Club ownership | Senior management team talk

[DomesticTadpole]

I completely agree with you.

Nicky Butt wants Carrick as the next head coach because he feels that Carrick knows the club inside out. Instead of attempting to understand our opponents and how they have gone about developing teams with clear and concise methods with the aim of dominating all phases of play. These guys are suggesting we need someone who knows the club.

Also Carricks football is not great. McKenna would be a better shout, but of course he didn't play for United.

 

[Escobar]

It is evident that the most idiotic thing you can do is listen to any of our ex players. They are stuck in 1999

 

[suheilsworld]

It is evident that the most idiotic thing you can do is listen to any of our ex players. They are stuck in 1999

This and a 1000 times this. The sooner we get them away from anything that sways the management decision, the better for us

 

[Matt851]

He plays there for his national team.

I dont think he would have proposed that idea to Ruben or he wanted him to play there. Probably, when Amad was injured and Ruben was so adamant with his wing back role, he may have just floated that idea.

It doesn't matter if it made any sense, the problem is that Ratcliffe is trying to dictate things which will never end well

 

[Banana Republic]

It doesn't matter if it made any sense, the problem is that Ratcliffe is trying to dictate things which will never end well

Again, as pointed out countless times by others in this thread and others, there’s been no suggestion that Ratcliffe tried to dictate or demand anything.
It was an unsubstantiated, out of context comment, or question, that has been quoted, with absolutely no evidence that it was ever said, or if so, when, to who and in what context?



.

 

[Apokalips]

For sure. They even advocated for Keane as next manager at some point.

I was quite disappointed in Butt as he held an executive role at the club and was fairly highly praised. Yet his footballing knowledge seems agricultural.

On another note, I’m also fed up with the reactive sentiment when it comes to new managers -

Moyes: Too basic, too British, too direct, too many crosses, not managed a big club before…

So let’s get Van Gaal to bring possession and big club experience.

Van Gaal: Too indirect, too philosophical and principle based rather than results driven. Too dry.

So let’s get Mourinho who has dominated the PL, is all about the win, is very direct in football style and has more of a red blooded passion.

Mourinho: Fell out with everyone, doesn’t get the United DNA, too negative.

So let’s get Ole who is United through and through and will inject positivity.

Ole: Too counter attack based, too stuck in the past tactically, too close to the players.

So let’s get Ten Hag who played pretty triangles with Ajax, is stoic and detached.

Ten Hag: Delusional talk about ‘the plan’, evasive communicator, zero charisma, looked a bit weird, his football left us exposed to thrashings.

So let’s get good looking, charismatic and refreshingly honest Ruben who plays 3 at the back which should make us more contained.

Amorim: Too emotional, inexperienced, an ideologue, inflexible, a bit negative and difficult.

So what now? It feels like we’ve swung to different extremes on a reactive pendulum. There’s now a lot of talk about Amorim’s replacement having to be older, playing with 4 at the back, needing PL experience and having tactical flexibility.

Honestly, I don’t care about those things. I just want us to get the right guy. Appointing principally by rules or profiles is completely lacking in vision. Synergy with the executives and ‘Club DNA’ (whatever that is for us) is important but, beyond that, I really hope the next guy isn’t just the anti Amorim in the qualities he’s mostly been criticised for.

When I see them advocate for Keane, I cringe. I get it though, Roy was a tremendous leader for them and is a friend so they will inevitably have great faith in his potential to be a great coach.

Their understanding tactically seems very rudimentary and it is concerning that Butt had such a senior role at the club with views to move towards even more influential roles.

I think Van Gaal was a step in the right direction, learning to impose ourselves better on opponents, giving young players a chance in their positions rather than playing others out of position, etc.

The ideal would have been Pep or Enrique, etc coming in and building on the foundations and taking it to the next level.

 

[Red in STL]

Bingo!

Fair play to INEOS they must have taken notes from the Glazers

City 24/25 Jan Spend £175M
City 25/26 Jan Spend £65M (so far)

United 24/25 Jan Spend £35M
United 25/26 Jan Spend £0M (so far)

Take a bow INEO, managed to bypass another window without spending any money, but no one will notice as United’s problems are always down to the manager.

Sorry this is nonsense, for all their faults, of which there are many, the Glazer's allowed massive spending, just not wisely, as for INEOS, they did try to spend the £65M City have, on the same player, we need to buy the right players, not spend for the sake of spending

 

[RuudTom83]

Sorry this is nonsense, for all their faults, of which there are many, the Glazer's allowed massive spending, just not wisely, as for INEOS, they did try to spend the £65M City have, on the same player, we need to buy the right players, not spend for the sake of spending

Sorry you lost me once you started defending the Glazers.

 

[hellhunter]

Sorry you lost me once you started defending the Glazers.

What's the point of this? We spent massive amounts under the Glazers. Our issues is who we spent it on

 

[RuudTom83]

What's the point of this? We spent massive amounts under the Glazers. Our issues is who we spent it on

This was the point…

City 24/25 Jan Spend £175M
City 25/26 Jan Spend £65M (so far)

United 24/25 Jan Spend £35M
United 25/26 Jan Spend £0M (so far)

It’s clear as day to me! But I’m not interested in doing a deep dive into Glazernomics.

 

[Tiber]

United are crap. Nice are crap. Mercedes have won bugger all since he bought in and the cycling team don't seem to win anything anymore

Jimbo is a real sporting genius

 

[croadyman]

United are crap. Nice are crap. Mercedes have won bugger all since he bought in and the cycling team don't seem to win anything anymore

Jimbo is a real sporting genius

Exactly why I wanted a full sale option

 

[Matt851]

United are crap. Nice are crap. Mercedes have won bugger all since he bought in and the cycling team don't seem to win anything anymore

Jimbo is a real sporting genius

Sailing team also crap

 

[Grizzly B]

I wasn't really sure where to put this but I felt it was based on a criticism of the current Senior Management Team it should go here.

Some of the reports that have come out regarding the sacking of Amorim genuinely worry me. The reasons seem to be around attitude and failure to adapt his system, but the tipping point seems to be an argument with Jason Wilcox. I remember seeing a lot of reports around him when he joined that other clubs had turned him down as they felt he would never move from a back 3 system - so we should have known this. If we did and didn't want that system why did we employ him, and if we didn't how did other teams recruitment figure this out and we couldn't. I feel this might only be part of it, something about this sacking feels like an emotional reaction to the interaction Wilcox and Amorim had after the Wolves game and it worries me that in an industry that is so emotionally charged our senior management couldn't manage a volatile situation with our manager and just sacked him because of it. I don't want this to come across as me defending Amorim because I ultimately think the decision to sack him is the right one, due to his results, but it feels like the club haven't sacked him for that reason.

Given this, the situation with Ashworth, Ten Haag, ticket prices, redundancies I am starting to really worry about the people running our club - we were promised a coherent football structure and while the transfers have been much better the rest does seem like a bit of a mess.

 

[Kush]

To compare any of this to Woodward etc is just nonsense. The club is clearly operating from a much more sophisticated and intelligent playbook, and it is unreasonable to expect them to get every appointment right. The appointment of Amorim was a disaster, and that will go on the ledger of Berrada more than anyone.

There is nothing sophisticated or intelligent about the playbook when you extend the contract of a manager after finishing 8th, give him £200m more to squander, only to sack him 3 months later for a huge fee. INEOS have been an utter fecking disaster on all the major decisions on the footballing side. 3/3 on managers alone with re-hiring of Ole.

 

[Matt851]

I wasn't really sure where to put this but I felt it was based on a criticism of the current Senior Management Team it should go here.

Some of the reports that have come out regarding the sacking of Amorim genuinely worry me. The reasons seem to be around attitude and failure to adapt his system, but the tipping point seems to be an argument with Jason Wilcox. I remember seeing a lot of reports around him when he joined that other clubs had turned him down as they felt he would never move from a back 3 system - so we should have known this. If we did and didn't want that system why did we employ him, and if we didn't how did other teams recruitment figure this out and we couldn't. I feel this might only be part of it, something about this sacking feels like an emotional reaction to the interaction Wilcox and Amorim had after the Wolves game and it worries me that in an industry that is so emotionally charged our senior management couldn't manage a volatile situation with our manager and just sacked him because of it. I don't want this to come across as me defending Amorim because I ultimately think the decision to sack him is the right one, due to his results, but it feels like the club haven't sacked him for that reason.

Given this, the situation with Ashworth, Ten Haag, ticket prices, redundancies I am starting to really worry about the people running our club - we were promised a coherent football structure and while the transfers have been much better the rest does seem like a bit of a mess.

I agree it's worrying

The one thing I would pick you up on is the transfers, have they really been much better? i am not convinced

I find it bizarre we are in a situation where wilcox has so much power. It seems like he was brought in on the basis of his work identifying and signing promising young players but no idea why he then got such a big promotion. I strongly suspect he wouldn't have got a Director of football role with another oremier league club when we hired him but now he is supposedly leading on footballing decisions and trying to influence our coaches tactical approach. It seems to be even worse than murtough becssue he is overstepping the mark as well as being overpromoted

 

[Red in STL]

This was the point…



It’s clear as day to me! But I’m not interested in doing a deep dive into Glazernomics.

So you're moaning about lack of spending despite us spending hundreds of millions, and also making a comparison to a club that has access to basically unlimited funds

 

[C'est Moi Cantona]

INEOS have pulled a blinder by sacking Amorim, now everyone is looking at who’s going to be the next manager, whilst the glaring issues with the squad are going to be ignored for another January window.

No the Glazers have pulled a blinder, lets not forget that they are the majority owners of the club still.

It is incredible that so many have moved onto to just blaming Ineos for all out woes.

 

[Red in STL]

No the Glazers have pulled a blinder, lets not forget that they are the majority owners of the club still.

It is incredible that so many have moved onto to just blaming Ineos for all out woes.

Well INEOS are in charge of all footballing matters so I can see why people blame them

 

[Krakenzero]

My plan for fixing the whole issue requires a bouquet of roses, a mariachi band, and Ashworth having a balcony.

Seriously speaking, this is an opportunity to refurbish the whole decision making process between CEO, DOF and Head coach/manager. Will they capture it? Or just let it slip?

 

[C'est Moi Cantona]

Well INEOS are in charge of all footballing matters so I can see why people blame them

Everything that is wrong with the club is on the Glazers, they couldn't even do the decent thing and fully sell the club, but just take an investment and let Ineos try and mop up the mess they left after 15 years of killing the club, just so they can make a higher profit further down the line.

I hate Ineos for letting this deal happen, but not for struggling to turn the clubs fortunes around.

 

[Red in STL]

Everything that is wrong with the club is on the Glazers, they couldn't even do the decent thing and fully sell the club, but just take an investment and let Ineos try and mop up the mess they left after 15 years of killing the club, just so they can make a higher profit further down the line.

I hate Ineos for letting this deal happen, but not for struggling to turn the clubs fortunes around.

I don't disagree

 

[343]

Their next permanent managerial appointment will speak volumes.

If they get Conte, Tuchel, Ancelloti, Nagelsmann, or someone like that, then they mean business.

If they go for another PL rookie like Amorim, or give the job on the back of a purple patch to one of the boys (Ole, Carrick, Fletcher etc.), or dip into the B group for a Iraola / Glasner type, then you know that all they want is a yes man who will not demand signings or challenge the entirety of the club to do better.

Manchester United need a big name manager.

 

[thisisnottaken1]

Their next permanent managerial appointment will speak volumes.

If they get Conte, Tuchel, Ancelloti, Nagelsmann, or someone like that, then they mean business.

If they go for another PL rookie like Amorim, or give the job on the back of a purple patch to one of the boys (Ole, Carrick, Fletcher etc.), or dip into the B group for a Iraola / Glasner type, then you know that all they want is a yes man who will not demand signings or challenge the entirety of the club to do better.

Manchester United need a big name manager.

Well said!

 

[Godfather]

These guys better invest in team if they want us to make it to Europe still.

 

[Godfather]

Their next permanent managerial appointment will speak volumes.

If they get Conte, Tuchel, Ancelloti, Nagelsmann, or someone like that, then they mean business.

If they go for another PL rookie like Amorim, or give the job on the back of a purple patch to one of the boys (Ole, Carrick, Fletcher etc.), or dip into the B group for a Iraola / Glasner type, then you know that all they want is a yes man who will not demand signings or challenge the entirety of the club to do better.

Manchester United need a big name manager.

Exactly

 

[Attila]

We are going to have another bad season it seems. At Sir Jims age I don't get what he means to get out of this. It's gone terribly for Ineos so far and I doubt it's going to improve any time soon when you consider how it's going at Nice.

And can someone explain to me why the Glazers are so adamant about keeping Man Utd if the club ends up cementing itself as a mid table team? Surely they should have sold it 2 years ago and moved on.

Ineos/Glazer ownership is an absolute disaster

 

[clarkydaz]

We are going to have another bad season it seems. At Sir Jims age I don't get what he means to get out of this. It's gone terribly for Ineos so far and I doubt it's going to improve any time soon when you consider how it's going at Nice.

And can someone explain to me why the Glazers are so adamant about keeping Man Utd if the club ends up cementing itself as a mid table team? Surely they should have sold it 2 years ago and moved on.

Ineos/Glazer ownership is an absolute disaster

Because the stadium is the last windfall they can extract from the club after their failed superleague

 

[Overhaul FC]

They were happy we were in 6th place. Already 7th.

 

[TheNewEra]

Feels we will slide down the table

 

[Adz_99]

Berrada and Wilcox looked utterly clueless when the the camera panned to them after the opening goal didn't they. The fact that we binned off Ashworth with a genuine track record of success in the sport to keep Wilcox (whoever the feck he is) is very annoying.

 

[ErikElevenHag]

Their next permanent managerial appointment will speak volumes.

If they get Conte, Tuchel, Ancelloti, Nagelsmann, or someone like that, then they mean business.

If they go for another PL rookie like Amorim, or give the job on the back of a purple patch to one of the boys (Ole, Carrick, Fletcher etc.), or dip into the B group for a Iraola / Glasner type, then you know that all they want is a yes man who will not demand signings or challenge the entirety of the club to do better.

Manchester United need a big name manager.

Talk about having your cake and eating it.

Nagelsmann ain't done feck all except win a bundesliga with Bayern Munich (something which their last 11 managers all also achieved).

He's another hipster manager who everyone rates despite having very little substance to go with his supposed pedigree.

Nagelsmann is closer to Amorim than he his the ones you've listed him with.

 

[Red_toad]

No the Glazers have pulled a blinder, lets not forget that they are the majority owners of the club still.

It is incredible that so many have moved onto to just blaming Ineos for all out woes.

INEOS enabled the Glazers to retain their majority shareholding, then the whole they’re in charge of all footballing matters. They choose to retain Ruben, even though there were ‘issues’ from game 2 of the season and last seasons shite show. Imagine allowing someone you don’t believe in managing anything and undermining them! It’s all on them.

 

[Red_toad]

Nagelsmann is closer to Amorim than he his the ones you've listed him with.

Nothing like him, very flexible with his playing patterns, will play to his players strengths and adjust to the opponent. Would have been a better pick over Ruben in hindsight. Not that I want him at the club personally.

 

[KStandBarmyArmy1993]

INEOS enabled the Glazers to retain their majority shareholding, then the whole they’re in charge of all footballing matters. They choose to retain Ruben, even though there were ‘issues’ from game 2 of the season and last seasons shite show. Imagine allowing someone you don’t believe in managing anything and undermining them! It’s all on them.

The only apparent "full sale" option when the club was up for sale in 23/24 was essentially a nation state takeover (I'm not even sure that was genuine).

As bad as Ratcliffe has been at times, at least it's not that.

 

[Drainy]

Berrada and Wilcox looked utterly clueless when the the camera panned to them after the opening goal didn't they. The fact that we binned off Ashworth with a genuine track record of success in the sport to keep Wilcox (whoever the feck he is) is very annoying.

Oh yeah, they should have started warming up down the touchline ready to come on at half time to change the game

 

[Red_toad]

The only apparent "full sale" option when the club was up for sale in 23/24 was essentially a nation state takeover (I'm not even sure that was genuine).

As bad as Ratcliffe has been at times, at least it's not that.

Glazers would have been in a very difficult situation without Sir Jim and co. No idea if the Qatar deal with even a genuine thing, but they would have very likely have been forced to sell by now without Sir Jim’s investment.

 

[ErikElevenHag]

Nothing like him, very flexible with his playing patterns, will play to his players strengths and adjust to the opponent. Would have been a better pick over Ruben in hindsight. Not that I want him at the club personally.

I'm talking about in terms of experience and achievements in football, since that was the parameters of what to look for in a footballer

 

[Drainy]

Glazers would have been in a very difficult situation without Sir Jim and co. No idea if the Qatar deal with even a genuine thing, but they would have very likely have been forced to sell by now without Sir Jim’s investment.

If Qatar were interested seriously it wasn't at the price the Glazers were talking about.

They only sold the minority share to Ratcliffe because they think there is an even bigger upside in a few years and can get even more money.

Most people would think 'we paid $200m for an asset and are getting $2.4bn back 20 years later for an entity thats losing money' and leave but they think there's another $2-3bn to be gouged

 

[Red_toad]

If Qatar were interested seriously it wasn't at the price the Glazers were talking about.

They only sold the minority share to Ratcliffe because they think there is an even bigger upside in a few years and can get even more money.

Most people would think 'we paid $200m for an asset and are getting $2.4bn back 20 years later for an entity thats losing money' and leave but they think there's another $2-3bn to be gouged

The Glazers would have been forced to sell or invest without Sir Jim’s investment, that’s my point. I don’t care Qatar if it was real or not. Club was being ran into the ground.