Article by Aurelian Botezatu – Published Friday, 09 January 2026, 09:39 / Updated Friday, 09 January 2026 09:45
“1958”, a supporters' group with 100,000 members, are planning a rally at one of the next league matches.
On his arrival as Manchester United's shareholder, Sir Jim Ratcliffe was seen by fans as a savior when American owners the Glazers had led the club into a precarious situation.
The '1958' Group: Jim Ratcliffe turned the club into a circus”
However, after a year in which he fired hundreds of club employees, on the grounds that savings must be made, instead supporting a bankrupt manager (Ruben Amorim), who is now costing him 35 million euros including compensation, the supporters also distanced themselves from Ratcliffe.
The most vehement is the “1958” group, which counts no less than 100,000 supporters. The Sun tabloid revealed that they will hold a rally at “Old Trafford” on February 1, when the game against Fulham is scheduled.
And a prominent member of that group criticized Ratcliffe, in a statement made to reporters of the mentioned publication: “Having gone from one disaster to another, Ratcliffe looks like an incompetent clown who turns the club into a circus.
The “1958” group: “We are laughing at everyone”
Instead of being the best in the class, we are the laughingstock of everyone. It has been an extraordinary and deeply disturbing few days at Manchester United. On the field, we are witnessing mediocre performances from a team that lacks identity, direction or ambition. Off the field, the chaos is even greater“.
He continued, including attacking director of football Jason Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada. “It seems a manager has been sacked not mainly for poor performances against Grimsby, Everton, West Ham and Wolves, but for a heated exchange with Jason Wilcox.
Wilcox, a man with just nine months experience as Southampton's director of football, is said to have tried to intervene tacticallydespite the fact that the club hired Ruben, fully aware of his rigid system. The situation is incredible.”
Group “1958”: “We request a vote of no confidence in the owners, de Berrada and de Wilcox”
The club fired Ruben Amorim after the conflict with Jason Wilcox, and “this decision was allegedly approved by Omar Berrada, a CEO with no previous experience in the role, who listened to the complaints of a close collaborator, instead of exercising independent leadership.
We are once again witnessing a Manchester United led by learning-on-the-fly executivesat the expense of results, stability and credibility. We request a vote of no confidence in the owners, Berrada and Wilcox!”.
