Members of the INEOS group in charge of Manchester United are said to be sick of hearing about how things were done in Sir Alex Ferguson’s day.
Legendary manager Ferguson, 83, was in charge at Old Trafford for 26 years until 2013 and oversaw the most successful period in the club’s history as he delivered 38 trophies, including 13 Premier League titles.
The Scot later returned to United as a global ambassador until that £2.16million-a-year job was terminated in October last year as part of a cost-cutting campaign by INEOS chief executive Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
As well as trying to restore United to their former glories on the pitch, INEOS are determined to balance the books.
The Red Devils currently owe various lenders a total in excess of £500m, while more than £400m is owed to other clubs as part of player transfer deals.
Sir Alex Ferguson (centre, red scarf) watched Man United draw 2-2 at Everton on Saturday
Ferguson was also in the stands for United’s 1-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur six days earlier
One area expected to witness further significant cuts is United’s scouting department. The number of physical scouting missions is set to be reduced as the club moves to an approach focused on data and analytics.
Such an approach is very different to how things were done in Fergie’s day, something that is seemingly not lost on INEOS.
The Mirror claims that INEOS director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford and his staff have grown tired of hearing about how Ferguson dominated English football in the 1990s and 2000s.
Some of United’s top decision-makers are even said to blame Ferguson for United’s stagnation since his retirement in 2013, with the suggestion being that his failure to embrace modern developments in coaching and scouting caused the club to fall behind their rivals.
A club insider was quoted by The Mirror as saying: ‘INEOS want absolutely nothing to do with the past.
‘They don’t want to hear how things were done when United were winning 13 Premier League titles and they won’t accept any suggestion that lessons can be learned from when the club’s greatest-ever manager was in charge.
‘It’s all very well drawing a line under the last 12 years and saying “let’s move on”. But it’s become an obsession not to mention the period when United were one of the best teams in Europe.’
Despite no longer holding his lucrative role as global ambassador, Ferguson is still a non-executive director at United.
Ferguson pictured at last year’s FA Cup final alongside INEOS chief executive Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Former manager Ferguson led United to 38 trophies in his 26-year reign that ended in 2013
He was in the stands at Goodison Park on Saturday to watch United come from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Everton, who were under the guidance of David Moyes.
Moyes famously replaced Ferguson as United manager in 2013, but was sacked less than 10 months later.
Ferguson took charge of more than 1,400 United games between 1986 and 2013, winning 895 of them.
In contrast, Moyes lasted less than 10 months in the Old Trafford hot-seat as he was sacked after just 51 games.
Since Ferguson left, United have failed to add to their tally of Premier League titles. Their only trophies during that period have been two FA Cups, two EFL Cups, two Community Shields and one Europa League.
Current boss Ruben Amorim is the 10th different boss – including caretakers – that United have had since the Ferguson era ended.
Saturday’s stalemate at Everton was Amorim’s 22nd game since he arrived as Erik ten Hag’s permanent replacement in November. He has so far overseen nine wins, four draws and nine losses.
The Portuguese was not satisfied with this weekend’s result, despite seeing his side come back from 2-0 down to earn a point.
United have not won the Premier League since Ferguson left and are currently 15th in the table
Sir Dave Brailsford (right) is reportedly sick of hearing about the glory days under Ferguson
Amorim told TNT Sports: ‘We need to win three points and we need to win the whole game.
‘The worst part is that we are losing the ball without pressure and we are not doing what we need to do. We were soft.
‘In training, we have to continue to do the same. In the second half, we changed nothing. We have to do the same thing but in a good way. We have to improve on creating chances and in this game also we struggle with scoring goals.’
Asked what he can do to make his team more consistent, Amorim responded: ‘I don’t know.
‘If I know, I will change it. Everything we do in the week, we have to do better in the game.
‘In this moment, we need to focus on day by day. We need to survive this season and then we can think ahead. I don’t want to just say the negative part. In the second half, we were close to winning this game.’
United currently sit 15th in the Premier League table. They are 13 points above the relegation zone and 31 behind leaders Liverpool.
