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

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Fridge chutney

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Woodie's going to enter the summer with his megadongle swinging and blow you all away.

6 top signings and we'll all be begging him to stay.
 

Patrick08

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Its not really difficult to understand. Castles is Jose's mouth piece, so him talking about transfer targets before they were signed is reliable as he was close with Mendes/Jose and he was the one who used to post positive articles on Jose and negative on one anything who replaces Jose or his opposition.

He is unreliable when he changes his tune and try to push Jose's agenda when the transfers fail, like he did with Lindelof, Fred.
Thought, I was really surprised at the time why top manager like Mourinho who never failed building a balanced title winning teams in the past was so out of touch at our freaking club itself. His teams never lacked midfeild solidity and workrate in the past ever, yet he was going for players totally against norms wishing them to adhere to his style.

Yet again Mr Woodward throws all the blame at managers door itself. 3 managers were unsatisfied with him. 2 of them with huge pedigree and experience in the game. Can it all be blamed on managers door alone?
 

Baneofthegame

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We should reach out to VDS in my opinion, ticks the Jones the club box and has had a successful stint at Ajax.
 

Rocksy

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What I don’t get is how, with six years in the job, Woodward has not got a little bit better at organising and finishing transfers. I know he knows very little about football, but he must have been to close to a thousand games, has been working at a football club every day, has football people around him. He’s also done hundreds of deals. Why does he still behave like it’s day one?

Regardless of whether they hire a DOF or not, he should be competent enough by now to be at least decent at running a football club. I remember people saying early on, after Moyes was appointed, that Ed was “a quick learner” but I don’t see it. Even this window he’s put Dan James on 70,000 a week.
 

roseguy64

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Serious question. Where do the pay slips get published? How do we always know how much our players are paid? Even Ole apparently gets more than Klippity and PayPal Guardiola even though they don't publish their salary. Just the ole.
Because people want to believe the worst
 

Keefy18

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Serious question. Where do the pay slips get published? How do we always know how much our players are paid? Even Ole apparently gets more than Klippity and PayPal Guardiola even though they don't publish their salary. Just the ole.
We've a fair idea because our financials are public knowledge. They are given every quarter at the share holder meetings.

You know the meetings for the investors, the business side...the ones folks then complain no football talk happens at :lol:
 

Keefy18

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What I don’t get is how, with six years in the job, Woodward has not got a little bit better at organising and finishing transfers. I know he knows very little about football, but he must have been to close to a thousand games, has been working at a football club every day, has football people around him. He’s also done hundreds of deals. Why does he still behave like it’s day one?

Regardless of whether they hire a DOF or not, he should be competent enough by now to be at least decent at running a football club. I remember people saying early on, after Moyes was appointed, that Ed was “a quick learner” but I don’t see it. Even this window he’s put Dan James on 70,000 a week.
There are plenty of transfers he's done in a few days.

Remember LVG arrived late and we signed ADM, Falcao & Blind within 1 week and we released a number of players also.

Every transfer is different and its obviously extremely difficult to pin point exactly when talks commence to the point of it being closed out. I mean we signed James the other week but it was only posted on social media about a week later.

Flip side is we scouted Herrera and wanted to sign him the summer Moyes was appointed but couldn't due to work visa problems I think it was and then LVG OK'd the deal the following year.

They are extremely complex things to complete but our supporters don't often consider this.
 

Sparky_Hughes

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What I don’t get is how, with six years in the job, Woodward has not got a little bit better at organising and finishing transfers. I know he knows very little about football, but he must have been to close to a thousand games, has been working at a football club every day, has football people around him. He’s also done hundreds of deals. Why does he still behave like it’s day one?

Regardless of whether they hire a DOF or not, he should be competent enough by now to be at least decent at running a football club. I remember people saying early on, after Moyes was appointed, that Ed was “a quick learner” but I don’t see it. Even this window he’s put Dan James on 70,000 a week.
Like every banker and ex banker he is a tunnel visioned little tosspot who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.
 

Wazza4Gaffa

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I'm still absolutely gobsmacked we haven't brought one in considering the turmoil the club is in right now and all the potential/needed outgoings and incomings this pivotal summer.
 

The Mad Manc

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When are we, as a fanbase, going to wake up? With the Glazers and Woodward in charge, nothing will change.

We ALL need to stop buying merchandise, stop following their social media and stop going to games. It was utterly depressing to see how quickly the season tickets sold out for next season.

I don't live in the UK so you might think "easy for you to say", asking someone to give up a season ticket they've held for years with no guarantee they'll ever get it back. But something drastic needs to happen. The only way I can see fortunes improving is if a new owner buys the Glazers out. But whilst the cash keeps on flowing this cancer will remain and continue to eat away at the club.
 

Enigma_87

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I'm still absolutely gobsmacked we haven't brought one in considering the turmoil the club is in right now and all the potential/needed outgoings and incomings this pivotal summer.
Well why should Ed do it now? He appointed a manager, some yes men alongside as well, transfer window underway...

If things turn shit he'll put it on the manager, market, get another yes man in, rinse and repeat.

It has become blatantly obvious that he won't let go of the footballing side.
 

Crashoutcassius

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If we aren't bringing a dof in then we shouldn't spend any money this summer. If we spend 300m and sack ole in November then we are back to rebuilding for the 4th or 5th time.
 

Adnan

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"Woodward’s preference is to have a dedicated technical director in a role that is seen as crucial to United’s sustained revival"

"Woodward has been determined to move away from the pattern of entrusting long-term strategy to figures who are essentially in short-term roles. In other words, the manager".

"That United are onto their fourth permanent managerial appointment in the space of six years emphasises the folly of giving overarching control of the club’s philosophy to someone who is likely to have departed before any of their signings have reached the half-way point of their contracts"


https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/fo...l-a4168366.html?amp&__twitter_impression=true
 

Ranchero

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Manchester United have appointed Rebecca Britain as their new club secretary following John Alexander's retirement and are set to appoint a director of football operations.

United have split the role into three following Alexander’s retirement and it is understood the club has acknowledged the need for a director of football role, having opposed it in the past out of fear it diluted the manager's role. Alexander's departure is believed to have been viewed as an opportunity to preside over a restructure.

Britain is expected to report to the new director of football operations, as will academy staff. United currently have a technical director in John Murtough, who temporarily ran the academy with Alexander following Brian McClair's departure in 2015.

Liverpool supporter Alexander, who is the uncle of Trent Alexander-Arnold, spent seven years in the role after joining United from Tottenham but retired in September.

Rebecca Britain held the post of football secretary at Tottenham and becomes just the sixth United secretary since 1926 and the first female in the post. Alexander also joined United from Spurs.

Walter Crickmer was the club secretary between 1926 and 1958, when he was killed in the Munich air disaster, and was succeeded by Les Olive, who served for 30 years. Ken Merrett took over the post between 1988 and 2007 before Ken Ramsden, who spent 50 years working for United in various capacities, served a three-year stint prior to Alexander's arrival.

United manager Jose Mourinho previously worked with Internazionale technical director Marco Brancaa, a general director at Real Madrid in Jorge Valdano and technical director Michael Emenalo at Chelsea.
The director of football line is what gets trotted out when there is consternation about over our failure in the transfer market. Be prepared for it to be uttered again, after this summer.
 

Adnan

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Interesting to read from the Luckhurst piece that we have someone already in place right now as the 'technical director' in John Murtough.

Guess we'll take our time making the decision with Murtough in temporary charge.
 

Patrick08

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If we aren't bringing a dof in then we shouldn't spend any money this summer. If we spend 300m and sack ole in November then we are back to rebuilding for the 4th or 5th time.
Don't think ole and phelan will so much out of depth at the club like moyes, lvg and mourinho was.
 

AllezLesDiables

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Not to make fun of her name but does anyone else find the name Rebecca Britain sound like a super heroine alias. Like Captain Britain’s wife?
 

Erics_Collar

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Other club: We want 60 mil for the player
Ed: We will give you 25 mil

<After a week>

Ed: Ok, here take this 30 and give us the player

<After a month>

Ed: Ok, take this 32 mil
Club: We won't sell the player for anything below 50 mil

<After 2 months>

Ed: This has gone for too long now. You guys know how tough I am. You don't have any further room for negotiation since this is my final offer. Here, we will offer 70 mil for the player. Take it or leave
I imagine it more like Homer buying a car in The Simpsons.

Ed rings Leicester and shouts down the phone "IS THIS DEFENDER 70 MILLION POUNDS?"

Leicester: "Err...he is now!"
 

Grande

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"Woodward’s preference is to have a dedicated technical director in a role that is seen as crucial to United’s sustained revival"

"Woodward has been determined to move away from the pattern of entrusting long-term strategy to figures who are essentially in short-term roles. In other words, the manager".

"That United are onto their fourth permanent managerial appointment in the space of six years emphasises the folly of giving overarching control of the club’s philosophy to someone who is likely to have departed before any of their signings have reached the half-way point of their contracts"


https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/fo...l-a4168366.html?amp&__twitter_impression=true
It is a smart way to build gradually, and how both Tottenham and Liverpool have built (like Ferguson before) using a core of young British talent to avoid a ‘mercenary culture’ being dominant.

It will take more time than some of the Real Madrid United fans on here will prefer, expect a few seasons of inconsistency to see it come to fruitition. But when successfull, there will be the basis that both Van Gaal and Mourinho lacked and lamented.
 

Relfy

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We need more than just a DoF in my opinion, we need a totally dedicated football department. City managed to take almost an entire team from Barca who now run their football operations. We need to aim to replicate a similar model in line with our competitors, as not doing so it proving detrimental to the club.

We can take Dortmund, City, Barca, Atleti, Bayern and Juve as examples of what having a good football department can do for the clubs fortunes on the pitch. They have a defined way of playing, they're aggressive in the market for local talent, value in transfers, and the best foreign talents. We could make a start on sweeping up the best young talent, and still have the ability to buy the 'star' players we need to compliment them.

If we can separate the football and commercial teams entirely we can then start working properly again. We could install a team of top professionals to manage the football side of things, from an overhaul of the scouting, improvements to academy and training facilities, as well as identifying players and managers to fit the style of play we want on the pitch.

I don't believe that Woody appointing a DoF will solve all of our problems. I can only see them being a yes man to Woody and then being chopped if things go wrong. We need a dedicated team to manage and constantly improve. I don't see anything of this sort happening all the while the current owners and management structure is in place, and we'd likely need a takeover in order to implement the changes needed to fix the mess the club finds itself in today.
 

Shark

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If we aren't bringing a dof in then we shouldn't spend any money this summer. If we spend 300m and sack ole in November then we are back to rebuilding for the 4th or 5th time.
And we'll still be trying to offload players from both LVG, Mourinho and Moyes' reign on top of whoever the feck Ole signs.
 

SilentWitness

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Steve Walsh was great at Leicester when they were buying players on the cheap.

He showed at Everton what happens when he’s given 200m though...
 

Matst1

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Steve Walsh was great at Leicester when they were buying players on the cheap.

He showed at Everton what happens when he’s given 200m though...
Who did he buy at Everton? I remember they got that Dutch player who was a dud. Still, think he'd be ok with someone like Fletcher who "gets" the club. Surely better than Woodward.
 

DavidDeSchmikes

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Who did he buy at Everton? I remember they got that Dutch player who was a dud. Still, think he'd be ok with someone like Fletcher who "gets" the club. Surely better than Woodward.
Taken from Grand Old team forum

Season 17/18
  • Davy Klaassen-£23,600,000
  • Jordan Pickford-£25,000,000
  • Nathangelo Markelo-undisclosed
  • Michael Keane-£25,000,000
  • Sandro-£5,200,000
  • Henry Onyekuru-£7,000,000
  • Wayne Rooney-Free
  • Josh Bowler-£1,500,000
  • Lewis Gibson-£6,000,000
  • Nikola Vlašić-£10,000,000
  • Boris Mathis-Free
  • Cuco Martina-Free
  • Gylfi Sigurdsson-£45,000,000
  • Dennis Adeniran-undisclosed
  • Theo Walcott-£20,000,000
  • Cenk Tosun-£27,000,000
Season 16/17
  • Maarten Stekelenburg-£1,000,000
  • Idrissa Gueye-£7,100,000
  • Ashley Williams-£12,000,000
  • Yannick Bolasie-£25,000,000
  • Ademola Lookman-£7,500,000
  • Morgan Schneiderlin-£24,000,000

https://www.grandoldteam.com/forum/threads/steve-walsh-with-the-benefit-of-hindsight.107101/
 

DavidDeSchmikes

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Another comment from Grand Old Team

A strong DOF should have been advising the manager against poor signings. Under his watch we still signed:

Bolasie
Schneiderlin
Williams
Valencia
Martina
Klaasenn
Rooney
Sandro
Tosun
Walcott
Mangala

I don’t for a second think they were all his signings (most have that fat blert Koeman all over them) but at some point he obviously forged a strategy with Koeman to go for experienced prem players like Bolasie and Williams and pay the fees they paid.

It was the wrong strategy, and the wrong players, so he definitely apportions some of the blame.

As for the ‘successful’ buys, and the one sthe jury is still out on:

Pickford
Keane
Gueye
Siggurdson
Lookman
Vlasic

The expensive players from there have proven their worth just about. Vlasic and Lookman have talent but don’t seem to have the character to win over Silva. Gueye has arguably been the best value for money of the lot.
https://www.grandoldteam.com/forum/threads/steve-walsh-with-the-benefit-of-hindsight.107101/page-12
 

3KDré

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I don't understand why we're still searching. We've seen that directors of football have literally offered themselves to us. What is taking so long. If it really is Woodward that doesn't want to relinquish power then we really are screwed for probably another 5,10 years.
 

IrishBlue1

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Walsh was awful at Everton. He set us back years. A good scout maybe but no Director of Football.
Marcel Brands was our first choice then and I wish we hadve waited on him.

Signing loads of players for the same position: Rooney, Klaassen and Sigurdsson. £80m right there plus around 350k a week in wages.
How were all 3 meant to play in the same position...

Signing Sandro on £120,000 a week wages. We’ve loaned him everywhere since and can’t give him away. He’ll be here till the last second of his contract is up.

£25m for Bolasie on huge wages. Again we can’t give him away.
Tosun..Walcott...

The 2/3 signings we got right when he was here were Gueye, Pickford and Sigurdsson.

We thought his success at Leicester would have been good for us too but no.
There was no strategy to the signings at all.
 
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