Can Brailsford mastermind new cycle of success at Man United?

LONDON : Amidst the euphoria of Manchester United's stunning 3-2 comeback victory over Aston Villa on Tuesday, one figure sat calmly in the Old Trafford stands processing what had just occurred.

A sizeable majority of supporters in the stadium might not even have recognised Dave Brailsford. But over the coming months he is likely to become a familiar figure.

While INEOS founder Jim Ratcliffe's 25 per cent acquisition of the 20-times English champions will not be officially signed off until early 2024 - former kingpin of British cycling Brailsford will be scheming about what needs to change at a club that has been in steady decline since Alex Ferguson retired.

Fans might well ask why Brailsford, the brains behind Britain becoming a cycling powerhouse and who made INEOS Grenadiers (formerly Team Sky) multiple Grand Tour champions, would be entrusted with one of the biggest challenges in soccer.

After all, the 59-year-old, who Ratcliffe made INEOS's Director of Sport, has no obvious background in the sport.

Brailsford's "marginal gains" manta turned British cyclists into winning machines and while he took on a technical role with INEOS-owned French Ligue 1 club Nice in a bid to take on the Paris St Germain, the jury is still out on his impact.

United fan Ratcliffe, whose 25 per cent purchase plus investment of $300 million will give him control of football operations, has been tight-lipped about who will do what in the new regime.

HUGE TRUST

But he has huge trust in Brailsford's attention to detail and scientific approach and will no doubt allow him the freedom he needs to re-establish a winning culture at the club.

Newcastle United's highly-regarded sporting director Dan Ashworth is in no doubt about Brailsford's credentials.

"I've