As Ineos hit two years at Manchester United, MIKE KEEGAN reveals what’s in store for year three: Why they can spend big again, the data guru and the test that Ruben Amorim must pass

For those involved in the Ineos era at Manchester United, the biggest indicator of progression over the past two years lies at the end of a corridor at the revamped Carrington training ground.

There, you can find two glass-fronted offices opposite each other. They belong to director of football Jason Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada, and the positioning, as part of the training complex’s £50m upgrade, is no coincidence.

This is to show the rest of the United workforce who is in charge, and who is responsible for the wellbeing and performance of this slumbering giant. If it’s a football matter, it is the ex-Blackburn winger and 1995 Premier League title winner Wilcox. If it is business, then it is Berrada.

Before Ineos, who mark two years in charge on Christmas Eve, the club was in a state of dysfunction. The business side was based at Old Trafford, while the football side had their own kingdom at Carrington. 

‘That was impossible,’ one insider says. ‘There was a clear divide and that is no longer the case. Carrington is only 15 minutes down the road but it may as well have been 500 miles away. Now football and business literally sit side by side, which is how it has to be.’

It is not lost on staff that the corridor of power leads to the offices of two men who both learned the ropes at Manchester City – Wilcox in charge of the noisy neighbours’ academy for 11 years and Berrada as chief football operations officer during a 13-year stint. The future of the Reds is in the hands of two former Blues.

For too long at United, as the Glazers sat back and let others get on with it, there has been a vacuum. As the club drifted from underwhelming season to underwhelming season, there was a distinct lack of ownership. That is the case no more – and it is exactly how Sir Jim Ratcliffe likes it.

‘It’s a fundamental part of business that someone has to be responsible, someone has to lead,’ the insider adds. ‘That had not been the case for a long time but it isn’t now. Everyone knows who is in charge.’

Privately, Ratcliffe and his team will admit to mistakes. Bringing in Dan Ashworth and then getting rid of him five months later was an expensive one. The mind-boggling decision to hand Erik ten Hag a new contract in the summer of 2024 and give him a further transfer window was another.

They also came under fire for making a series of redundancies and overseeing a cost-cutting review which saw staff ordered to count cartons of screws and send back rolls of Sellotape deemed excessive.

Some believe it is too much. That the penny-pinching was not befitting of a club United’s size. That said, earlier this month marked the welcome return of the Christmas lunch at Carrington, as Daily Mail Sport revealed after it had been cancelled last year – although it is understood that staff were restricted to two free drinks. Further beverages were charged at cost price.

United are also considering whether to outsource catering on matchdays, which would put them in line with every other top-flight club bar Liverpool.

The club’s latest accounts seem to suggest logic. Cash remains an in issue with United delving into its overdraft to the tune of £105m. Savings have been estimated at around £30m. Without them, the picture would have been bleak.

As it stands, United are ready and in position to back manager Ruben Amorim this transfer window. While the club will not do anything silly, according to those with knowledge of the situation, should the right opportunity arise they will be ready to act, be that a loan player, a permanent move or both.

Complying with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules, which had been a problem thanks to a series of disastrous transfer windows, is no longer thought to be an issue.

There is a recognition that midfield is short and a priority area, an issue exacerbated by recent injuries to Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo. There is also a confidence – long missing in an era of wastage – that anyone brought in will prove to be a success. That the summer arrivals of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, both of whom had offers of bigger salaries elsewhere, illustrate that things have changed. 

While the jury may be out on the other big signing, £74million Benjamin Sesko, there is a belief that he has already showed potential which suggests he will provide the firepower missing for so long.

Such bullishness also comes on the back of a revamped data and recruitment team. In April, Daily Mail Sport revealed that Michael Sansoni would be making the switch from Formula One to football. According to sources, the ex-Mercedes senior performance simulation engineer has got off to a rapid start, and Amorim and his staff have more data at their disposal than that afforded to previous incumbents.

They are able to track a vast range of performance indicators and, following each game, Sansoni oversees a report. ‘In F1 he had to condense vast mountains of data into something digestible, which people can understand and act upon,’ says a source. ‘He has managed to switch those skills to football and it’s a huge help to the manager and to Jason.’

Sansoni is also heavily involved in recruitment. When Amorim identifies the need for a certain type of player it is Sansoni who scours the data from across the globe. Often he comes up with three players who – statistically at least – fit the bill. Then it is over to Wilcox and the football department, fronted by director of recruitment Chris Vivell, to be the eyes and ears and to carry out the work which computers cannot – discovering what type of character the target is, and whether he would fit with what United are looking for.

Kyle Macaulay, formerly influential in the success story of Brighton and Hove Albion, is the latest addition to what is an overhauled scouting department and one which those on the inside believe is further evidence that United – finally – are heading in the right direction.

The biggest indicator, however, will be performance on the field. Ratcliffe has previously said that Amorim needs three years before he can be judged. The reality is that if United stink the place out for the rest of the season and miss out on European football for the second year in a row, then there will need to be a conversation.

However, while three years may be optimistic for a manager of any Big Six side, there is a recognition that the 40-year-old needs more transfers windows to put together a team that can be seen as his own.

While there have been bumps in the road, the United hierarchy are firm in the view that they are seeing progress. While a return of one point from the last six available is not ideal, in the 4-4 draw with Bournemouth and unfortunate 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa Amorim’s side showed glimpses, especially going forwards, of what they may become.

Wins, as always, are the most important currency but with United in seventh and three points from a likely Champions League place in fifth, there are grounds for optimism as we head towards 2026.

‘The manager needs the best players,’ the insider added. ‘And you can’t get the best players if the club can’t afford them. It feels like we are moving towards a position where he can be given the tools that he needs. While there was criticism for things such as getting rid of free lunches, it’s worked.’

There has also been an improvement in morale. The blood-letting appears to be over and staff who were there pre-Ineos are no longer looking over their shoulders.

Those in executive positions are also more visible. Earlier in December a farewell party was held for director of media relations and public affairs Andrew Ward, a United fan who had been at the club since 2019. Berrada was among those present at Hotel Football, happily mingling with staff. Ward’s departure was marked in the correct way and his leaving gifts included a picture of him with the entire first-team squad.

The culture and attitude of the squad is being viewed as a work in progress. Privately, those in charge believe issues remain with some, but that it is now a small number and no longer the majority.

That there is no hiding place and that most of those selected each week are well aware of what it takes to play for Manchester United and what is expected. More than that, that they embrace it and are not overwhelmed by the weightiest of shirts.

When Newcastle – the first opponents of Ineos’ third year when they arrive at Old Trafford on Boxing Day – visited 12 months ago, they were 2-0 up inside 20 minutes and sailed through the following 70.

United’s long-suffering match-going support, often so patient, could not hide their frustration. Joshua Zirkzee looked to be close to tears after being booed off after half an hour, and it is only now that he is starting to get regular minutes again.

The hope is that there will be a very different atmosphere on Boxing Day – and that in itself would be another sign of progress.