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Can Sir Dave Brailsford's 'marginal gains' really save Man Utd?

Sir Dave Brailsford has only been a part of Manchester United for less than two weeks, but he has already witnessed an epic comeback against Aston Villa at Old Trafford as well as a crushing defeat at Nottingham Forest. It was a fitting introduction to a club that has never been far away from drama, but in the last decade has often felt like it is on fire.

Brailsford has been the most visible face of INEOS at Old Trafford following the firm's minority takeover of United and is conducting a thorough review of the club's operation on behalf of Sir Jim Ratcliffe, visiting the training ground at Carrington last week as well as following the team home and away.

Sitting next to Sir Alex Ferguson at the City Ground, the home fans taunted him by chanting "What a waste of money" and "Old Trafford is falling down". It will not have escaped his attention that English football's most successful club has become a laughing stock, and now it is his job to sort out the mess.

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Brailsford has an excellent track record in cycling, but he has struggled to repeat that success in INEOS' other ventures into sport, in sailing, football and Formula One. And his methods will now be under the microscope like never before as the world is watching to see whether he can haul United back from the abyss and make them an elite institution again...

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