Furious Manchester United followers will go forward with protest towards membership’s homeowners – regardless of threat it spoils feel-good issue following Michael Carrick’s dream begin
Furious Manchester United fans will still go ahead with a planned protest against the club’s ownership despite back-to-back wins under Michael Carrick.
Earlier this month protest group The 1958 called for a vote of no confidence in United’s hierarchy, as well as branding Sir Jim Ratcliffe ‘an incompetent clown turning the club into a circus’.
The group, which has nearly 100,000 members, also announced plans for a demonstration before the game against Fulham at Old Trafford on February 1.
Back-to-back wins against Manchester City and Arsenal raised questions as to whether the timing of the protest, with the club now in a good moment on the pitch, would change.
But that is not the case and the protestors doubled down that they will have their voices heard ahead of Sunday’s match.
‘Recent results are down to Michael Carrick and the players and they have come in spite of our inept ownership, not because of it,’ a spokesperson for The 1958 said.
A planned protest against Manchester United’s ownership will still go ahead before Fulham
The fan group still have no faith in Sir Jim Ratcliffe (left), Omar Berrada or Jason Wilcox (right)
‘This club continues to fumble from one calamity to the next. Fans should not be fooled by two good results. We have been here too many times before.
‘Our protest has never been about performances on the pitch. Not now, and not once in the last 21 years.
‘We are judging a dysfunctional ownership model that has repeatedly failed Manchester United.
‘Jim Ratcliffe is a successful and wealthy businessman. But in a football sense, for many he comes across as a clueless clown, making one poor decision after another, with no cohesive plan.’
As well as Ratcliffe, chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox have been heavily criticised by the group, who want to see them removed from their positions.
‘We are once again witnessing Manchester United being run by executives learning on the job, at the expense of results, stability, and credibility,’ the 1958 wrote earlier this month.
‘We call for a vote of no confidence in the ownership, Berrada and Wilcox.
‘Let us be clear: this is not a defence of Ruben or the football served up under him. Much of it was unacceptable. But his dismissal once again exposes the continued dysfunction at our club. Manchester United is now a toxic partnership where fans are getting the worst of both worlds.
‘The Glazers continue to cream money off the top, while Ratcliffe and Ineos hammer supporters at the bottom. Together, they are running one of the biggest clubs in world football like a local corner shop, penny pinching, short term, and utterly devoid of vision.
Man United have won their last two league games but the protest is going ahead as planned
‘Over $1billion has already been sucked out of Manchester United at the altar of greed. Jim Ratcliffe has betrayed the hope and faith many supporters placed in him.
‘He was supposed to be change. Instead, he has become the perfect Glazer shield absorbing public criticism while Joel and Avram Glazer quietly continue their asset stripping behind the scenes. Nothing has changed. In truth, it is worse.’
There have been multiple fan protests over the years outside Old Trafford and protesting fans have issued a call to arms to mobilise on Sunday against ownership.
Fans are expected to assemble at two meeting points at the top of Sir Matt Busby Way/Chester Road and also outside Hotel Football at 1pm ahead of the Fulham match, which kicks off at 2pm.
