Sir Dave Brailsford, a pioneer of sporting perfection, will have his work cut out when he conducts a full-scale audit at Manchester United.
Long-term associate of Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the man closing in on a 25 per cent stake at Old Trafford, Brailsford is credited as the mastermind behind Team Sky, the cycling behemoth that ripped up the rulebook in the early 2010s.
British Cycling attracted multi-million-pound investment and the 59-year-old was tasked with turning that into success. A five-year target to clinch the Tour de France was obliterated in two when Bradley Wiggins became the first British winner in 2012.
Chris Froome, another Team Sky protege, finished second, before going on to win himself in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017. ALSO READ: Sir Bobby Charlton funeral procession and memorial service as they happened ALSO READ: Charlton made greats stop in their stride The philosophy of 'marginal gains' was embedded into everyone involved.