Does the article explain why they've made it permanent?
Word on the street is that we are attempting to streamline and technologize the recruitment and scouting operations at the club (which are thought to be quite ponderous and bloated with regard to the sheer volume of staff). This is
presumably where Vivell comes into the picture, given his previous involvement with Hoffenheim and Red Bull's footballing portfolio (among the pioneers of data procurement and performance analysis in modern football).
For example, this is from when Vivell was an analyst and scout at Hoffenheim and Julian Nagelsmann was U-19 coach (data procurement and performance analysis played a big role in coaching and recovery, as well as scouting).
The coaching staff can look at various data sources, filtering against different criteria to get answers in real time. This is important because based on their analysis they can improve their training regimen and experiment with new ideas without waiting for the next practice. For example, our U19 head coach, Julian Nagelsmann, can explore questions, such as how long does a player keep the ball or where does he start dribbling? We can analyze the sensor-based data for tactical improvements during the actual practice. Julian can look up individual performance data of players and provide real-time feedback. For example, he can show a player on the iPad why he wasn’t able to succeed in gaining the upper hand with limited space during a particular play. Moreover, he could demonstrate this with 3D animation on the tablet right on the field.
Data Innovators In Sports And Entertainment: TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
While it's impossible to figure out exactly what his remit was and is going to be (and what percentage of blame for suboptimal rectuitment can be expressly assigned to him), a large part of a director of recruitment's job is fine-tuning and coordinating the team of scouts and analysts, devicing sustainable strategies for his department, setting up regional and international networks and liaisoning with existing regional and international networks, gaining personal relationships with emerging talents and their entourages (Juli Calafat if Real Madrid excels in this area as chief scout), building professional relationships with others in this sector, managing comprehensive databases and all of that corporate sounding jargon.
Given that he is going to report to technical director Jason Wilcox, we can employ guesswork and infer that Vivell will collaborate and won't have the final say with regard to major transfers, and will primarily focus on coordinating the many, many steps leading to transfers as the director of our scouting and analytical operations. The wider responsibility for first team transfers might fall on the shoulders of the new director of football if we appoint one (there was some speculation of us approaching Mikel González, the current director of football of Athletic Club), or on Wilcox and Berrada's shoulders in the absense of a director of football.
Vivell reports into technical director Jason Wilcox, who has assumed greater responsibility after the departure of sporting director Dan Ashworth after five months at the club.
This could also be a situation where Vivell eventually becomes the director of recruitment for INEOS' footballing portfolio, not just Manchester United. If the club is restored to normalcy, we won't need to find many diamonds in the rough (which is where the cutting edge of data procurement and performance analysis with regard to recruitment lies). And could mostly operate in the top end of the market for higher-quality products who are proven performers and don't need to be over-analyzed — in those circumstances, the club's success, the sporting project we are selling and the skill of the negotation team are of paramount importance. Finding diamonds in the rough is more essential for clubs like Nice and Lausanne-Sport, given competitive and budgetary constraints.
