Ratcliffe regime offers more spin than substance
GIVEN all the leaking at Old Trafford of late, it was inevitable that trickles would give way to a flood. Footage of torrents of water falling through a malfunctioning roof following the defeat to Arsenal a week ago was quickly celebrated on social media as a metaphor for the wider decline within the club.
It was the sort of image a hackneyed screenwriter might choose, but this was a rare instance of a public event at Manchester United that was not, as far as we know, part of a wider spinning operation that shows no signs of slowing.
Since the billionaire Jim Ratcliffe completed the purchase of 27.7 per cent of the club in February, the media management has been constant. The Glazers still own three-quarters of the club, but the deal sees Ratcliffe take over football operations.
Given they dictate every aspect of the wider business, Ratcliffe’s investment bought him far more than a quarter say in how a sporting behemoth is run.
This was a minority takeover, and for supporters convinced that 20 years under the Glazers are the cause of their ills, Ratcliffe’s arrival is a blessing.
Even the presence of Dave Brailsford at his right hand, providing the wisdom and daring that transformed British cycling and made Team Sky the dominant force in road racing until that dream fell apart, hasn’t checked the enthusiasm for this move.
Ratcliffe is an easy draw, for fans but also for a media that, for the most part, is swallowing his lines with the unthinking enthusiasm of a seal that smells mackerel.
It’s why the involvement of Brailsford, which should be a cause of some concern given the way the Sky façade fell apart and the myth of marginal gains gave way to a much murkier and more troubling reality, has been so easily glossed over.
And it explains why the string of stories about Ratcliffe’s exasperation with the failings he is finding at United are so readily accepted, too.
These include his disgruntlement with untidiness he has found at Old Trafford and the team’s training complex. He called the standard of cleanliness at the IT department ‘a disgrace’.
This is irresistibly framed as part of the attention to detail that separates billionaires – and innovators like Brailsford – from the lower ranks.
It is also presented as part of the wider rot afflicting an ailing club.
Steve in tech support leaves a half-drunk mug of tea beside his workstation: is it any wonder Casemiro is playing Havertz onside come Sunday?
There is plenty of this guff. Last week came the edict from Sir Jim that all staff must return to the office. Working from home was welcomed as transformative for families when it became necessary during lockdowns, but since then it has a triggering effect on a certain constituency convinced that anyone not in the office is binge-watching Baby Reindeer and conducting Zoom meetings naked from the waist down.
However, this was more red meat for those anxious to believe that this titan of British industry, this champion of Brexit – he moved to tax-free Monaco in 2020 – is giving the snow-globe a necessary shake. And if a few snowflakes are turned upside down as a result, what of it?
When news of Ratcliffe’s interest in United emerged last winter, it was accompanied by soothing insistences from ‘sources’ that he would be keen to get advice from Alex Ferguson.
Given Ferguson was the man who recommended David Moyes be his successor, this may have caused slight alarm among some United fans, but they could relax – it was apparently more spin.
Given the steadfast refusal of the Glazers to engage with supporters or explain their plans for the club – that could have been tricky, given there doesn’t seem one beyond treating the place as an investment that obliges a return – the proliferation of stories around Ratcliffe’s plans is like rainfall in a parched land.
What is there beyond the spin, though? There is a new CEO incoming, and a slew of pending appointments to the executive sporting team.
The manager’s future is unclear. The club’s ability to buy new players is unknown. And lurking in the background is Brailsford.
What could go wrong?