The ‘Deputy Football Director’ position | 31.05.2022 - Andy O’Boyle appointed

[Adnan]

Not asking their role. Asking are they more qualified to oversee recruitment than Mitchell/Rangnick? I think we all know the answer to that.

Mitchell has never been in a role where he's excelled at overseeing multiple departments on the football side of the club. When Mitchell was at Soton, it was Les Reed who was overseeing the football side at the club. At Spurs he was under Pochettino in a manager led approach and worked as the head of recruitment, similar to his role at Soton under Reed. At Leipzig he worked under Rangnick in the very same role as what he occupied at Soton and Spurs. And currently at Monaco where he's the guy that is tasked with being the DoF, he hasn't done very well and Monaco fans aren't happy with him.

Ralf Rangnick did a decent job at Hoffenheim and the Red Bull clubs. But without those clubs being financially doped up by the very wealthy owners (Dietmar Hopp/Dietrich Mateschitz), they wouldn't have achieved anything. Rangnick was a head coach for most of his career and only became a DoF due to the rise of the financially doped up clubs.

 

[Forevergiggs1]

His name was mentioned before Ralf went I think. Ralf was always going to be working from a distance and once he took the Austria job it would always be a problem with him looking out for our clubs welfare and his international job.

In what way would it be a problem though? The Austria job is hardly a full time gig and by all accounts his consultancy role was reportedly a couple of hours a week which could be done on facetime. Ralf has decades of experience and I'm sure he has quite an extensive network which could of came in handy on insider information on any up amd coming players coming out of the Bundesliga. Obviously we don't know exactly what happened that Ralf will now play no part at United but do feel he could be one that got away.

 

[Grande]

the rebald at united is well under way.

Now, that’s a ribald comment.

 

[Nytram Shakes]

Another internal promotion by a club that has been arguably the worst ran club in the world over the past decade. If ever a club needed to bring in new people into the upper management structure it’s ours.

it’s like don’t want to bring in people from outside as it will cast light on just how inept the people in charge are.

 

[90 + 5min]

We really love to invent nonsens jobs for people.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

In what way would it be a problem though? The Austria job is hardly a full time gig and by all accounts his consultancy role was reportedly a couple of hours a week which could be done on facetime. Ralf has decades of experience and I'm sure he has quite an extensive network which could of came in handy on insider information on any up amd coming players coming out of the Bundesliga. Obviously we don't know exactly what happened that Ralf will now play no part at United but do feel he could be one that got away.

What if we asked him to watch someone for us when he wanted to go and watch an Austrian player somewhere. It might just be that ETH did not want him there.

 

[Red Dreams]

Sounds like he will be taking over a lot of the day to day work from Murtough who will concentrate on transfers with Erik.

 

[UnitedSofa]

We really love to invent nonsens jobs for people.

This is the state of Man Utd Fans right now. ^ Complaining for complaining sake.

This role is to help ease the burden on Murtough. So Murtough can streamline his approach and focus on the things that YOU and ALL of us want. Which is success in the first team. He literally can't do everything. He leads ALL footballing operations so that includes the youth and womens set up. He needs help.

 

[phelans shorts]

Another internal promotion by a club that has been arguably the worst ran club in the world over the past decade. If ever a club needed to bring in new people into the upper management structure it’s ours.

it’s like don’t want to bring in people from outside as it will cast light on just how inept the people in charge are.

He very literally hasn’t worked here since being a coach with the under 12’s side when Alex Ferguson was still in charge.

 

[SalfordRed18]

Irrespective of qualifications, we've again appointed a mechanic in the middle of the race.

The club has steadily been reducing my optimism for this upcoming season for a few days now. I hope for the best but it's looking like another 'we'll do better next season' season coming for United.

So what would you have United do?

 

[UnitedSofa]

Another internal promotion by a club that has been arguably the worst ran club in the world over the past decade. If ever a club needed to bring in new people into the upper management structure it’s ours.

it’s like don’t want to bring in people from outside as it will cast light on just how inept the people in charge are.

Internal promotion you say....after working at the PL and at Liverpool for the past 16 years. But yes an internal promotion.

 

[Forevergiggs1]

What if we asked him to watch someone for us when he wanted to go and watch an Austrian player somewhere. It might just be that ETH did not want him there.

And if that player we asked him to watch was Austrian? Seriously though wouldn't that be a scouts job to give all the information and a DOFs job to filter it out? I understand there's no point crying over spilled milk but I do feel a man with the experience of Ralf had to be fitted in somewhere and if its true that ETH didn't want him then I do worry the direction of the club is taking because they're putting all their eggs in one basket instead of hedging bets.

 

[tomaldinho1]

My hope here is with Murtough and O’Boyle the shift in recruiting is going to become much more youth focused. Both these guys likely don’t have great networks internationally as you’d find with the big name DoF’s but they will be absolute experts on players coming through in England. Is that a bit Brexit? Maybe but if we can start picking up guys like Sancho and saving ourselves £75m I’m all for it.

 

[UnitedSofa]

My hope here is with Murtough and O’Boyle the shift in recruiting is going to become much more youth focused. Both these guys likely don’t have great networks internationally as you’d find with the big name DoF’s but they will be absolute experts on players coming through in England. Is that a bit Brexit? Maybe but if we can start picking up guys like Sancho and saving ourselves £75m I’m all for it.

Not strictly true.

"Big name DoF's" could you name a few of them?

 

[Withnail]

He very literally hasn’t worked here since being a coach with the under 12’s side when Alex Ferguson was still in charge.

Internal promotion you say....after working at the PL and at Liverpool for the past 16 years. But yes an internal promotion.

Gotta love someone complaining about ineptitude when they post something so clueless. It's getting harder and harder to tell parody from reality around here

 

[90 + 5min]

This is the state of Man Utd Fans right now. ^ Complaining for complaining sake.

This role is to help ease the burden on Murtough. So Murtough can streamline his approach and focus on the things that YOU and ALL of us want. Which is success in the first team. He literally can't do everything. He leads ALL footballing operations so that includes the youth and womens set up. He needs help.

It is not complaining for complaining sake.

I understand that this is no one mans show but we are just crowding high positions all the time what it seems. I hope it works out but I don't like getting lot of people in just like that. Soon we will not know who is doing what.

 

[tomaldinho1]

Not strictly true.

"Big name DoF's" could you name a few of them?

Leonardo, Monchi, Campos etc. All had broader international careers, Monchi has been Seville focused although he had his stint in Roma - Murtough is PL through and through (not necessarily a bad thing) and also didn't have the playing career someone like Leonard had so his network, unless you have some additional data points, is going to be very focused on the PL, particularly around the youth pathway given his ex role.

 

[UnitedSofa]

It is not complaining for complaining sake.

I understand that this is no one mans show but we are just crowding high positions all the time what it seems. I hope it works out but I don't like getting lot of people in just like that. Soon we will not know who is doing what.

It's not a nonsense job though.

We've streamlined or at least started to, lots of positions within the structure. But that doesn't mean that Murtough doesn't need help.

But how is it a nonsense job?

 

[Revaulx]

Sounds good to me.

Also like that John Murtoughs mention of the team at Carrington as opposed to spending all his time hobnobbing in our London office like Woodward.

Ditto Arnold, who has based himself in Manchester.

Senior figures being physically remote from the organisation they are supposed to be running is rarely a good thing.

 

[TheReligion]

Not asking their role. Asking are they more qualified to oversee recruitment than Mitchell/Rangnick? I think we all know the answer to that.

Why you asking then? Why not just give your opinion instead of posting more fluff

 

[Blood Mage]

I don't understand anyone getting annoyed by this appointment, he's essentially going to be Murtough's errand boy and his influence at the club will be minimal. It's not like we were going to hire Paul Mitchell for this role.

 

[AltiUn]

Leonardo, Monchi, Campos etc. All had broader international careers, Monchi has been Seville focused although he had his stint in Roma - Murtough is PL through and through (not necessarily a bad thing) and also didn't have the playing career someone like Leonard had so his network, unless you have some additional data points, is going to be very focused on the PL, particularly around the youth pathway given his ex role.

Leonardo is quite widely regarded as one of the worst DoFs in football. Big name =/= good.

 

[Sassy Colin]

Never heard of him

 

[JPRouve]

Leonardo is quite widely regarded as one of the worst DoFs in football. Big name =/= good.

Is he?

 

[Luffy]

Wtf... should we ask Korn Ferry for a refund?

 

[Roboc7]

My hope here is with Murtough and O’Boyle the shift in recruiting is going to become much more youth focused. Both these guys likely don’t have great networks internationally as you’d find with the big name DoF’s but they will be absolute experts on players coming through in England. Is that a bit Brexit? Maybe but if we can start picking up guys like Sancho and saving ourselves £75m I’m all for it.

Neither of the are experts in recruitment, our recruitment team consists pretty much of same people who’ve failed repeatedly (just fewer of them) and a new manager. I assume they’ll be further changes but everything at the club is so slow and reactive it might take a while.

 

[Grande]

Obviously I know jack sht about this guy except what I have read but he doesnt exactly scream best in class does he? Is this what that fancy recruitment agency came up with?

Not asking their role. Asking are they more qualified to oversee recruitment than Mitchell/Rangnick? I think we all know the answer to that.

We really love to invent nonsens jobs for people.

Another internal promotion by a club that has been arguably the worst ran club in the world over the past decade. If ever a club needed to bring in new people into the upper management structure it’s ours.

it’s like don’t want to bring in people from outside as it will cast light on just how inept the people in charge are.

One of you posters are on to something noted by the great Socrates (no, the other one): The wise man is she who knows that he knows very little at all.

 

[Grande]

Neither of the are experts in recruitment, our recruitment team consists pretty much of same people who’ve failed repeatedly (just fewer of them) and a new manager. I assume they’ll be further changes but everything at the club is so slow and reactive it might take a while.

So when after ‘losing’ Woodward, we’re letting go Pogba, Lingard, Matic, Grant, Cavani, Mata, Rangnick, Armas, Sharp, Lense, Phelan, Judge, Bout, Lawlor, Brooks, Tseayo, and Coyle within a month or so, everything is going so, so slow?

 

[roseguy64]

At least we now know that the ditching of Rangnick as a consultant wasn't just because of the ETH discussion. The process must have started at least a month ago considering that they must have interviewed a bunch of people besides Boyle. (Based on Rangnick's background his remit would have been like an assistant DOF.)

Scroll up the page you posted on. Rangnick leaving was separate to this. This search was known about before end of the season and before Rangnick and United identified what his consultancy role would have looked like had he continued.

 

[Roboc7]

So when after ‘losing’ Woodward, we’re letting go Pogba, Lingard, Matic, Grant, Cavani, Mata, Rangnick, Armas, Sharp, Lense, Phelan, Judge, Bout, Lawlor, Brooks, Tseayo, and Coyle within a month or so, everything is going so, so slow?

Majority of those, including Woodward, left by choice or were only here on a temporary basis, and and Phelan hasn’t even left yet so no idea what point you are trying to make.

 

[roseguy64]

Can someone succinctly explain what this guy, Murtough and Fletcher will do.

Never been big on understanding of these roles so not a dig at club, I honestly don't know what each does and interested to understand. Ta

Fletcher's current role before it potentially changes now is outside of being an emergency coach he's an advisor to Murtough on football, is taking on some of Butt's former role re: progression of youth players into the first team and to be involved in recruitment re: advice on players coming in as well as someone who can relate to the potential signing and be an ambassador. Based on media and what Fletcher and Murtough have said.

Murtough is overall head of football. In charge of recruitment, scouting, medical, academy, first team, youth teams and women's teams. O'Boyle is assisting him with this and taking some of the load off.

We're also apparently going to hire someone specifically as another deputy director to focus on the women's teams (academy and first team) so that we can prevent stuff like what lead to Casey Stoney resigning.

 

[tomaldinho1]

Leonardo is quite widely regarded as one of the worst DoFs in football. Big name =/= good.

Please point out where I said otherwise?

 

[RedDevil@84]

Who?

 

[tomaldinho1]

Neither of the are experts in recruitment, our recruitment team consists pretty much of same people who’ve failed repeatedly (just fewer of them) and a new manager. I assume they’ll be further changes but everything at the club is so slow and reactive it might take a while.

I'm hopeful it's more a case of us having a long term plan of using academy products as a significant income stream - both Murtough and O'Boyle have been head of elite performance, both of them will know the best pathway systems and also have great networks across academies. It's hardly ground breaking or something other clubs aren't already doing but we aren't good at selling our young talented (obviously not the best players who we keep though) players, think of how lucrative it could be if done right.

Scouting we've already seen an overhaul taking place, time will tell if it makes a difference.

 

[roseguy64]

We really love to invent nonsens jobs for people.

Please do tell why/how it's a nonsense job

 

[Adnan]

The recruitment process will be be led by Jose Mayorga and Mick Court. They're the recruitment experts and not Murtough or O'Boyle. Murtough comes into play at the very end and not at the identification process. So if anyone wants to run the rule over the recruitment experts, then look no further than Mayorga and Court and whoever else will be in a senior position in the recruitment department.

At Liverpool it's the same with Barry Hunter and Dave Fallows leading the way on recruitment, alongside the data analytics team. The DoF, Edwards come into play when the final list is compiled, and he then sits down with Klopp to decide on who to pursue from the information/list provided by the recruitment team.

The above has been discussed by people on the TGG podcast.

 

[Coops73]

Well, let's se if this works or that it turns out we've hired Danny Boyle! I suppose it's a plus that he once worked at Carrington and it's nice that he's a United fan (although, of course, so am I...). I just hope we aren't going to hard on "suits" and not anywhere at all on actual footballers

Well they have been playing like a bunch of junkies all season but it might be good to sign Begbie in midfield for that bit “physicality” and we already have sick boy (Cavani) so maybe he’s already having an influence on our team.

 

[Revaulx]

And it looks like Jose Mayorga, Simon Wells and Mick Court, (head of data analytics) will head the recruitment department. Steve Brown and his team will be coordinating the scouting operation around the world, making sure the scouts are logistically well supported.

Simon Wells? I didn’t realise he was still around. Wasn’t he the one responsible for Ole’s duds?

 

[ArjenIsM3]

He does at least seem qualified for the job.

 

[Isotope]

And it looks like Jose Mayorga, Simon Wells and Mick Court, (head of data analytics) will head the recruitment department. Steve Brown and his team will be coordinating the scouting operation around the world, making sure the scouts are logistically well supported.

It sounds like normal procedure. Question: So is there (or who is) on the Club that in charge of establishing United "style", thus making sure that United are continuously scouting/getting players that will fit in this style regardless of the manager (that may come and go)? or what's the role of manager on this scouting?

I'm just thinking if United has learned a lesson to prevent Maguire and AWB like purchase, expensive players that most likely won't fit in with ETH's style.

I really like this ETH's appointment for what he's done at Ajax, and I hope he'll get whatever support he need. On the other side, leaving manager to get whatever players he wants that lead us into this mishmash team.