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Changes were inevitable as soon as Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his company took their stake in Manchester United.
The boyhood United fan didn’t mind the fact that he didn’t like the way the club was being run so the wind of change would blow.
Although their impact on the field has not yet been seen, there have been major upheavals off the field, in terms of personnel or infrastructure.
As always with change, some changes were received positively, some negatively, and some left employees completely “disgusted”.
Now, former Aston Villa chief executive Keith Wyness, in an interview with Football Insider, via the Daily Mail, has hit out at Sir Jim’s decision-making style, comparing it to a dictatorship.
Wyness said the INEOS boss looked at the club and its business through the lens of INEOS’ regular business, but football was “much more organic”.
He said Ratcliffe’s decision-making style was back to the old school and could hinder “fresh thinking”.
He said: “Ever since he and his team approached the building, he felt there was too much waste, not enough engagement, not enough spirit.
“He may be trying to compare it to his INEOS business, which would be a mistake. Football clubs are much more organic than industrial businesses – there are huge differences.
“Football relies heavily on human beings. Ratcliffe is very practical. We are back to the old fashioned style of dictatorship, somewhat.
“I was hoping that maybe he would be a little more enlightened. We may see some fresh thinking, but he has gone back to some old-fashioned management principles.”
Some people, especially the handful of United employees who have been told to quit early to get their bonuses if they don’t return to the office, may be inclined to agree.
However, in the end, the regime is doing what it thinks is necessary to bring the club back from more than a decade long slumber.
The results of such a policy can only be seen in the long term, but in the current circumstances, most fans would probably just be grateful that a decision is being made at all.
Now just for that managerial future announcement…!
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