The problem at Man United is the guy in charge of paperclips must also give Erik ten Hag a crack squad: MIKE KEEGAN on how Sir Jim Ratcliffe's 'complete overhaul' will look

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For an indication of the scale of the task inherited by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS as they seek to restructure Manchester United’s football operation and return the club to the top, consider this.

The ultimate responsibility for ensuring that there are enough paperclips at Carrington, that the Under 12s have a minibus to take them to their next game and that hotels are arranged for an away match rests on the shoulders of John Murtough.

That is John Murtough who is also tasked with ensuring that United battle the likes of City, Liverpool and Arsenal for the planet’s top talent and arm Erik ten Hag with a squad fit to bring the Premier League title to Old Trafford.

For good measure Murtough, who joined the club from Everton at the request of David Moyes a decade ago, also has overall control of football operations, academy and United’s women’s side.

Unsurprisingly, it is a situation that has already been deemed unproductive and ineffective and will change. Other steps will follow, and follow quickly.

A overhaul of Manchester United's structure is expected under Sir Jim Ratcliffe (left) when INEOS's deal for 25 per cent of the club is signed off (Sir Dave Brailsford pictured right)

John Murtough (right) has taken on too many responsibilities and his role will change

Manchester United's new structural hierarchy under co-owners Joel Glazer and Ratcliffe

Insiders say that, while the INEOS’s deal for 25 per cent of the club will be officially signed off in the near future, it is safe to say we can expect a complete overhaul. The implementation of a wide-ranging new structure. 

Indeed, Mail Sport understands that a series of key decisions have already been made. INEOS are on the clock - and have been since they struck a deal for a quarter share of the fallen giants in December. 

Following less than two months of close observation, conclusions have been reached. Already, the incomers have identified recruitment as the major area in which immediate improvement is needed. Most United fans could have told them that, but aside from the obvious, a major shake-up will take place across all areas.

Sir Dave Brailsford, INEOS director of sport, has been a regular figure at both Carrington and Old Trafford, holding meetings with staff across the buildings. He has been key to decision making as the newcomers file a dossier of evidence and their own action plan.

Insiders have disclosed that while the general view of is one of a bloated organisation – and that cuts are likely to follow in due course – there is a need for more expertise on the football side. 

That is why Dan Ashworth is likely to arrive from Newcastle United in the near future and why it would come as no surprise if Jason Wilcox was to follow from Southampton. It is also why Omar Berrada has been taken from Manchester City to take the reins of chief executive.

Significant change is expected - and United fans could be forgiven for wondering how decisions will be made given the number of new arrivals and how the cluttered thinking that has plagued the club since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure will be avoided. However, according to insiders, the clear aim is to ensure that there is a clear distinction of roles and responsibilities among those in executive positions. 

A knock-on effect is that such a redistribution of power will ensure that there are big demands, an expectation of success and accountability – especially given that workloads should be kept to manageable levels.

What will follow over the coming days and weeks is a vast piece of work that includes all areas of what is deemed the football side of the business. While it is early in the relationship, as Mail Sport revealed last week, the widely-held view is that INEOS ‘has the keys’. It will be interesting to see the dynamic when it comes to major financial decisions, such as how the burden of paying for a renovated or rebuilt Old Trafford. 

However, at the moment the reality is that the Glazers are at ease with the widescale changes that are being planned and implemented. The view in Florida remains that INEOS, with its wide stable of sporting interests, is better-equipped to carry out the work they hope will improve performance on the field and in turn increase the value of the business in which they remain majority shareholders.

Brailsford (right) has been a regular fixture at both Carrington training ground and Old Trafford

Manchester United could have to spend £20million to bring in Dan Ashworth from Newcastle 

As Ratcliffe outlined to staff in early (and well-received) meetings, what happens on the grass trumps everything else. The moves being made are all aimed at ensuring United are successful when it comes to playing football matches. 

Again, as difficult as that is to comprehend, the view among staff is that football was not always the main consideration previously as United were turned into a commercial powerhouse. New commercial deals had been viewed by many as the key performance indicator, rather than trophies in the cabinet.

It is also telling that there is now a welcome acknowledgement that the biggest driver of successful PR is performance on the field. As hard as it is to fathom – that has not always been the case. 

Indeed, under previous management, questions had been asked as to why coverage in the media was so negative, despite the fact United were in the midst of an appalling run of form. Indeed one former exec was prone to firing text messages to press officers demanding to know why the media had such a big problem as the club limped through another tepid campaign.

The two big questions currently being considered are – is there enough expertise in each department and are there the right numbers of the right people? It is a delicate time for many existing members of staff as they wait to find whether they will be integrated into the new system, offered a redefined role or left with no future at the club.

As it stands, Ratcliffe sits alongside the Glazers at the top of the tree. Underneath is the club’s PLC board, which includes members of the Glazer family and the likes of interim chief executive Patrick Stewart and chief financial officer Cliff Baty. 

Then comes the restructured football board, which is where most of the decision-making will originate. Both Brailsford and Jean-Claude Blanc, INEOS chief executive, will take a hands-on, day-to-day role until they implement their own leadership structure when the aim is to take a step back. Blanc arrived at INEOS following spells at Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain. Also on that board are Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill, who will be leaned on for opinions. A decision on whether to retain long-serving non-executive director Mike Edelson, is one of many expected.

The focus within INEOS is on United. While the group also own French Champions League chasers Nice, they may well hand over day-to-day involvement as they seek to navigate UEFA’s rules on multi-club ownership. A potential conflict of interest – should both clubs make the competition – is likely to be addressed by Ratcliffe and European football’s governing body before the end of the season. 

Man United are prepared for Ashworth not to be involved in the spending for this summer window (Brailsford and Ratcliffe seen with Rasmus Hojlund, who joined the club last summer)

Omar Berrada has been poached from Manchester City to take on the role of chief executive

One solution could be a restructure of the Cote D’Azur side, which would see Ratcliffe remain as a major investor in the background while others run the club as a ‘stand-alone’ entity. Brailsford, a key player when INEOS took over at Nice in 2019, has already taken a back seat to focus on the project in Manchester. 

Highly-regarded Berrada, the new chief executive, will sit below the board and will be reported to by Ashworth when, as expected, he arrives from the north east. Berrada was viewed as an ideal candidate because he has extensive experience working on both the football and commercial sides of the fence. He will also bring expertise from across the city, where the noisy neighbours have won all the shouting matches over the last 10 years.

Ashworth will be seen as the ‘football chief’, responsible for recruitment and performance. United are prepared to wait until they get their man in the face of significant demands from Newcastle. 

Already, that is an important shift in strategy. Panic buys and wasted fortunes have dogged the post-Ferguson years. On the ongoing situation with former England and Brighton man Ashworth, there is a relaxed confidence. If Newcastle want to play hard ball and demand £20m in compensation then so be it. 

United are aware, as every top flight club now is, of the impact of the Premier League’s financial rules. Newcastle, despite vast Saudi wealth, are not immune. Should they wish to use previous resources on paying the gardening leave of a man who has already told them he sees his future elsewhere then so be it. 

Indeed, Mail Sport understands that, while they would prefer Ashworth be in place, United are prepared to complete their business in the forthcoming summer window without him.

Should Wilcox, another former City man, arrive from Southampton, he is likely to be placed in charge of the performance side, focusing on increasingly important areas such as sports science, on which he will work closely with Brailsford.

It is also understood that another hire to sit along Wilcox - who will also report to Ashworth - will follow in due course. That new arrival will focus on recruitment.

The hope is that the Red Devils' new DNA will turn the club back into a successful powerhouse

The futures of the likes of Murtough, chief financial officer Cliff Baty, interim chief exec Patrick Stewart and chief operating officer Collette Roche, remain undecided.

Some United fans will hope for a summer full of ins and outs on the transfer market. The likelihood is of a number of additions in key areas but of a club that will go about its business quietly and quickly. What happens off the field may be at least as interesting, with work already being carried out at speed.

While Blanc, viewed as a suave Frenchman, is central to that work, the aim is that when the restructuring is completed a spine of top British talent will form the club’s new DNA.

The additional hope is that such DNA will also include winning trophies - and turning Manchester United back into the powerhouse of yesteryear.