Manchester United set for major boost this week after latest Sir Jim Ratcliffe coup

Manchester United are set for a major boost this week after Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s latest coup at the club.

The Reds have had a challenging start to the season, with only one Premier League win in their first three matches.

A 3-0 defeat to rivals Liverpool followed a last-minute loss to Brighton last weekend. Although the opening victory over Fulham showed some positives, Erik ten Hag’s team still has significant improvements to make.

While many of those improvements will be on the pitch, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his team are ensuring that they continue improving all aspects away from the field for United.

According to The Athletic, the Reds have appointed Sam Erith as performance director on an interim basis until the end of the season.

It was explained that Erith, who specialises in player performance and sports science, begins his new position on Monday after working previously with England, Manchester City, and Tottenham Hotspur.

The report further clarified that Erith will report to sporting director Dan Ashworth.

Erith worked at Man City for 11 years, first as the Head of Sports Science and then as the Head of Human Performance, before leaving the club in 2022. Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada would have been familiar with his work.

While there have been many changes at Old Trafford since Ratcliffe was gifted the keys, this appointment could be considered more significant due to the importance INEOS places on performance and sports science.

Ashworth, Wilcox and Berrada have all joined the club since INEOS took charge, with Christopher Vivell also in a key recruitment role – initially on an interim basis.

Further reports from MailOnline have stated that Erith is likely to be tasked with ensuring Erik ten Hag and his players are provided with an elite environment in which to challenge.

Those minor details behind the scenes is something that Sir Dave Brailsford has become obsessed with across his career.

Hopefully, they will be able to help United on the pitch, and Erith could potentially be hired on a permanent basis.

Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is released every Thursday at 6 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.