'Another example of Ratcliffe’s control at United being virtually total'

Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has emailed staff to complain about untidiness at Old Trafford and the club’s Carrington training ground, labelling one area ‘a disgrace’.

Ratcliffe has made huge changes at United already.

This week, interim chief executive Patrick Stewart and finance director Cliff Baty announced they were leaving at the end of the season.

Jean-Claude Blanc will take the chief executive role until the arrival of Omar Berrada in July. Blanc is expected to represent United at Premier League meeting’s and also at the increasingly influential European Clubs’ Association.

However, in addition to personnel changes, Ratcliffe is not just demanding higher standards on the pitch, he is also wanting more from non-playing staff.

After a visit to United this week he said the tidiness in the IT department was ‘a disgrace’ and the dressing rooms for the Under-18 and Under-21 players were not much better.

He said the untidiness would not be accepted at INEOS, adding ‘and we are a chemical company’.

It is yet another example of Ratcliffe’s control at United being virtually total, extending far beyond the football remit that had been envisaged.

Although manager Erik ten Hag said on Thursday suggestions numerous players could be sold this summer were ‘a joke’, United are willing to listen to offers for most in an effort to raise money that would allow the club to improve the first-team, which is not yet certain of securing European football next season.