The problem has been the managers themselves. You don’t tell someone like Mourinho who to sign. He’s earned his stripes! It’s just asking for trouble to ask a manager like that to adjust to a DoF.
Man Utd set to appoint Director of Football (when hell freezes over)
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The problem has been the managers themselves. You don’t tell someone like Mourinho who to sign. He’s earned his stripes! It’s just asking for trouble to ask a manager like that to adjust to a DoF.
True and as @KM pointed out there has been progress elsewhere too but a proper DOF and movement away from too much power in the hands of the manager can only be a good thing IMO.
There are some excellent managers out there quite capable of working with a DoF. Including the one currently kicking our arse in the league.
Not true. Managers are not perfect, with a DoF we could have avoided signings like Lindelof.
Fact is, no manager should be given absolute control just because it worked for one (Fergie). At the same time, the manager should not be undermined like he is normally at clubs like Real and Chelsea. It is quite possible to take a moderate path and appoint a DoF who works well with Jose, agreeing when they should and disagreeing if needed.
SAF 
At least it'll stop the crying on here when reports link us with a Martial swap for Perisic or sign a Matic over Fabinho
It then goes on to say that only the new lady and academy staff would report to the new DoF, nothing about the first team. The article isn't clear.
He's had a DoF most of his career.
The club has to take care of itself.
Even so, it’s still basically a moot point since United are not looking to appoint that type of DoF.
What's wrong with Lindelof? If anything, a DOF would see us take more punts on players like him.
Why would a DoF have avoided that signing?
A DoF will lìkely set the scope of our signings in terms of age and profile but they're not going overrule our scouts or Jose. No way that happens
Why not? The club has bounded from different styles and philosophies since SAF retired and with Mourinho showing signs of his customary meltdowns we should absolutely look to ensure there is continuity beyond Mourinho be it this summer or 10 years down the line.
Yep, sure hope so, mate - seems like a good fit as regards his profile and comes with a healthy degree of footballing/administrative nous. As an institution, United was kinda spoiled by virtue of having an in situ force of nature with Sir Alex - who was woven into the very fabric of the club - and in some ways, we have yet to come to terms with the gravity of his departure or the power/intelligence/experience vacuum he left behind - evidenced by the inconsistent decision-making in recent years. There needs to be better stratification of responsibilities to safeguard the interest of the club first and foremost, instead of just handing all first-team related powers to the manager, even with Mourinho in charge - because who knows how long he'll be at the club or if he has a long-term blueprint for the club or if he will put the club's future over personal ambition and short-termist tunnel-vision gain. And Paratici must have surely picked up a lot of good habits at a masterfully stratified club with Agnelli, Nedvěd, Moratta all involved in the decision-making processes to varying degrees without coming to blows and maintaining a reasonably consistent vision in tandem with the manager (a wee bit like Lippi, Moggi and co. in the '90s).
I think in the next year or so the director of football will just prepare a transition to the next manager.
It'll be too early for a new DOF to jump in this summer window, and will cause some friction. But they'll expand the role out when we move on from Mourinho to the next guy.
I also have a feeling the DoF role will be restricted here, which isnt a good thing in my eyes going forward. Most new managers nowadays dont have the experience and expertise to be a complete manager at a club like United, they are more coaches. I hope once Mourinho leaves that we look to have a DoF who is in line with the club and that we have a direction, so that the manager only has to come here and do the coaching in line with our direction/philosophy and not do the roles of the traditional British manager and get lost in some way.
This word changes everything and isn't mentioned in the article. Also the article is about the appointment of the new secretary not about the role of the DOF.
If that's true, then it doesn't sound like a big deal. I if the DOF doesn't have much of a say with regards to transfers, and isn't involved with the first team, then he isn't really a director of football.
That was my first thought when I read the title, but according to a few on here, it isn't what you and I had in mind.
Again hard to disagree with what you've said. Loads of people point towards Bayern having the best structure but Juventus's rise in the last 5-6 years has been outstanding.
Their managerial choices(right from appointing Conte from Bari to appointing Allegri(who was sacked by AC Milan) has been inspiring. Their transfer dealings are excellent. United would do well to emulate them and it does seem like we're trying to do that.
Yes, that’s the article.
from Woodys perspective: does it? Superstars create attention/sell jerseys. -> Club makes money.
Speaking of Juventus, if United ever decide to hire a Sporting Director I would welcome Giuseppe Morotta. He has done a stellar job at Juventus bring in players like Pirlo, Khedira, Pogba and Vidal, among others.
Disappointing to read that it's not going to be a traditional DoF as that's something we desperately need. This idea of having the manager be the omniscient force at a club only works when said manger stays at the club for the long haul; for over a decade or more (a la Fergie or Wenger etc.). But that really doesn't happen anymore. It's ok to suggest that a manger should have complete control of signings (he should have some agency of course), but what happens when he leaves in 2-3 years and we have another manager with other ideas and other preferred players?
We need some direction and plan here. It's been one of the main reasons for our slight downfall since fergie left.
We need some direction and plan here. It's been one of the main reasons for our slight downfall since fergie left.
We've already got a few superstars to sell merchandise.
It's now time to start making the superstars.
Keep in mind that Mitten like the rest don't know as much as they pretend, particularly when it comes to very specific things like that, also based on what I have seen and heard in Rugby or in other leagues, these roles tend to be adapted to the situation, for example Jardim has more power today than he had initially, sometimes it's the opposite the DOF gains power.
Well seeing as he wrote that article in December end when no other source was reporting it, I'd say he knows a lot more than what he pretends. The juicier stuff is in his UWS magazine.
"Liverpool supporter Alexander, who is the uncle of Trent Alexander-Arnold, spent seven years in the role after joining United from Tottenham but retired in September."
This explains the Moyes decision and the subsequent disasters after SAF Retired
This explains the Moyes decision and the subsequent disasters after SAF Retired
Hm, appointing DoF during Jose time will always be downplayed a bit, so I wouldn't trust that article so much. If we are heading in that direction (DoF) we will most likely give him the power like he has in other clubs imo. The only question is will we make that transition of power immediately or after Jose.
Do you have any idea how clueless that makes you sound? It's indicative of someone who thinks being a football manager is a videogame.
Being a manager of men, of being a motivator and of being able to foster a team spirit... that's totally different from understanding tactics and being able to assess talent. You can be brilliant at one side of it, but terrible at the other. Obviously, that isn't reflected on FM2018, but in the real world it's crucial.
Regardless of whether he's the right man for this job or not, Neville has a very good football mind.
It wasn't the first article about it, you remember the Berta rumour. And in general there is no way for him to actually know how someone that hasn't been hired will operate, even if it was the idea for United, interviews and even Mourinho can have an influence on the actual role.
I think it is a very good move. But he has to have the authority to overule Mourinho and Woodward in transfer dealings also.
Yeah, same with Monchi when he was at Sevilla. In the end articles said they didn't happen as Mourinho didn't want a DoF but that we'd most likely bring one in once Mourinho's time at the club is over. If Mitten's article is true then that still fits in. I'd expect the DoF would end up having a greater role once Mourinho is gone.
Yep lets put a Co92 figure who wants Jose to fail in as DoF what could possibly go wrong? Besides Neville loves the scpusers more these days.
This sounds like bullshit anyway.
We arent?
Marotta to United has zero chance to happen until Andrea Agnelli stays at the helm or something very big happens. Paratici maybe, he might want to get his independence sooner or later. Paratici is currently the chief scout and the janitor of the many transfers involving youngsters. He is Italian though, he likes Italy as a whole and works at a club currently doing exceptionally well.
Why would you give one man so much power?
I see this sentiment about not giving Jose so much power but the solution is to give one man the power of two men?
That's ridiculous. Is DOF even a long term role? Monchi keeps getting mentioned but we would be his third club in three years.
A DOF seems to be a role for the board to oversee the manager, it's not some transfer savant that has a cure all for our ills.
Point about Lindelof is kind of weak. It implies DOF cannot sign the wrong players as well. Not saying that Victor is a failure, he deserves another season, but still.
Would be no use appointing a DOF if you do not give him Power. SAF done all this himself, but his type are scarce now. We need someone
who has time to look after all of the clubs dealings and this also would include the Academy and underage teams. We need to address this if we are to move forward, IMO..
DOF is generally a long term job, Monchi for example was at Sevilla for 17 years and he is probably going nowhere. As for the power distribution, the DOF, the head coach and the CEO are supposed to work together, no one is supposed to stupidly impose his will on the others but ultimately power is in the hands of the board, they are the ones spending the money. The good thing about a DOF is that he links the short term interest of the HC with the long term interests of the club/board, he is supposed to know football and understand football politics.
YouTube, Ladies football team, DOF are we in some parallel universe?
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