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As soon as Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his company acquired a stake in Manchester United, change was inevitable.
A Manchester United fan as a boy, he has no qualms about the fact that he is not a huge fan of the way the club is run, to the point where the winds of change are in the air.
While the impact on the stadium is yet to be confirmed, there has been widespread upheaval outside the stadium, both in terms of personnel and infrastructure.
As is always the case with change, some changes were received positively, some were perceived negatively, and some made employees outright “hate” them.
Now, former Aston Villa CEO Keith Wyness has told Football Insider: Via Daily MailHe went wild, likening Sir Jim’s decision-making style to a dictatorship.
Wyness said INEOS representatives view the club and its operations through the lens of regular INEOS operations, but football is “much more organic”.
He said Ratcliffe’s decision-making style was a throwback to the old and could prevent “fresh thinking”.
He said: “Ever since he and his team arrived near the building, he felt there was too much waste, not enough involvement and not enough spirit.
“He may have tried to compare this to his INEOS business, which would be a mistake. Football clubs are much more organic than industries. There’s a huge difference.
“Football relies too much on humans. Ratcliffe is very hands-on. We have reverted to some extent to the old style of dictatorship.
“I hoped he was more enlightened. “We may see fresh thinking, but he has gone back to old-fashioned management principles.”
Some people might agree, especially a small number of United employees who have been told to resign early to receive bonuses if they don’t return to the office.
But ultimately, the regime is doing what it deems necessary to bring the club back from more than a decade of slumber.
The long-term consequences of this policy will likely be seen, but as things stand, the majority of fans will be grateful whatever decision is made.
Now all that remains is to announce the future of management…!
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