'It Destabilized the Technical Team' – Benni McCarthy on How INEOS Redundancy Fears Affected His Man United Tenure

Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy has explained how INEOS' decision to make several staff members redundant negatively affected his second spell at Man United under Erik ten Hag.

Former Manchester United coach Benni McCarthy has opened up about the mental and emotional toll his tenure at the Premier League club took on him—especially in the face of looming staff redundancies triggered by INEOS’ restructuring plans.

McCarthy, who manages the Kenya National Football Team Harambee Stars nowadays, joined the club in 2022 as part of Erik ten Hag’s technical bench, but left in June 2024, around six months before the Dutchman himself was also sacked. 

In an emotional reflection, McCarthy described his time at United as “the most unbelievable experience”, emphasising the prestige of working at what he called “the biggest club in the world.” 

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McCarthy: Redundancies Struck Fear Into Everyone

During his first season with the club, he helped ten Hag deliver the Carabao Cup and get a third place finish in the League.

In the second season, things took a turn for the worse. First, they got dumped out of the Champions League at group stage level, before finishing eight in the league, although they did win the FA Cup.

However, Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquired a section of the club through his INEOS company, and the organisation set on making several structural changes, including making staff members redundant.

Behind the silverware lay growing anxiety. McCarthy revealed that the announcement of internal shake-ups by INEOS had a chilling effect on the club’s day-to-day atmosphere.

“When you read people are losing their jobs — and these are people who work for almost nothing because they love that badge — it strikes fear into everyone,” McCarthy lamented. “You start wondering: Am I next?”

According to the South African legend, these uncertainties led to a cautious and destabilised working environment that trickled down to the players.

“You’re not reaching your full potential because you’re worried,” he added. “It affected the coaching staff, the players, the atmosphere — everyone at the club.”

McCarthy underscored the psychological impact of seeing long-time staff lose jobs, saying that players were burdened not only by the pressure to perform on the pitch, but also by emotional concern for staff families.

“Man United is not just a football club. It’s the people — the staff, the fans, the community,” he explained. “When the office staff is being let go like flies, how do you expect the players to just go out there and focus solely on football?”

McCarthy: This is the Only Way Man United Will Return to the Top

He ended with a sobering prediction, stating that unless the club finds stability off the pitch, the on-field performances will continue to suffer:

“No matter how world-class your players are, they won’t give their best until the club stabilizes. Until then, Man United will go through some dark years.”

McCarthy’s candid admission paints a vivid picture of how corporate decisions — far from the spotlight — can shape the fortunes of even the most storied football institutions.