Man Utd already experiencing the influence of Sir Dave Brailsford & 'marginal gains'

Manchester United are already seeing the influence of Sir Dave Brailsford at the club, with various measures in place to aid performance during pre-season.

Brailsford made his name as a coach and performance director in cycling, but he has been a trusted sporting adviser to Sir Jim Ratcliffe for several years and was appointed INEOS director for sport in 2021. It was he who was tasked with leading the audit once the partial takeover was ratified.

Even though the specifics of his sporting background lie elsewhere, performance-boosting principles are transferrable and Brailsford has become known for his 'marginal gains' philosophy. It is the idea that, at the elite end of sport, the details are what make the ultimate difference and end results can be improved by minor adjustments that will have the biggest impact.

With United now in Los Angeles after flying out from Manchester earlier this week, the Daily Mail notes key measures that have been taken in the preparation to boost performance. It started with the players arriving in LA on Wednesday evening, local time, but in the early hours of the morning as far as their internal body clocks were concerned. Instead of being allowed to go straight to bed, the squad ate dinner together and were kept up for as long as possible to beat the jetlag.

Players are wearing what are described as "individually tailored compression garments" that will increase blood circulation following the long haul flight, where there are designated windows to eat and sleep, as well as "bespoke meals" being prepared as per individual needs. Hydration plans and even the time of training sessions for the best "natural light" have been carefully curated.

Controlling as many of the minor variables promises to add up to aid performance.

Having so far faced Rosenborg and Rangers in Europe with a mostly junior squad, a slightly more senior United side is due to face Arsenal in LA on Saturday evening (local time).

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