Well judge doesn't count. He's a banker buddy of Eds. His record here ain't great but lets hope Murtough who is now his boss gets him to pull the finger out.
Manchester United name John Murtough as Football Director and Darren Fletcher as Technical Director
- Thread starter Tom Van Persie
- Start date
Well judge doesn't count. He's a banker buddy of Eds. His record here ain't great but lets hope Murtough who is now his boss gets him to pull the finger out.
Yeah, any step in the direction of better football operations should be greeted with optimism, even if it does turn into a bureaucratic mess.
It's probably an equal mix of those who are pleased we've "finally" done it, those who think it's just reshuffling who we already have, and absolute smarm pot sarky posters thinking they're being funny
I've only seen Lethal Weapon 6.
How can he claim that there will be ‘less Woodward’? He’a still the CEO for the Glazers and he can still veto transfers. Not to mention that Judge is still the ‘negotiator’.
Well, he's been with the club for quite some time. He was responsible for revamping the academy and built the women's team who have been a smashing success. Also, the transfers in the last two seasons, although not perfect, have been better strategically, than the prior seasons. The one area we are still weak in so far, has been in negotiations. That, hopefully will change with Matt Judge now reporting to Murtough. Hopefully, Judge is on a much shorter leash now.
Seeing as this is significant organizational change it's not a bad idea to install someone who is familiar with the club.
Isn't a main job of a Director Of Football/Sporting Director to identify players to fit into a set way of the club playing and their character fitting the club then agreeing with the manger so the club can sign them ? If so John Murtough fits the bill seeing as he’s been a Scout, Head Of Football Development and Head Of Elite Performance already and meant to have been heavily involved in our recruitment over the past couple of years or since Ole came in.
He might not have the reputation of Monchi or Campos or Rangnick but Murtough has been with us since 2013 and knows the club inside out, I like how Fletcher has been given a role too as he’s United to the core and again whilst there’s questions over his experience he’s been highly rated for a good couple of years by people inside the game who know far more than us on here.
He might not have the reputation of Monchi or Campos or Rangnick but Murtough has been with us since 2013 and knows the club inside out, I like how Fletcher has been given a role too as he’s United to the core and again whilst there’s questions over his experience he’s been highly rated for a good couple of years by people inside the game who know far more than us on here.
Because big Clubs hiring competent people. Just like those big successful companies usually do.
We're just a small Club that's in growing phase. You just can not expect Manchester United to act like big Club does. You have the wrong mindset. Please think like some people here.
Can fletcher start talking about our transfer targets in the media now?
We’ve got a DOF. I don’t believe it.
In general the job of a DOF is partially to make sure that the club is able to do that efficiently but ultimately that's the chief scout job. His main job is to make sure that from a football standpoint the club run as smoothly as possible, which means having the best coaching, scouting, conditioning and infrastructures possible with the budget that he has.
fecking he’ll mate, that’s a sweeping statement, this is the redcafe, no one knows more than us numpties.
Seems like the disappointment many of us has been feeling comes from a fact that we'd secretly hoped for one of those "hipster" DoFs from ES, DE or IT with a proven track record.
It is what it is. I'm staying positive that it's a step in the right direction.
It is what it is. I'm staying positive that it's a step in the right direction.
There will be a lot less Woodward now.
Ah yes just like how Chelsea didn’t make Petr Cech their Technical Director. Or Barcelona with Abidal (admittedly he failed). Or how Zidane became Real’s Sporting Director in 2011. Or how Zorc became Dortmund’s with no experience (admittedly they were smaller when he was hired). Or how VDS became Ajax’s marketing director. Fabio Paritici was hired by Juve with little experience. Or look at Michael Edwards being promoted in house from being part of the transfer committee to Liverpool’s sporting director. Funnily it actually seems that it’s quite common place for clubs to hire ex-players or to promote from within.
Just FYI, Bayern hired Hasan Salihamidzic as Sporting Director and he didn't have much experience except for being a pundit. So I think Fletcher will do fine.
Another thing I don't get is why some people are complaining about this, forget the names, what matters most is the structure, not the names appointed. In the structure there is clear process of how matters related to football will be operated, who's responsible of what and so on. This will allow for some autonomy of the football management from the commercial business (I mean at least now football isn't dictated by commercial needs but dictated by a clear process and strategy that is in place now).
And the names appointed are promising, it's within the club and ones that worked for the club for years in Murtough and another is a long serving ex player who played at the top level for 15 years in Fletcher.. so I suggest we wait and see how this works first.
Another thing I don't get is why some people are complaining about this, forget the names, what matters most is the structure, not the names appointed. In the structure there is clear process of how matters related to football will be operated, who's responsible of what and so on. This will allow for some autonomy of the football management from the commercial business (I mean at least now football isn't dictated by commercial needs but dictated by a clear process and strategy that is in place now).
And the names appointed are promising, it's within the club and ones that worked for the club for years in Murtough and another is a long serving ex player who played at the top level for 15 years in Fletcher.. so I suggest we wait and see how this works first.
8 years of excuses and it's still crap. Ta ra Woodie
If this is the same man who's overseen the influx of amazing young players who have joined the academy recently, I couldn't be happier!
Well said.
Apparently so mate, I won’t pretend that we’ve been run well at all over the past few years but there’s football people out there outside of our club that highly rate Fletcher and Murtough has had a lot of high profile/major roles within the league outside of us as well as for us.
8 years of disappointing recruitment overall and the reorganizational change is simply to promote the very people responsible.
I don't suppose Woodward reports to Murtough?
Turns out he was here all along for past 7 years
Jobs for the boys?
They all report to him. He just promoted a guy who was already at the club.
So you assume Woodward will be micromanaging them, then?
Honestly I think that's the main problem some of the naysayers have with his appointment/promotion.
Maybe but its possible he'll take some of the work from Woodward who will focus on other things.
The difference is, Bayern is already a well oiled machine, plus the people managing the club have been shown to have decent judgement in such matters.
I like Fletcher and wanted him to have a position at the club, but technical director is supposed to be a very senior role for someone with a lot of experience and a track record...
DGAF about who is in what role in this - just get Haaland signed.
There will be trouble otherwise - especially if he ends up at City
There will be trouble otherwise - especially if he ends up at City
I assume that nothing has changed: he just promoted a guy who has been here for 7 years. Identifying targets hasn’t been a problem for a few years now. It’s the incompetence of Woodward and Judge to get the deals over the line that IMO will remain.
I really hope I’m wrong but that’s my realistic expectation.
The optimistic narrative in my head regarding this news is Murtough has probably been marginalised by the LVG and Jose eras because Woodward let them have free reign over everything (especially Jose who will throw a shitfit at any hint of pushback on what he wants). Sanchez was the final straw for Woodward on this approach of letting managers with great pedigree run it their way, and start listening more to the guys like Murtough, Bout and Lawlor who scouted out great young players we could have bought at the time and have probably gone on to be awesome elsewhere.
Like the scouts and officials could have gone to Jose and suggested this hypothetical great young player who’d work for us, but Jose would veto it as it wasnt his type and Woodward would agree on that... then said great young player goes on to be awesome elsewhere. I dread to think who may have slipped through our nets during those LVG and Jose eras, and I would bet on that actually happening.
Like the scouts and officials could have gone to Jose and suggested this hypothetical great young player who’d work for us, but Jose would veto it as it wasnt his type and Woodward would agree on that... then said great young player goes on to be awesome elsewhere. I dread to think who may have slipped through our nets during those LVG and Jose eras, and I would bet on that actually happening.
Yet VDS is CEO of Ajax and not DOF?
Fletch is NOT the DOF that's Murtough's role. Fletcher's role is moulding or seeing if the development players have the mentality to play for Man United. I think Fletchers 12 years at Man United makes him out qualify most.
I'm pretty sure he was being sarcastic as VDS has never been a DOF, he's CEO of Ajax, hence Woodward/VDS being mentioned as footballing decisions on a day to day basis.
He may or may not, I doubt he actually will, but at the end of the day, a deal can't go through with his his agreement.
There were reports at the time of Lawlor and Murtough being sidelined by Jose if that helps your optimism.
Judge now reports to Murtough, so he'll likely have to show some increased competence or be replaced.
And it's Murtough's job to make the case for each deal to Ed.
In other words, it's the norm in football to elevate a current employee or bring someone that is familiar with the club generally a former player. I don't know why people think that it works differently when they probably see it regularly for almost every other clubs.