The first things Sir Jim Ratcliffe must address at Man Utd

It's the start of a new era for Manchester United.

Well, it should be at least. We've heard that saying so many times before that it's nearly lost all meaning.

But this isn't a change of manager or a fancy new signing. There is no man at the proverbial wheel nor one sitting at the physical piano.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has completed the purchase of a 25% stake in the club and is expected to have a major hand on the footballing side of things. You know, the main focus of what a football club is. The part that's often been neglected over the last decade or so.

What's on his in tray to begin with? Which issues should take priority? How can he ensure he gets on the right foot with the fans?

Here's what Ratcliffe needs to solve first and foremost.

Who's running football operations?

United had previously announced CEO Richard Arnold would be stepping aside, bringing an end to a 16-year stay at the club.

In his place, Patrick Stewart was promoted to interim CEO while the club searches for a permanent successor. Stewart joined United in 2006 as their chief legal officer and general counsel, and has usually been the club's representative during Premier League shareholder meetings. You'd be forgiven for not knowing him until recently.

The timing of such a change does not feel coincidental and marries up to Ratcliffe's arrival. What he needs to make sure of is who is in charge on the football side.

90min reported in October that Ratcliffe is keen to install a new three-man leadership committee consisting of himself, co-chairman Joel Glazer and INEOS director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford, famed for his work in elite cycling.

There's also the matter of a new director of football, with the incumbent John Murtough (whose official job title is confusingly 'football director') tipped to be joining Arnold out the door. Monaco's Paul Mitchell and Crystal Palace's Dougie Freedman have been linked with the role, while Newcastle's Dan Ashworth is also a known target.

The January transfer window is nearly here and the playing squad could do with some tinkering, so putting new people into place is paramount at the club's top level. Speaking of the playing squad...

Stand by Erik ten Hag and make that clear

Has Erik ten Hag made questionable decisions? Yes. Has he signed players he probably shouldn't have? Absolutely. Has he brought more pressure on himself with some strange tactical and personnel choices? 100%. Should his position be under threat? No.

Ten Hag's first season at United was a successful one, in spite of several mitigating factors. He unlocked Marcus Rashford's full potential on their way to ending the club's six-year trophy drought and built a team that was at the very least solid by the end of the campaign, despite the odd hammering here and there.

United have regressed a lot so far this season and Ten Hag has at times just added more fuel to the fire. But he should be afforded time to try and solve these problems and prove he's the manager everyone ended the 2022/23 campaign believing he was.

At some point, United are going to have to stick by a manager and give them the appropriate time and backing to be a success. If Ten Hag was fired tomorrow, who would they even move for who would be a bigger guarantor of glory?

A legitimately new culture

No more moping. No more whining. No more social media apologies after complete humiliations. No more complete humiliations in general. No more running to the press anonymously when the going gets tough. No more limp and half-hearted responses to real-world issues like violence and abuse.

This would be the dream. It's unlikely to become the norm straight away, but that's what Ratcliffe and co need to stride for. Focus on yourselves, don't compare United to other clubs, get your house in order and move from there. High standards, no exceptions. Be the embodiment of what pundits want when they say 'this is Manchester United we're talking about'.

For goodness sake, fix Old Trafford

On the face of it, Old Trafford is the traditional English football ground on a grand scale. And yet, despite United's riches and reputation, it just isn't.

The roof leaks. The concourses are dated. The spit-and-shine even most older stadiums have and keep up to date with is lost and non-existent. United's home needs renovations before they can even think about upgrading or starting anew (by all means, work on those plans too, it's 2023 for goodness sake).

These aren't hard asks of a football club's ownership. United have just done a phenomenal job of making it seem that way for a while. Ratcliffe must seize the chance to be the face of change.

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