Decisive Ineos appointments prove credentials amid Manchester United delay

They might be playing in the same European competition next season but the two leading football clubs in the Ineos portfolio operate in very different waters. While Manchester United are trying to do the poaching, Nice are always vulnerable to having their best players and staff snatched away from them.

So it's proved after a successful season in Ligue 1. While they couldn't maintain an unlikely Champions League push, the team from the French Riviera punched above their weight to finish fifth. Unfortunately, that meant the sharks were circling.

On May 22 Nice's sporting director Florent Ghisolfi moved to Roma. The following day their impressive young boss Francesco Farioli was named the new head coach of Ajax. Overperform at the top end of European football these days and you don't get long to savour the success before the vultures start to take an interest.

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What has been impressive at Ineos-owned Nice is the speed at which they have reacted to these setbacks. The focus of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sir Dave Brailsford is on fixing United, but on June 6 their French club announced the appointment of a new head coach and sporting director. It had taken them just two weeks to replace the two key cogs in their success from last season.

Florian Maurice was named sporting director, joining after four years as technical director at Rennes, while Franck Haise moved from Lens to become Nice's new head coach. The two appointments give the club plenty of time to plan for the new season and the opening of the transfer window.

“It’s satisfying to have laid the foundations for the future in such a short space of time,” explained OGC Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivère. "The total alignment of the club’s senior executives, each in their own role, the commitment of [CEO] Fabrice [Bocquet] and the fluidity with which each team has operated has helped us to achieve our primary aim in this transfer window: to bring in a competent sporting director and manager, with great attributes as professionals and as people, who are ready to work together to bring success to the club."

Ratcliffe and Ineos' director of sport Brailsford will have been delighted that the team they have put in place at Nice have reacted with such speed to find replacements for what are the two most important roles in the club. It is exactly where they want to get to with United and at a point where they are being accused of dithering over their biggest decision at Old Trafford, it is a sign that when things are running smoothly they are capable of operating at speed.

Two weeks after the FA Cup final, the minority owners at United continue to deliberate over the future of Erik ten Hag while assessing the merits of a potential replacement. They also remain at a deadlock with Newcastle United over the appointment of sporting director Dan Ashworth, nearly four months after making an approach for the 53-year-old.

The delays in finalising both decisions are far from ideal and while Ten Hag is technically still United manager, the lack of clarity makes that a precarious position. Ineos still need to nail down the appointments of a head coach and sporting director at Old Trafford.

The speed at which Nice have reacted to losing two key operators this summer should give United supporters optimism, however. Ratcliffe and Brailsford got off to a sticky start on the Cote d'Azur but have found their feet now and appear to have a structure that is running smoothly and is capable of withstanding departures.

At United, they will hope they won't have to do that. These are appointments that Ratcliffe will expect to make only once. Ashworth is unlikely to be tempted away for a job bigger than this one and there are few bigger jobs out there for managers than being in charge at Old Trafford.

So while the delay to get key people in key positions goes on in Manchester, Ineos have at least shown that when they make a decision they can act with speed. With UEFA's rules on multi-club ownership expected to tighten, Ratcliffe could soon look to sell the Ligue 1 side. For now, at least one of his clubs is primed and ready for the 2024/25 season.