New Delhi: Following Dan Ashworth’s exit, Sir Dave Brailsford is playing a bigger part in reviving Manchester United’s performance culture as part of the team’s “Mission 21” to win the Premier League. The ambitious “Mission 21” strategy, which Sir Dave Brailsford presented to Manchester United’s employees, aims to win the team’s 21st English league championship. Following Dan Ashworth’s resignation as sporting director in December, the former head of British Cycling is playing a bigger part in United’s success alongside technical director Jason Wilcox. Ashworth was only in the position for five months.
Since Ineos acquired the all-conquering professional road cycling team in 2019, Brailsford has served as a major adviser and director of sport for Ineos, working throughout Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s athletic empire. By that time, Brailsford had resigned from his position as British Cycling’s longtime performance director to become team principal.
Since Ratcliffe and Ineos purchased a 28% share in United a year ago, Brailsford has been a consistent presence, and his increasing impact coincides with Ruben Amorim’s team’s ongoing struggles. United dropped to 13th place in the Premier League standings after losing 2-0 to Crystal Palace at Old Trafford last weekend, their fifth loss in their last six home games. Brailsford is now a key player in what United hopes is a change in the performance culture following years of deterioration, but Amorim is still very much in charge of first-team affairs.
🚨| Sir Dave Brailsford has unveiled a plan for Manchester United staff called ‘Mission 21’, which aims to bring the club a 21st Premier League title.
Brailsford wrote the plan with the help of James Morton, a professor at Liverpool John Moores University, who is the former head… pic.twitter.com/lLTaSb5nzR
— UtdTruthful (@Utdtruthful) February 5, 2025
Brailsford’s idea to help United thrive again
Since Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season as manager in 2013, United have not won the English Premier League, and at this point, a 21st trophy seems well out of their grasp. With the help of James Morton, a professor of exercise metabolism at Liverpool John Moores University and the head of nutrition and physical performance lead at Team Sky during their Tour de France dominance, Brailsford has created this roadmap for United’s future.
Morton, who was born and raised in Belfast, was in charge of the cyclists’ diet plan when they won the Tour in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. Morton had previously worked for Liverpool, one of United’s fiercest rivals. From 2010 to 2015, he served as the team’s performance nutritionist. In addition, he serves as a performance mentor for the Premier League.
Late last year, before Ashworth’s departure, Brailsford and Morton gave a presentation of their Mission 21 blueprint to senior performance staff at the club’s Carrington training base. Additionally, they revealed “Mission 1,” the strategy for the women’s team, which is aiming for their first Women’s Super League championship. Although Ratcliffe has been charged with not supporting United’s women’s team enough, this at least demonstrates some dedication to Marc Skinner’s players.
United’s larger “Project 150” effort, which was introduced by CEO Omar Berrada last fall and is connected to the club’s 150th anniversary in 2028, encompasses both Missions 21 and 1. Brailsford, Wilcox, Collette Roche, the chief operations officer, and Berrada are the main players in that. Roche is in charge of updating the team’s training facilities and planning the renovation of the Old Trafford stadium, but Brailsford is primarily concerned with performance.
Further developments and what next?
The doping scandal that resulted in Richard Freeman, the lead physician for both the pro team and the Great Britain Olympic team, being removed from the medical register and the medical exemption certificates obtained for Sir Bradley Wiggins during his historic moment as the first British Tour winner have somewhat overshadowed Brailsford’s accomplishments at both British Cycling and Team Sky. Even though Brailsford was not directly involved in such problems, they nonetheless occurred during his tenure, and Team Sky was also criticized in a harsh parliamentary report in 2018.
However, Brailsford, who is now 60, is still respected for his creative performing style and meticulous attention to detail, especially in the eyes of Ratcliffe, the wealthiest man in Britain who also enjoys micromanaging every aspect of his commercial ventures. His early success story revolved around Brailsford’s “marginal gains” motto and what he called the “CORE Principle,” which stands for commitment, ownership, responsibility, and excellence and was intended to “achieve excellence in human beings.”
It has to be seen if any of this translates well to Premier League football, but it is obvious that Ratcliffe values knowledge outside of Amorim’s (United’s) immediate circle. The Times reported this week that United is now utilizing the skills of Harry Marra, one of the top athletics instructors in the world.
The 78-year-old American, who was crowned World Athletics coach of the year and is best known for helping his countryman Ashton Eaton win two Olympic decathlon titles in 2012 and 2016, is now a consultant at United, contributing his extensive understanding of general conditioning and biomechanics. He had not appointed Marra, as Amorim revealed last week.
With Sir Dave Brailsford playing a bigger part in the club, Manchester United has devised a plan to win the Premier League for the twenty-first time. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
