Sir Jim Ratcliffe is already making major changes at Manchester United, but his latest move is at odds with something legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson implemented early in his reign
Manchester United staff are set to be banned from the main canteen as Sir Jim Ratcliffe continues to ring the changes.
Ratcliffe has taken charge of football operations after purchasing a minority stake in United in December and the INEOS chief has vowed to “bring sporting success” back to Old Trafford, with the club struggling ever since the retirement of legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Ratcliffe has already appointed a new chief executive and technical director, with Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox joining the club. He has also ordered all employees to return to the club’s offices in a bid.
The 71-year-old believes the move will “bring substantial benefits for individuals, teams, and the wider club and support our journey to return Manchester United to footballing success”. And according to a report from the Daily Mail, Ratcliffe is set to implement another change by banning staff who do not work directly with the first team from using the main canteen.
The report states that they will instead dine in a separate area following summer refurbishments, with the move ‘aimed at creating an elite environment for the first team squad with the focus on performance’.
However, Ratcliffe’s decision goes against Ferguson’s philosophy during his 26 years in charge, with the Scotsman keen to create a culture of togetherness around the club. In his 2000 autobiography, ‘Managing My Life, Ferguson explained: “I wanted to form a personal link with everybody around the place.
“Not just the players, the coaches and the backroom staff but the office workers, the cooks and servers in the canteen and the laundry ladies. All had to believe that they were part of the club and that a resurgence was coming.”
In his 2015 book, ‘Leading’, Ferguson added: “I wanted the younger players to be able to mingle and eat lunch with the staff too, including people like the laundry team and groundsmen…
“I’d been influenced by what I had learned from Marks & Spencer which, decades ago in harder times, had given their staff free lunches because so many of them were skipping lunch so they could save every penny to help their families.
“It probably seems a strange thing for a manager to be getting involved in – the layout of a canteen at a new training ground – but when I think about the tone it set within the club and the way it encouraged the staff and players to interact I can’t overstate the importance of this tiny change.”
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