Key pieces of Man Utd transformation sees Ratcliffe succeed where Glazers failed
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos' transformation behind the scenes at Manchester United continues at pace, putting the Glazers in an embarrassing light and exposing their failures.
Ratcliffe's 25 per cent acquisition of United was given Premier League and FA approval last week and his team, led by former British Cycling supremo Sir Dave Brailsford, has wasted no time in getting down to business at Old Trafford.
Omar Berrada's summer arrival from Manchester City as CEO was confirmed last month, and United are also closing in on the appointment of Newcastle's director of football Dan Ashworth. The former Brighton and Hove Albion director has been placed on gardening leave by the Magpies after being convinced to lead the football rebuild at Old Trafford.
"We are naturally disappointed that Dan has chosen to leave, however our exciting journey doesn't stop and the process to recruit a new sporting director will begin immediately," Newcastle CEO Darren Eales said on Monday. "We thank Dan for his efforts at Newcastle United and we wish him and his family well for the future."
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The Glazer family retains majority control of United after Ratcliffe's £1.3billion investment, but the British petrochemicals billionaire has been given wide-ranging powers across the club, including autonomy over the football operation.
And the Ineos founder has set about tackling the shoddy staffing structures implemented by the Glazers over the past decade, which have seen the club lag behind its major rivals since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure, with significant underperformance on the pitch and inefficiency off of it.
By tempting Ashworth – widely regarded as one of the leading executives in the Premier League – to Old Trafford, with negotiations underway to secure his release from his Newcastle contract, Ratcliffe has not only made a statement of his intentions, but he has also exposed the failures of the Glazers.
Avram and Joel Glazer's shortcomings at United have been quickly exposed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos. (PA)The Florida-based Glazers have repeatedly demonstrated a lack of expertise while operating a culture of promoting from within, leading to Ed Woodward, Richard Arnold and John Murtough taking on prominent roles within the organisation over the past decade, and the vast majority of fans have been left deeply frustrated by their performances, with a sense they were or are underqualified for their lofty roles.
United have operated a scattergun recruitment policy, leading to many expensive flops in the transfer market, including – but not limited to – Antony, Donny van de Beek and Jadon Sancho, with former CEOs Woodward and Arnold and football director Murtough shouldering much of the blame.
United under the Glazers' leadership were also interested in hiring Ashworth, sounding him out in 2022 before he joined Newcastle. There were also reports in 2018 that Ashworth had been shortlisted for a technical director role, which has since been filled by ex-United midfielder Darren Fletcher.
According to The Athletic, Ashworth rejected the opportunity to join United in 2022 because he would have been working in a junior role under football director Murtough, and he joined Newcastle instead, spearheading the club's transformation following its Saudi Arabian takeover.
But it is the 52-year-old who has been identified, somewhat ironically, as the man to usurp Murtough, with Ratcliffe, Brailsford and Ineos intent on stamping out the culture of mediocrity that was allowed to fester under the Glazers' leadership, instead headhunting people they believe are "best in class".
It could be many months before Ashworth gets down to work at United unless an early release from his contract at St James' Park, but it seems Ratcliffe believes it is worth the wait to get a proven operator through the door.
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