Since the Ineos chief has bought into the club, he has quickly established that changes are needed. He has wasted no time pursuing the men he wants and axing those he doesn’t.
As a result, Ratcliffe has made changes in the positions he could address immediately and with minimal outlay. The Magpies have dug their heels in and demanded a huge fee, which United are unwilling to pay.
Before Ratcliffe’s deal was even confirmed, Arnold’s exit was announced after he’d spent 16 years in Manchester. The chief executive waved goodbye with a £5.5m pay off with Berrada soon taking his role.
He provided “transitional support” until the end of December. Back in April, John Murtough’s departure as football director came to an end, just a matter of years after a reshuffle that saw him assume the role after more than a decade at the club.
Patrick Stewart, who stepped in to assume Arnold’s role on an interim basis, left at the end of the season. Chief financial officer, Cliff Baty, also departed as the wholesale changes continue.
Baty will be replaced by former Ineos Sport chief financial officer Roger Bell as Ratcliffe continues to bring his own people on board. Sir Dave Brailsford, the genius who led British Cycling’s ascent to Olympic glory and Team Sky’s Tour de France dominance, is one of Ratcliffe’s most trusted allies and his ‘marginal gains’ ethos has become renowned.
He’s often been seen in the stands and is set to provide expertise. The 71-year-old’s smiling face covers up a ruthless business brain though with his cost-cutting measures beginning to take place.
After a two-day tour of the club’s facilities, which are regarded as second rate after years of neglect, he made his feelings clear. Ratcliffe wrote: “I had a good tour around the some of the facilities.
I am afraid I was struck in many places by a high degree of untidiness. In particular the IT department which frankly was a disgrace and the dressing rooms of the U18 and U21 were not much better.
“These standards would not come close to what we would expect at INEOS and we are a chemical company. Manchester United is an elite sporting organization.
It’s a small thing in many ways but unless an organization has standards and discipline it will not succeed. I would be grateful in future if we adopt the proper standards of housekeeping everywhere.”
Shortly after, despite a club tradition that paid for club staff to head down Wembley for finals with plus ones, Ratcliffe made it known that would no longer be happening. He said: “While we appreciate this is a change from previous trips, you will all be aware of the need for us to spend the club’s money effectively, with a focus on performance and outcomes.”
Ratcliffe’s latest move has encouraged a host of the staff to leave the club, especially if they don’t want to work from the office, offering them early paid-up bonuses if they opt to walk away from the Manchester outfit. The Ineos chief wants to get all employees into the club’s facilities as he pushes to trim the workforce.
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