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

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After about 5 years we have learned that there needs to be a direction to the way we play, buy and sell players, and have a mediator between the board and the manager. Ed has finally understood that Sir Alex was a complex man with a vision so great for this club that we need a flurry of men to do the same job that he managed single handed.

I hope we can continue with OGS at the helm for the next 5 years but i think it would be difficult to keep Mike Phelan beside him for that long and OGS himself would agree that the great change is influenced largely by Mr. Phelan. Pochettino is fantastic choice as he knows what to do to get the best out of the players. He loves football and he would embrace the Man United job and think that it is his big break. From Southampton to Spurs to United is a huge journey.
 
OleTheGreat said:
After about 5 years we have learned that there needs to be a direction to the way we play, buy and sell players, and have a mediator between the board and the manager. Ed has finally understood that Sir Alex was a complex man with a vision so great for this club that we need a flurry of men to do the same job that he managed single handed.

I hope we can continue with OGS at the helm for the next 5 years but i think it would be difficult to keep Mike Phelan beside him for that long and OGS himself would agree that the great change is influenced largely by Mr. Phelan. Pochettino is fantastic choice as he knows what to do to get the best out of the players. He loves football and he would embrace the Man United job and think that it is his big break. From Southampton to Spurs to United is a huge journey.
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Why do you think that the great change is influenced by Phelan mainly? Do you think that OGS would struggle badly if Phelan was to leave at the end of the season?
 
Tiber said:
Wow the Star and the MEN teaming up to talk shite.

What's worse? The Daily Star or the MEN?
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Really dude? Considering internal candidates is hardly a bad move. We should consider them. Also, the MEN are one of the more reliable sources when it comes to United news. They at least seem to be trying to report the truth. They don't always get it right that's for sure but does anyone?
 
Water Melon said:
Why do you think that the great change is influenced by Phelan mainly? Do you think that OGS would struggle badly if Phelan was to leave at the end of the season?
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Not to say that but i think that Phelan has a great dea; to do with the mentality of the team. Of course OGS knows a lot of the current players owing to his time with the boys in the reserve team but the mentality had fallen low. Ole is a Legend of our club and the players have great respect for him and love playing under him but i think Phelan is responsible for the way the players get up and down the pitch and do wonders when they're attacking and Phelan leaving at the end is probably why Pochettino would get in.
 
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ArjenIsM3 said:
Really dude? Considering internal candidates is hardly a bad move. We should consider them. Also, the MEN are one of the more reliable sources when it comes to United news. They at least seem to be trying to report the truth. They don't always get it right that's for sure but does anyone?
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No they aren't.
 
SirAF said:
:nono:

https://www.reddit.com/r/reddevils/wiki/transfer-reliability-guide
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That's just about transfer news. I'm not talking about that. This isn't about that. And we all know there's more reliable sources like Di Marzio when it comes to that stuff. You never see any of those guys doing a piece on other MUFC related stuff. Only the dailies and the MEN do that really. The MEN are definitely more reliable than the dailies and if and when the dailies post something they don't agree with they usually quote them in their live blog and then offer their take on it, often disagreeing with them. They often do opinionated pieces which you just gotta learn to see through really. Like I said, they're far from perfect, but they're more reliable than the dailies.
 
ArjenIsM3 said:
That's just about transfer news. I'm not talking about that. This isn't about that. And we all know there's more reliable sources like Di Marzio when it comes to that stuff. You never see any of those guys doing a piece on other MUFC related stuff. Only the dailies and the MEN do that really. The MEN are definitely more reliable than the dailies and if and when the dailies post something they don't agree with they usually quote them in their live blog and then offer their take on it, often disagreeing with them. They often do opinionated pieces which you just gotta learn to see through really. Like I said, they're far from perfect, but they're more reliable than the dailies.
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MEN are shit, and that transfer guide is applicable elsewhere too.
 
Ive never heard anyone describe the MEN as anything other than a complete pile of turd. Both in terms of the coverage - transfers and other coverage - and because of the ridiculous number of popups you get on the website, which completely overwhelm your browser and make it impossible to read.
 
Adebesi said:
Ive never heard anyone describe the MEN as anything other than a complete pile of turd. Both in terms of the coverage - transfers and other coverage - and because of the ridiculous number of popups you get on the website, which completely overwhelm your browser and make it impossible to read.
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When it comes to transfers they're shite. I do like their more in depth articles analyzing what United are (possibly) doing and I haven't found a source that post regularly ajd are better than the MEN yet.
 
With the Jan window out the way, would the potential Dof targets who are already with clubs now be attainable for a transfer to us?

I get it would have been unprofessional to leave half way through but there are no windows left now.

Very simplistic view, but hopefully there's some movement on recruitment now!
 
VP89 said:
With the Jan window out the way, would the potential Dof targets who are already with clubs now be attainable for a transfer to us?

I get it would have been unprofessional to leave half way through but there are no windows left now.

Very simplistic view, but hopefully there's some movement on recruitment now!
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Don't think staff is bound by transfer window. Don't think GM/Directors are on contract neither. Just the usual X months notice.
 
cyril C said:
Don't think staff is bound by transfer window. Don't think GM/Directors are on contract neither. Just the usual X months notice.
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Oh no I get that, just the willingness of a DoF to leave would be greater when the window is out the way as his recruitment is complete for that season.
 
IMO promotion from within is a bad thing (for DOF). I myself am struggling to understand the role of DOF, do you think Woodward and the rest of the club have a clear idea? Would it be better to let someone tell you what he can do for the club
 
cyril C said:
IMO promotion from within is a bad thing (for DOF). I myself am struggling to understand the role of DOF, do you think Woodward and the rest of the club have a clear idea? Would it be better to let someone tell you what he can do for the club
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Might be promoting from within is the cheaper option. I would rather shell out for the best who has lots of contacts and is not learning on the job or at least if new to the job has the respect of the elite clubs.
 
One person we could recruit from within the club is a head of recruitment. Marcel Bout looks a good candidate for that role.
 
Promotion from within works.

Mark Allen at Man City was involved working in their academy or something then suddenly Rangers approach him, sign him as DoF, and he signs Steven Gerrard as manager and sets up his own scouting network for the club with his own contacts.

This isn't small time as Gers nabbed Allen after approaching Southamptons DoF who apparently has a university education no football experience and that's it.
Who is to say someone at Man Utd doesn't have the expertise that Mark Allen had already.

The main role of the DoF in my opinion is to work with the manager and create an 'identikit' that all potential signings fit. Then set up a scouting network to scout players that fit into it, sign them with the managers approval, keep a list of realistic replacements for every player at the club in case they're sold, and work with the manager to improve the squad with signings.

Basically it allows a manager to focus on coaching and tactics while the rest of the club sign appropriate players than can still play even if the manager leaves.
 
simonhch said:
This is indeed wise insight. Glad somebody has recognised the obvious flaw in the rumours. At my last company we decided to hire a head of product development to focus new innovations to customer needs more efficiently. But in the interim we ceased all development and release of new products, despite having been doing it for years before hand. It only made sense to cease vital operations until we could bring the new man on board.

Oh wait, no, that’s not what we did at all. Because that would’ve been fecking moronic.

Otherwise, top post.
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Was the job advertised for over a year?.
 
I honestly think someone who knows the club structure already will be a success

Whereas someone from say Dortmund is used to scouting lower calibre players.

As good as Sancho ever was there's a reason he's getting game time in the Bundesliga and not the EPL.
 
DomesticTadpole said:
That is a possibility. As long as he builds on the Manchester United model and not a LvG model.
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The LVG model, as far as bringing through youth, aligned very well with the ethos of the club. Marcel Bout was with LVG at Bayern too, and after LVG was sacked, they kept Bout. We also did the same, so he must've impressed Bayern and United to such a degree they didn't want him to leave.
 
Adnan said:
The LVG model, as far as bringing through youth, aligned very well with the ethos of the club. Marcel Bout was with LVG at Bayern too, and after LVG was sacked, they kept Bout. We also did the same, so he must've impressed Bayern and United to such a degree they didn't want him to leave.
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That is in his favour. I am all for bringing through youth if they are good enough, not bringing through youth because it is supposedly what we do. We have to be picking up the best youth players out there. We have some with great potential, so hopefully whoever is the next manager will be able to make use of some of them.
 
Its evident that United have a structural weakness on the football side of things. If we're promoting from within then we might not go in the DOF route at all.
 
DomesticTadpole said:
You worry that he will promote someone who is so grateful for the promotion so is more easy to manipulate rather someone from outside who has a mind of his own?
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I like the idea of bringing in someone with experience of being a DoF as well as having a vast network. Woodward promoting a «yes man» could be a worry too, yeah.
 
Red Devil Rising said:
I'm sure Ince would do a great job :nervous:
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He probably does think he would do a great Job

Paul Ince the United hero.

Paul-Ince.jpg
 
Personally i think, if we aim to be one of the best teams (let's face it over the last 5-6 years we've been far from it) then we have to hire the best person for this position.

Especially when it comes to searching and acquiring the best talent attainable that suits our playing style. We all know that for the last 6-7 years are transfer strategy has been more hit then miss. So to me, this position is paramount that the club get it right.
 
Isn’t Brian McClair doing some executive job within the Scottish FA? Choccy is a smart fella.
 
DomesticTadpole said:
Might be promoting from within is the cheaper option. I would rather shell out for the best who has lots of contacts and is not learning on the job or at least if new to the job has the respect of the elite clubs.
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What, you think this is from Academy? First of all this is not Poch, so whoever we fancy doesn't need buy out clause. Secondly, even if we pick someone from within, do you think he/she will settle for less? VDS asked for 2m, so I will do it for 300K?
DomesticTadpole said:
That is a possibility. As long as he builds on the Manchester United model and not a LvG model.
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This is where the confusion of the Job that buzz me. Are we looking for a Head of Recruitment i.e. head of scout? Or are we looking for something higher up. Apparently I was told that it should be the latter, so the position of Head of Recruitment co-exist and probably reporting back to this DOF. BTW, IMO, with our recruitment so poor in the past 5 years, are you sure you should be promoting the head of Recruitment? Only Liverpool and Spurs Recruitment Head deserve a pat on the back, ours should be chopped in the market square Chinese style.
 
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