Sir Jim Ratcliffe hasn’t officially become a part owner of Manchester United yet, but he already has a mounting to-do list for when he does.
It might not be the full sale many supporters had hoped for, but there is hope that with Ratcliffe’s foot now in the door, he will eventually be able to open it fully before firmly closing it shut on the Glazer family.
As well as taking a 25 per cent stake in the club, it is understood Ratcliffe’s Ineos team will also run the football side of the business, which has been the biggest issue for much of the last 18 years.
The hope is that Ratcliffe will come in with a fresh new look at the business and possess the power to make the changes that the Glazer family hasn’t had the knowledge or care to make themselves.
At the top of that list should be a full review of the football operations and the personnel currently tasked with running the different departments of the club.
Erik ten Hag’s role shouldn’t come under any threat, though it will be interesting to see if Ratcliffe pushes for change in any of the other key roles on the football side of the business. It was no surprise to see Paul Mitchell’s name trending on social media over the weekend, amid speculation that a sporting director could be appointed.
Ratcliffe could also lead an evaluation of the playing squad and offer guidance on who has a long-term future with them and who they should be looking to move on.
These decisions would need to be held with Ten Hag as well as any potential sporting director appointment, but the club could benefit hugely from having someone at the top with football matters at the heart of their interests.
Another key aspect of his role will be to establish a clear direction for the club in the transfer market, working with Ten Hag to create an achievable long-term plan.
This will not only focus on the development of players already at the club but should also focus on creating a transfer policy that will help identify the correct personnel.
United still have a lot of work to do if they are to improve their reputation in the transfer market, and a lot of that could be helped by having a clear plan in place.
In order to finance this, United also need to get better at moving players on at all levels. They need to be more ruthless in getting rid of senior stars who are no longer part of their plans, and they should be able to command greater transfer fees for the fringe players they sell as well.
It would also help United enormously if they took a leave out of Man City’s book and managed to sell their academy products for much larger initial fees, rather than allowing them to leave at cut-price rates but with huge sell-on clauses included.
Though that transfer policy might one day pay off in the long run, it would certainly help a lot more in the short term if they managed to get even more for their plethora of exciting youngsters.
Another important task for Ratcliffe will be to guide United on their stadium plans after they were effectively put on hold until there was clarity on the takeover situation.
The Manchester Evening News revealed in March that United’s powerbrokers were in favour of renovating Old Trafford, despite also exploring options to build a new stadium.
United need to finally come to a decision on what to do next and then actually get the ball rolling in order to make up lost time that has seen the club’s overall matchday experience become outdated.
He might not even be in the job yet, but Ratcliffe already has a lot to do.
Another important task for Ratcliffe will be to guide United on their stadium plans after they were effectively put on hold until there was clarity on the takeover situation.
The Manchester Evening News revealed in March that United’s powerbrokers were in favour of renovating Old Trafford, despite also exploring options to build a new stadium.
United need to finally come to a decision on what to do next and then actually get the ball rolling in order to make up lost time that has seen the club’s overall matchday experience become outdated.
He might not even be in the job yet, but Ratcliffe already has a lot to do.
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