Fix Old Trafford, clear out deadwood – INEOS Manchester United to-do list as Sir Jim Ratcliffe prepares to take control
talkSPORT's chief football correspondent Alex Crook has detailed the main priorities for INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe at Manchester United.
Confirmation of the British billionaire's purchase of a 25 per cent stake at the Premier League giants was announced on Christmas Eve after months of negotiations, in a deal understood to be worth £1.25billion.
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Ratcliffe, who founded chemical company Ineos in 1998, is set to plough in over £230million for the future investment of Old Trafford.
For the past decade, United have enjoyed little success on and off the pitch having won just three major trophies.
Long-standing discontent has also been shown from fans towards the Glazer family, who have owned the club since 2005.
Ratcliffe and his INEOS team have now been delegated responsibility of United's football operations - subject to Premier League approval.
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INEOS director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford, who masterminded British Cycling's success, attended United's match against Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Tuesday night, and is set to take a key role.
Ratcliffe has written to the Manchester United Supporters' Trust, the Fans' Forum and the Fans' Advisory Board and said success on the pitch "will require time and patience".
Sir Jim Ratcliffe's open letter to fans...
"I wanted to write to you at this time given the critical role of the fans to the future of Manchester United as we recognise our responsibility as custodians of the club on your behalf," Ratcliffe wrote, echoing various sentiments expressed in a Christmas Eve statement outlining his ambitions for the club.
"I believe we can bring sporting success on the pitch to complement the undoubted commercial success that the club has enjoyed.
"It will require time and patience alongside rigour and the highest level of professional management.
"You are ambitious for Manchester United and so are we. There are no guarantees in sport, and change can inevitably take time but we are in it for the long term and together we want to help take Manchester United back to where the club belongs, at the very top of English, European and world football.
"I take that responsibility very seriously.
"Please note that, as with any deal, it is subject to the usual regulatory sign-off process and therefore we do not expect to speak publicly about club matters until after the deal is completed."
The 71-year-old Ratcliffe, a childhood United fan who was born in nearby Failsworth, agreed his stake in the club following an ownership saga that lasted 13 months.
And he has a big job on his hands to try to get United back to winning major silverware.
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talkSPORT's Alex Crook outlined: "In terms of the do-do list, I think what was interesting in that letter actually, he almost pleaded for patience with the Manchester United fans.
"He said, 'Yes, we want to get the club back to where we feel they belong, it will take time,' and you've mentioned it's taken time at Nice. I don't think he's promising an overnight fix because there are still FFP restrictions within which United have to operate.
"The first part of the job is to clear out the deadwood and there's still an awful lot of deadwood at that football club as far as I'm concerned.
"Trim the wage bill because I think they've got players earning far too much money for what they're actually producing on the pitch.
"Try and build a squad and a first team with an identity because I think that's been a big issue for Erik ten Hag, we don't really know what sort of team Manchester United are at this moment in time.
"The stadium does need redeveloping and bringing up to scratch, I think it's an embarrassment for Manchester United that Old Trafford wasn't even part of the bid for the European Championships that are going to be held in this country.
"It was once the most iconic venue in the land and it isn't anymore. You mention the training ground needs some work.
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"I think they need to reconnect as an ownership with the supporters and Sir Jim Ratcliffe has promised more transparency, but we heard that from the Glazers after the Super League fallout and they didn't deliver on that.
"There's an awful lot to do but I think key to it all is getting recruitment right and that appointment of director of football, sporting director, I think that is going to be absolutely crucial."
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