Sir Dave Brailsford’s role at Man United marks an end of an era but leaves room for hope

Sir Dave Brailsford’s tenure at Manchester United will soon be a chapter of the past as the club’s leadership reshuffles once again under co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. After a dismal 2024-25 campaign that saw the Red Devils finish 15th in the Premier League, their joint-lowest since the 1970s, and miss out on European football for the first time in over ten years, Brailsford’s stepping back feels inevitable. Yet his impact at Old Trafford, while far from transformative on the pitch, may still hold promise if viewed through a longer lens.

Challenges faced during Brailsford’s time at Old Trafford

When Brailsford arrived, there was initial optimism that his reputation as a master of marginal gains in elite sport could spark change at a club desperate for direction. His first public address alongside Ratcliffe in January 2024 struck a candid tone about the scale of United’s struggles and the need for reinvention. An early meeting with Marcus Rashford, which led to one-on-one conversations with every squad member, showed his intent to engage directly with players.

Despite this, Brailsford’s football knowledge sometimes appeared limited, with the man who has dominated UK cycling admitting he watches football “in black and white”. That disconnect might partly explain why results and morale failed to improve. His efforts to overhaul United’s backroom setup included endorsing Dan Ashworth as sporting director, a partnership that unraveled within five months, and a complicated saga around Erik ten Hag’s dismissal and replacement with Ruben Amorim.

Brailsford was also vocal about prioritising player welfare, expressing reservations about gruelling pre-season tours that United persisted with regardless, heading to Malaysia, Hong Kong and the US shortly after the season ended. The introduction of ‘Mission 21’ and ‘Mission 1’ campaigns aimed at winning the club’s 21st league title and first Women’s Super League crown reflected an attempt to re-energise a club weighed down by inertia. Yet many within Carrington found these initiatives superficial, serving more as symbolic gestures than genuine catalysts for change.

Legacy shaped by infrastructure and leadership appointments

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, himself a key figure within the INEOS empire, has insisted Brailsford’s legacy lies in enhancing United’s elite performance standards, highlighted by a £50 million redevelopment of the Carrington training centre. This facility, designed to open for the 2025-26 season, will offer state-of-the-art resources aimed at supporting players and staff, with a clear emphasis on long-term success.

Brailsford’s withdrawal coincides with a reshuffling that leaves Jason Wilcox, an INEOS appointee, as the club’s new director of football. Wilcox, who has a strong track record from his time at Manchester City’s academy and Southampton, now faces the significant task of steering United’s football strategy. Meanwhile, Omar Berrada, another INEOS figure, retains a prominent role as chief executive. Together, these men represent the structure Brailsford helped establish — one that will either flourish or flounder in the years ahead.

The chaotic sequence around Ashworth’s short-lived appointment and Ten Hag’s dismissal reflects the growing pains of an organisation still searching for stability. While Brailsford was not the sole architect of these decisions, his involvement in recruiting and shaping the leadership team means he will inevitably bear some responsibility for their outcomes.

Marginal gains versus immediate results

Brailsford’s approach to sport has been about the accumulation of small improvements. Yet in the unforgiving world of Premier League football, where results drive confidence and investment, marginal gains often fall short of expectations. His insistence on long-term planning and patience has clashed with the urgent demands of fans and owners alike, especially given the scale of United’s failure last season.

Still, Brailsford remains on the club’s board of directors and will continue his wider work within INEOS Sport, notably with the cycling team INEOS Grenadiers. His reduced day-to-day involvement at Carrington, compounded by a skiing injury earlier in the year, means his influence is waning. But there is a sense that the foundations he helped lay, particularly in terms of professionalising United’s sporting and operational structures, have not been entirely wasted.

Manchester United’s current predicament represents one of its darkest chapters. However, the club’s new ownership under Ratcliffe and the INEOS umbrella is keen to project a vision that goes beyond instant success. Brailsford’s legacy, therefore, may be best understood as one of groundwork, rather than glory.

If Wilcox and Berrada can build on this platform effectively, the long-term benefits of Brailsford’s tenure could become clearer. The significant investment in facilities and a more coherent leadership hierarchy suggest that United’s recovery will be methodical, if slow. As Ratcliffe put it, Brailsford’s role was to “improve elite performance,” and while the fruits of that labour have yet to be fully realised, the potential remains.

United supporters will understandably demand more than marginal improvements, especially after a season described as a “disaster” by the club’s head coach. Yet in sport, as Brailsford himself would attest, transformation often requires patience and perseverance. The next phase for Manchester United under INEOS will show whether those principles can be translated into success on the pitch once more.