News about Dave Brailsford

Steve McClaren is set to survive any changes to Manchester United 's coaching staff at the end of the season, even if Erik ten Hag is shown the door by the club. The Dutchman's future remains the subject of huge speculation following United's disappointing season, and is expected to be replaced by the club's new owners in the summer. However, according to The Mirror, former England boss McClaren is set to remain on the Old Trafford payroll thanks to his close relationship with INEOS chief Dave Brailsford. Brailsford will have a huge say in whether new minority owner Sir Jim Radcliffe sticks with Ten Hag in the final year of his contract, or brings in a fresh face to the club. McClaren was brought back to the Red Devils in 2022 as part of Ten Hag's coaching set up, and the 63-year-old is seen as someone who could continue to work with any new arrival.

Good news is hard to find in the aftermath of United's humiliating 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace, but at least fans can look forward to the return of Lisandro Martinez. Confidential understands that Martinez has set his sights on being fit for the FA Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley on May 25 and hopes to get some minutes under his belt in the remaining three Premier League games - possibly as soon as Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday. The combative Argentina defender was a star of Erik ten Hag's first season in charge and has been hugely missed in his second campaign. 

Ratcliffe's £1.3 billion investment was finally confirmed this week, with the Ineos owner taking over the entire football team at Old Trafford. Ratcliffe was reluctant to comment on Ten Hag's tenure, but argued that a sequence of failed managerial appointments after Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013 was an indication that the 'environment' was to blame. When Ten Hag was asked whether Ratcliffe has trust in him, he replied: "Absolutely, I had the feeling." We have so many talks, we are perfectly aligned, we have the same aspiration, and we are also very united in the process.'

Since being hired at Old Trafford in the early years, Sir Jim Ratcliffe's tenure is well underway. If the Red Devils want to return to their former glory days, the British billionaire has a lot of work to do, including getting player recruitment correct and constructing a new stadium or reconstructing the club's iconic stadium. In his sit-down with the Athletic this week, he left no stone unturned and addressed a wide variety of topics, giving United fans a reason to be excited as they hope to see big improvements following years of decline under new ownership Avram and Joel Glazer.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe's £1.3 billion contract for 25% of Manchester United, which will see him take over football operations, has been announced by the club. Following approval from the Premier League, Ratcliffe's INEOS group, which owns a number of sports clubs, including French outfit Nice, will control United's fortunes. They will then be responsible for all aspects of the game, including signings, recruiting and firing managers, and footballers.

On Christmas Eve, Sir Jim Ratcliffe's £1.25 billion buy-out of 25% of Manchester United will be announced. After buying a stake in Old Trafford from the Glazer family, the INEOS petrochemical billionaire will take over football operations. The official announcement of the transaction has been postponed several times, but confirmation is now expected on Sunday afternoon.

RIATH AL-SAMARRAI: 'Let me tell you something,' I tell you.' Hope is a dangerous thing. A man can fly to a place of terror by hope.' Red to Andy, Shawshank Redemption What hope is there for Manchester United?How many more yards of foulness and sewer must they crawl through before they emerge from the other end of the pipe?Or to put it another way: is Sir Jim Ratcliffe their rock hammer? He's certainly the best man for this metaphor - he's got his way into rock better than most. Fracking is his game. He fraught his way to a fracking career, but United, a club imprisoned by their history and sealed in on both directions by the impenetration of their presenters. But this is just a prediction of the future. What comes next and whether Ratcliffe is the man to bust them loose, we'll find out shortly.

Dougie Freedman, one of the candidates, has been mentored by fellow Glaswegian Sir Alex Ferguson for many years. When Freedman's Crystal Palace defeated United in the League Cup at Old Trafford in 2011, the pair became neighbors and acquaintances the following year as he moved north to manage Bolton. The freedman was incredibly generous, often referring to him as Mr Ferguson in the way Scots generally treat their seniors out of respect, but Fergie's suggestion was unwise, but his onetime he politely dismissed Fergie's advice was out in his favor.

If Manchester United's board approves a transfer that will see Sir Jim Ratcliffe's company take a 5 percent stake in the club, a significant change could be on the way. Since his key rival, Qatari Sheikh Jassim, withdrew his bid on Saturday night, the petrochemical billionaire seems to have dominated the Premier League giants. Ratcliffe, a lifelong United fan, will pay around £1.4 billion for a quarter stake at Old Trafford in the first step in what is perceived as a staged buyout.

The Manchester United takeover process was obviously wishingful, and it was likely to be completed and dumped by the summer. Progress seems to have slowed to a crawl as the Glazer family debate whether it should be Sheikh Jassim and Qatar or Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS, which has given Old Trafford the keys. Erik ten Hag, the boss of a very fruitful first season in charge, has obviously been left in limbo. However, as British billionaire Ratcliffe appeared to have stolen a march by promising to keep the unpopular Glazers involved, there has been criticism of his way to run another club that he owns. Ratcliffe, 70, has been with Nice since August 2019, but it has to say that it hasn't been the most enjoyable of rides.

Potter has been out of work since being fired by the Blues in April, but is now considered to be on the top of the Ligue 1 club's shortlist to replace Didier Digard. Potter is genuinely interested in the position and has unanimous support from Nice's board members, according to L'Equipe, with meetings having already taken place over a potential appointment. INEOS' director of sport, Dave Brailsford, is expected to favour Brighton's former manager, who will be interested in replacing a British manager at the Cote d'Azur club. However, although Potter is widely predicted to be the favorite, Get French Football News is reporting that any potential Potter recruiter is being held up by the club's INEOS ownership's attempt to purchase Manchester United.

TOM COLLOMOSSE: Dave Brailsford is best known for his work in cycling and football, but he was instrumental in the success of Aaron Ramsey, who was destined to captain Wales again. Following Gareth Bale's retirement, Ramsey is gearing up for his first match as permanent skipper in nearly 11 years. It's the logical move. Ramsey had a strong CV before Bale, and his quiet presence commands the team's respect. There were few other candidates after Ramsey had chosen not to follow Bale's example.

When Lucien Favre returned to Nice in June, hopes were high, particularly when backed by the billions of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos. Rather, they've been reduced to a basket case. An assembly of Premier League cast-offs, some of whom Favre may have missed or knows nothing about, have only won just two of eight Ligue 1 games so far, and Favre is facing the sack with the name of Mauricio Pochettino looming large. On Sunday, defender Jean-Clair Todibo was sent off after only nine seconds, not surprising the fastest sending off in Ligue 1 history, and the Angers lost 1-0 at home.

Ross Barkley has said he is'very excited' to play for OGC Nice, even though his boss is unaware of his position. Since the end of his Chelsea and Everton midfielder's deal at Stamford Bridge, he joined the French club this summer. Aaron Ramsey, Kasper Schmeichel, and Arsenal loanee Nicolas Pepe were among the many former Premier League players to join Nice in recent weeks, including Aaron Ramsey, Kasper Schmeichel, and Arsenal loanee Nicolas Pepe.

Rob Key has extended his support to struggling England openers Zak Crawley and Alex Lees. In his last 15 Test innings, Crawley hasn't scored a half century, while Lees has only knocked 50 times since his debut in March. The opening pair have only run in six home Tests this summer, with an average of 21.68.