United Beyond Manchester

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has officially become co-owner of Manchester United as he has taken over the sporting side of the club. The Glazers, who are much more interested in commercial success, have made room for a new co-owner to join, hoping that success can return on the pitch. What measures has Ratcliffe discussed to bring the level of success expected at the club?

The Organization Structure

Ratcliffe’s intentions to bring new and established staff have already begun to materialize. Omar Berrada will be joining Manchester United from Manchester City as CEO and Jason Wilcox will be joining from Southampton for another role.

Manchester United has also begun to discuss a move with Newcastle United over Dan Ashworth to take over as Director.

Ashworth has had success at both Brighton and Hove Albion and Newcastle United. He is known for being able to find young, cheaper options that blossom into quality players such as Moises Caicedo.

Speaking to Belgian newspaper De Tijd, Ratcliffe had this to say about the current situation:

“We then have to ensure that the right people end up in the right positions. Every person in management must be world-class. And then it is important to create a positive, supportive, friendly, and high-quality environment. That culture was missing before. Only in such an environment can you get the best out of sportsmen. If successful, the results will follow automatically. That’s the plan and I believe in it.”

All of these moves, with more to come, show clearly that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is ready to do whatever it takes to restore Manchester United to the top of world football.

The Stadium

It is no secret to home or away fans that Old Trafford has become run down and outdated. This is an issue that Sir Jim Ratcliffe has already addressed.

Ratcliffe has said that he would like to build a completely new stadium that could seat up to 90,000 spectators. He does not just want a stadium for United, but a stadium that “could take England games, the FA Cup Final or the UCL Final, and it could service the north of England.“

Ratcliffe clearly has intentions to pour money into not just the staff and players but also the club infrastructure.

Players and Recruitment

Manchester United’s player recruitment has suffered in recent memory. No longer can United find the diamond in the rough that becomes a world-class player. Players like Antony, who cost United around $100 million, have come into the team and failed to perform. Ratcliffe will have to change the narrative around player recruitment.

A successful first transfer window in the summer will go a long way to establish Ratcliffe as a great owner and establish trust with the club and fans. Manchester United are linked to players like Michael Olise, Pedro Neto, and Marc Guehi. The fans will have to wait and see what decisions the new guys in charge make to improve the current squad.

These are just three ways that Ratcliffe will look to improve the narrative around the club he has been a fan of his whole life. The anticipation is now high in Manchester as he takes charge and starts to make decisions. Will he be the one to change the club’s recent fortunes?