As forklift trucks ferried building materials across Manchester United’s Carrington training centre this week as part of a ￡50mn upgrade, another reboot got under way at one of the world’s most famous sports teams.
On Thursday Ruben Amorim made his debut at Old Trafford as United’s new head coach, the latest move by Sir Jim Ratcliffe to restore the club’s fortunes since his company Ineos acquired a 27 per cent stake in February.
In the months that have followed, United have cut a quarter of the club’s staff, while Ratcliffe has appointed his own people to all the top executive positions. Amorim’s arrival is meant to be the final piece in the puzzle. While the Glazer family still owns a controlling stake in United, this is now Ratcliffe’s operation.