Manchester United name John Murtough as Football Director and Darren Fletcher as Technical Director

Everytime I see his name, I always instantly picture Danny Glover in Letgal Weapon, with his classic "I'm getting too old for this sh*t", whilst signing up Sancho and Varane.

Even though he's not even been in the job a year :lol:
 
Adnan said:
Transfer window podcast: Duncan Castles says the speed of United's incomings is far greater than it has been in recent seasons.

And he credits both Murtough and former midfielder Fletcher for being influential in getting deals done.

"You look at what they're doing in the transfer market, there is a significant difference this summer in the speed of which they're operating," Castles said on the Transfer Window podcast.

"I think a lot of that comes down to the change in structure at the club, with John Murtough and Darren Fletcher handed roles where they do a lot of the day-to-day work in preparing deals and getting deals in place before final negotiations are done elsewhere and before the Glazers sign off on them.

Mark Ogden: "Murtough and Fletcher have taken much of the heavy lifting away from Woodward"

https://www.espn.com/soccer/soccer-...-deals?platform=amp&__twitter_impression=true

James Ducker: "Matt Judge, United’s director of football negotiations, drove the process with a keen, sharp eye and a presentation to the Varane camp by football director John Murtough and technical director Darren Fletcher about the culture and philosophy of the club, their plans and what they could offer the player was said to be persuasive and impressive".

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/footbal...utd-snared-raphael-varane-decade-making/?s=09
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Good to hear the change in synergy. Also Madrid and Dortmund acted decently during negotiations this time. A sharp contrast with petty Dortmund, last Summer.
 
Time to create the Martinez presentation.

If they sign him this summer Murtough deserves a pay rise already.
 
Ali Dia said:
It seems like we’ve got a better handle on the PR as well as the transfers these days
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But but… Fletcher has no experience, he’s another ‘job for the boys’ appointment. They’re all just Woody’s mates
 
Inigo Montoya said:
But but… Fletcher has no experience, he’s another ‘job for the boys’ appointment. They’re all just Woody’s mates
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This is what the PR is most likely countering. Howson was saying it’s woody and judge running these transfers this summer, they are just a lot more experienced now. Also having extra help from Fletcher and Murtough is going to be handy. It’s the way it should be. Nice smooth hand off. It’s good to see us making consistently solid decisions
 
Adnan said:
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And when we combine this tweet with what Evra said about how we previously handled it, we can see what the massive changes and improvement here. There is proper strategy and plan to sign player now and it's all started after we made Murtough as DoF and Fletcher as the technical director.

 
Ali Dia said:
It seems like we’ve got a better handle on the PR as well as the transfers these days
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Exactly what I was thinking. There’s clearly been a PR reaction to how badly the running of the club has looked for the last few years. These reports seem desperate to create a picture of a collection of slick operators in the transfer market pulling out all the stops, with the perennial transfer klutz, Ed even getting a mention. Nothing to do with, COVID, big European clubs going to ground or the mass protests a few months ago.
 
Crustanoid said:
Exactly what I was thinking. There’s clearly been a PR reaction to how badly the running of the club has looked for the last few years. These reports seem desperate to create a picture of a collection of slick operators in the transfer market pulling out all the stops, with the perennial transfer klutz, Ed even getting a mention. Nothing to do with, COVID, big European clubs going to ground or the mass protests a few months ago.
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One would hope these things would have changed for the better organically but the protests must have majorly put the shits up them. When there’s English reporters flying out to America to doorstep you you know things have gotten out of hand
 
Loon said:
If there's any truth to this at all, it would seem a football man talking to a football man has won the day. Fletcher also strikes me as a bright one.
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Fletcher is fantastic and well worth listening to any time he’s on a podcast or whatever. Very insightful, intelligent, and well spoken. Delighted he’s back at the club.
 
roseguy64 said:
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Ed Woodward continued negotiations with Real Madrid for Raphael Varane during a family holiday, while John Murtough and Darren Fletcher spoke to Varane to sell him the move to Old Trafford. Varane was particularly swayed by Fletcher
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Imagine if we have Murtough and Fletcher last season and speak to Cavani to sell him the move to Old Trafford. We would have got him few weeks or even a month before the season started as Cavani would have been convinced with the project which lead him to lower his demand.
 
Inigo Montoya said:
But but… Fletcher has no experience, he’s another ‘job for the boys’ appointment. They’re all just Woody’s mates
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Fletcher comes across as bright, articulate and objective, and his spending the last part of his playing career at unglamorous clubs won’t have done him any harm. I have to say I’m surprised (and delighted) that he seems to have made such an impact so soon though.

Woody’s biggest and bestest mate, Matt Judge, was previously held to be a yes man and a hopeless negotiatior. Now he’s having his hand held by Proper Football People he seems to be doing a much better job.
 
Adnan said:
It's normal for Woodward to be in contact with Jose Angel Sanchez due to both men being the CEO's of the clubs. Woodward was also in contact with Watzke for the Sancho deal which was reported on, which again is normal due to the positions they hold at the club. Michael Zorc is the Sporting director at Dortmund and it's he and the like of Sebastian Kehl who Murtough and Fletcher were likely in contact with.
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I have no doubt of that. But all the noise suggests Woodward was involved a lot this summer and I'm fine with that. I have no doubt Murtough and Fletcher were too but it's fine Judge and Woodward doing the heavy lifting in the power transfer.
 
Ali Dia said:
This guy is supposedly highly rated. Classes of Sancho, Garcia and what’s his name on loan at Milan. City’s youth recruitment was/is great but they need to stop buying everything short term for it to actually work in the first team.
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Probably why he's joined us. Must be disheartening finding all these gems only to have Pep splash another few hundred million instead of playing any of them.
 
Sancho and Varane is a very good start from Murtaugh and Fletcher. Can they ship some deadwood as well?
 
MemphisThePie said:
Sancho and Varane is a very good start from Murtaugh and Fletcher. Can they ship some deadwood as well?
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Yeah I'm actually uallyy more interested in seeing if the way we sell players improves under them. Usually we hold onto players for a year too long instead of moving them. I think Lingard or James go this year it would show a new philosophy
 
laughtersassassin said:
Not looking much different in the end is it?
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I didn't jump on the bandwagon when we signed Sancho or Varane, nor will I be criticising now. Such appointments are about more than one or two transfer windows.

Besides, the fact our deadwood is not particularly wanted is a big hindrance.
 
I maintain that Sancho and Varane is a good window.

Three starters in one window (despite needed) was never realistic.
 
Lynty said:
I maintain that Sancho and Varane is a good window.

Three starters in one window (despite needed) was never realistic.
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The issue is that it is realistic for the clubs that we're supposed to compete with. So we have to find a way to improve the starting 11 more. Without doing that, it's a failure of everyone involved.
 
I do have to wonder if I'll get all the smartasses claiming how amazing we were doing earlier in the window come back and admit they've been played like a fiddle by Glazers FC.
 
We're just one signing away from having a brilliant team as things stand. And if we end up signing no one after the acquisitions of Sancho and Varane, then I'm still happy with our squad. And with the young potential coming through the ranks, it's gonna be a interesting few seasons ahead which I'm looking forward to.

Ole has said he's very happy with the squad and I believe most managers in Europe will be looking on with envy when they see the quality we possess.

We drew the game against Soton which I see has caused anxiety among some of our fans. But for me I'm looking forward to seeing a Man Utd team that consistently adopts a proactive approach starting with a high line with and without the ball. And I'm still hopeful the Glazers will release funds for one more signing.
 
In their first transfer window they have done very well. Bringing in Sancho and Varane, can't really ask for more. Outgoings are proving extremely difficult due to unrealistic price tags, I'm guessing the owners would set these values. Similarly, Chelsea and City having top windows is not Murtough or Fletcher's fault.
 
UNITED ACADEMY said:
We signed Sancho & Varane and you are saying it's not looking much different? :wenger:
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Yeah we got them but then it didn't take much longer than match day 2 to confirm what we have always known - that the midfield is our Achille's heel and we cost us the chance to compete for trophies again.
 
AneRu said:
Yeah we got them but then it didn't take much longer than match day 2 to confirm what we have always known - that the midfield is our Achille's heel and we cost us the chance to compete for trophies again.
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Thats BS. Midfield needs an upgrade but RW and CB were clearly higher priority.

Hindsight is easy, but if we'd spent VDB on a number 6 we'd be in much better shape. I'd love to know who's decision that was when he can't even get a game.
 
Lynty said:
Thats BS. Midfield needs an upgrade but RW and CB were clearly higher priority.

Hindsight is easy, but if we'd spent VDB on a number 6 we'd be in much better shape. I'd love to know who's decision that was when he can't even get a game.
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Guess the higher ups wanted to manage perceptions and needed a few signings to silence the base but summer of 2020 was a complete waste of time and money. And now with European clubs on the ropes no one is taking VDB off our hands for good money. Its a mess.

Midfield was as important as RW and CB imo. With McT fit we still had arguably the worst midfield in the top four and now it just got worse with Matic upgraded to a starter even after his horror show last season. Anyone with half a brain could see we needed a midfielder, there is no hindsight in that, its just negligence and poor planning from the club.
 
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