have to make some difficult and unpopular decisions.
“If you shy away from the difficult decisions, then nothing much is going to change. I know we get criticism in the press but we do need to challenge the cost of running this club because what I want to be free for us to do is buy really good footballers, not spend so much of the money on infrastructure.
“We can’t run a business at a loss, which is where United have been in the last couple of years. If you are losing money you have to borrow from the bank to pay for the losses. Eventually that becomes unsustainable.
“I don’t want to end up in a position where the genuine local fans can’t afford to come but I do want to optimise the ticketing. We need to find a balance – and you can’t be popular all the time either. I don’t think it makes sense for a Manchester United ticket to cost less than a ticket to see Fulham.”
Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Learn more
