Sir Jim Ratcliffe has reportedly told Manchester United staff that he doesn't care about money and vowed to restore the club to their former glory.
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Ratcliffe took minority stake in UnitedWill take charge of sporting affairsWants United to become formidable againWHAT HAPPENED?
The INEOS chief recently acquired a 25% stake in United which has empowered him to make key sporting decisions, including player transfers and the future of manager Erik ten Hag. He paid a visit to Old Trafford and the Carrington training base on Tuesday along with INEOS director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford where he assessed the club's infrastructure and interacted with staff. According to Ratcliffe has assured staff that he will be prioritising on-field success over financial gains and remains determined to address the performance issues that have plagued the club for the past decade.
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Ratcliffe's honesty and straightforwardness about the club's shortcomings was well received, a distinct departure from the previous rhetoric of the Glazers. It is believed that Joel Glazer has not addressed the staff directly even once since taking over in 2005. He emphasised a commitment to creating an elite environment to compete with other top European clubs and expressly stated that silverware would be the only yardstick for success. Ratcliffe and Brailsford met men's team manager Erik ten Hag and Marc Skinner, manager of the women's team, as well as members of the men's, women's and academy teams, and performance staff.
DID YOU KNOW?
Ratcliffe has assured staff that his £1.3 billion ($1.7bn) investment aims not only to bring on-field success but also major improvements to Old Trafford and Carrington. The additional $300 million funding already pledged is just the start of a significant renovation plan for the stadium.
Brailsford, INEOS' director of sport, who is conducting an audit of United's structure and personnel, also made a speech where he emphasized the need for improvements on the pitch. However, most of his talks reportedly revolved around 'more abstract terms about philosophy'.
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Both Ratcliffe and Brailsford have promised that they would regularly visit the offices at Old Trafford, another distinct change in approach from the Glazers. The new decision makers also want to hire a sporting director and recruitment specialist. They are still awaiting Premier League ratification which is expected to arrive in around six weeks and following that they will go into more detail about their aims, signalling a new era and approach at the Manchester outfit.