United chief braced for impact as Sir Jim Ratcliffe plots another major reshuffle

Manchester United chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe is planning another major reshuffle that could impact Dave Brailsford’s role at the club, according to The Times.

Brailsford initially stepped away from his role as team principal of the British professional cycling team INEOS Grenadiers to help restructure the club after Ratcliffe bought a minority stake.

Two years down the line, he could be returning to familiar territory.

Brailsford has spent more than a year co-steering United’s football operations and implementing change, but he is now set to return to his leading role at INEOS.

The decision comes after a historically frustrating and disappointing season for United. 

The Red Devils finished 15th in the Premier League, the worst final placement in the club’s history. To further compound their misery, they fell short against Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final.

His work may not have reflected on the pitch, but Brailsford is believed to have laid a solid foundation behind the scenes.

Ratcliffe has credited Brailsford with overhauling the performance set-up at United. The 61-year-old oversaw the £50 million redevelopment of United’s Carrington training ground.

He also drew up a “Mission 21” plan to get United back to the top of the food chain. Mission 21 is aimed at securing United’s 21st league title and the first championship for the women’s team.

If Brailsford steps back, other directors will take on more responsibility. There are already talks of Jason Wilcox earning a promotion from technical director to director of football.

Meanwhile, United are still planning to forge ahead with another clear-out of their footballing department, with over 200 employees set to lose their jobs.

It is part of a larger cost-cutting plan under Ratcliffe’s leadership and will be the second major round of redundancies in less than a year.

Ratcliffe’s shake-up also affects United’s sister club OGC Nice.

With United failing to qualify for European competition, Nice is no longer required to remain under trust to meet UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules.

The French side will return under the full control of INEOS, so Ratcliffe will need all the help he can get to oversee that transition.

Article written by onyekachiuwanabi .