Sir Jim Ratcliffe has ordered Manchester United’s staff to raise standards after describing the level of untidiness in offices as a “disgrace” and some dressing rooms as “not much better”.
Ratcliffe, the minority owner who now controls United’s football policy, made his comments after a two-day tour of Old Trafford and the Carrington training ground.
He wrote: “I had a good tour around some of the facilities. I am afraid I was struck in many places by a high degree of untidiness. In particular the IT department, which frankly was a disgrace, and the dressing rooms of the U18 and U21 were not much better.”
His remarks in an email to staff were sent on Friday afternoon. Ratcliffe then compares the standards with that of Ineos, the multibillion-pound company he owns.
“These standards would not come close to what we would expect at Ineos and we are a chemical company. Manchester United is an elite sporting organisation. It’s a small thing in many ways but unless an organisation has standards and discipline it will not succeed.
“I would be grateful in future if we adopt the proper standards of housekeeping everywhere. It reflects poorly on the club if we have visitors, young player parents, new players and the media and they see we don’t care enough to keep things shipshape.”
Ratcliffe, who stated in the email he had been made to feel welcome by staff, is also assessing whether Erik ten Hag should remain as the manager beyond this season. Ten Hag is fighting to stay after a disappointing campaign that last month featured United allowing soft goals against Chelsea, Liverpool, Bournemouth and Coventry City. In an interview with Sky Sports Ten Hag, who could still win the FA Cup this season, explained why his team are not set up more defensively.
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“We thought about this, but one of my objectives here was to bring in a proactive way of play,” he said. “The [injured] players will return so if you then adjust, go in a very defensive style and it doesn’t fit to the players we already have, then if you don’t get the results everyone will lose confidence. Then when the players are back, you have to return to the proactive and you have lost many times.”