Gary Neville tells Sir Jim Ratcliffe what to do next after Omar Berrada appointed Man Utd CEO

Gary Neville has said Manchester United need to make two more senior appointments after it was announced last week that Omar Berrada will become the club’s new CEO.

The outgoing Manchester City executive will take up the position at a later date and replace Richard Arnold, who announced his departure from the club in November. Berrada’s selection is viewed as the first signs of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s growing influence at the club ahead of his minority investment in United being ratified.

That is expected to come next month and Neville has said he hopes Ratcliffe also appoints a sporting director and a head of recruitment.

"It's a big job to be CEO for Man United and you think of all the things he has to go at. But I think there are also some pretty easy wins straightaway,” the former told Sky Sports, when asked about Berrada’s imminent arrival.

"Communication is really important, to have that voice that the club haven't had for the last 10 years. He can form part of a new management structure that can build trust with the fans, us and everybody that watches the club.

“They’ve not had someone who has operated in football for a long time and I think that’s really important. It’s a big task and all eyes are going to be on him. He’s obviously had a brilliant grounding at Manchester City and Barcelona, two of the most successful clubs in the last 15 years. 

“It looks like Manchester United are making more sound decisions and are on the right track. Jim Ratcliffe was not going to come in and not disrupt things, and obviously the disruption has started pretty quickly,” he added. 

“It was obvious, they haven’t got a [permanent] CEO at the moment because Richard Arnold stepped down, they haven’t got a sporting director and notable head of recruitment. They are three roles where the owners are most exposed by the money that gets spent on players and the revenues that get driven by good CEOs. He’s obviously got a commercial mind and it is part of a triangle of appointments that I would expect to see in the next few months.”