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A meeting is set in Monaco this week between Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Manchester United chief executive Omar Berrada, and technical director Jason Wilcox.
The primary focus of this pre-arranged summit in the principality where Ratcliffe resides will likely be the status of head coach Michael Carrick. Nevertheless, considering Manchester United’s dismal opening to the 2026/27 campaign, the participants may well have to address a far more troubling issue: establishing a strategy in case of relegation.
Having played ten Premier League matches, Man United sit inside the relegation zone with a single win to their name. Although co-owners INEOS came to Old Trafford pledging top-tier organizational methods and a robust structure, performance on the field has plunged the squad into a relegation fight for a second consecutive term.
While discussing potential relegation is virtually forbidden at a club with Manchester United’s stature and global financial scale, recent events in north London highlight why failing to prepare for it would be outright irresponsible.
During an appearance on The Sports Agents podcast, Tottenham Hotspur chief executive Vinai Venkatesham disclosed how his team formulated plans for the future following Spurs’ near-disastrous campaign the previous year.
“It is exceptionally hard, as you build bonds with individuals. Naturally, Igor [Tudor] spent little time as manager, but Thomas [Frank] and I collaborated very, very closely through extremely tough periods,” Venkatesham detailed.
“I intend to preserve the confidentiality of that discussion with Thomas. Nevertheless, I can confirm he conducted himself as an utter gentleman, precisely as you would expect.”
Although Tottenham ultimately confirmed their safety on the last day of the season, Venkatesham conceded that the organisation had discreetly drawn up a contingency plan for playing in the Championship.
“It was extremely difficult—a truly taxing period for the club,” he remarked. “You are obligated to [plan for relegation]. Frankly, it is non-negotiable. Failing to draft such a strategy would have been reckless… Occasionally, enduring an experience as distressing as ours last season unites people further and instills an even greater drive to guarantee it is never repeated.”
That narrow escape from relegation prompted Tottenham to invest £300 million in summer recruits, highlighted by a £100m deal for Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali alongside an £85m acquisition of West Ham United midfielder Matheus Fernandes.
“Everyone agreed on the need to fortify that role, and subsequently everyone agreed that Matheus [Fernandes] was unquestionably our top priority,” Venkatesham stated. “To be frank, we accomplished more than anticipated, largely because we secured several of our primary options. Had we failed to acquire our preferred targets, we had no intention of compromising.”
Despite morale rising following recent victories, Venkatesham provided a candid assessment of their slow opening: “I wasn’t anxious [about our start to the 2026/27 campaign], but I was certainly annoyed… Did we expect to introduce so many adjustments and have everything click immediately? Naturally not. However, did we anticipate occupying such a low position in the table heading into the international break? Certainly not either.”
For Ratcliffe, Berrada, and Wilcox, Venkatesham’s open remarks ought to shatter any misplaced sense of invulnerability. Past events demonstrate that reputation, turnover, and past glory provide virtually no protection once a team drops into the relegation places.
Regardless of whether Manchester United opt to retain Carrick past the November international break or dismiss him, the key leadership trio gathered for the Monaco meeting must not treat relegation as an impossible outcome.
This could require re-examining player wage-downscaling provisions or calculating potential losses in television income, as sound management ultimately necessitates planning for worst-case scenarios.
Should Man United act under the illusion that their stature makes them immune to relegation, it will only accelerate their path toward it.
