Because people still does not know the difference in responsibility usually relevant for a DoF and CEO...
Man Utd set to appoint Director of Football (when hell freezes over)
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Disagree. Many people are just throwing his name out because they literally think he’s the DoF. It’s rife through the threads
Cheers. Too bad we’re not in the Dutch league with decades of experience operating under a consistent structure
Still operated as a "coach" and worked dealt with "technical matters". Also, it is not like he was a hit from the beginning in 2012. It is first now that they have a squad that functions (several factors could be part of this). And taking the job at Ajax in 2012, is different from coming in green to perform the role in this mess.
So anything new on this front or are we still doing feck all?
No I meant VDS, could use Overmars as an example as well though as he’s pretty inexperienced, it was more the point that VDS was handed a very important job with little experience. Which is what everyone is kicking up shit with every name mentioned for the Role here
Yes Ajax were fortunate that they’ve had decades of structure in terms of development (though had massive under investment). Almost the opposite of United.
However we need to start somewhere and putting structure in place requires people. There is no guarantees no matter who you put in so I’d rather take a chance on someone whose views mirror many fans of how to move forward.
That being said this may be a moot debate since there’s no official confirmation.
Ok fair play, took you up wrong. My apologies
Dimitar Berbatov has put his hat into the ring.
He has a degree in Sports Management as well as all his coaching badges so believes he has the essential qualifications to do the role.
He has a degree in Sports Management as well as all his coaching badges so believes he has the essential qualifications to do the role.
VDS studied business and marketing before starting the job as a marketing director. Then after a few years, he became the CEO.
While not having previously been a CEO before, he had the education to understand the principles relevant for the job, and as marketing director(grooming) he worked with the former CEO and got some experience on how a club works in relation to sponsors, finances etc. Would not call this being very experienced, but it is not completely green as Fletcher would be as a DoF.
Using Overmars appointment as a DoF is a better example, but he also had some indirect experience(youth coach and board member at Go A.), and started in a stable and on paper well functioning environment with a presumably defined job descripton/role. Not the case at our club.
And my arguement is that it is logical to appoint someone with the experience at the role and with a functioning structure. (not that i think we are going to appoint someone like this since they are most likely not inclined to work in a club where everything is ruled by financial parameters and the goal is not to improve on the pitch but financially).
I like Berba but I’d file this with Evra - nuts
That is the fundamental problem. And that's why everything starts and ends with Glazers/Woodward. Priorities are wrong. Now I will concede they have not been as bad as Arsenal/Kroenke. They have at least spent on the pitch with the recognition that investment there will yield returns. However at the same time the underlying motive is money. Nothing wrong with that per se until money making is goal No.1 with everything revolving around it with footballing matters secondary to that.
That made me smile.
MEN reporting that he has used his betfair blog to put his name forward. In fairness he does state that it should not just go to someone because they are an ex-player.
I just stumbled upon this petition on change.org and it does make you realise how quickly opinion shifts.
https://www.change.org/p/liverpool-...as-liverpool-football-clubs-sporting-director
You kind of forget that Michael Edwards had a lot of poor transfers before hitting on so many in more recent years. Maybe it's Klopp's influence, maybe it is just luck sometimes.
https://www.change.org/p/liverpool-...as-liverpool-football-clubs-sporting-director
You kind of forget that Michael Edwards had a lot of poor transfers before hitting on so many in more recent years. Maybe it's Klopp's influence, maybe it is just luck sometimes.
He was still very inexperienced to take on such a role at a club like Ajax though, the same as The guy at city, he was a commentator before he started at Barca? If it is fletcher he should be judged on how he’s doing, Nicky Butt was inexperienced but is doing a great job in the academy
There's definitely an element of luck.
Fletcher will be judged based one how he is doing if/when he is appointed. Fair is fair.
But i don't understand the logic behind appointing someone to be a DoF, for a club where the DoF role is new, the structure needs some work, the task at hand is monumental in regards to changes needed in the squad, when that person is completely green...
We need an experienced DoF, with contacts, knows how the game is, which buttons to push, who to call, how to properly analyze a target closely etc.
Brilliant.
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Are there actually any sporting directors out there who know United inside out / have a history with us?
Can only think of Van Der Sar, but as the article says, it would be a step down from what he does at Ajax
Should give VDS Ed's job tbh and create a new 'title' for Ed. I'm sure the Caf could think of some...
I would much rather Roy Keane back at the club over “yes men” like Fletcher.
Roy Keane will expose the ineptitude of the Glazers and Woodward, there will be drama but I don’t see any other option.
The glazers and ED got a free ride over the last six years.
Roy Keane will expose the ineptitude of the Glazers and Woodward, there will be drama but I don’t see any other option.
The glazers and ED got a free ride over the last six years.
If Edwin van der Sar were CEO, I believe he would do a much better job of hiring a competent, experienced DoF than anyone currently associated with the club. Obviously, he'd shy away from appointing inexperienced rookies for the monumental task of creating a well structured support staff for the first team manager and his coaches. Job #1 in the Manchester United rebuild has to be firing Ed Woodward before he does more damage to the club.
How is Fletcher a yes man?
Again, this is completely false:
Overmars came in following Johan Cruijff's "velvet revolution" (which started in 2010) and was thrown into a competely overhauled structure during one of the most chaotic periods in Ajax history. the structure that was set up then remained tricky ever since, with every year things being changed to the whole structure Cruijff came up with (and has for the most part been completely abandoned as of this season, with Overmars consolidating power). We've literally had 80-page third party reports written (by another ex-player, Tscheu La Ling) and immediately discarded, lost our head of academy due to the weird, unfireable, powers it gave certain assistants (Bergkamp), and then lost our best coach of the last twenty years (bosz) for the exact same reason (he was promised, on signing, a say in the new fourth assistant when Spijkerman left at the end of his first season, but Bergkamp, through his strange contractual situation was able to block it, despite being assistant manager himself), and then led to Bergkamp and Spijkerman being fired alongside our new coach, which was when Overmars just went feck it, I'm in control from now on, basically.
anyway long story, but basically seeing Ajax and 'organisational stability' being mentioned together like that is properly hilarious
also, side note on "what was Overmars' experience before GAE/Ajax" was that he was renowned for having made a lot of money in real estate, starting even during his footballing career. not that that's massively relevant experience, but it is still something.
Thanks for the info.
It actually reinforces my belief that we don’t necessarily need a highly experienced DoF but rather someone with a good football head that knows the club. We can then make a blueprint and tweak it until we get it right
Firstly, VdS and Overmars (the "lowly" DoF) are very much equals on paper, and in reality Overmars actually is probably the one with more power
Secondly, Van der Sar was completely groomed by Ajax. The "university" he went to was the Johan Cruijff Insitute, doing a "masters in sports management", at a time when Cruijff and Ajax were looking for ex-footballers for their management positions. he received the degree from the hands of Johan Cruijff himself and a couple months later was instated as director. He then spent time as marketing director because he felt he wasn't immediately ready for the "algemeen directeur" position that he was actually eyed for. He basically shadowed someone for a year or two (fontein?), then did it himself for another year or so, and then was made the general director as had been the plan from the start.
Fair enough. Just assumed that Ajax was fairly stable club.
So would you have prefered to appoint an experienced DoF at Utd now or someone with little experience like Fletcher? What is the best fit for our current situation?
Again thanks for the info but my original point stands to those who keep bringing it up; VDS is not a DoF
At times you need someone from 'the outside' to effect real change and see what 'insiders' fail to see.
I think someone who gets the spirit of the club is a better criterion. That someone does not necessarily have to be someone who knows the club in and out.
This club needs very fresh perspectives. We are too stuck in the Fergie era. It's gone. This is the era where City is dominant, Liverpool is almost back to being the giant it was and Spurs is now a regular top four team. We need to think differently and more pragmatically.
If a worst case scenario is an ex-player making coaching and transfer decisions instead of Ed Woodward I don’t really care who we pick.
Could it be we already got someone in but cant announce it until the end of the season because they are already at another club? Look at the concerns of Phelan and how the club was moving forward. Look how it was reported he wanted the DOF or whatever title, job. All of a sudden hes signed up for the assistant managers position. Something could be afoot!
Woodward just does want the Glazers tell him to do. Any CEO would be the same. Nothing is going to alter until those parasitic bastards sell up.
I keep thinking even if Ole can't motivate the players for a long time, he's shown he knows how we should be playing, and one would think he would know what kind of players we need to achieve that, therefore is good for the summer so long as he is backed. This leads me to wondering if Ole as DoF and say, Poch as manager would be the ideal scenario. It seems pretty unlikely at this stage, but it could well be the best of both worlds.
Yes Poch to the win the CL (Hopefully) and then come to United, tarnishing his legacy and leaving the team he put so much effort into so that he can get fired after 6 months.. Yeah why not
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Fletcher.
You just have to laugh at this point. If you don't, you'll cry.
He'll be a puppet for Woodward to move as much as he wants.
The club is doomed
You just have to laugh at this point. If you don't, you'll cry.
He'll be a puppet for Woodward to move as much as he wants.
The club is doomed
They're just doing it on purpose now, there can be no other explanation for these sort of decisions.
I'm sorry I think I've misheard you, did you say Darren Fletcher? Excuse my ignorance but what's Darren been up to since he stopped playing? Serious question.
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