The protest marks a significant shift in rhetoric regarding Ratcliffe. When the British billionaire first acquired a minority stake and took control of football operations, many supporters viewed him as a potential saviour who could dilute the influence of the Glazer family. However, that optimism has curdled into bitter resentment. The 1958 Group now views Ratcliffe not as a liberator, but as an enabler of the status quo.
"Jim Ratcliffe chose to get into bed with the Glazers and is helping to keep them in charge," a spokesperson for the group stated in a scathing assessment. The group’s statement did not hold back, attacking Ratcliffe’s competency and image, later adding: "For many, you come across as a clown, fumbling from one disaster to another, hopelessly out of your depth at one of the world's greatest football institutions," the spokesperson added. "We will not be silent. We will not be complicit. Jim Ratcliffe, you have chosen your side, and it is not ours. You are no saviour."
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