Sir Dave Brailsford has only been observing behind the scenes at Manchester United for a few weeks, but the Ineos sporting director is said to have noted the level of overstaffing at the club.
Brailsford has been Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s eyes and ears on the ground at Old Trafford and Carrington while the £1.3billion investment is being ratified, and the former British Cycling supremo is already identifying areas where savings can be made and the club can become more streamlined.
Ratcliffe is likely to appoint an external auditor to look at the spending and structure at United, which could place some of the 1,100 work-force under threat.
Brailsford has been at every game since Ratcliffe’s purchase of 29 per cent of the club was confirmed on Christmas Eve, and is becoming an increasingly prominent figure in the process.
The 59-year-old met with manager Erik ten Hag at Carrington on New Year’s Eve and was given a tour of the training complex, speaking to some of the players who had come in after the defeat to Nottingham Forest the night before.
Brailsford was at the forefront again when he joined Ratcliffe and Ineos chief executive Jean-Claude Blanc to meet fans’ groups at Old Trafford on Monday. ‘We got the feeling that this is the beginning of more dialogue, and the hands-on people will be Brailsford and Blanc,’ one fans’ representative told Confidential.
Sir Dave Brailsford (centre left) has been prominent since INEOS’ minority stake was announced
Brailsford (right) met Erik ten Hag along with Sir Jim Ratcliffe at Carrington last month
Sir Jim is box office draw
It was noted just how eager executives and other VIPs in the Old Trafford directors’ box were to meet Sir Jim Ratcliffe when he attended Sunday’s game against Tottenham, his first since the investment was announced on Christmas Eve.
The billionaire spent the match sat next to another knight of the realm, Sir Alex Ferguson, but there was no shortage of people wanting to shake Ratcliffe’s hand and get a few seconds of his time as he made his way to and from his seat before the game and at half-time.
Earlier, the Ineos owner spoke to the media for 10 minutes in the press conference room at Old Trafford, adopting an open approach that could not be more different to the cloak of secrecy surrounding the Glazer family over the last 18 years.
Ratcliffe drew so much attention at the Spurs game that the appearance of teenage darts sensation Luke Littler, boxer Tommy Fury and F1 driver George Russell in the directors’ box went almost unnoticed.
Tyre giant pumped up by Ratcliffe arrival
Ratcliffe’s charm offensive appears to be working and his arrival at Old Trafford is a breath fresh air for sponsors as well, with one welcoming the ‘infusion of oxygen’.
It was an apt choice of words from Indian tyre-making giant Apollo, a long-term United sponsor with headquarters in London, when the company’s managing director Neeraj Kanwar spoke to Confidential about the impact he expects Ratcliffe’s investment to have on the club.
Ratcliffe was a popular man in the directors’ box when he attended the 2-2 draw with Spurs
Ratcliffe drew so much attention at the Spurs game that the appearance of teenage darts sensation Luke Littler largely went unnoticed
‘I think it will do good,’ said Kanwar. ‘Some new oxygen has come in with Mr Ratcliffe. Let’s see, it’s too early to say what’s going to happen with the team.
‘But always when some new infusion of oxygen comes in, you might see something new in the club which is what’s required I think.
‘I’m seeing smaller clubs coming up in the Premier League this year – the Aston Villas of the world, Brighton, Newcastle – and the old guys have somehow not got the story right. The Uniteds and the Chelseas.
‘So I think it’s a good idea to bring in some new ownership. If they are successful then my sponsorship is much more successful.’
Martinez heads for the sun
As Manchester woke up to a blanket of snow on Tuesday, some United stars were already soaking up the sun in Dubai.
Lisandro Martinez is said to be among the players who have taken advantage of the Premier League break to jet away for some warm-weather training after Erik ten Hag decided not to arrange another mid-season camp following last season’s getaway to Cadiz.
That was influenced by a winter World Cup in Qatar, but this season Ten Hag wants to use the break to give some players a rest and get those who are returning from injury back to full fitness.
Lisandro Martinez made his long-awaited return to the United side in the draw against Spurs
Martinez is among the United players – along with Diogo Dalot (pictured) – to have jetted off during the winter break
Martinez returned to action against Tottenham on Sunday after four months out, and Casemiro was also in the squad following a long-term injury, while Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Mason Mount are still making their way back.
‘There are players just returning who need training,’ said Ten Hag. ‘They need hard work to get fitter and to get closer to the team. But there are others who played so many games in 2023 who need a break. They need some refreshment and energy.’
Fans facing cup ticket rush
United fans face a desperate scramble for FA Cup tickets if Eastleigh beat Newport County in Tuesday night’s third-round replay.
Having been given a huge allocation at Wigan, where travelling fans occupied an entire side of the stadium, United have told supporters to expect just 773 tickets should the National League outfit cause an upset. The figure is just over 10 per cent of the more than 7,400 amount the club got for the win over Wigan last week.
It means the potential fourth-round tie at the Silverlake Stadium will see one of the smallest United away ends in recent memory. They will be given only 1,010 if Newport are victorious.
United received more than 7,400 tickets against Wigan – but the number will be significantly less for the next round
Ten Hag’s side will face either Eastleigh or Newport County in the fourth round of the FA Cup
United are also refusing to be drawn on suggestions the game could get moved if Eastleigh prevail against Newport due to safety concerns over their 5,200-capacity ground.
United cash in on academy kids
United’s new policy of cashing in on their academy products can be seen again in the loan moves for Hannibal Mejbri and Alvaro Fernandez.
Sevilla have an option to buy Hannibal for £14million plus £3m in add-ons at the end of the season, and Benfica can sign Fernandez for £8.6m when his loan runs out in the summer. There will be sell-on and buy-back clauses in both deals for the 20-year-olds.
Last summer, United sold Anthony Elanga to Nottingham Forest for £15m and Matej Kovar to Bayer Leverkusen for £7.7m, while Zidane Iqbal moved to Utrecht, James Garner to Everton, Tahith Chong and Teden Mengi to Luton, Nathan Bishop to Sunderland and Charlie Savage to Reading. Again, significant clauses were included in the majority of those deals.
Under Erik ten Hag, United have been less inclined to stockpile young players which blocks even younger talent, like Kobbie Mainoo, from breaking through. It also benefits the club financially at a time when FFP is biting hard.
Hannibal Mejbri is set to become the latest United academy graduate to leave the club
Alvaro Fernandez had been on loan Granada but is joining Benfica with an £8.6m option to buy
Facundo Pellistri is another young star who may be on his way out, with Granada interested
A new report from the CIES Football Observatory shows that United still have some way to go, however. They are 26th in a list of the world’s most profitable academies, based on revenues generated over the last 10 years by the transfer of players between the ages of 15 and 21.
United’s total of £150m puts them behind Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Arsenal. Benfica are top with £445m, well clear of Ajax.
Granada join Pellistri chase
Facundo Pellistri could be the next United player to go out on loan after Granada joined Dutch clubs PSV Eindhoven and NEC Nijmegen in the race for the Uruguayan.
Despite Jadon Sancho’s return to Borussia Dortmund, United are prepared to let another winger leave for the rest of the season now Amad Diallo is available again after knee surgery.
United are prepared to let Pellistri leave for the rest of the season despite Jadon Sancho’s loan move to Borussia Dortmund
PSV were believed to be leading the chase for Pellistri, but Granada have thrown their hat into the ring after United cut short Alvaro Fernandez’s loan at the Spanish club so the left-back could move to Benfica for the second half of the season.
LA Galaxy are another club to show an interest in Pellistri, who has made 14 first-team appearances for United this season, but they appear to only have an outside chance of signing the 22-year-old.
Jose’s Small talk so familiar
Manchester United fans will have been familiar with Jose Mourinho calling out his players in the weeks before he was sacked as head coach of Roma on Tuesday.
One of Mourinho’s last desperate acts was to dredge up an old beef with Chris Smalling from their United days.
It’s more than seven years since Mourinho publicly criticised the former England defender for not being willing to play through pain for United, forcing Smalling to reveal that he had been having pain-killing injections in a broken toe to get through games.
Mourinho took aim at Smalling again in Rome where the 34-year-old hasn’t played since the start of September due to a chronic knee injury.
‘There are also regular people like us, who aren’t high-performance athletes, who have a greater pain threshold,’ said Mourinho. ‘Maybe I can sleep fine with toothache, maybe you struggle. That’s how it is.
Jose Mourinho publicly called out Chris Smalling at Roma – just as he did when the pair were at United
‘Smalling isn’t capable of playing through pain. He holds something back. It’s really frustrating for me because his position – centre back – is where we’re most desperate for players.’
While Mourinho’s frustration was a back-handed compliment to one of his most important players, the Italian media have used it to insinuate that Smalling was dictating his own treatment plan.
On the contrary, Confidential understands that the player continues to be guided by Roma’s medical team and specialists, just as he was at United.
The issue hasn’t affected Smalling’s good relationship with Roma fans which is likely to continue long after the latest chapter in Mourinho’s coaching career is consigned to history.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
