Sir Alex Ferguson talks about the ups and downs of taking over Manchester United for more than a year

In an interview with The Times columnist Martin Samuel, Manchester United co-owner and Ineos head Sir Jim Ratcliffe opened up about the ups and downs of taking over Manchester United for more than a year. He faced criticism from the outside world, talked about his relationship with the Glazer family, and analyzed the reasons for the failure of former CEO Ed Woodward's management.

Talking about the accusations from the outside world, Ratcliffe admitted: "(Criticism) is indeed unpleasant, and I may not have enjoyed the process very well. I can endure it for a while, after all, I understand the fans' feelings-no one wants to see Manchester United's current situation, and no one likes the decisions we have to make now. If all this anger is focused on me, I can bear it. But in the final analysis, I am no different from ordinary people, especially my friends and family, they will also be affected."

"If one day I was criticized to the extent of the Glazer family, then I might say: Enough, let someone else do it. The Glazer family can hardly watch the game now, they have retreated behind the scenes, and all the criticism is directed at me."

Ratcliffe further revealed that he has hardly met the Glazer family since Ineos took over. "I haven't seen them since we bought the shares. Just say 'Thank you, Jim, you've done a great job'. At present, I don't need security measures and I don't need to avoid the public eye like them. But if it comes to that, all this will be meaningless and no one will be willing to work in such an environment."

Ratcliffe also shared his conversation with legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson. "The first thing Sir Alex said to me was: 'The weight of this shirt may be too heavy.' This applies not only to players, but also to coaches and club managers, and even the owner himself. The pressure of this club has aged me a lot."

"Being interviewed is not easy either. You are in front of the camera for 40 minutes and if you say one wrong thing, it could be magnified infinitely and become a 'legendary' mistake."