The latest behind-the-scenes move they have made is to hire a new chief operating officer, Ameesh Manek.<\/p>\n
BBC Sport<\/a> reports: \u201cManek will effectively run United\u2019s Carrington training ground \u2013 the base for the daily football operation \u2013 with responsibility for travel, security, training facilities and staff management and infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n His arrival follows the exit of Manchester United\u2019s previous director of football operations Jim Harrison, with former COO Collette Roche moving into a role focused on the delivery of Manchester United\u2019s new stadium, The Athletic<\/a> report.<\/p>\n TalkingPoints<\/p>\n What Ameesh Manek said about his time at Brentford<\/p>\n When I first joined Brentford, one of the many pleasant surprises that I had was complete alignment between owner, board, executive, management and staff and players and coach.<\/p>\n Ameesh Manek Ameesh Manek had been working in the corporate world including a director role at Barclays Bank, when he decided to move into sport, and took a role on Basketball England\u2019s board in 2012.<\/p>\n He then landed a role at Arsenal in 2015, where his role was first focused on improving the North London club\u2019s academy, and the redevelopment of the training ground.<\/p>\n By 2018 Manek was promoted to head of first team operations, before taking on a role as Brentford chief business officer in 2022. In 2024 he became their chief operating officer. Now he begins at Manchester United.<\/p>\n Ameesh Manek\u2019s top priority<\/p>\n Speaking at a leadership conference<\/a> earlier this year, Manek explained the importance of a well connected and well-run club from top to bottom.<\/p>\n He explained: \u201cWhen I first joined Brentford, one of the many pleasant surprises that I had was complete alignment between owner, board, executive, management and staff and players and coach.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s achieved because there\u2019s a sense of purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n Notably, Manek says that \u2018community\u2019 is at the heart of everything he wanted to achieve with Brentford.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to maintain what we are calling our ethos, which is a community led club, and that\u2019s the challenge that we really tried to focus on heavily over the last three years, and make sure that everything that we do, all the growth activity that we do, particularly the recruitment of people, is done with culture and values at its heart.\u201d<\/p>\n Manek\u2019s approach will appeal to Manchester United supporters<\/a> who want the club to retain it\u2019s community identity, which has shown signs of fraying amid redundancies<\/a> and a smaller staff.<\/p>\n Ineos have been fighting on multiple fronts, to recalibrate United\u2019s finances<\/a>, plan a new stadium, deliver a new training ground, and overhaul the playing staff.<\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.unitedinfocus.com\/custom\/plugins\/talking-points\/img\/logo.svg\"){kind=logo}
<\/p>\n![\"Sir](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GettyImages-2204520641-1024x683.jpg\")
Photo by Ash Donelon\/Manchester United via Getty ImagesWho is Ameesh Manek?<\/p>\n