Gary Lineker has taken aim at Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, saying he is an “unpleasant human being”.
Sir Jim, who recently came under fire from Labour MPs for claiming the UK is “on the slide”, purchased a minority stake in the club over two years ago.
Despite optimism around his move, the club’s fanbase has turned sour, with a protest being held against United’s ownership before their loss to Manchester City this month.
Lineker has weighed in, hitting out at United’s set-up and Ratcliffe in a scathing assessment of the club’s management.
“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,” he said on The Rest is Football podcast.
Gary Lineker has taken aim at Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe
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Lineker feels the state of the club, with the repairs needed at Old Trafford, the poor start to the season and the lack of direction, has culminated in a hostile mood.
He said: “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.
“They’re losing young teenagers; it looks like that [JJ 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.”
Ratcliffe purchased a minority stake in United in February 2024
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GETTYThe Glazer family bought United in 2005 and have retained a majority stake.
Ratcliffe said earlier this year that consistent criticism could see him leave his position, explaining he does not “mind being unpopular”, but will not take being “abused” by supporters.
Speaking in March, he said: “I can put up with it for a while. 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.
United have only won a couple of games so far this season | GETTY“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.”
The international break comes after a poor start to the season for the Red Devils, who are winless in their last three games, with defeats to City and Brighton, both at home.
They face Tottenham on October 10, in what will feel like a must-win game for Michael Carrick’s side amid Spurs’ turbulent form.
