Former Manchester United chief Ed Woodward did not believe there was an intrinsic connection between success on the pitch and in the commercial world.
The club's often-criticised ex-vice chairman once told the club's shareholders that 'playing performance doesn’t really have a meaningful impact on what we can do on the commercial side of the business' - words supporters would have been equally disappointed to hear.
The United faithful may be reassured to know that incoming CEO Omar Berrada has a very different outlook. Manchester City, and City Group's Chief Football Operations Officer is on gardening leave having confirmed his move to the Red Devils to help 're-establish Manchester United as a title-winning club'.
Having arrived at City in 2011 as Head of International Business Development and progressed through a variety of roles. His time at the Etihad Stadium coincided with seven Premier League titles, two FA Cup wins, six League Cup trophies and one success in the Champions League. A period that has no doubt helped the Citizens off of the pitch.
“The commercial growth of the clubs is predicated or underpinned by success on the pitch,” Berrada told the Financial Times. “If you have a really good business strategy alongside it, then it just turbocharges the growth off the pitch.”
Since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson and an era of unprecedented success in 2013, United have been unable to reclaim a Premier League title. Berrada's plan at City was to ensure organisation at the club would deny the chance of any such fallow period.
He said: "Our job is to ensure that we’ve created a structure, this ecosystem around everything that we’re doing now to make it as consistent as possible so when there is a downwards cycle, we make it as short as possible".
The Red Devils, despite their struggles, have not been reluctant to spend significant fees. However, with in excess of £150million spent on Antony and Jadon Sancho, and host of other examples, Manchester United have often struggled to find good value in the transfer market.
Berrada's approach appears more rigid and hopes to place his club in control of each negotiation.
He explained: "If you have a very solid rationale as to why you’re offering the fee, the salary and the commission, they might not agree with it but they will accept it.
"Once you start overpaying then you lose that argument and that puts you in a much more difficult position to say to the next one, ‘I can only offer you this.’"
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