Ideally a DOF would work in tandem with the manager, similarly to how Ed works with ours now but with more emphasis on the recruitment and footballing side, to make transitions between managers more seamless
You're right we've greatly improved, but the proof is in the pudding. Look at the job Jose has had to do, in fact he's not even finished yet. How do we as a club/fanbase expect any manager to come into a disjointed squad, consisting of players brought in for different styles etc., gifting Mourinho a squad consisting of mostly players he wouldn't prefer and expect him to perform to his best? It's just wishful thinking. The manager isn't the issue here, no matter who is managing us and no matter what his style of play is, without the proper personnel and without proper planning and a platform for him to thrive on, he's going to need time to rip it down and start again and in today's climate where managers are changing so often, is that sustainable?
Look at Pep at City, he's no miracle worker, he showed that last season with a very underwhelming season, but given the planning City have put in, all he had to do was tweak a few things and he's got a squad very close to where he wants it. They gave a very good manager the tools he needs to succeed, I just don't think we're doing that for our managers at the moment, haven't done since SAF has left. Whether or not we've recruited the right managers etc. isn't the issue here.