Telegraph Football: Man Utd looking to appoint director of football this summer | Appointed

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Himannv

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I would absolutely get that argument two years ago but clearly the club decided to go a different direction in Mourinho’s third summer. That direction wasn’t because of Ole, Ole is following that direction. Ever since then it’s been a policy of purchasing young players with high potential and their peak in front of them. How is Poch, Rose or Leipzig man who I can’t spell continuity issues? They’d all favour young talent to develop with a high pressing game. Any squad Ole leaves behind is going to capable of playing their styles.
I think there's a difference in how all the manager's you mentioned like to play.

Nagelsmann for example has a side that generally played 4-4-2 when defending, which morphed into 4-2-2-2 when attacking. Poch typically used to go with a 4-2-3-1 that morphs into a 4-1-4-1.

Saying Liepzig is a team that presses is correct, however, they way they press is fundamentally different to how maybe a Poch team presses. The goal of the Liepzig press is to push the ball wider to opposition fullbacks and then cut out all passing lanes to win the ball at that point - Then the wide player who wins it slots into the AM role and the mobile front two are brought into play. Poch teams sort of press in zones and each player knows their zone to a point where they will drop away as soon as they reach the end of their zone and others in the next zone take over. Unlike, maybe an Ole team, every single player is expected to press or they get shipped out (e.g. Adebayor). While a Poch team aims to win back possession and use it meaningfully, a Nagelsmann team wins back possession to launch a direct attack through the heart of the opposition.

Like an Ole team, Nagelsmann likes his teams to be able to play out from the back. That's not necessarily a Poch tactic. In a Poch team, 3 outfield players are always stationed to prevent counters when in possession. Often this involves the two CBs. Nagelsmann, on the other hand, relies on the likes of Upamecano to unlock defences with his passes and latch onto the runs of the forwards or AMs.

So, what I'm trying to say is that even though Ole seems to be building a nice team, there's no guarantee that all his players will fit the philosophy of the next coach, because fundamentally they have different ideas and the people recruiting them are not football people.

It’s also going to be one of the most exciting in Europe if we spend the next few windows. It’s precisely because we’re trying to sign the right players and supposedly monitoring the right managers that I don’t get the clamour for a DOF. For years I was moaning on here when we got LVG and then Jose signing Zlatan/Mikhi/Angel/BSW etc about us not having a clear strategy. We just went from one short term whim to the next. That isn’t the case anymore. There is now an actual vision and it’s starting to show on the pitch. We’re still 18 months away but I think we’ll get there.
The advantage of the DoF ensures that if Ole loses his job, the effort put in will not be in vain as the new manager ultimately is one who has the same (or at least vastly similar) philosophy. As such he will have a set of players who will match that philosophy without the club having to reinvent the wheel and sign new players always for the new man. It also ensures that there is continuity and structure in terms of playing style from the academy upwards.

We're looking for sustainability and continuity for many years with that particular hire. Someone who will give us a football vision for a decade or more and make Manchester United successful with efficient operations targeting the long term.
 

Revaulx

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Maguire and Pogba were both manager choices. Hell we refused to sign Maguire for 10m less the season before, and then he was very quickly made a captain by Ole. Chelsea quite publicly wanted Pogba the previous season while Mourinho was there.

Personally I don't think Fred was first choice for Mourinho, but not being first choice doesn't mean he wasn't high up there.
That’s nonsense. well it certainly wasn’t the manager employed at the time who originally wanted either.
Well I don't claim to be close enough to the action to have a clue; certainly not to label a contrary opinion as nonsense ;)

It does seem obvious though that IF it's Ed/the transfer committee/the scouts/Matt Judge, they have a very poor idea of the players that will work best for any given manager. IF on the other hand it actually is the manager, we seem to be particularly unlucky in recruiting multiple managers that are poor judges of the players that will suit their style.

One would hope that a DoF that's been around a bit would be able to gauge what any given manager needs to be successful. If for example Jose had demanded Drogba, the DoF should be able to tactfully point out that Drogba had unfortunately retired and was no longer available; then go on to offer a selection of younger players cast in the same mould. Not spunk a massive fee on the decent but totally different Lukaku and hope that if everybody wished hard enough he'd adapt to the Drogba role.
 

MadDogg

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It does seem obvious though that IF it's Ed/the transfer committee/the scouts/Matt Judge, they have a very poor idea of the players that will work best for any given manager. IF on the other hand it actually is the manager, we seem to be particularly unlucky in recruiting multiple managers that are poor judges of the players that will suit their style.
I feel it's been mostly on the manager (see how the types of players we've signed have been quite a bit different under each manager). Some of the players we've bought have definitely been the manager's first choice. Some may have only been 2nd-5th choice or so. Sanchez is the only one I can think of that I'm not sure if the manager particularly wanted him, although obviously Mourinho still must have said 'ok' when the club bought the opportunity up with him.
 

Wazza4Gaffa

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All our problems come down to not hiring a competent director of football and the problems will continue to be prevalent until we hire somebody to oversee the football side of Manchester United PLC.
 

Bastian

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All our problems come down to not hiring a competent director of football and the problems will continue to be prevalent until we hire somebody to oversee the football side of Manchester United PLC.
I'd rather say all our problems are the ownership: the financial implications, the lack of ambition, as well as the sheer incompetence on the footballing side of things.

Wonder when the next briefing will be.
 

Skills

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Doesn't Berta have a pretty poor and expensive record with Atletico?
 

Adnan

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It was reported by Di Marzio in the past that we wanted him but it seems he turned us down. The latest news is from Marca in Spain who say that United were among several other clubs who have tried and failed to sign him up as their Sporting director. But it seems they're talking about our failed approach from the past, probably around 2017/18 time.
 
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-Supreme-

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It was reported by Di Marzio in the past that we wanted him but it seems he turned us down. The latest news is from Marca in Spain who say that United among several other clubs have tried and failed to sign him up as their Sporting director. But it seems they're talking about our failed approach from the past, probably around 2017/18 time.
I'm surprised we haven't been linked with a DoF yet as this plays a key role for our next manager's appointment, given the ones we want to bring in and assuming Ed shares similar vision i.e. Rose, Hasenhüttl etc already have a sporting director for their current clubs.

However, I seem to recall Poch prefers to operate without one in place...
 

croadyman

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I'm surprised we haven't been linked with a DoF yet as this plays a key role for our next manager's appointment, given the ones we want to bring in and assuming Ed shares similar vision i.e. Rose, Hasenhüttl etc already have a sporting director for their current clubs.

However, I seem to recall Poch prefers to operate without one in place...
That probably explains the strong interest in him from Utd then
 

manunited1919

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Which Summer is it that we are signing a DOF? We have been waiting for years.

OP, best not put a year next to the summer. That we we can just refresh this thread every year.
 

Tyrion

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All our problems come down to not hiring a competent director of football and the problems will continue to be prevalent until we hire somebody to oversee the football side of Manchester United PLC.
Agreed. Imo, even if we hire Poch and win the title, we'll end up in the same position whenever he leaves. We need competent football experts choosing the manager.
 

wolvored

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Its all over the media that Marcel Brands the Everton DOF is being lined up to become DOF end of the season.
 

Adnan

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The Marcel Brands to United news is coming from the The Sun newspaper.
 

Rolaholic

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Not believing a thing regarding a potential dof until an official club announcement. Been down this road far too often before...
 

Cloud7

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Not believing a thing regarding a potential dof until an official club announcement. Been down this road far too often before...
I'll believe this when there's confirmation from the club. Just seems like the usual story released every now and then to fool the fans.
 

Nou_Camp99

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If he was behind Everton paying £40m for Iwobi then that should be a huge red flag. He's absolutely trash. Arsenal DOF, Edu, must have fallen off his chair laughing with that one.
 

Cassidy

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Hes shite so this is probably true
 

Inigo Montoya

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If he was behind Everton paying £40m for Iwobi then that should be a huge red flag. He's absolutely trash. Arsenal DOF, Edu, must have fallen off his chair laughing with that one.
But then they paid how much for Pepe?
 

pascell

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If he was behind Everton paying £40m for Iwobi then that should be a huge red flag. He's absolutely trash. Arsenal DOF, Edu, must have fallen off his chair laughing with that one.
Sigurdsson for £50m also and whatever they paid for Mina. Have to give them credit for James, Doucoure, Allan, Andre Gomes and Digne though.
 

Nou_Camp99

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Sigurdsson for £50m also and whatever they paid for Mina. Have to give them credit for James, Doucoure, Allan, Andre Gomes and Digne though.
In hindsight Siggy was a bad move too however he did look a good player at Swansea. A real talisman for them.

But Iwobi is just rubbish. No idea if it was Brands who was behind that deal but if it was then we should stay well clear.
 

pascell

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In hindsight Siggy was a bad move too however he did look a good player at Swansea. A real talisman for them.

But Iwobi is just rubbish. No idea if it was Brands who was behind that deal but if it was then we should stay well clear.
I guess it hasn't helped they've had a few managers since he moved there but £50m even when it happened was daylight robbery by Swansea.

I agree about the Iwobi deal, I just feel Brands overall would be an underwhelming appointment, if we ever made the DoF position available.
 

Varun1

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Sigurdsson for £50m also and whatever they paid for Mina. Have to give them credit for James, Doucoure, Allan, Andre Gomes and Digne though.
Am pretty sure James and Allan are entirely on Ancellotti.
 

Varun1

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I don't rate Brands but if Ed ever recruited a DoF I don't expect better. Such an Ed signing.
Saying that, I don't expect us to recruit one.
 

Brophs

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Makes more sense to give him a job as an ambassador.
 

el3mel

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Looks underwhelming.

Anyway DOF or not Woodward will still be the main boss and the decision will always be his. The guy will just be name in front of the press to shield all the blame from Woodward.
 

BigDunc9

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Brands has been poor in my opinion. The only successful signing you can place on him is Digne who has been a great signing to be fair. Richarlison would have been Silva's buy and the two big signings in the Summer would of been Ancelotti. Jury still out on Dacoure and Godfrey.
 
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