Manchester United board meeting in Barcelona and what the new football directors are doing

When it comes to venues for Manchester United’s owners to meet, few are as luxurious as Barcelona, ​​​​during the tournament that the club’s sponsors call the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup.

Joel and Avram Glazer were spotted at the event where Sir Jim Ratcliffe has his INEOS Britannia team. The American brothers were not there just to witness the most prestigious sailing competition.

Both Glazers and Ratcliffe, as well as Sir Dave Brailsford, Jean-Claude Blanc, Omar Berrada, Dan Ashworth and Jason Wilcox, also met for a scheduled board meeting to discuss matters relating to United, according to people familiar with the matter, with the September break for international matches providing time to reflect on the summer transfer window and the first three games of the new season.

Perhaps these key figures at the top of the club drew parallels between the fortunes of INEOS Britannia, under Ben Ainslie, and the circumstances at Old Trafford, where Erik ten Hag is in charge. INEOS Britannia had a mixed start to the round-robin phase of the series – where each team faces the others twice – winning four and losing three of the first seven races.

But they finished strongly, winning the last three races and winning the race against Italian team Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli to finish second overall behind defending champions Emirates Team New Zealand and enter the semi-finals with a vengeance. In between races, Ainslie and the football people had a chance to chat and brainstorm ideas.

Meanwhile, United have also had mixed results this season, beating Fulham in their opening game but losing to Brighton and arch-rivals Liverpool, sparking fresh public debate about manager Ten Hag’s position.

People familiar with the situation, speaking like others in this article on condition of anonymity to protect the reporting, say there are concerns among United staff that the gaps in midfield were again evident in the 3-0 defeat to Liverpool. There are questions internally about whether it is a problem with the players or the instructions they are receiving. Given that similar problems occurred last season, there are those within the club who believe the roots are systemic and that a solution should be sought on the training pitches at United’s Carrington base.

But after going through a process of finding potential successors to Ten Hag before and after the FA Cup final in May, ultimately deciding he was still the best man for the job, the management are keen to continue to support the manager, with a number of signings made under his influence this summer, as well as three new managers, all handpicked by him.

The improved use of pressing was confirmed in the matches against Fulham and Brighton, as well as in the pre-season Community Shield match with Manchester City. United have the fifth highest expected goals in the Premier League at 5.22, behind champions City (7.11) but ahead of Arsenal (4.25). The fact that United have scored just twice, the second lowest in the league, suggests that finishing is a problem.

On the other hand, to be honest during the Ibiza summit where his status was confirmed, Ten Hag has adapted to the new regime, adopting their term “play model” and showing more of his personality around Carrington. Results dictate moods, but there is no appetite for change.

Chief executive Berrada and sporting director Ashworth have both made it public that this position should be believed. “Do we still believe in Erik? Absolutely,” Berrada said before kick-off against Liverpool. “We believe Erik is the right coach for us and we fully support him.”

There is a certain risk at any club when directors speak publicly about managers who are under scrutiny, especially before such an important match, but United’s two most senior footballing officers did so because they were clear on the issue.

Ashworth’s modus operandi throughout his career has been to take time to assess working practices before taking significant action – at previous employer Newcastle United, for example, he waited for three months – and several of his former colleagues describe him as being very process-oriented and methodical.

He started at Carrington on July 1 and has prioritised transfers so far. He is now branching out and has played a key role in the appointment of Sam Erith as performance director until the end of the season.

Ashworth’s place at the top of the football organisation at Carrington became clear during this period and there is a feeling internally that the compensation paid to Newcastle, estimated at around £2.5m-£3m by people briefed on the matter, was money well spent. He brought a sense of stability and professionalism.

This does not mean, however, that he will be the arbiter on Ten Hag should this become the subject of real debate in the future.

Ultimately, such a call comes from the owners, with Ratcliffe, Joel Glazer and Brailsford forming a three-person committee. However, they base their conclusions on recommendations from those on the ground, particularly Berrada, Ashworth and technical director Wilcox.

“I’ve really enjoyed working with Eric over the last eight weeks,” Ashworth said ahead of the Liverpool game. “I see my job as supporting him in every way I can. Whether it’s operationally, whether it’s recruitment, whether it’s medical, whether it’s psychological, whether it’s flow on the training ground, it’s just about taking as much of the load off him as possible so he can focus on the training ground and the tactical game plan to make Manchester United a success.”

Brailsford, as INEOS Sporting Director, works closely with both Ashworth and Wilcox and is a conduit for regular dialogue, ensuring information flows to the owners. Ashworth’s appointment has reduced the need for Brailsford to have a constant presence at Carrington, as was the case when INEOS invested earlier this year, but he still typically spends his time from Tuesday to the end of the match weekend at the club.

He told people his approach was to install a highly skilled group of people to run United’s football operations and let them do their jobs. Brailsford is expected to step back and use his experience of elite cycling to challenge and support them. As a member of the club’s board and Ratcliffe’s main representative at United, his role is considered an active one. Brailsford is based in Monaco, the venue for last month’s Europa League draw, meaning he attended the event, along with Ashworth, on the afternoon of the transfer window closing time.

Blanc, the other INEOS representative involved in the sporting side of United, goes a step further but is involved on a macro level.

On August 29, days before the Champions League draw in Monaco, he held personal talks with Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the president of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), about the transfer of Manuel Ugarte to United. Blanc and Al-Khelaifi, who worked together at PSG for 11 years and have a strong relationship, agreed on the terms of payment for the transfer.

On September 4, Blanc was appointed to the board of the European Club Association (ECA) and the UEFA Club Competitions Board (UCC) and is seen as an influential player for United in the corridors of continental football.

Back in Manchester, Wilcox is expected to work closely with the first team, observing sessions and helping Ten Hag. He was also involved in the summer signings of Chido Obi-Martin, a 16-year-old striker from Arsenal, and Sekou Kone, an 18-year-old midfielder from Mali’s Guidars.

Obi-Martin’s arrival was sparked by Luke Fedorenko, United’s head of academy recruitment, who spoke to the player and his family, with the help of academy director Nick Cox. Matt Hargreaves, the director of football negotiations, secured the deal.

Christopher Vivell, the interim director of recruitment, was the driving force behind the signing of Kone, who was a star at last year’s Under-17 World Cup in Indonesia, where Mali beat Argentina to finish third. The player was known to Steve Brown, United’s head of scouting operations, but it is believed that the recruitment staff may not have been able to pull off the difficult deal before.

Kone will join the academy initially with a view to a first-team role in the medium term, given Ten Hag’s need for a No.6, the sort of ‘bridge’ signing United don’t usually make. The new management team have been keen to allocate a healthy budget to signing such players, with Ashworth providing oversight.

Hargreaves has emerged as a prominent figure in the latest transfer window. Appointed last summer, there was scepticism over his ability to move from a commercial deal-making role at Adidas. However, several sources say his work should be seen as clear and effective. He has been key to all the deals. Brown has also laid the groundwork, with Andy O’Boyle, the deputy director of football, also involved.

Throughout the summer, key officials met daily to discuss moves via Microsoft Teams. This multi-pronged approach allowed United to complete several transactions simultaneously. “Dan and his team did a great job executing the details,” Berrada said.

Berrada has set the tone for good communication and has emphasized accountability among employees, but work practices and lines of communication are not fully implemented. It is still considered early days for the new team.

O’Boyle’s departure is a sign that the structure is not yet finalised. John Murtough’s departure as ‘director’ of football meant that the deputy title had become obsolete, but rather than force a new role, as might have happened in the past, the decision was taken to part ways. O’Boyle was heavily involved in all aspects of the sporting operations towards the end of last season and in June, notably overseeing the redevelopment of the academy and women’s building at Carrington to house the men’s first team, alongside director of football operations David Harrison, but the arrival of Ashworth and then Erith meant that the space for such work had shrunk.

The performance director has been hired by United, and Erith arrives with a solid reputation, having spent 11 years in the neighbouring City and then two at Madison Square Garden Sports Corp in New York as the performance and player learning leader for the NBA’s New York Knicks. The question remains what Erith’s appointment means for the demands of Richard Hawkins, who was appointed director of football insights and innovation 18 months ago.

Manchester United want a chief business officer reporting to Berrada, with Marc Armstrong, currently PSG’s chief revenue officer, in the running for the role.

(Top photos: Getty Images; design: Dan Goldfarb)