Michael Edwards has already put Sir Jim Ratcliffe to shame as Man Utd are in disarray

Manchester United remain effectively rudderless despite the recent change in minority ownership. But if Sir Jim Ratcliffe had his way, Michael Edwards would be steering the ship.

The transfer guru is back at Fenway Sports Group, returning as CEO of Football after a previous spell as sporting director at Liverpool. The Reds’ owners have made a major move to tempt Edwards back after he has already rejected advances from Manchester United and Chelsea.

Ratcliffe, meanwhile, has somewhat of a next preference in the form of Dan Ashworth, but the director remains in limbo as his gardening leave drags on, with Manchester United and Newcastle United unable to agree a fee. This uncertainty comes at the worst possible time, with the club thrown into chaos in recent weeks.

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One of Edwards’ first tasks at FSG was to address the need for a new head coach at Liverpool, with Klopp confirming his departure. While the Reds took their time over the process, things moved quickly once Arne Slot was identified and an announcement was perfect for the end of the campaign.

It wasn’t all plain sailing, with Edwards having to contend with Xabi Alonso who decided to stay at Bayer Leverkusen. But only those in Liverpool know for sure if he would even have been approached in favor of Slot, the process being carried out “behind the curtain”.

This is quite a contrast to the circus Ratcliffe presides over at Old Trafford. He’s told anyone he’ll listen about the incredible standards he plans to bring to Manchester United, but so far that’s amounted to a complaint that the offices are unkempt and unreasonably banning work-from-home arrangements.

Meanwhile, the “review” of Erik ten Hag’s future was embarrassingly public and publicly embarrassing. Manchester United are clearly intent on making a change, but talks with Thomas Tuchel have gone nowhere and nothing appears to have come of talks with Thomas Frank or Mauricio Pochettino.

Then there’s Gareth Southgate, who is now firmly distracted by Euro 2024 and won’t accept any talk until the tournament is over. After hitting brick walls with a strangely disparate line-up of candidates, Ratcliffe and Manchester United might even keep the Ten Hag, assuming he’s happy to tolerate this humiliating limbo for much longer.

It’s a complete humiliation for Manchester United at a time when they were hoping to show how they are finally moving into the modern era. The job Edwards has done in hiring Slot has already put Ratcliffe to shame, further underscoring Liverpool’s shrewdness in bringing him back.