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Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has faced criticism despite the team delivering a comeback win over Roma in the Champions League. Michael Carrick's squad ended their nine-match winless streak on Tuesday and will aim to maintain momentum against Aston Villa this weekend. The United boss has experienced mounting pressure owing to the club's underwhelming start to the campaign. Carrick appeared destined for another loss after falling 2-0 behind against the Italian outfit before a Bruno Fernandes penalty and a Matheus Cunha double secured United a huge three points.
Yet supporters at Old Trafford expressed their discontent by organising a demonstration against United's ownership during the fixture, with INEOS chief Ratcliffe and the Glazer family becoming subjects of fan chants.
Express Sport round up some of the latest United headlines...
Ratcliffe's exit conditions met
Ratcliffe, 74, has encountered disapproval from fans ever since acquiring an initial 25 per cent shareholding in United during December 2023.
His INEOS organisation supervises football operations at Old Trafford and Ratcliffe has previously declared that he would give up his position at United if he proved as unpopular with fans as his fellow co-owners, the Glazers.
After the win over Roma, it appears the United fanbase are trying to make it as clear as possible that that is now the case.
"I mean, I can put up with it for a while," Ratcliffe told The Times last year. "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. 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. We bought in and I haven't seen them since. It's, 'Thank you, Jim, you're doing a really good job'.
"At the moment, I don't have security, I don't have to walk around like that. But it would defeat the object, wouldn't it? You couldn't tolerate it at that level, it just wouldn't be fun."
There have been repeated anti-Ratcliffe chants at recent matches as United fans use their voice to tell INEOS they want serious changes behind the scenes.
Beckham takeover gets thumbs up
Former Premier League favourite Djibril Cisse has put forward United icon David Beckham as a potentially strong successor to Ratcliffe, should INEOS opt to offload their shareholding in the club. The 51-year-old possesses executive-level expertise as a co-owner of MLS outfit Inter Miami.
"Could David Beckham replace the Glazers and INEOS at Manchester United? Why not?" ex-Liverpool star Cisse said to Mr Gamble. "He's doing a good job at Inter Miami.
"He has an aura, he has a name, he's David Beckham, and he carries real weight in world football. So yes, why not?".
Should Beckham pursue a takeover at Old Trafford, Cisse urged that his former Sunderland manager Roy Keane be appointed United boss. He continued: "It would be another club legend coming back. If it were him and Roy Keane, that would be amazing.
"Keane has the weight of experience and history. He is a strong personality and he's an icon of the club."
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