Man Utd set to appoint Director of Football (when hell freezes over)

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Second option for me, experience of reshaping an existing club and already has links and connections which lends to the ability to get favourable terms and deals for players.

Note sure on names, I would have loved the guy from Juve, but thats a pipe dream.
 
I know so little of this kind of position. It’s a relatively new concept in the PL no?

Who are the DoF at other clubs in the league?
 
Read good things about Paul Mitchell, who worked for Southampton, Spurs and now at Leipzig. He is also from Manchester (maybe ManUtd fan too)
 
Can someone confirm for me.... didn't we appoint someone but they left before they were due to start work or shortly after the began? Ex-Juventus or something?
 
Paul Mitchell. He knows the EPL well, he's done wonder with Southampton and Spurs + he's got a great relationship with our next manager the Pochs
 
Emmet said:
Can someone confirm for me.... didn't we appoint someone but they left before they were due to start work or shortly after the began? Ex-Juventus or something?
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He was just hired as a scout, not a DOF. Javier Ribalta.
 
Emmet said:
Can someone confirm for me.... didn't we appoint someone but they left before they were due to start work or shortly after the began? Ex-Juventus or something?
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No he was hired as a scout not a DOF
 
From the things I've read about Mitchell he seems like he'd be a good fit. Glad to see we're modernising, better late than never. I wonder if we're looking at any other internal structural changes.
 
JPRouve said:
He isn't the de facto DOF, that's the manager which is why he isn't called a head coach like it would on the continent.
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He's in charge of signing players and hiring the manager, so pretty much is. In essence the manager is also the head coach as well.
 
This sounds encouraging. Generally speaking I think Woodward gets a rough time of it but the Mourinho contract extension was a pretty big mistake. Hopefully appointing a DOF would go some way in unifying supporters again and fixing the problems that exist at the club.
 
FlawlessThaw said:
He's in charge of signing players and hiring the manager, so pretty much is. In essence the manager is also the head coach as well.
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He isn't though, for example Judge is the one signing players while Woodward is simply the CEO, he doesn't hire the manager, the board does. The manager is in charge of all the playing and coaching staff which is the main role of a DOF.
Woodward responsibility is the structure of the club and make sure that every roles are occupied by someone competent and competently accomplishes his tasks, it's a massive job but he isn't the de facto DOF since Mourinho himself said that he identifies players and make the target lists, he also specifically mentioned that Judge was the one making the deals happen. Woodward only did Judge's job when Bolingbroke left for Inter and before Judge's appointment.
 
Smaller name: Nicky Butt

Bigger name: VDS


In his short time heading the youth team, Butt has proved he knows how to recruit quality players at a time when City and Chelsea were snapping up everything.
 
Jose being against a DoF is interesting to me.

Think it was clear Jose didn't think things were getting done at the club, so I assumed he'd welcome a clearer structure at the club.

On the other hand, that'd mean less control for Jose himself, and I'd think it's pretty obvious Jose likes control.

So what exactly did he want? No DoF. Ed gone?
 
JPRouve said:
He isn't though, for example Judge is the one signing players while Woodward is simply the CEO, he doesn't hire the manager, the board does. The manager is in charge of all the playing and coaching staff which is the main role of a DOF.
Woodward responsibility is the structure of the club and make sure that every roles are occupied by someone competent and competently accomplishes his tasks, it's a massive job but he isn't the de facto DOF since Mourinho himself said that he identifies players and make the target lists, he also specifically mentioned that Judge was the one making the deals happen. Woodward only did Judge's job when Bolingbroke left for Inter and before Judge's appointment.
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Matt Judge's role is one of report to Woodward anyway, but the primary responsibility falls under Woodward. While he negotiates transfers, it is still under Woodward's behest. The only difference between a standard DoF and Woodward is that the former identifies players while Ed doesn't but essentially a lot of the primary responsibilities are still there when it comes to football responsibilities.
 
Vadim said:
James Cooper live outside Old Trafford just conformed that we will hire a DoF and then appoint full time manager in summer.

We will streamline our operations (his words).

Seems like the club actually does have a plan of action!

Also, the caretaker manager will be “fun to work with” is what Utd have told James Cooper.
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This all sounds very positive, Evra as caretaker manager? :D
 
ghagua said:
Smaller name: Nicky Butt

Bigger name: VDS


In his short time heading the youth team, Butt has proved he knows how to recruit quality players at a time when City and Chelsea were snapping up everything.
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Butt isn't as good a manager as McKenna though, if we were looking at someone in the academy we'd have been better off just appointing McKenna.
 
youngrell said:
If it's true that Jose was against the DoF appointment in the summer, could it be the reason the board refused to back his signings?

Silly to play games with the club, but it could have been a 'this is how it's going to go unless you agree to a Dof' situation.
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Doubt it. Even going back to when we hired him, we were linked with a director of football (Monchi) but the line at the time from journos was that Mourinho was against it. I think the bigger reason we didn't back all of his signing targets was that he simply hadn't improved anyone in his time here.

Us not signing Alderweireld for £70M is going to be the excuse by some as to why we have done so badly this season but when a club has a big fall in form like what happened at the end of his Chelsea spell and what happened here, there's no excuses. Manager has to go.

I'm optimistic about this new period of the club now we're able to bring a DoF in.
 
Cassidy said:
No he was hired as a scout not a DOF
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His name was Javier Ribalta. ~Here is a post about him from a previous thread https://www.tribalfootball.com/arti...eville-claim-should-stun-man-utd-fans-4245279

'A non-football source close to Old Trafford told this column not to expect any big name appointment. "It'll likely be a token", we were told. Woodward would still pull strings. He'd make the major calls on transfers. It's reason enough why the ambitious Ribalta left for Zenit. He wanted to be a football director - with all the responsibility such a title demands.'
 
Niall said:
I know so little of this kind of position. It’s a relatively new concept in the PL no?

Who are the DoF at other clubs in the league?
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I usually find that the top end clubs like us have a few people performing these football operations duties.

Bayern has Rummenigge and Hoeness. City has Serrano and Begiristain. Real and Barca have a lot more typically... like there’s 3-4 for them pair that seemingly change every year.

One guy as DoF would get swamped probably. I’d say there’s got to be a committee of like three people who specialise in one area and then come together, so you could have the football philosophy guy, the youth development guy and the overseas recruitment guy... then the first team head coach joins them.
 
What's the single most important attribute a DOF has to have? If you were doing a job spec and wanted to put down the requirements, what would be on the list and what would be top of it? Is it the identification of talent - so basically a promotion for a good scout? Is it more about the negotiation of bringing them in? Or would that be handed over to "commercial", once the player has been identified? Is it someone with good connections with scouts? Is it having existing connections with the club?

I honestly dont know. Every time there is a discussion about DOFs I find myself wondering this, I have no idea who the candidates are or should be.
 
Eric's Seagull said:
His name was Javier Ribalta. ~Here is a post about him from a previous thread https://www.tribalfootball.com/arti...eville-claim-should-stun-man-utd-fans-4245279

'A non-football source close to Old Trafford told this column not to expect any big name appointment. "It'll likely be a token", we were told. Woodward would still pull strings. He'd make the major calls on transfers. It's reason enough why the ambitious Ribalta left for Zenit. He wanted to be a football director - with all the responsibility such a title demands.'
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Thats great but fact is he wasn't a DOF at Juve or United either, he was a head scout. The rest is pure speculation.
 
ghagua said:
Butt as DOF not the manager.
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Ah right, that makes a little more sense then. I'd still be inclined to keep Butt where he is though, I'm a huge fan of what he's doing at the academy.
 
Cassidy said:
Thats great but fact is he wasn't a DoF at Juve or United either, he was a head scout. The rest is pure speculation.
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Maybe we could have tried giving him a slightly bigger role and got him to work with someone like Luis Campos but maybe he thought he was ready for a bigger role that is why he went to Zenit mate
 
Eric's Seagull said:
Maybe we could have tried giving him a slightly bigger role and got him to work with someone like Luis Campos but maybe he thought he was ready for a bigger role that is why he went to Zenit mate
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Yes he left for Zenit for a bigger role. Should he have got one at United, no imo. He wasn't qualified.
 
Eric's Seagull said:
?Good call mate ;). If he wasn't so good at the commercial side I would have been none of the ones who would have liked to do this a long time ago.
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Surely it’s not as difficult to be shite at the commercial side of things given United’s already high stature. I honestly think he’s a sham all over and would be best replaced completely.
 
DOF is a shit idea. Just another guy to undermine our next manager. Imagine some guy telling Sir Matt or Sir Alex which players they would have to buy. Worst idea ever. The guy who picks the team should obviously buy the players he needs for his system to work.
 
Adebesi said:
What's the single most important attribute a DOF has to have? If you were doing a job spec and wanted to put down the requirements, what would be on the list and what would be top of it? Is it the identification of talent - so basically a promotion for a good scout? Is it more about the negotiation of bringing them in? Or would that be handed over to "commercial", once the player has been identified? Is it someone with good connections with scouts? Is it having existing connections with the club?

I honestly dont know. Every time there is a discussion about DOFs I find myself wondering this, I have no idea who the candidates are or should be.
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Same here. I believe that United are either the only PL club without a DOF or one of the only.

Obviously SAF was able to do most everything but it seems that JM ultimately found the job too difficult.

Not fully understanding the DoF role l guess we ought to give it a go to allow the manager/coach to focus fully on the players and tactics.
 
Great news, especially that we want to appoint a DoF before we get a new manager. I might finally enjoy what our club does again.
 
ghagua said:
Smaller name: Nicky Butt

Bigger name: VDS


In his short time heading the youth team, Butt has proved he knows how to recruit quality players at a time when City and Chelsea were snapping up everything.
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Doubt VDS would want to leave Amsterdam, but it would be a brilliant appointment if we can make it happen. A United great, knows the club, not a novice in the job either and has done a good job in building a very exciting Ajax side, of course he must have had help but he's gonna have plenty of resources here as well.
 
Cassidy said:
Yes he left for Zenit for a bigger role. Should he have got one at United, no imo. He wasn't qualified.
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Everybody is entitled to their opinion which I 100% respect but I think he could have done a better job here, as he had a hand in bringing Pogba, Kingsley Coman, Fernando Llorente, Sami Khedira and Dani Alves, Mandzukic, Dybala and Miralem Pjanic to the club for fees we could only dream of mate.
 
Eric's Seagull said:
Everybody is entitled to their opinion which I 100% respect but I think he could have done a better job here, as he had a hand in bringing Pogba, Kingsley Coman, Fernando Llorente, Sami Khedira and Dani Alves, Mandzukic, Dybala and Miralem Pjanic to the club for fees we could only dream of mate.
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Beppe Marotta has a bigger role in that i think.
 
Monchi or Zorc are the ones we should be looking at.

Les Reed is another option and currently unemployed.
 
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