Man Utd fans plan first protest against Sir Jim Ratcliffe as they slam 'devil in disguise'

Manchester United fans are planning to stage a protest against Sir Jim Ratcliffe's running of the club for the first time ahead of their Premier League season opener against Arsenal this month.

Ratcliffe has come under fire from a huge section of supporters over his decision-making and handling of the club since his £1.25bn investment in the club last year - quickly taking control of United's football operations.

But United have had a disastrous couple of years since he joined the club, which have seen United finish seventh in the Premier League in 2023-24 before a 15th-placed finish last season. The club have also been hit by financial difficulties, which has impacted their spending in this window.

Ratcliffe has embarked on a brutal cost-cutting regime at Old Trafford, with ticket prices hiked and free lunches for staff in the canteen scrapped too.

Meanwhile, Joel and Avram Glazer continue to own the club in the background despite mounting calls for the Americans to leave.

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The 1958 supporters' group have previously staged a number of demonstrations against the club's ownership, including before the final game of the season against Aston Villa - as they accused United of stealing their "history, dignity and integrity".

They have now announced their next move in a bid to make their voices heard. The group will lead a protest outside Old Trafford before the team faces the Gunners on August 17.

Protesters will hold up banners in opposition to both Ratcliffe and the Glazers presence at the club, with the signs reading: "Jim can't fix this".

A spokesman for The 1958 said: “It’s a new season but the same old ownership issues. Twenty years of the Glazers and their debt mountain is 20 years too long. Enough is enough.

"We won’t allow some natural optimism and a couple of shiny new signings to deflect from the bigger off-field picture. Jim Ratcliffe chose to get into bed with the Glazers and in our opinion is helping keep them in charge.

"So on 17th August, we protest not just against the Glazers, but now also against Jim Ratcliffe – a man once seen by many, including ourselves, as a possible saviour, a beacon of hope but now revealed as complicit in the ongoing erosion of everything that makes our club what it is.

"Jim Ratcliffe, you have chosen your side and it is not ours. You now stand shoulder to shoulder with the Glazers. The mask has slipped. You are no saviour. You’re like a (red) devil in disguise."

Ratcliffe previously admitted he could leave the club if he became as unpopular as the Americans, saying: "Eventually, if it reached the extent that the Glazer family have been abused, then I’d have to say, 'look, that’s enough guys, let somebody else do this'."

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