Sir Jim Ratcliffe Starts the Red Devil Revolution
For more than a decade Manchester United fans have longed for our club to be run at a level of competence commensurate with a multibillion dollar global sporting enterprise. After eleven years, five managers, close to $200 million in dividends paid to the Glazers, $1.3 billion spent on transfers, and absolutely zero consistency, it is time for a much needed revolution at Manchester Untied.
Talk of new players and a new manager, while a hot topic amongst pundits and fans alike, is pure speculation and too dissenting to predict at the moment. That being said, we finally have something to look forward to beyond the superfluous, disappointing and ultimately fleeting pacification we get when fed a high profile new signing or manager.
United have a new owner and a new CEO. With them we expect a host of new faces across every department. If reports are correct, and Ratcliffe and Co continue to put their money where their mouths are, then we should certainly expect a new look Manchester United by the start of next season.
How Much Will Manchester United Really Change?
However, too much change all at once is not only cost prohibitive, it can create as many new problems as it solves. Revolution at a football organization as big as Manchester United takes time and money. If it is rushed it almost always fails catastrophically.
Look at Manchester City, Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, Barcelona, Juventus, and AC Milan as just a few examples of teams currently being investigated for greasing the wheels in one way or another. Any of them could be fined astronomical funds, docked season ending points, relegated and/or stripped of trophies.
Look at Chelsea again, Portsmouth, Fiorentina, Leeds, Rangers and Wigan as examples of teams in recent history that have over invested too much too quickly. The result being bankruptcy and relegation respectively.
While a revolution has begun, it is still very early days. Some things like the stadium, training facilities and squad overhaul take time. While other things like replacing the front office, improving the analytics and scouting departments or offloading unwanted players can be handled more immediately.
New Execs to Lead the Way at United
We already know that Sir David Brailsford and Jean-Claud Blanc will likely sit on the board and act as a go-between for Ratcliffe and the club. Omar Berrada will be the new CEO. That leaves DOF and technical director as the next most vital acquisitions.
By signing Omar Berrada, Ratcliffe has shown the type of pomp and audacity that says, we can have anyone we want. His approach is to get the right person in, regardless of current employment status.
Plenty of pundits and fans alike have had there say. Meaning the list of candidates seems to get longer every day. At the time of writing this the following are the individuals believed to have made the short list.
Dan Ashworth
Dan Ashworth is the most heavily linked person as new DOF. The current Newcastle DOF was previously sporting director at Brighton & Hove Albion. Before that he had a spell with the FA as Director of Elite Development. The same program that developed many of England’s current senior players.
Ashworth is seen as one of the best DOF’s in the world. However, all indications are he is happy at Newcastle. Rumors suggest, he would only be tempted away from the Magpies for a roll that would give him more oversight than his current position.
I don’t see that happening under Ratcliffe. So, if reports are true and he is the club’s 1st choice, INEOS will have to make him an offer he cant refuse.
Marco Neppe
Marco Neppe has only recently been linked to United. He is the acting sporting director for Bayern Munich. There he is credited with the recruitment of players like Harry Kane and Kim Min-Jae last summer. As well as Matthijs de Ligt, Alphonso Davies, Jamal Musiala, and Joshua Kimmich. Neppe is also considered to be one of the key strategists that helped Bayern to their 2020 Champions League triumph.
Making Neppe and even better candidate than Ashworth is his availability. Bayern have had a major front office shake up in the last year. Additionally Tomas Tuchel is in hot water at Bayen and wants more control over recruitment to salvage his job. In the wake of so many changes at Bayern, Neppe has expressed his desire the leave the German champions.
He is likely to be a cheaper, more experienced and easier acquisition than Ashworth. It would behoove Ratcliffe to at least consider him.
Paul Mitchell
Paul Mitchell is an English former player, turned scout, turned director. He has had spells as head scout for Tottenham, RB Leipzig, New York Red Bulls, MK Dons and Southampton. At the latter he is credited with discovering the likes of Dajan Lovren, Vicotor Wanyama, and Sadio Mane. In 2020 his success led him to Monaco as Sporting Director and a board member.
Mitchell is a top operator, and has a keen eye for recruitment. However, he might be a slight gamble by comparison. If only because he has yet to prove he can do the same job at one of Europe’s biggest football clubs.
Michael Edwards or Julian Ward
Michael Edwards and Julain Ward may be non starters. Other than Manchester City DOF Txiki Begiristain, Edwards is, in my opinion the best DOF in the British game. I say both may be non starters because they were both Liverpool sporting directors. And Ward has hinted he wants to take some time off before taking on a new job.
Edwards found his feet at Tottenham and Portsmouth before moving to Liverpool in 2011 as chief sporting analyst. He quickly assailed to the position of sporting director in 2016. He is widely considered to be the mastermind behind Liverpool’s resurgence under Klopp, through revamping the academy and the recruitment of players such as Saido Mane, Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson.
Ward, was the technical director under Edwards at Anfield. When Edwards left last year, Ward was promoted to sporting director. Only one year in the position his most notable signing has been Diogo Jota. Given he worked directly under Edwards, Ward was also an integral member in structuring Liverpool’s academy and teh development of their scouting department. However, after less then a year in the position he chose to leave the club, citing personal reasons and a desire to take time off.
I do not normally jump at the opportunity to recruit a scouser, especially after recruiting a former Man City exec. But Edwards’ availability, experience and success at Liverpool make him too good to ignore. Ward I could take or leave.
Manchester United’s Front Office Revolution
If I was in charge at Old Trafford I wouldn’t go after just one of these men. I would go after two. You recruit the likes of Ashworth, Edwards, or Neppe as a DOF. They have more experience at the top. Then you recruit Mitchell or Ward as a technical director. They both have great experience, but not enough to convince me they can excel as a DOF over the other three candidates.
Personally, I don’t think Ashworth is the right man. Most fans and pundits seem to think otherwise. First and foremost who says Newcastle will let him go. He only signed two years ago and the club are on track to break into Europe for only the second time in over a decade. Newcastle would require a premium to let him go. And while he has done a great job at Newcastle and Brighton, neither of those clubs are Liverpool or Bayern Munich.
Neppe vs Edwards…
Between Neppe and Edwards, is a tough choice. As both are excellent candidates that equally present their own downfalls.
Edwards definitely has the most experience at the highest level in the Premier League. However, I hate that he used to work for Liverpool. And having Klopp as a manager definitely made his job a lot easier. Though, if those are the only marks against him, I find it hard to believe that he wouldn’t succeed at United.
Neppe, on the other hand, has recruitment history more in line with the players United has been linked to in recent years. He has also been integral to Bayern’s more than 20 trophies during his tenure, versus Edwards who only has seven. Although, I could also argue that Neppe’s success has come in a one team league at one of the best run clubs in the world, with minimal previous experience.
For my money, I would bring in Edwards as DOF and Mitchell as technical director. Given all four are very well qualified, the deciding factor for me is experience. Edwards has more applicable experience than Neppe, given he has worked his entire career in the Premier League. Where as Mitchell has more experience with recruitment and as a sporting director than Ward.
Summer Fire Sale
Manchester United’s January transfer window is enough to suggest that most major business will wait until the summer. So, in was is to be dubbed The Great Manchester Untied Fire Sale of 2024 who in the squad deserves to stay and who deserves to go? I think all United fans will have their own opinions on this topic. Consider this my attempt to build the most pragmatic list possible.
Keep…
Bayindir, Onana, Mount, and Hojlund will stay. If only because we just purchased them in the summer. Lindelof and Dalot just signed new long term deals. Making them the also unlikely to be sold.
Antony and Malacia will probably stay. Many fans want to see Antony gone. I don’t disagree, but it is impractical to sell him, at the moment. He is on a long term contract. No one will pay a decent fee for him or meet his current wages. Also, he has only had 18 months to adapt at United after off-field legal issues interrupted his acculturation. Malacia, we simply haven’t seen enough of to pass judgement. Both players should get more time to prove themselves, if only to allow for bolstering of other areas of the squad. But next season they are both playing for their jobs.
Garnacho, Shaw, Fernandes, Martinez, Amad, Mainoo will all hopefully stay because in my eyes they are the most important players for the immediate future at United. I see them forming the core of our squad over the next few seasons.
McTominay should be sold. But, the predicted amount of locker room turnover means he is one of those players that is likely to stay. He has been loyal to every manager at United, works hard, can score goals, is a fan favorite, and he is a player that wants to fight for the badge. On character alone I would keep him for at least one more season.
Christian Eriksen might have lost a bit of stamina and pace. But on his day he is the best passer of the ball we have. His range is reminiscent of Paul Scholes. I’d imagine the plan is to keep him as a back up to Mason Mont for the immediate future.
Sell or Release…
Amrabat, Brandon Williams, Martial, and Varane all have contracts expiring this summer with little indication they will be renewed. Williams has only played 5 times for United in 3 seasons. The club already opted not to trigger Martial’s one year extension. Amrabat is on loan, and has been unimpressive. And unless Varane takes a massive wage cut he costs too much to re-sign.
Evans’s contract also expires this summer, while Maguire has been rumored to be in the shop window. I cant see United selling Maguire and also releasing both Varane and Evans. If only because we cant buy three new center backs this summer and still address holes in other areas of the team. At least one will stay, and I think it will be Maguire.
Van de Beek, Greenwood, and Sancho should be sold. VDB has hardly played under three managers now. The club promised fans Greenwood would never play for United again, meaning his loan is nothing more than time in the shop window. And barring a miracle, I think we all know why Sancho is out.
Wan-Bissaka also shows some signs of leaving. Last summer, United chose not to offer him a new deal. Instead they triggered the one year extension on his current contract. Concurrently, United offered Dalot a new five year deal. To me that suggests AWB will be sold and potentially a new left back will be recruited.
Hannibal is another I have a lot of doubts over. There are four other players ahead of him in the pecking order at United. Meanwhile, he is of the age where he should start peaking and need regular football. I see him as one of the players looking for a permanent exit if he cant be guaranteed minutes.
Loan…
My list of loanee’s is pretty straight forward. Kambwala, Fernandez, Gore, Shoretire, Hugill, and McNeill are all of the age and/or level that they need regular first team senior football to continue developing. But, it is highly unlikely that next season there will be much opportunity in the senior squad for all of them.
If United are indeed looking to field offers for Maguire, and they plan to release both Evans and/or Varane, we will likely see more of Kambwala next season. And if AWB is sold, Fernandez could see more game time, especially if United go far in cup competitions next season. Other wise I see them all getting loaned.
I would also consider loan options for Pellistri. He has shown so much potential this season, that if he isn’t going to see regular minutes he needs a loan. I think he may be too young to assume the mantle of a weekly starting roll, though on current form I would start him over Rashford and Antony. Unfortunately he is so young and in need of physical development, he is 5th in the pecking order behind, Rashford, Antony, Amad and Garnacho.
Casemiro
After the departures of Ronaldo and De Gea, Casemiro is now the joint highest paid player at Manchester United alongside Sancho. It is pretty clear that a big part of Ratcliffe’s revolution is trimming the wage bill and he makes $350k/week. His salary alone is reason enough for the club to want to sell him.
Casemiro has had his issues this season. But, when he is on form he has often been our most important player. He almost single handedly won us the Carabao Cup, and was Untied’s best all around player last season.
There is also the players wishes to consider. As recently as this week, Casemiro has reiterated his love for the club and the city of Manchester. He has openly stated his commitment to United and his desire to win trophies at Old Trafford. If the player doesn’t want to leave, is on a long term contract, and is as good as Casemiro, then it can be hard to let him go. I would guess he is 50:50 to stay at United.
Manchester United vs Marcus Rashford
With no reservations, I think Marcus Rashford needs to go. Personally, I love Rashy and it pains me want to see him leave. He is a world class footballer, an academy lad, and a huge humanitarian. On his day he is one of the best in the world.
However, what has been made clear is that Rashford has yet to reach his peak at Manchester Untied. Neither his attitude nor his environment has helped his development. There have been too many distractions, too many managers, too much inconsistency for player and club.
It doesn’t really matter where you point the finger. Neither club nor player is thriving together. Suggesting that they need to part ways to find themselves again.
Culture Shift at United Places Marcus Rashford in the Spotlight
Rashford’s wages are high enough that United could be tempted on that alone. His sale could go a long way towards funding a rebuild, reducing the wage bill and satisfying FFP.
Rashy also dictates the line up too much. He has so much potential that when he is fit he plays regardless of form or impact. When he does get the bench, it hurts the club to pay such a high profile player $320k/week to sit.
Even more damning is It is clear that his personal life can dramatically effect his form. On multiple occasions he has been accused of prioritizing his social life and philanthropic ventures. He has been accused of allowing his personal relationships, like his friendship with Jadon Sancho effect his form. And he has on multiple occasions been seen partying and clubbing then calling out ill or showing up late for practice and meetings. All of these issues adding up to his inability to string two seasons of good form together.
This season alone, Rashford has been reprimanded three times for disciplinary issues. In his 8 years at United he has been disciplined more almost a dozen times with increasing frequency. Ten Hag is not the first manager to have to address the strikers rogue behavior or undulating impact.
Has Marcus Rashford Has Lost Faith in United?
When you are in the kind of form Rashford is currently in, then you are photographed shooting tequila at a night club multiple nights in a week, then you call out sick for training right before a match, it is beyond apparent that the player has lost respect for and faith in the club, manager and/or his teammates.
Marcus Rashford has said himself that football is 95% mentality. However, he has failed repeatedly at integrating that philosophy with consistency. If his ceiling is 30+ goals a season, yet he has failed over 8 years at United to maintain anything close to that level, what does that say about his mentality, and how well the club are fostering his potential?
The truly great players have the ability to perform regardless of the circumstances. And truly great clubs extract the very best out of their players.
Neither of those things is happening. After nearly a decade of trying to get it right and falling short, maybe it is time for the club, Rashford and the fans to admit that in order for everyone to prosper it might be time to end this relationship.
New Owners, New Faces, New Facilities, New Philosophies
It truly pains me to see the likes of Rashford, Varane and Casemiro linked with an exit. Like so many great names that have come to United in the last decade, they deserved so much more from the club than they have received.
Sadly, sentiment and marketability are no longer enough to justify their kinds of extravagant deals. Ratcliffe and Co. have made it clear that they have a path they intend to follow, and many at the club don’t currently fit that model.
- United will no longer hand out bloated contracts.
- Extension and bumper deals will not be offered to players who fail to meet performance standards.
- Players who fail to perform after 2-3 seasons will be sold.
- The club will no longer pay exorbitant fees for players.
- There will be a clear structure and lines of communication throughout the club.
- The commercial success of the club and the success of the team are heavily intertwined, not mutually exclusive like Ed Woodward used to claim.
- Responsible spending and long term planning are key to both interim and long term success.
- Ratcliffe and Co. plan to implement a ‘clean culture’ at United.
In addition to the changes to United’s business model, their have been widespread reports that Ratcliffe has been shopping golf courses in Manchester to build into a new world class training facility. Equally abundant reports suggest that Ratcliffe has already spoken to designers and banks about renovating or rebuilding Old Trafford, a deal he has indicated he will finance himself.
Let the Revolution Begin
Combine those core changes, the ten or more high profile players that are likely to leave over the summer, and the new faces we will see top to bottom at the club, and it is clear that Ratcliffe and Co. have wasted no time in kickstarting the revolution at Manchester United.
Our new owner appears to have a clear and well informed vision of how to elevate Manchester United to it’s previous standing as one of the great football clubs of the world. And he appears to have little to no reservations making the tough or terse decisions needed to accomplish that goal.
There is no doubt in my mind that in the next 6 months there will be a huge shake up at the club. Multiple reports have stated that Sir David Brailsford’s audit of the club has so far yielded disappointing results across the board. If ripping off the band aid is indeed he best solution, than I would expect a very different Manchester United next season. For better or worse.
I still harbor concerns that too much change all at once can be bad, but sometimes you just have to close your eyes, grit your teeth and hope that you don’t start to bleed. Let the Red Devil revolution begin!
Glory, Glory Man United!
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