Whether they are competing at the top or struggling, Manchester United are always one of the biggest talking points in English football. That has certainly been no different this summer after Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s investment in the club has brought about sweeping changes behind the scenes.
This has led to a feeling not felt by United fans for a very long time- optimism. It seems strange for a fanbase to be optimistic after their worst league finish in 34 years, but many of the changes brought about in the last few months are ones that fans have felt have been needed at the club for many years.
But how did this come about, what changes have been made, are still to be made and what difference will that make on the pitch as United enter their 100th season, 50th in succession, of top flight football? Here we have a look at all of that
Ratcliffe buys minority stake, takes over football operations
On the afternoon of 24 December, United fans were given quite the Christmas present when, after a drawn out saga, a club statement announced that an agreement had been reached with INEOS founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe for a 25% stake in the club.
As part of the deal, Ratcliffe would also take control of football operations at the club. The deal was completed in February 2024 and Ratcliffe’s right hand man, former British Cycling chief Sir Dave Brailsford, immediately undertook an audit of the whole running of the club. This is where sweeping changes began.
Chief among these was giving United a modern management structure. A major statement of intent came in January when it was announced that City Football Group chief Omar Berrada would be joining as the club’s new Chief Executive Officer.
Berrada was followed to Old Trafford by Technical Director Jason Wilcox from Southampton and, after a protracted saga that almost led to arbitration, Sporting Director Dan Ashworth from Newcastle United.
Workforce cuts to slash costs
As well as these appointments, Ratcliffe has also made a number of decisions designed to cut costs. These include removal of previous staff perks such as free travel to last season’s FA Cup Final and reducing ticket allocations to just one per staff member.
There has also been a large scaling back of the workforce, with up to 250 staff members reported to have been made redundant. In addition, staff have been told that working from home has ended and staff must return to the office. The Guardian claims that these staff cuts could save the club up to £10 million a year.
On the pitch, high earners Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial have also moved on after their contracts have ended, with reports other players may also be sold as United, like other clubs, look to meet the Premier League’s PSR regulations.
Old Trafford- renew or rebuild?
It is no secret that United’s iconic home ground of Old Trafford has fallen into disrepair in recent years. Last season the state of the ground, combined with the Manchester weather, led to infamous images of the roof leaking- and plenty of social media memes off the back of it.
This has led to a decision having to be made on whether to renovate the current ground, or build a new one on adjacent land. It has certainly been a highly emotive issue among fans, which is hardly surprising given the current stadium has been the club’s home for 114 years.
Although an announcement is not expected until later this year, recent reports have suggested that the most likely option is a new 100,000 seater stadium on adjacent land. Ratcliffe has gone on record as saying he wants a ‘Wembley of the North’ for United.
Mail Online and Sport Bible have reported plans for United’s new stadium, which would include a ‘Red Wall’ similar to Borussia Dortmund’s famous ‘Yellow Wall’. Under the reported plans, the current ground would be scaled back and used as the home of United’s women’s and academy teams.
New faces on the pitch and in the dugout
Of course, any football club needs new signings and those have certainly been forthcoming. Bologna forward Joshua Zirkzee was the first signing of the INEOS era, closely followed by Lille centre back Leny Yoro.
This week defensive duo Matthijs De Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui arrived from Bayern Munich with further arrivals likely with two weeks remaining of the transfer window. A central midfielder is the next priority, with negotiations ongoing for Paris Saint-Germain’s Manuel Ugarte.
Changes have also been made to the coaching staff, with previous assistants Steve McClaren and Mitchell Van de Gagg both departing and replaced by Dutch duo Rene Hake and club legend Ruud Van Nistelrooy.
What are expectations for this season?
As record 20-time champions, there is always high expectations and with the optimism over all of the changes this summer it is easy to get carried away, but it is worth taking a step back and remembering what INEOS inherited.
The fact so many sweeping changes have been made in a short space of time speaks volumes in itself. The optimism felt by the fanbase is understandable, but it is going to take some time for the club to go from the team that finished a poor eighth last season to getting anywhere near the force they once were.
Since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, they have only finished in the top four in successive seasons once- after 22 straight top three finishes under the legendary Scot. Restoring the club to regular Champions League participants is going to be the first step, as well as continuing to win cup competitions as Erik Ten Hag has done.
Over the last two seasons the fourth Champions League spot has been claimed by Newcastle United and Aston Villa, and that spot once again feels open this season. Should United claim that spot and win the Europa League, that will feel like a very positive first step in the INEOS era.