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

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Eyepopper said:
Same stories being peddled every window... 5 - 6 signings in the summer, hiring someone to oversee transfers... what exactly are we paying this new PR guru for? He could at least come up with a new line of bullshit to give us some new false hope :mad:
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This is exactly what i think. another planted story in the wake of no transfer this month.
 
el3mel said:
Might be Woodward's master plan. Appoint a crap DOF and let him fail so that he can tell the Glazers : "See ? Told you this wasn't the problem, this idea was shite" then sack such DOF and decides to never appoint one again and for him to keep ruling over football side.
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You may well be correct in that asumption. I am sorry to say that the club I love has been hijacked and has only one interest now. That interest is in making the Glazers richer than they already are. They are killing the club and supporting them in any way financially is helping them. I will not spend another cent on United until they are gone.
 
I would say there is no way we’re getting a DOF, but reading what other posters are saying about him, and knowing our board, it actually might happen.

One thing though, surely he can’t be worse than Woodward and what we currently have!
 
JPRouve said:
Bayern actually advised PSG to get rid of Antero Henrique after the Boateng dealings. The thing that I don't understand is how he lasted at Porto.
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Have to say that it's a bit fresh from an organisation to tell another one to fire one of their employees (no matter how incompetent), unless there's some kind of personal relationship between the Bayern and PSG brass.

If Henrique comes, get ready for players from superagent Kia Joorabchian (Coutinho?) . Those 2 are really close if I remember correctly.
 
RoyH1 said:
Have to say that it's a bit fresh from an organisation to tell another one to fire one of their employees (no matter how incompetent), unless there's some kind of personal relationship between the Bayern and PSG brass.

If Henrique comes, get ready for players from superagent Kia Joorabchian (Coutinho?) . Those 2 are really close if I remember correctly.
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PSG and Bayern have a weird relationship, in public Bayern executives have targetted PSG but it has been said that most top clubs executives like Al Khelaifi at the ECA.
 
bucky said:
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Out of all the possible candidates, even world class candidates that are employed by other clubs that have spoken to us, we'd pick this guy? If this happened, it'd sum up the incompetence of everyone at boardroom level at the club and would ensure we stay at the level we're at with player recruitment.
 
JPRouve said:
PSG and Bayern have a weird relationship, in public Bayern executives have targetted PSG but it has been said that most top clubs executives like Al Khelaifi at the ECA.
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To be perfectly fair, Bayern executives do seem to have an opinion on everything and are not afraid to share it.

But this probably means that we shouldn't expect easy dealings with Bayern if Henrique comes over.
 
Would rather we gave it to a rookie like Fletcher than this guy who seems like another moron. At least with Fletcher, like with Ole, you would know that he will do the best that he can and give it his all.
 
So. Apparently we are now only targeting players with the 'United DNA' - the right attitude and personality to represent the club. Shouldn't this also apply to people who are representing the club off the field?

We are targeting what appears to be the least respected and most disliked DOF option in Europe. A man who has allegedly racially abused his own player and has a reputation for shambolic transfer dealings.

We wouldn't try to sign a player like Balotelli for their reputation and attitude. Why are we doing so for a DOF?

Is it as simple as 'nobody else wants him'?
 
Alabaster Codify7 said:
So. Apparently we are now only targeting players with the 'United DNA' - the right attitude and personality to represent the club. Shouldn't this also apply to people who are representing the club off the field?

We are targeting what appears to be the least respected and most disliked DOF option in Europe. A man who has allegedly racially abused his own player and has a reputation for shambolic transfer dealings.

We wouldn't try to sign a player like Balotelli for their reputation and attitude. Why are we doing so for a DOF?

Is it as simple as 'nobody else wants him'?
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I think the problem at United is the owners putting business over football. I think the major attraction for this guy is that he would be free as he is out of a job unlike renowned DOFs like Campos and Rangnick. We did the same with managers from Moyes to Jose and only paid a token payoff for Ole.
 
I know Antero very well from his work in Porto. He's in the same mould as Woodward. Businessmen rather than football directors. He gets the transfers done, even if it means going through less licit ways but he gets them done, no question about it. In that regard he's a big upgrade on Woodward/Judge or whoever is dealing with the transfers.

He won't bring a recruitment plan or anything similar to that though.
 
AneRu said:
I think the problem at United is the owners putting business over football. I think the major attraction for this guy is that he would be free as he is out of a job unlike renowned DOFs like Campos and Rangnick. We did the same with managers from Moyes to Jose and only paid a token payoff for Ole.
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Exactly, and he's free because he's shite at his job, has no respect within his field and seems to be a complete piece of work.
 
Antero Henrique might have been a failure at PSG but could be a success at United like he was at Porto in his native Portugal. His work at Porto was very impressive according to reports and he was at the club for 26 years working various roles until he was made the Sporting Director. He also oversaw the work that made Porto European Champions in 2004 along with Mourinho. He is also someone with a vast network of contacts around the world according to reports and was described by Nasser El Khelafi as among the finest Sporting directors in the game when he was appointed at PSG. Below are a couple of articles written by PSG correspondents before he was given the PSG role.

Antero Henrique: Portrait of a self-made man

https://parisunited.fr/en/board-staff/antero-henrique-portrait-of-a-self-made-man/

Henrique's extensive global scouting network at Porto enabled him to unearth gems such as Radamel Falcao, James Rodriguez, Hulk and Jackson Martinez and he is widely recognised as the man behind Porto's impressive structure during their strongest period in recent history.

https://www.espn.co.uk/football/par...in-name-antero-henrique-new-sporting-director
 
Avocado said:
I know Antero very well from his work in Porto. He's in the same mould as Woodward. Businessmen rather than football directors. He gets the transfers done, even if it means going through less licit ways but he gets them done, no question about it. In that regard he's a big upgrade on Woodward/Judge or whoever is dealing with the transfers.

He won't bring a recruitment plan or anything similar to that though.
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If he gets transfers done why didn't he at PSG?
 
DomesticTadpole said:
If he gets transfers done why didn't he at PSG?
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Like i said, he's not the right man to bring a football philosophy/dna into recruitment so i guess PSG prefered someone who knew more about football like Leonardo. Or perhaps they didn't like his methods. Hes certainly not the classiest guy in the world.
 
Avocado said:
Like i said, he's not the right man to bring a football philosophy/dna into recruitment so i guess PSG prefered someone who knew more about football like Leonardo. Or perhaps they didn't like his methods. Hes certainly not the classiest guy in the world.
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The way United can be at times he will fit in. I presume they want him to look for unknowns.
 
Avocado said:
I know Antero very well from his work in Porto. He's in the same mould as Woodward. Businessmen rather than football directors. He gets the transfers done, even if it means going through less licit ways but he gets them done, no question about it. In that regard he's a big upgrade on Woodward/Judge or whoever is dealing with the transfers.

He won't bring a recruitment plan or anything similar to that though.
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And sadly, that is exactly what we need. We need an overarching football philosophy to make our recruiting and development of players more streamlined. Unless the plan is that Woodie already knows he has a manager tied up for june who comes with that part of it, we're going to be running in circles for the foreseeable future.
 
Henrique has a decent record. Porto went to shit after he left and he got major deals done at PSG (Neymar/Mbappe).
 
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Out of interest, what would be the point in a DOF that still answers to Ed and the Glazers? Surely he'd just be a middle man who draws up plans which everyone above him would veto or refuse to fund?
 
Turnip said:
Out of interest, what would be the point in a DOF that still answers to Ed and the Glazers? Surely he'd just be a middle man who draws up plans which everyone above him would veto or refuse to fund?
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The rational would be that a more competent guy than the clowns currently at United would draw up better plans. The Glazers care about money so if they approve a £100m net spend the trick now lies in having someone who can utilize it better.

I had a discussion with @JPRouve where the example of Pereira (Leicester's RB) and Dalot's acquisition. When we signed Dalot for circa £20m, Pereira was their first choice and he had moved for a fee in the same range. How we, then we had a stronger hand than Leicester as we had CL football and Mourinho, chose to spend that much on the unproven youth player whilst their first choice, who is also good enough, was a available is a mystery to me.

When you note that we then spent £50m on the same position a year later you would then see the idiocy of our current transfer policy. Same as right now, we will probably spend £70m on Rice in the summer when Sheffield are having a free go at Sander Berge who is not only cheaper but a higher rated and just as effective midfielder. That's why we need this 'middle men'.
 
Turnip said:
Out of interest, what would be the point in a DOF that still answers to Ed and the Glazers? Surely he'd just be a middle man who draws up plans which everyone above him would veto or refuse to fund?
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All DoFs report to someone and it wouldn't be any different at United in that regard. The difference would be that the money spent would be spent with alot of foresight and the clubs scouts would be much better utilised.
 
How does it make sense bringing in a recruitment specialist towards the end of the window instead of before it began??

Also makes zero sense why someone who had full autonomy at one top club would go to another in a lesser role?

All sounds rather convenient timing to me to ward off some of the heat Woodward and the Glazers have been catching this window rather than a part of any cogent strategy
 
I wouldn't call the Antero Henrique to United rumours a brief from the club due to the rumours originating from Italy and France.
 
Adnan said:
I wouldn't call the Antero Henrique to United rumours a brief from the club due to the rumours originating from Italy and France.
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Then it's worse if we are actually considering him, he didn't cover himself in glory at PSG and we have different needs to Porto. I am dreading this appointment, only Woodward can turn a possible solution into another problem.
 
AneRu said:
Then it's worse if we are actually considering him, he didn't cover himself in glory at PSG and we have different needs to Porto. I am dreading this appointment, only Woodward can turn a possible solution into another problem.
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We have different needs to RBL and Lille but that doesn't stop most on here to gush over Rangnick and Campos.
 
AneRu said:
Then it's worse if we are actually considering him, he didn't cover himself in glory at PSG and we have different needs to Porto. I am dreading this appointment, only Woodward can turn a possible solution into another problem.
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Do we have different needs to Porto? Yes. But is it the same from Woodward/ Glazers perspective. Maybe not. Porto need to spend cheap and unearth gems. If this guy has a track record of doing that for Porto in the 2000s perhaps that's what Woodward and Glazers are looking for.
 
Adnan said:
We have different needs to RBL and Lille but that doesn't stop most on here to gush over Rangnick and Campos.
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At least we know that those two are football men in the strictest sense whereas this guy spent his early career as a paper pusher and transitioned to the DOF role. We don't just need a DOF for transfers we need them to establish a philosophy that drives our transfer strategy, recruitment of coaches and overall development of the club on the football side.
mav_9me said:
Do we have different needs to Porto? Yes. But is it the same from Woodward/ Glazers perspective. Maybe not. Porto need to spend cheap and unearth gems. If this guy has a track record of doing that for Porto in the 2000s perhaps that's what Woodward and Glazers are looking for.
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If that's so then maybe but like I said above, we need much more than a transfer guru. We need someone to drive all the football operations not just recruitment. Players come here and after a few months they look worse, for example.
 
Turnip said:
Out of interest, what would be the point in a DOF that still answers to Ed and the Glazers? Surely he'd just be a middle man who draws up plans which everyone above him would veto or refuse to fund?
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That's probably exactly the point. Some patsy to deflect a bit of blame away from Ed when it all inevitably goes tits up.
 
AneRu said:
At least we know that those two are football men in the strictest sense whereas this guy spent his early career as a paper pusher and transitioned to the DOF role. We don't just need a DOF for transfers we need them to establish a philosophy that drives our transfer strategy, recruitment of coaches and overall development of the club on the football side.

If that's so then maybe but like I said above, we need much more than a transfer guru. We need someone to drive all the football operations not just recruitment. Players come here and after a few months they look worse, for example.
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We should actually look at the successful clubs around Europe who operate in a similar fashion and employ someone in-house in a similar fashion. We should develop our own Sporting Director. But such is the paranoia amongst many on here that they wouldn't even give someone like Nicky Butt the time of the day.
 
Adnan said:
We should actually look at the successful clubs around Europe who operate in a similar fashion and employ someone in-house in a similar fashion. We should develop our own Sporting Director. But such is the paranoia amongst many on here that they wouldn't even give someone like Nicky Butt the time of the day.
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I was warming up to the idea of appointing Fletcher and Nicky has done well with the youth team too. The vast networks will come in no time at all because scouts and agents will present themselves to him. What is needed is intelligence, application and objectivity. Now I fear that if we appoint another ex player they will keep Ole around when we need to be ruthless.
 
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