Man Utd legend uses Steve Jobs example to endorse Ferguson role under Ratcliffe

Manchester United legend Andy Cole thinks Sir Jim Ratcliffe would be right to ask Sir Alex Ferguson for advice once his investment in the club is finalised.

British billionaire Ratcliffe is waiting for his deal to buy 25 per cent of the Premier League club to be ratified with an expectation it could be sealed this week.

Despite not being able to buy a controlling stake from the Glazer family, it is understood that Ratcliffe has agreed to take over football operations at Man Utd.

There has been criticism over the past decade at the recruitment process at Man Utd with the Red Devils failing to challenge for a Premier League title since Ferguson left in 2013.

And there are suggestions that Ratcliffe will look to completely overhaul the football department with Man Utd already announcing the departure of Richard Arnold last week.

When asked whether he was excited for Ratcliffe’s potential involvement at the club, Man Utd legend Cole told Betfred: “I’ll be honest, I’ve not really thought about it because it’s not happened yet.

“Until the deal’s announced, it’s just speculation. Once it’s done, then we can talk about what’s going to happen and whether X, Y and Z are all being sorted, but until that happens, it’s just speculation.”

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On reports Ratcliffe will seek guidance from legendary Man Utd boss Ferguson, Cole added: “This is my opinion, but when you look at the examples of Real Madrid and Barcelona, I don’t believe a manager should come in and completely change the way a club plays.

“There needs to be a common identity that represents the history of a football club. Now if Sir Jim Ratcliffe is going to consult Sir Alex and try and get Manchester United playing the way Manchester United should play, then you can understand it because of how successful the club was under the stewardship of Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Matt Busby and how they gave the club its identity.

“There have been so many managers that have come in after Sir Alex left and each of them have implemented their own style of play and for me, that shouldn’t be happening. When Steve Jobs passed away, did Apple change their approach? No, it’s tried and tested and it works.

“There have been five permanent managers in the ten years since Sir Alex Ferguson departed and they’ve all played a different way and they would have required major changes in their playing staff for each of them to have been successful.

“There have been some really good players that have moved to Old Trafford during that period and for whatever reason, it’s not worked out for a lot of them. Manchester United needs to get back to what Manchester United are.”