So it was in port. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS are officially minority owners, to 27.7%, of Manchester United.
Better than that: they have – should have, like, in the near future – full control over football operations.
Lots of hearth pats, yes. But rather that than another lost decade under the Glazer family’s rule.
In just a few weeks, we went from being the football world’s equivalent of Europe’s sick man, to being regarded with growing discomfort by our opponents.
One should not pull too large gears. Especially not when we lose 1-2 at home against Fulham.
At the same time, it is difficult to rein in the hopes for the coming seasons, after these eleven years of strength.
In early November 2023 – almost exactly a year after the Glazers announced their strategic ownership review – everything was still up in the air.
INEOS’s minority ownership had not been approved by the Premier League and the FA.
Richard Arnold was still CEO and John Murtough’s title was Director of Football.
About two weeks ago, the aforementioned eternal ownership issue in Manchester United reached a point; at least for the time being.
INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe take over and control everything that has to do with football. The Glazer family continues to manage the more financial parts and can therefore continue to collect their sky-high share dividends.
But. Their influence has been radically reduced. And it’s actually worth a lot.
Even before the approval, Manchester United had a new CEO. At least in a way.
Omar Berrada gets to sip on exotic drinks and enjoy the Manchester weather under the parasol in the garden – gardenIt’s called ing leave, so – for a few months at first.
At the time of writing, more and more are starting to point towards Dan Ashworth soon moving into his new office as sporting director for Manchester United.
But nothing is over until it is over. And during his first press conference, Ratcliffe aimed both direct and indirect criticism at the Saudi-owned club in the north-east.
He described the fact that Ashworth would cost 20 million to get rid of “silly.”
Talks with Manchester City about Omar Berrada were on the contrary “adults.”
If City is described in positive terms compared to you, it’s probably time to look in the mirror.
During one of the many recent interviews with Ratcliffe, he was pressed about his views on the club’s failures, on the lack of performance and on the existence or non-existence of the Hags.
Here came one of perhaps the most promising answers.
“I am not a football pro.â€
It may sound counterintuitive to highlight a quote that points to an ignorance in the area in which a person has just made a gigantic investment.
But the statement points to a self-introspection. A knowledge that there are people who are sharper at managing a football club than a chemical guy is.
And it seems it’s not just empty words. Ratcliffe is obviously trying to attach people with the ability to make the football-related judgments that he himself is uncertain about.
However, Sir Jim Ratcliffe did not want to comment on what Erik ten Hag’s job status would look like after the summer.
Judging by social media, there are probably many of us who have either begun to waver in support, or who are completely tired.
And that a new management wants to put their own old man in the coaching position would hardly be unexpected.
But a decision cannot be made in a vacuum. There will be a big coaching shakeup in the big European clubs this summer and the right person must be available.
The same also applies to player transfers. There are a number of players who seem to be on the way out, fully in line with the new transition strategy.
If you don’t perform during your first two years at the club, you leave.
And that’s absolutely right – provided you dare to live by those words.
But no new b, c or d options should be bought in just for the sake of buying.
Finally: what the title alludes to.
What will happen to Old Trafford?
That the roof leaks as much as our defense is common knowledge.
The hall has been allowed to symbolize the lack of investment that has plagued the club in recent years.
Whether you should renovate the existing frame or build something new may seem obvious at first glance.
No one is tearing down my Old Trafford.
At the same time, at least the signee knows as much about the construction industry as Jamie Carragher does about what makes a successful centre-back.
Should it be significantly more costly over a 30-year horizon to renovate rather than build the Wembley of the North, which Ratcliffe flagged for, in the same place, then it is perhaps idiotic not to choose the latter option.
Assuming you can keep some of the parts that make Old Trafford Old Trafford.
Regardless of which plans turn out to be reality, new winds are undeniably blowing around our club.
It won’t automatically be good. Nor will it happen overnight.
INEOS has made mistakes in the past, both in OGC Nice and in FC Lausanne-Sport.
But as Sir Jim Ratcliffe put it:
“We have made mistakes in football before, so I am very pleased that we made those mistakes before we arrived at Manchester United.”