Ratcliffe faces quit dilemma as Man Utd fans renew protests during Roma comeback win

Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe faced renewed supporter fury at Old Trafford on Tuesday as fan protests disrupted the club’s 3-2 Champions League victory over Roma, reigniting questions about his previously stated willingness to walk away from the role.

Green and yellow balloons — colours long associated with the anti-Glazer movement — cascaded from the Stretford End before kick-off, and in the 21st minute play was paused after supporters threw tennis balls onto the pitch. Ratcliffe was chanted against alongside the Glazer family and director of football Jason Wilcox, with United already 2-0 down at the time and staring at a tenth consecutive game without a win before a second-half turnaround spared them that particular embarrassment.

The protests carry added weight given remarks Ratcliffe made in an interview with The Times last year. The 74-year-old, who acquired a 28.94 per cent stake in the club and assumed control of football operations in February 2024, drew a direct line between the level of abuse and his future involvement.

“I can put up with it for a while,” Ratcliffe said at the time. “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 he was explicit about his limits. “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’,” he added. “You couldn’t tolerate it at that level, it just wouldn’t be fun.”

Ratcliffe noted that the Glazers have effectively retreated from public view as a result of sustained hostility, leaving him to absorb the bulk of supporter anger. “I haven’t seen them since,” he said. “It’s, ‘Thank you, Jim, you’re doing a really good job’.”

Nearly three years into his tenure, Ratcliffe’s standing with United’s fanbase has deteriorated sharply. Supporters have pointed to a series of high-profile appointment missteps, multiple rounds of staff redundancies, and broader concerns about the direction of the club under his stewardship. Tuesday’s comeback result offered a rare moment of relief on the pitch, but it did little to ease the tension in the stands.