“I’ve been very unpopular”: Ratcliffe says his Man United calls are finally paying off

Sir Jim Ratcliffe insists the tough decisions that have made him “unpopular” at Manchester United are now beginning to show results.

Since buying into the Premier League club two years ago, the United co-owner has overseen a series of controversial cost-cutting measures at Old Trafford. He has also dismissed managers Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim after disappointing spells in charge.

Ratcliffe and the Glazer family have faced sustained protests from unhappy supporters this season, but interim boss Michael Carrick has eased some of the pressure by sparking a mini-revival. United has won four and drawn one of its last five matches, climbing back into contention for a Champions League place.

Speaking to Sky News on Wednesday, Ratcliffe compared the situation to politics, where leaders often have to make unpopular calls to tackle bigger issues.

“I’ve seen quite a bit of this at the football club,” he said. “If you do difficult things, which we felt that we had to do at Manchester United, you do become very unpopular for a while.

“Well, I’ve been very unpopular at Manchester United because we’ve made lots of changes. But for the better, in my view.

“And I think we’re beginning to see some evidence in the football club that that’s beginning to pay off.”

Published on Feb 12, 2026