Paul Mitchell - Sporting Director

Escobar

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Do we?

We have been told that he wants a deputy, most sources claim he wants Andy O'Boyle. Its never been made clear that Murtough wants Paul Mitchell at the club.

I can believe that Murtough might be nervous about making room for a guy he a) doesn't know, b) is an experienced Director of Football in his own right and probably knows the job better than Murtough and c) is making demands about how much power and authority he wants to consider the job. Murtough arrived at United with Moyes and has slowly worked his way up. Why would he want to appoint someone who, people like Arnold might start thinking, could do his job better than he does it?

If Murtough didn't think United was big enough for both him and Nicky Butt I'm not sure he'll be super keen on Paul Mitchell. Then there are other people in the structure who might get hooked, or replaced, if Mitchell comes in. Why would they want this to happen? Plenty of agendas at work at United. Even McTominay was willing to publicly say stuff higher up isn't right at the weekend.

I don't for one second believe many people at United want Rangnick or Mitchell to be anywhere near the club come June.
It was obvious once he hired RR and is trying to instill a team of football experts to make the right decisions. Choosing ETH is another proof that we go for a manager that will change things instead of keeping the status quo more or less like Poch. So yes, he seems to be willing to turn things around imo. We will see in a few years but I believe we're on the right track, unlike under the old regime with Ed
 

Escobar

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What would happen to Fletcher then?
And that's why there is no backing from senior management. Fletch is protected so the club prefers to have someone with 0 competence/experience as long as his godfather has a say in this club.
 

Rocksy

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It was obvious once he hired RR and is trying to instill a team of football experts to make the right decisions. Choosing ETH is another proof that we go for a manager that will change things instead of keeping the status quo more or less like Poch. So yes, he seems to be willing to turn things around imo. We will see in a few years but I believe we're on the right track, unlike under the old regime with Ed
ETH you’re probably right on, but I cannot see Murtough wanting either Mitchell or Ralf on the full time United payroll. Either of them as Head of Recruitment/Contracts would be a good thing, but then what would Murtough do, and who would be sorting out all the medical/injury prevention sides etc? That could be O’Boyle, who is a sports scientist, but only one who works for the FA and left Liverpool after Klopp got there.
 

KiD MoYeS

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One of the rumoured roles for him is Head of Recruitment. Sounds like another easy fallguy in a few years for the leeches, if the club does appoint him
 

Mainoldo

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:lol:

But seriously Tchouaméni joined Monaco before Mitchell.
I was about to research it. As I heard he brought him in but didn’t fact check.

Thanks though. Would of been too good to be true anyway. :lol:
 

Adnan

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The number of people arguing for and against Mitchell is surprising to me. How much can we judge his work? How much do we even know what these guys do, who made which transfer? What do we even know about the actual day to day roles for ex of Fletcher and Mitchell if he comes?

The only decent post with actual information is



Even this post, how much does Adnan know about what Mitchell did vs what Murtough or Ashworth etc?

Just feel like this is an area we know very little of
I'm not claiming to know anything that isn't easily understood if one is to take interest in how clubs are structurally organised on the football side of the club. And I'm not arguing for or against anyone in particular.

But a distinction should be made between someone who has worked as the head of recruitment (Mitchell) and someone who has climbed the ladder by being a academy director, which is to oversee multiple football departments beneath the first team, like Ashworth did at Peterborough.

And as far as being a DoF, Mitchell's record isn't good and he's done well in the past as a head of recruitment working under a DoF. But for some reason that isn't registering at all with people, who for some strange reason think that both roles (DoF & HoR) are the same.
 

Dan-Utd

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The number of people arguing for and against Mitchell is surprising to me. How much can we judge his work? How much do we even know what these guys do, who made which transfer? What do we even know about the actual day to day roles for ex of Fletcher and Mitchell if he comes?
Here is how it works...

RB Leipzig sell a young player to a Premier League club who does really well, then they sell another one who also does really well - right lets hire the staff.

Monaco have signed some good young players - right lets hire the staff.

Leicester City signed Kante and won the Premier League - right lets hire the staff... Everton hired the director of football - he flopped.

It's just how football fans work, each one of us reads something into something that may be slightly different to what another one of us sees,

The only thing in that pattern which surprises me is that Claudio Ranieri won the Premier League - yet fans of big clubs were not saying 'he's a genius lets hire him'
 

mav_9me

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I'm not claiming to know anything that isn't easily understood if one is to take interest in how clubs are structurally organised on the football side of the club. And I'm not arguing for or against anyone in particular.

But a distinction should be made between someone who has worked as the head of recruitment (Mitchell) and someone who has climbed the ladder by being a academy director, which is to oversee multiple football departments beneath the first team, like Ashworth did at Peterborough.

And as far as being a DoF, Mitchell's record isn't good and he's done well in the past as a head of recruitment working under a DoF. But for some reason that isn't registering at all with people, who for some strange reason think that both roles (DoF & HoR) are the same.
Please don't get me wrong. I am not questioning what you know. I am saying there is only so much u or anyone from the outside can know.
 

mav_9me

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Here is how it works...

RB Leipzig sell a young player to a Premier League club who does really well, then they sell another one who also does really well - right lets hire the staff.

Monaco have signed some good young players - right lets hire the staff.

Leicester City signed Kante and won the Premier League - right lets hire the staff... Everton hired the director of football - he flopped.

It's just how football fans work, each one of us reads something into something that may be slightly different to what another one of us sees,

The only thing in that pattern which surprises me is that Claudio Ranieri won the Premier League - yet fans of big clubs were not saying 'he's a genius lets hire him'
But that's exactly my point. We don't see anything. We don't know much about the coaching staff, recruitment staff, scouting staff etc. It's all blind speculation imo. And I am surprised how much of it is there.
 

JPRouve

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I love how everything we do has a split camp among our directors.
If there is more than one people in the room, you can bet that disagreements occur. Though why would Ten Hag push for Mitchell, do they know each others?
 

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Some call it the gangster of love
Whit woo

The Holy 'Pep Guardiola is my idol' Trinity

Ten Hag, Van der Gaag and Paul Mitchell.

:lol: Who programmed "B.a.l.d. f.r.a.u.d" to show up as "Pep is my idol"?
Ah ffs. B-ald F-raud isn't even an insult. It's Pep for fecks sake. Everyone knows he's the best there is.
 

2 man midfield

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Football men also includes Tony Pulis and Neil Warnock, football men is a very broad spectrum who won’t agree on things.
You think the disagreement is among the football decision makers? I took that tweet to mean that the non-football men (Glazers, Arnold) disagree with what Rangnick, Murtough and Ten Hag want. In that case, why even seek Rangnick’s help if you aren’t going to listen to him?
 

JPRouve

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You think the disagreement is among the football decision makers? I took that tweet to mean that the non-football men (Glazers, Arnold) disagree with what Rangnick, Murtough and Ten Hag want. In that case, why even seek Rangnick’s help if you aren’t going to listen to him?
I take it as a made up story. Why would ten Hag push for Mitchell and Murtough nor Fletcher are mentioned in that tweet.
 

Bluelion7

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These other so called “decision makers” are also part of the problem as well and need to be shipped out along with all the other dross.
This is the not-so-secret problem with United in a Nutshell. You are one of the 2 or 3 biggest clubs in the world. Despite complaints to the contrary, your owners have been willing to spend money. Your facilities are fantastic. I’m not sure even the managers have been the real problem.

But while teams like Liverpool create modern sporting organizations with technical teams, analytic experts, and generally a core of competent people each doing their part for the cohesive system, regardless of who is manager ….. United still seem to have the same group of guys sitting around making decisions over drinks and a cigar. Having your heroes involved with the club is fine. Letting them control the team is absolutely not.
 

phelans shorts

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You think the disagreement is among the football decision makers? I took that tweet to mean that the non-football men (Glazers, Arnold) disagree with what Rangnick, Murtough and Ten Hag want. In that case, why even seek Rangnick’s help if you aren’t going to listen to him?
I don’t know who it’s between, it’s why I’m not leaping to any conclusions.

That being said, why would you seek Rangnick’s help if you’re just going to hand over the reins to him. Might as well just hand him the keys.
 

JPRouve

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This is the not-so-secret problem with United in a Nutshell. You are one of the 2 or 3 biggest clubs in the world. Despite complaints to the contrary, your owners have been willing to spend money. Your facilities are fantastic. I’m not sure even the managers have been the real problem.

But while teams like Liverpool create modern sporting organizations with technical teams, analytic experts, and generally a core of competent people each doing their part for the cohesive system, regardless of who is manager ….. United still seem to have the same group of guys sitting around making decisions over drinks and a cigar. Having your heroes involved with the club is fine. Letting them control the team is absolutely not.
Liverpool were a trainwreck until a certain manager came, they also changed the structure after that manager arrived.
 

Gandalf

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Romano says he's set for the technical director role, that's Fletcher's job.
I think the job titles are confusing as the description of what Fletcher does would appear to have only limited overlap with Paul Mitchell's known strengths. Fletcher is essentially meant to monitor the pathway from the youth system to the first team so that involves an overview of all of the coaches in the youth setup with an emphasis on making sure there is consistency in training methods and tactics throughout the age groups so we are turning out players that fit the playing philosophy of the club. Mitchell is known for recruitment which is not intended to be a part of Fletcher's long term role even if he has been involved in some of those discussions during the interim period. I do think once ETH is here we will no longer see Fletcher in the dugout and he will fade from view somewhat and I don't see him being in competition with Mitchell should we hire him.