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

[Bastian]

He ignored PSGs main issue which was in center midfield and never created any depth, provoked a mess with Rabiot and was hostile with the managers, presumably because he wanted Mourinho.

Is that solely on him? I seem to recall that he didn't have a particularly good relationship to Tuchel. He at least managed to pounce on Mbappe before other big clubs were wise to the situation.

I can't say I know too much about him. Of all of the usual suspects, Rangnick seems - on a surface level - to be a great fit. Ambitious, requires autonomy, great track record.

But at this point, getting in any bona fide DoF who has serious ambitions would be a significant step forward.

 

[Pexbo]

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Pretty cool that we start getting linked with DOFs again as the window closes with no signings.

 

[Bastian]

Pretty cool that we start getting linked with DOFs again as the window closes with no signings.

 

[JPRouve]

Is that solely on him? I seem to recall that he didn't have a particularly good relationship to Tuchel. He at least managed to pounce on Mbappe before other big clubs were wise to the situation.

I can't say I know too much about him. Of all of the usual suspects, Rangnick seems - on a surface level - to be a great fit. Ambitious, requires autonomy, great track record.

But at this point, getting in any bona fide DoF who has serious ambitions would be a significant step forward.

Yes, it's solely on him. His job was to build a team, you don't get points for signing a player, you get points for building a balanced and competitive team. For me the problem with Rangnick is the type of player that he targets, his network is built for very young and raw players that require lot of coaching and developing. United is in a totally different context and when I look at how fans are upset when a player doesn't have linear progression, I wonder why so many are championing the likes of Campos and Rangnick, also most top managers are terrible for these players, they require someone with great teaching abilities and patience.

 

[sunama]

Pretty cool that we start getting linked with DOFs again as the window closes with no signings.

It's all too predictable.
The same headline (that we are searching for a DoF), being rehashed every 6 months.
The crazy thing is that there are people on this forum who actually believed (and still believe) this PR story.

 

[Bastian]

Yes, it's solely on him. His job was to build a team, you don't get points for signing a player, you get points for building a balanced and competitive team. For me the problem with Rangnick is the type of player that he targets, his network is built for very young and raw players that require lot of coaching and developing. United is in a totally different context and when I look at how fans are upset when a player doesn't have linear progression, I wonder why so many are championing the likes of Campos and Rangnick, also most top managers are terrible for these players, they require someone with great teaching abilities and patience.

Well, we should definitely be targeting a manager with great teaching abilities. No point in building a young and hungry team if our head coach is not conducive to their development. I think most fans would like to see us returning to buying highly promising players after we've established a solid core.

What you say about Henrique is concerning though. Not to worry, as it's only a briefing.

 

[Ali Dia]

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oh great. A briefing.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

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Like clockwork these, ha ha ha!

 

[Compton22]

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[Brophs]

Is Henrique the bloke that one of the big cheeses at Bayern called an amateur or something like that?

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

oh great. A briefing.

Yeah Woodward would choose foot mercato as his source for a briefing.

 

[11101]

Pretty cool that we start getting linked with DOFs again as the window closes with no signings.

Oh dont be so cynical. Obviously we are really going to get one this time.

 

[big_jeffstar]

surely there's no way this actually happens? .. he was an absolute disaster for PSG, i can't post links yet, so here's a summary of his time at PSG, taken from Reddit.



• since signing with the Club on May 2017 (during which he faced legal problems in Portugal that slowed down his signing), his predecessor Kluivert commented: “he knows nothing about football, it’s business”

• just as he arrived, the first he tried was replacing Unai Emery with Jorge Jesus (ex-Sporting manager)

• back when we were looking for a Centerback, we were offered Pepe by Jorge Mendes, everything was going well, until contract duration was brought up. Mendes wanted 2 years, Antero rejected that and offered 1 option of 1 year extension (same as Buffon currently), both stood their grounds and Pepe signed for Besiktas a couple hours later

• Thiago Motta’s contract was ending and we were without a 6, Antero negotiated with Canovi (his agent) and they reached an agreement, suddenly the verbal agreements turned out to be very different to those on the written contract, which ended in Thiago Motta remaining a free agent for 4 days

• after being offended by Mendes sending Pepe to Besiktas, Antero put an end to the very advanced negotiations with James Rodriguez. he was loaned to Bayern with a €40M purchase option (we could’ve had the same deal and what a signing this could’ve been for our midfield, perfect Pastore replacement)

• even with the 2017 transfer window being a general success,we can see the failure in negotiations for Fabinho and the lack of a CDM replacement for Motta

• off to the Winter 2018, Antero harassed Lucas Moura in order to force him to leave the club, including using some very racist remarks such as “hey little n word, when will you leave the club?” He even arranged for Kia Joorabchian to ship him off to China, which Lucas firmly refused as he wanted to stay in Europe, he signed for Spurs

• after the poaching of some youth players (Like Zagadou), Antero and Luis Fernandez offered at least 24 professional contracts to our youth players, which a dozen players signed in May and August

• Emery contract as manager was ending, 4 managers were considered:

• Neymar and his agents’ pick: Luis Enrique
• The owners’ choice: Pochettino or Tuchel
• Antero’s Choice: Sergio Conceicao!

• behind the scenes, Rabiot’s extension was already a problem, one that Henrique didn’t take seriously, Rabiot demanded €7.2M and the guarantee of PSG signing a CDM, we’re still waiting for the latter

• From the end of May until the middle of August, Antero made multiple meetings with Kanté’s representatives while trying everything including threats to sign him. The little bugger stood firm as he wanted to stay with Chelsea, and during that wasted period we missed out on signing one of William Carvalho, Steven Nzonzi, Arturo Vidal or Radja Nainggolan.

• Antero worked with 2 certain agents (Moussa Sissoko and Laurent Schmitt) on multiple occasions, including Lassana Diarra’s signing, his wasted time with Kante and promising talent Arthur Zagre’s contract for example, while multiple unknown Portuguese bizarrely joined PSG’s board, Jaime Teixeira for example

• In search of a renowned Centerback at the request of Tuchel, PSG reached an agreement with Jérôme Boateng. who even rejected an offer from Manchester United at the deadline, waiting for the Bayern - PSG deal for his transfer. Antero Henrique ended up never making an offer to Bayern Munich.

• with a gaping hole in midfield, Antero called and promised a PSG signing for Lobotka, the player was enchanted with the idea of joining the capital club, he waited for a Celta Vigo - PSG agreement until the end of the transfer window. Antero ended up never making an offer to Celta Vigo

• despite months of negotiations, and after rejecting offers up to €60M for Guedes, he finally gave in at the end, he sold Guedes to Valencia for €40M paid over 6 years, a disaster of a deal

• despite a gaping hole in midfield, Lo Celso was loaned out at the very end of the transfer window:

• Obligatory €25M purchase if Betis reaches a European football spot, Optional purchase option if they don’t

• that transfer was entirely Henrique’s handiwork, who arranged his friend and agent on the deal so he can receive a commission

• the PSG summer window was a failure, no midfield signings, a late Bernat arrival and Rabiot not extending

• in October 2018, Luis Fernandez was close to getting booted by Antero for no reason, no motive whatsoever, without being told or warned in any way, right now he is being paid to do nothing

• although relations between Henrique and Rabiot with his representatives was already heated, he announced in November 2018 there will be no contract extension, an extension that should’ve been done and dandy way back in June 2017

• after being in contact with Eder Militao for ages, he refused to pay the €5M demanded by his club, so he signed for Porto in July 2018. Real Madrid is preparing to sign him for €50M next summer because he turned out to be a beast

• here comes the big one, while he was searching for a financial solution to pay the €75M demanded by Ajax, Barca came in and it was a done deal only in 48 hours. Another botched transfer by Antero

• the reason the talented youngster Nsoki’s contract signature was delayed is: Antero was pressuring him to change his agent in order to have a lucrative professional contract, he suggested his associates Moussa Sissoko and Laurent Schmitt



best avoided by the sounds of it

 

[unplayable]

Is Henrique the bloke that one of the big cheeses at Bayern called and amateur or something like that?

Yes, Hoeneß basically said that a big club like PSG can't afford to have an amateur like Henrique in such a position.

 

[Cassidy]

Yes, Hoeneß basically said that a big club like PSG can't afford to have an amateur like Henrique in such a position.

Makes sense that we’re looking at him then

 

[Cassidy]

Yeah Woodward would choose foot mercato as his source for a briefing.

If he was smart he would to throw people off the scent

 

[r3idy]

Is Sports Witness credible ?

 

[RussellWilson]

By all accounts he was terrible at PSG. Soooooo this one is probably true.

Only Woodward could take an age to appoint a DOF then when he finally does he's a terrible one.

 

[#07]

Not excited

 

[DomesticTadpole]

By all accounts he was terrible at PSG. Soooooo this one is probably true.

Only Woodward could take an age to appoint a DOF then when he finally does he's a terrible one.

Probably because he knows he will be awful, so gets rid and then says a DOF is not working at Manchester United. He doesn't appear capable of signing anybody, so that will cut costs even more. We don't want a DOF who might actually sign someone.

 

[Eyepopper]

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

 

[Catt]

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

Isn't this coming from France?

 

[Catt]

Probably because he knows he will be awful, so gets rid and then says a DOF is not working at Manchester United. He doesn't appear capable of signing anybody, so that will cut costs even more. We don't want a DOF who might actually sign someone.

Absolutely. I'm sure the aim for MUFC is to never sign players again.

 

[AneRu]

If there is one thing you can trust about Woodward it is his peerless ability to always pick the worst possible option whenever he has to make a decision. It seems as if he has no research capabilities whatsoever, this Henrique guy, if true, has no business operating at the top end of the game.

 

[Eyepopper]

Isn't this coming from France?

Wasnt End spotted on Eurostar a few weeks ago

Spoiler

 

[el3mel]

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.

 

[dev1l]

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.

No, it s rather putting someone of the same mould as him a DOF (ie business cones before football) giving the impression that something is changing when in fact it would be same shit different day

 

[yumtum]

Yes, Hoeneß basically said that a big club like PSG can't afford to have an amateur like Henrique in such a position.

He'll fit right in.

 

[Catt]

Wasnt End spotted on Eurostar a few weeks ago

Spoiler

 

[AneRu]

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.

If there is any truth in this matter then this in addition to our woeful run of signing just six players in four windows then we really need to start questioning Woodward's motives because even someone with a wrecking ball wouldn't have done as thorough a job as Woodward has done in destroying Manchester United as a football institution.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Absolutely. I'm sure the aim for MUFC is to never sign players again.

I am kidding. It would just sum us up though to get the worst DOF out there.

 

[Big Ben Foster]

• since signing with the Club on May 2017 (during which he faced legal problems in Portugal that slowed down his signing), his predecessor Kluivert commented: “he knows nothing about football, it’s business”

He'll fit right in then

 

[Drainy]

if only we hadn't scared off Javier Ribalta with Woodward's incompetence and micro management we'd have a decent candidate at the club.

 

[BalanceUnAutreJoint]

Henrique had an horrible relationship with Tuchel to the point where Tuchel was refusing to even speak to him about transfers.

 

[theklr]

Henrique had an horrible relationship with Tuchel to the point where Tuchel was refusing to even speak to him about transfers.

Well at least Solskjær seems to get along with business men incompetent in football matters

 

[JPRouve]

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.

 

[roseguy64]

if only we hadn't scared off Javier Ribalta with Woodward's incompetence and micro management we'd have a decent candidate at the club.

Based on whose word?

 

[Escobar]

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.

Seems like he'd fit in well at United

 

[JPRouve]

Seems like he'd fit in well at United

I don't think that we are that bad, we are naive but not malicious. When from what almost everyone that has interacted with him at PSG, Henrique is dislikable on top of being ineffective.

 

[do.ob]

Henrique had an horrible relationship with Tuchel to the point where Tuchel was refusing to even speak to him about transfers.

Tuchel also had a horrible relationship with Dortmund's chief scout and CEO, he's no benchmark.