INEOS confirm Brailsford exit as Man United face huge summer | OneFootball

The INEOS-led revolution at Old Trafford has not been as smooth sailing as Sir Jim Ratcliffe would have hoped for, with a raft of contentious decisions plaguing their time in control of the sporting structure at the club.

INEOS undoubtedly walked into a mess at the Theatre of Dreams but, despite the initial warm welcome, they have managed to turn a good portion of United fans against them since their minority takeover in 2024.

Originally, Sir Dave Brailsford was set up as Ratcliffe’s right-hand man, with his experience in sporting excellence in cycling hoped to translate seamlessly into the football world. However, this was not the case, with Brailsford struggling to transfer his skills and Ratcliffe having to turn to external help to build his crack team behind the scenes.

Officially out of the door

It was recently reported that Brailsford was stepping back from his role at Old Trafford, leaving Omar Berrada to step into his shoes after joining from neighbours Manchester City. Now, as reported by The Mirror, Brailsford’s exit has been officially confirmed by INEOS, who have announced a staffing restructure with the cycling guru no longer listed as a director at United.

Despite it being widely acknowledged that Brailsford diluted his influence at Old Trafford a year or so ago, his resignation date from the club is listed as 30 April 2026. However, his year in situ will go down as one of the worst in United’s modern history, with the team finishing fifteenth in the Premier League – their lowest ever position since the rebrand of the English top flight.

The loss in the Europa League final underlined a horrific first year of INEOS at United. They oversaw a managerial debacle that ended with Erik ten Hag leaving months too late and his replacement, Ruben Amorim, ultimately failing in spectacular fashion.

Controversial cutbacks at the club in the early months of the INEOS takeover also had Brailsford’s paw prints on them, only adding to the discontent. Such outcomes left little doubt a reshuffle was needed in the sporting structure, and the 62-year-old was an early casualty of the required changes.

Berrada in control

Omar Berrada now looks like the main man at Old Trafford after seeing off both Dan Ashworth and Brailsford to emerge as the most influential member of the backroom staff.

United have enjoyed a fine first half of 2026, and their form since the turn of the year under the guidance of Michael Carrick has seen them seal their return to Champions League football and remain on course for an impressive third-place finish.

However, Berrada and his team now face undoubtedly their biggest summer to date, with the decision on the head coach crucial to defining their stint at the club.

Should United get the decision wrong on the boss, there will be increased scrutiny on INEOS, who are arguably yet to get a high-profile call right in the eyes of the supporters.

Furthermore, the playing staff need improvements in both quality and quantity if United are to repeat their strong league form next year in a campaign in which they will be expected to go further in cup competitions and deal with the demands of European football.

A strong end to the season could leave Berrarda with only one decision to make, and Carrick will be desperate to win his final three games and complete an audition that could not have gone much better for the former United midfielder.

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