Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s era at Manchester United begins with deep dive “scoping exercises” as his Ineos team carefully plots how to restore a crumbling world force.
The petrochemicals billionaire has ruled out rushing into decisions, with no direct control on January spending while the Premier League assesses his deal. Instead, his trusted Ineos lieutenants are delegated with painstaking analysis across sporting matters as well as exploring desperately needed improvements at Old Trafford.
On the performance side, Sir David Brailsford and Jean-Claude Blanc will be at Carrington and Old Trafford next month watching United’s football operation at work. A focus on recruitment and scouting is a major priority, and a sporting director will be appointed eventually. But, under the Ratcliffe and Brailsford mantras of sharing best practice between industries, every department will be scrutinised: data analysis, nutrition, recovery, injuries/injury prevention and psychology.
Blanc, formerly of PSG and Juventus, will be a more natural fit than Brailsford to fulfil hands-on duties in the absence of Richard Arnold, recently forced out as chief executive as a figurehead for the failing old regime. Ratcliffe has had Blanc in mind for United from the moment he appointed him at Ineos Sport last December.
The coming weeks, insiders say, are now a “watch, listen and learn exercise”, giving Erik ten Hag some breathing space to improve fortunes on the pitch. A source said: “Until they properly get in there they won’t make any snap decisions, which has been part of the problem [previously].”
But there are also detailed plans away from the playing side as Ratcliffe starts spending an additional £237 million to invest in Old Trafford. The anticipated presence of two other Ineos executives, Andy Reece and Rob Nevin, on the plc board could have some oversight on development plans.
There is an acceptance within Ineos that the fund will only cover “initial costs”. A “very detailed scoping exercise” will play a “critical part of the long-term decision” over whether to redevelop or tear down the stadium completely.
Although Brailsford, Blanc, Reece and Nevin’s involvement is significant, Ratcliffe will be very much the real power. Running United has been a lifelong dream and he has gained assurances from the Glazers that “you take over the football side completely”.
“This is a much bigger job”
In practice, the Glazers will still be consulted during full board meetings on budgets, but “decisions around all the football stuff will be Jim and his team”, sources confirmed.
There are no plans to rush in and make major changes, not least because the Premier League’s directors and owners test will take at least another month.
“Because completion won’t be until after the end of the January window, there’s no decision-making involvement in the January transfer window,” said an insider with knowledge of the Ratcliffe plan.
“The Ineos team will go in and assess what needs doing and listen and learn about the whole structure. This is not about players in and out in a one-month period, this is a much bigger job.”
In effect, that means it will not be until the summer that the impact of the Ineos era at United will really begin to be felt. United staff will already be aware that the manager has time to impress and a sporting director appointment could also be some way off. After a board meeting was convened on Sunday morning to give the belated greenlight to an announcement, some of these points were explained by Patrick Stewart – who is serving as interim chief executive – in a club staff video call from Old Trafford.
