Gary Lineker has delivered a scathing verdict on Sir Jim Ratcliffe‘s running of Manchester United, branding the club’s co-owner an ‘unpleasant human being’.
There was optimism when the 73-year-old bought a minority stake in the historic club in February 2024 and took control of football operations.
That mood now appears to have soured among sections of the fanbase, however, amid poor results on the pitch and growing frustration with decisions made under Ratcliffe’s leadership.
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, England legend Lineker said: ‘I look at Man United and I see problems coming down from the top.
‘I must congratulate the Glazers on finding someone even worse than them that they can blame and getting him in there and getting all the stick: Jim Ratcliffe.
‘I don’t think he’s a particularly pleasant human being and it’s a bit of a shambles of a football club the way it’s being run at the moment. So, well done to the Glazers on that one, deflecting everything away from them!’
‘I must congratulate the Glazers on finding someone even worse than them that they can blame and getting him in there and getting all the stick: Jim Ratcliffe,’ Lineker said
United fans protested against the club’s ownership ahead of and during the Man City derby
United have already parted company with two permanent managers since Ratcliffe took charge of football operations. Erik ten Hag was sacked three months after being handed a new deal in October 2024, while his replacement, Ruben Amorim, departed in January this year after 14 months in charge.
Michael Carrick was appointed permanent manager in the summer after impressing in an interim role, recording 11 wins and three draws from 16 matches to steer the club back into the Champions League, but an underwhelming transfer window followed.
United missed out on targets Elliot Anderson and Matheus Fernandes, while they head into the international break in 12th place with just five points from their opening five games of the season.
In the last week academy starlet JJ Gabriel, nicknamed ‘Kid Messi’, has requested to leave the club due to his family’s view that it has fallen behind the heavyweights of European football.
Daily Mail Sport has reported that a source close to the family explained that United are ‘far away’ from the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich as well as domestic rivals Arsenal and Manchester City, and that they want him to ‘learn from the best’ to maximise his talents.
Away from the pitch, Ratcliffe has been much-maligned for mass staff redundancies as well as increasing match ticket prices and season-ticket relocations in order to accommodate further hospitality seating. Ratcliffe also plans to build a new 100,000-seater stadium.
Fans protested against United’s ownership ahead of and during September’s Manchester derby defeat, and supporters’ groups have called on Ratcliffe to resign over his recent comments on immigration.
Lineker added: ‘It is a bit of a mess, that club. You’ve got a ground that’s falling apart, all sorts of complaints about various things.
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He congratulated the unpopular Glazers on finding Ratcliffe – ‘someone even worse than them’
Talented youngster JJ Gabriel, nicknamed ‘Kid Messi’, has requested to leave the club due to his family’s view that it has fallen behind the heavyweights of European football
‘They’re losing young teenagers, it looks like that (Gabriel leaving) is going to happen.
‘The results, the inconsistency seems to be back. They have backed the manager many times and it’s not worked for them but there’s got to be something dripping down from the top.’
Previously, Ratcliffe has said that excessive criticism would cause him to walk away from the club if he was ‘abused’ by fans in the same way the Glazer family have.
The unpopular Glazer family bought the club in 2005 via a leveraged takeover and retain a majority stake.
‘I mean, I can put up with it for a while,’ Ratcliffe said in March. ‘I don’t mind being unpopular because I get that nobody likes seeing Manchester United down where they are, and nobody likes the decisions we’re having to make at the moment.
‘If I draw a bit of the ire, I can put up with that. But I’m no different to the average person. It’s not nice, particularly for friends and family.
‘So, eventually, if it reached the extent that the Glazer family have been abused, then I’d have to say, look, enough’s enough guys, let somebody else do this.
‘They can’t really come to a match, the Glazers. They’ve retreated into the shadows a bit now, so I’m getting all the stick.’
