INEOS’ role in the rejuvenation of Manchester United has just got a lot broader with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co now taking some control of the commercial side of things at the Premier League giants.
Earlier this week, reported emerged suggesting the sudden appointment of Omar Berrada as Manchester United’s new CEO could be the ‘beginning of the end’ as far as the Glazer family is concerned at Old Trafford.
And Wednesday’s rather eye-opening update will do little to quell those beliefs.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS group took control of all footballing matters when completing their long-awaited minority takeover on Christmas eve, with the Glazers expected to retain control of business matters.
According to The Athletic, however, Manchester United staff have now been informed – following a meeting led by interim chief executive Patrick Stewart – that the Glazers have ceded yet more control to Ratcliffe.
INEOS power growing at Manchester United
This will now not be a case of INEOS controlling the sporting side, and the Glazers making commercial decisions. Ratcliffe and the Glazers will instead ‘liaise’ on business matters too, with Berrada likely to work as a link between both ownership groups due to his supreme track record in both sporting and commercial departments.
Today is the one-month anniversary of Manchester United confirming INEOS’ investment.
And it is not a stretch to suggest that Ratcliffe has made more of an effort to improve things off the pitch than the Glazers have in nearly two decades, elite-level operators in Sir Dave Brailsford, Jean-Claude Blanc and ex-Man City and Barcelona chief Berrada a marked shift from the cronyism and the revenue-driven appointments of the recent past, when the balance sheet appeared to matter more than sporting success.
Dan Ashworth and Paul Mitchell – who could yet become the latest high-profile arrivals in the INEOS era – would also represent a colossal upgrade on the likes of John Murtough, Richard Arnold and Ed Woodward.
Gary Neville impressed by Omar Berrada hire
“We don’t quite know what’s gone on at City,” Gary Neville told Sky Sports after Berrada’s appointment at Old Trafford. “It’s deemed a very good signing by Manchester United.
“What I did like about it, is that it was almost stealth, in the sense it wasn’t a massive build-up over a few months that dragged out. It just happened so quickly, and I like that about it.”
“It’s a big job being CEO for Man United, when you think of all the things he has to go at. But there are also some pretty easy wins straightaway,” the former right-back adds.
“Communication is really important, to have that voice that the club haven’t had for the last 10 years. He can form part of a new management structure that can build trust with the fans, us and everybody that watches.
“They’ve not had someone who has operated in football for a long time and that’s important. But it’s a big task and all eyes are going to be on him. He’s obviously had a brilliant, amazing grounding at Man City and Barcelona, two of the most successful clubs over the last 15 years.”
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/mKrHPgX