Among (rationale) fans yes. But that is it. When we hire someone, he is there for decade.
The John Murtough Era
- Thread starter Trex
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He has completely left ETH high and dry with his ineffective stewardship of our club. I would like to think he will be sacked soon if things don’t pick up but the reality is that he will outlast the only guy who actually knows anything about football, aka the manager.
He is from Liverpool and should be sacked. 
He better prove himself and quickly because right now this window is looking very Woodwardesque.
He's deserving of plenty of blame sure, but I also have to blame ETH a lot too.
ETH has got 3 players he knows very well and been supported in that sense, however he has decided to be a moron and spend the summer chasing FDJ and it has held up our transfer window completely.
He has literally put all his eggs in the one basket and it seems no one else will suffice other than FDJ and now he has been mugged off by him and possibly on his way to a rival after a summer of "assurances".
I've echoed these sentiments time and time again over the summer on the FDJ thread and mocked, but its looking ever more likely I'm right on it.
If we get another CM in it'll be a panic buy or someone simply not good enough either that actually improves us.
You see the window Barcelona is having, you see how quickly the other teams concluded complex transfers, no wonder United is in this situation. The people changed but it is still the same. Transfers take weeks, sometimes years and they are never enough.
Exactly. This director of football role was clearly just a placeholder pr move by the Glazers, as murtough has done absolutely nothing of note.
A proper dof, like others have said, is supposed to have a list of players with similar attributes who can match the coaches style, and get them in in a timely manner.
Alternatives to de Jong should have been signed weeks ago.
He is obviously not helped by everything having to go through Joel Glazer and the board before decisions are made. But the transfer window this summer has been woeful and Murtough should probably be sacked.
Wont happen though because the Glazers are clueless ditherers.
Ironically an appointment championed by Murtough because he was practically in love with Rangnick.
We should have kept Rangnick and jettisoned Murtough by the looks of things. Only thing Murtough has done right in his entire United career is hire ETH, and that was a fecking easy decision.
He's another company man. In one of our most critical summers in recent history, he had no plan, zero. He just went with what ETH was familiar with, and that's it. Arnold could've done that, but the main reason we have someone like Murtough was to have a long term plan, but here we are, starting the season with a weaker midfield and attack. He's a clown.
You'd think that businessmen and bankers would be more savvy with handling player values and not extending the contracts of unmovable players.
Another low weight chancer hanging on to a role above his stature in what has become a sad era for this club.
I mean what on earth is he doing. Isn't he supposed to be sort of our DoF but he seems oblivious to the quality of the squad we have. On top of that he has no clue of the quality players we should be after because why the feck are we bidding for Arnautovic
There were quite a few reports saying they preferred Poch at first but the groundswell of support for ETH led to us making that move, but that is literally the only good thing he has done. The rest of his term has been shambolic. I really hope he is sacked soon
I know. What theyre doing to the club makes zero business sense too.
I honestly think if Murtough and the board had been left in a closed environment to make the decision we'd have ended up with Bodgers.
The only reason they discounted Bodgers was because the PR team probably waded in and pointed out the fans would have jeered him out of the stadium by week 3. Similarly they chose ETH based on fan sentiment, so got the right decision by completely the wrong means.
What did I tell you lad?
You're massively overestimating this squad. Anything less than 3 signings in the next month sets us up for another catastrophic season Ten Hag isn't a magician
Not every piece of turd can be polished
We replaced Woodward with a worse version. Our transfer business are still a mess, and same mistakes are still happening. Nothing has changed regarding the club.
What pisses me off is how the club briefs to the media every year how good our structural change is and how big our scouts system is just to give the false impression we're a well run club. Remember shit like this :
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/10/15/manchester-united-have-method-madness-dont-talk/
They had a list of 804 right backs and from them AWB was on the top ! Ridiculous.
What pisses me off is how the club briefs to the media every year how good our structural change is and how big our scouts system is just to give the false impression we're a well run club. Remember shit like this :
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/10/15/manchester-united-have-method-madness-dont-talk/
They had a list of 804 right backs and from them AWB was on the top ! Ridiculous.
Hahaha. That made me laugh. I wish they would jeer Murtough out of his job at United.
I find it incredible so many on here swallow what is obvious pr by the club without question
Other big clubs have a clear strategy, they address weaknesses and potential in the market. They buy expensive players, but they also build up the rest of the squad with good players who's contract expires soon or young talents. They know what's on the market, and how to get it. Just look at how PSG recruited this summer, bloody brilliant it has to be said. And you know? They hired a competent DoF. We still hurry around like a lost bee and don't know what's left or right.
Here's the sole truth - it comes from the board. They appoint the CEO. He appoints the DoF. Everything else filters down.
For example - look at the board of a company like Instagram. It has titans like Michael Moritz on its board. You need expertise to advise. Who do we have on ours? 6 Glazer trust fund babies with no football knowledge and one or two others.
Brighton and Brentford have seasoned footballing / betting men on their board and as such they recruit well both in terms of club staff and player recruitment.
I wrote this season off before it started because until we get a compentant board in, our club will be running at a disadvantage in all the decisions it makes.
For example - look at the board of a company like Instagram. It has titans like Michael Moritz on its board. You need expertise to advise. Who do we have on ours? 6 Glazer trust fund babies with no football knowledge and one or two others.
Brighton and Brentford have seasoned footballing / betting men on their board and as such they recruit well both in terms of club staff and player recruitment.
I wrote this season off before it started because until we get a compentant board in, our club will be running at a disadvantage in all the decisions it makes.
Is he actually? He’s gonna burn the club to the ground.He is from Liverpool and should be sacked.
DOF should have been outsourced. The only individual within the planned hierarchy since SAF who had the strongest opinions is the one no longer employed by the club (Ragnick). The signs are all over the wall.
Many posters making a ridiculous point about other clubs promoting DOF from within, but I can't think of many clubs with the level and pressure United operate being dysfunctional competitively for almost ten years and having success. Patience is really starting to wear thin after the recent reports that ETH is indeed the beginning and end of the transfer strategy.
Einstein said that madness is doing the same over and over and over again expecting a different result. Jose, LVG and Ole had total control over transfer and look how it's worked out. United are the only top club in world football with a revolving door rebuilding process it never reaches its optimum peak (the rebuild) because the infrastructure is all messed up.
Many posters making a ridiculous point about other clubs promoting DOF from within, but I can't think of many clubs with the level and pressure United operate being dysfunctional competitively for almost ten years and having success. Patience is really starting to wear thin after the recent reports that ETH is indeed the beginning and end of the transfer strategy.
Einstein said that madness is doing the same over and over and over again expecting a different result. Jose, LVG and Ole had total control over transfer and look how it's worked out. United are the only top club in world football with a revolving door rebuilding process it never reaches its optimum peak (the rebuild) because the infrastructure is all messed up.
I mean I knew this six weeks ago but us being linked with arnautovic is further proof that this guy is a complete muppet who doesn’t know what he’s doing. The gig was up when he went to the pub but now he’s just consolidating the fact he’s a feckin imbecile.
It was Arnold who went to the pub.
All of this.
It also really gets me when I read about how 'people at the club' think it's unfair that they're being criticized while the transfer window is still open.
First, these people at the club clearly have their priorities wrong. How have they got the time to feed lines to people like Rob Dawson and James Ducker?
Second, if they believe the BS they are putting out then it just shows they haven't got a clue. It's a registration window, you can do the deals at any time, and the deals we have done don't solve the most obvious weaknesses in the squad.
Only people who have close to zero understanding of football could see what's been done so far this summer as acceptable. Which, again, says a lot about the people who run this club of ours.
We have the budget but are bidding peanuts for a 33-year-old has-been?
Clearly the money's not there. Otherwise, go sign Anthony or someone in the same profile and buy another midfielder if De Jong signs or sign two more.
Clearly the money's not there. Otherwise, go sign Anthony or someone in the same profile and buy another midfielder if De Jong signs or sign two more.
Us going for Arnautovic again demonstrates the lack of strategy and is probably a sign of desperation. It also looks like all he's done is go for players ETH has specifically requested, which makes me question what his value add is.
It's been a piss take and I can accept FDJ not coming but everything else just seems a complete mess. Have no confidence in him being able to rectify things this summer either.
It's been a piss take and I can accept FDJ not coming but everything else just seems a complete mess. Have no confidence in him being able to rectify things this summer either.
The people in charge think we have a great squad that finished 2nd only 15 months ago and that we should now easily finish top4 with a new and better manager. These players should prepare for a bottom half finish 5 points above Everton.
I was prepared to give this guy a chance but I’ve now decided he’s a complete dud. No going back.
Everton probably wouldn't have him back. Another chancer.
Lack of ownership from him as a leader. Needs to removed. He has been here since the Moyes era. He has been involved in many of the poor decisions of the club. He screwed up the Rangnick situation, and is now setting up a great coach in ETH for failure. Get rid ASAP.
Murtough seems to be a pseudo Football Director.
He's not a Ralf Rangnick, a Monchi, a Paratici. A guy who understands the style of football he wants to see and recruits coaches and staff to fit that.
So to expect him to recruit to suit the profile of Ten Hag's football is probably wrong on our part. He doesn't understand the profile of Ten Hag's football well enough to begin doing that. If Ten Hag doesn't spoonfeed him what he wants he would not have a scooby. Do we think Murtough understands Ajax's playing philosophy?
The club's getting what we deserve for, once again, not going for a best in class appointment but just giving a job to someone the hierarchy like. Painful to watch Campos go in and instantly address PSG's midfield woes for basically what we spent on Martinez.
Incredibly having a competent Football Director would save the Glazers money by allowing us to pick up great players before they get big. But that's still not enough for our Board. They just can't handle the idea of bringing in an outside voice.
Repost but also relevant here.
Big reason I will blame the club's hierarchy if things go wrong is they were already warned by the consultant they hired and still didn't listen. Some people need to see their hands burned by fire to know why it's bad. Imagine being warned and still making the exact mistake within months. Removed several key roles, put the burden of scouting and recruiting on one man and expected things to be okay. ETH is currently inexperienced as a teambuilder and would have needed his efforts supplemented by a qualified DoF whether or not he realised it.
Should be sacked along with Fletcher. Find somebody like Radnick.
Really sums up the problems in the fanbase and the club at large doesn't it, the club that promote yes men from within and the fans that were happy to swallow the PR because he wasn't a very good coach.
I know Murtough is getting shit on here, deservedly so obviously, but what's the reaction around mainstream social media anyone got a finger on the pulse?
Can't help but expect ETH will receive a lot of the blame for this window, particularly if/when FDJ doesn't materialise. While he does deserve some its very clearly the structure behind him, hopefully the majority are astute enough to see that we are expecting him to fulfill the roles of Dof, chief scout and head coach all at once.
Imagine being football director and your ideal striker would be Arnautovic at 33
He wasn't good enough when he was 27, certainly he isn't good now.
He wasn't good enough when he was 27, certainly he isn't good now.
Has he ever been a "been"?
Barca who are on the edge are going for better players than us.
Rangnick should have been taking this fraud's job. No doubt about it.
Indefensible if Murtough and Arnold okay the signing of Arnautovic, I'd rather we play someone from the academy or buy Sesko for 50M.
I get that Ten Hag needs bodies in the team and he tends to like players he already worked with, but he can't be allowed to saddle the club with below average 33 yo players who will bring 0 value, Cavani who is 100 times better than Arnautovic couldn't hack it here for 2 years.
I was optimistic with the new setup under Murtough, and Arnold stepping away from football decisions and leaving it to Murtough/Ten Hag, but this transfer window has been shambolic, there was no planning to upgrade the squad, and all the targets were players Ten Hag knows, and I do not mind such an approach as a starting point, until the Scouts are familiar with the profile of players Ten Hag needs, but Ten Hag should not be allowed to sign any player he wishes too, there has to be a control put in place to ensure only good players are brought in, there are plenty of strikers to choose from that are definitely better than Arnautovic, which is a very low bar.
I get that Ten Hag needs bodies in the team and he tends to like players he already worked with, but he can't be allowed to saddle the club with below average 33 yo players who will bring 0 value, Cavani who is 100 times better than Arnautovic couldn't hack it here for 2 years.
I was optimistic with the new setup under Murtough, and Arnold stepping away from football decisions and leaving it to Murtough/Ten Hag, but this transfer window has been shambolic, there was no planning to upgrade the squad, and all the targets were players Ten Hag knows, and I do not mind such an approach as a starting point, until the Scouts are familiar with the profile of players Ten Hag needs, but Ten Hag should not be allowed to sign any player he wishes too, there has to be a control put in place to ensure only good players are brought in, there are plenty of strikers to choose from that are definitely better than Arnautovic, which is a very low bar.
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