Manchester United: Inside Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s revolution at Old Trafford

Behind the scenes the changes were seismic.

The motivation was twofold.

As they assessed the club’s inner workings, senior ownership figures concluded it was “overblown”, according to one observer familiar with the process.

In other words, there were too many people and too many jobs.

They found a structure that they felt required United to play in the Champions League every season and compete to win the Premier League. Failure puts a strain on finances.

Having arrived at such a view and with very large losses, staff reductions were a harsh but inevitable reality.

An initial cull of 250 staff was carried out within months of Ratcliffe’s arrival to reduce numbers.

It is internally accepted that the resulting pain was widespread, and the trauma massive.

It was the second round of 200 layoffs this year that allowed the hierarchy to follow a different staffing model, so that funding could be used more efficiently.

Nowhere is the impact more evident than in United’s data operations.

In an interview with popular fan magazine United We Stand in December 2024, Ratcliffe described the club’s approach to data analysis as belonging to “the last century”.

There was a feeling that Formula 1 was a sport at the forefront of the use of data and artificial intelligence. The performance of each individual component is monitored in minute detail, and success and failure can be measured to hundreds of milliseconds.

As a result, the arrival of Michael Sansone from the Mercedes Formula 1 team as chief data officer in April was one of the less surprising moves.

Sansoni has completely revamped United’s data capabilities, which are now widely used in performance, recruiting and training.

The exact details of the work carried out by Sansone are a closely guarded secret, but one source said the work of United’s data and analytics team had accelerated to the point that it was now “among the top four teams”.

Following the second set of job cuts, there was a strategic focus on bringing in what was described as “multi-faceted, multi-skilled people to assist in multiple areas”.

However, it’s the senior appointments that really catch the eye.

A quick list of new arrivals among the Old Trafford club’s senior staff reveals 19 names.

Not all exits were forced, and as in any large organisation, a change in ownership can lead to a move to further lower levels – but the scale of change was significant.

Two prominent figures remain: Colette Roche and Martin Mosley.

Chief Operating Officer Roche is leading United’s representation around the proposed new 100,000 capacity stadium and the wider regeneration of Old Trafford.

Mosley joined United in 2007 and took up the role of general counsel in the summer of 2024 following the departure of Patrick Stewart, who is now chief executive at Rangers.

The presence of Roche and Mosley serves as an important link to the pre-Ratcliffe era, while those running the club get a full understanding of United’s size, which can come as a shock, even for those – such as CEO Omar Berrada (Barcelona/Manchester City), chief business officer Mark Armstrong (Paris Saint-Germain), performance director Sam Erith (Manchester City/Tottenham/FA) and recruitment director Christopher Fievel (Chelsea/Red Bull). – He has experience working in major clubs.

Roger Bell, a trusted figure at Ineos, has become United’s chief financial officer, and Christine Furber has arrived from Channel 4 as chief people officer.

But it goes much further than that. Head of the Department of Sports Medicine, and for the first team, a new doctor, a new physical therapist and a new performance chef. Experts in nutrition and soft tissue therapy. Academy Director. Media Manager. It’s all part of the key details for one of the Premier League’s leading clubs in 2025.

Many important figures from the previous era, who negotiated key deals, treated players and provided the public face of the club, have departed.

No one can be sure if the future will be better.

As with any other club, the external judgment on the success or failure of change off the pitch can be fleeting and is always tied to first-team results, which by their nature can hinge on random moments.

There is an acceptance internally at United that there will be an unmeasurable period of time between the start of new operations and their results.

However, sometimes, it becomes clear that a particular step has failed.

Dan Ashworth clearly falls into this category. Highly respected in the game, Ashworth’s willingness to leave Newcastle to take up the role of sporting director remains a positive at Old Trafford and reflects well on the changes made and the expected future direction.

However, after United paid Newcastle £3m in compensation, he was gone within five months.

Sources deny that there is a division over choosing Ten Hag’s replacement.

But there was a difference of opinion, as private views on how Ashworth should operate did not fit, and parting ways – with another payout, in the region of £4m – was seen as an inevitable outcome.