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Manchester United wanted stability from Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
But from managerial mishaps to backroom staff poaching, it’s fair to say the opening chapter of the INEOS reign at Old Trafford has been eventful if not slightly chaotic. The long-awaited reassurance given to manager Erik ten Hag regarding his position at the club last week bought an end to one of the numerous ongoing sagas surrounding the club.
As the cultural reset at the club continues, here at FourFourTwo, we took a look at a timeline of events from their first day to the present.
February 2024: Manchester United’s new owners
Sir Jim Ratcliffe finally confirmed his purchase of a stake in the club in February of 2024 after a drawn-out process in which he saw off competition from a Qatari consortium.
Ratcliffe’s deal to buy a 27.7% stake in Manchester United was completed with an investment worth around $1.6bn (£1.25bn).
February 2024 : The tax payers’ stadium
The billionaire immediately hit the headlines following his purchase, claiming that he wanted to build a new stadium in the north of England ready to rival Wembley, naturally to be inhabited by the Red Devils.
An ambitious statement of intent, were it not for his desire for the project to be funded by the British taxpayer rather than himself.
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“The people in the north pay their taxes like the people in the south pay their taxes, but where’s the national stadium for football? It’s in the south.” Ratcliffe said.
“Where’s the national stadium for rugby? It’s in the south. Where’s the national stadium for tennis? It’s in the south. Where’s the national concert stadium? It’s the O2, it’s in the south. Where’s the Olympic Village? It’s in the south.
“All of this talk about levelling up and the Northern Powerhouse. Where is the stadium in the north? How many Champions Leagues has the north-west won and how many Champions Leagues has London won?
“The answer to that is the north-west has won 10 – Liverpool have won more than us – and London has won two. Where do you have to go if you get to the semi-final of the FA Cup and you’re a northern club? You have to schlepp down to London, don’t you?”
He added: “People in the north pay their taxes and there is an argument you could think about a more ambitious project in the north which would be fitting for England, for the Champions League final or the FA Cup final and acted as a catalyst to regenerate southern Manchester.”
April 2024: The great staff lay-off
Ratcliffe’s ruthless overhaul kicked into gear with a demand that all club staff return to work, effectively banning them from working from home.
He also offered staff the opportunity to take voluntary redundancy in order to clear out and make space for his own choice of employees.
Ratcliffe was quoted in one meeting saying: “If you don’t like it, please seek alternative employment.”
April – present: The Dan Ashworth Saga
One of the most important things Ratcliffe has done at Old Trafford so far is creating a a dedicated recruitment teams stacked with ‘best in class’ talent from clubs across the country.
Manchester City’s Omar Barrada and Southampton’s Jason Wilcox were immediately snapped up, with Newcastle’s Dan Ashworth earmarked as the one to complet the trio.
However, Newcastle refused to play ball, demanding £20 million in compensation for the in-demand Director of Football, before placing him on gardening leave for the remainder of his current deal.
An incensed Ashworth then took the Magpies to the Court of Arbitration in order to force through his dream move to Old Trafford, before it was suggested that he had been caught conversing with Berrada and co. in secret, suggesting the Red Devils had attempted to poach him.
The court case still continues to this day, with movement expected in the next few weeks.
May 2024: Should I stay or should I go?
Erik ten Hag’s future at Manchester United was central to discussions in the middle for a month following the end of the Premier League campaign as Ineos weighed up whether or not to keep the Dutchman on board.
Meetings with other managers became public knowledge as ten Hag seemingly slid towards the exit door with little to no feedback from those above him.
Eventually his job was declared safe, something the former Ajax boss is said to be delighted about, although the drawn out process will no doubt have had an impact on the manager’s relationship with the incoming board members.
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