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

[MUW4Eva]

I made this point a few times when it was announced but you have to remember the club made clear his title wasn’t DoF but Football Director. It was classic Woody appeasement in my eyes.

When you look at backgrounds and add the context of the recent scouting departures, it seems to me that Murtough is much closer to a classic ‘Technical Director’, particularly given his expertise is player pathways and Fletcher is basically his assistant and we are now actually going to hire a real DoF who will focus on recruitment (and have an expertise in that area).

We need to hire two DoF then, unless we hire just one, then this one needs to have extensive knowledge and contacts in the women's game.

I would prefer we hire two, one for each gendered team.

 

[Roboc7]

I made this point a few times when it was announced but you have to remember the club made clear his title wasn’t DoF but Football Director. It was classic Woody appeasement in my eyes.

When you look at backgrounds and add the context of the recent scouting departures, it seems to me that Murtough is much closer to a classic ‘Technical Director’, particularly given his expertise is player pathways and Fletcher is basically his assistant and we are now actually going to hire a real DoF who will focus on recruitment (and have an expertise in that area).

Yeah a lot of people get carried away with what Murtough was actually supposed to be doing. Him and Fletcher were brought in to slot into the structure with Ole and the transfer committee. It was the bare minimum and the kind of appointments that are being talked about now also bringing in Rangnick is something that should have been done initially not as a reaction to more failure.

 

[tomaldinho1]

We need to hire two DoF then, unless we hire just one, then this one needs to have extensive knowledge and contacts in the women's game.

I would prefer we hire two, one for each gendered team.

That would make sense. No reason not to invest more in the womens side and learn from mistakes the mens side have made!

 

[Real Name]

According to Ornstein, Mitchell is wanted by Chelsea as technical director. Thank god we secured Fletcher for the role. Can you imagine how many clubs would want this guy if we didn't sign him up?

Oh so funny. Did you mention the promotion too?

 

[Real Name]

It looks like United have secured van der Gaag and are considering Mcclaren. That would be a great set up for me.

If you add to that Mitchell coming in as part of the change in player scouting/recruitment, Rangnick in his advisory role, and Fletcher/Murtagh that’s a hugely positive structured rebuild.

Fletcher though, what does he do exactly? Cafe experts don't know so he must be having a position just for the sake of it.

 

[devilish]

Oh so funny. Did you mention the promotion too?

Fletcher got another promotion? It's well due considering that 2 weeks had passed since his last one

 

[Real Name]

Fletcher got another promotion? It's well due considering that 2 weeks had passed since his last one

Your joke never gets old. I just spilled my coffee, its that funny.

 

[Green Arrow]

Fletcher though, what does he do exactly? Cafe experts don't know so he must be having a position just for the sake of it.

I can't remember where I read it but apparently he is a liaison that identifies who is/can be a "Man Utd" player. Being it new targets or from the youth setup.

 

[JPRouve]

Football director, technical director, sporting director, director of football are all the same thing. The names do not differentiate roles.

 

[JohnnyKills]

Is this going to be Mitchell's role then?

 

[ShinjiNinja26]

Is this going to be Mitchell's role then?

I fecking hope so!

 

[The Siege]

Honestly, I had a proper look at the hierarchy when the two scouts left the club, and it gets worse the longer you see it tbh.

We had a 'head of recruitment operations' overseeing a 'head of global scouting', a 'chief scout' and a 'technical chief scout'. It was some proper 'Everyone is a leader in a flat hierarchy' nonsense. 'Football Director', 'Technical Director' - they're just handing out vague generalist leadership titles and I'm certain their roles are super-vaguely defined because otherwise you don't end up with rumours of Fletcher shouting instructions to the team.

 

[#07]

Honestly, I had a proper look at the hierarchy when the two scouts left the club, and it gets worse the longer you see it tbh.

We had a 'head of recruitment operations' overseeing a 'head of global scouting', a 'chief scout' and a 'technical chief scout'. It was some proper 'Everyone is a leader in a flat hierarchy' nonsense. 'Football Director', 'Technical Director' - they're just handing out vague generalist leadership titles and I'm certain their roles are super-vaguely defined because otherwise you don't end up with rumours of Fletcher shouting instructions to the team.

Its proper, early modern monarchy, groom of the stool type stuff: You get a title, you get a title, you get a title, everyone gets a title!

If the bloat was translating into results on the pitch you could understand it. However, we have the most expensively assembled, best paid squad of Europa League level players in the world. Something's not right there is it?

 

[MUW4Eva]

Honestly, I had a proper look at the hierarchy when the two scouts left the club, and it gets worse the longer you see it tbh.

We had a 'head of recruitment operations' overseeing a 'head of global scouting', a 'chief scout' and a 'technical chief scout'. It was some proper 'Everyone is a leader in a flat hierarchy' nonsense. 'Football Director', 'Technical Director' - they're just handing out vague generalist leadership titles and I'm certain their roles are super-vaguely defined because otherwise you don't end up with rumours of Fletcher shouting instructions to the team.

And yet we seemingly have no dedicated scouts, nor any one solely dedicated to the women's team in any sort of upper management role....

Soooo frustrating.

 

[Dan_F]

Honestly, I had a proper look at the hierarchy when the two scouts left the club, and it gets worse the longer you see it tbh.

We had a 'head of recruitment operations' overseeing a 'head of global scouting', a 'chief scout' and a 'technical chief scout'. It was some proper 'Everyone is a leader in a flat hierarchy' nonsense. 'Football Director', 'Technical Director' - they're just handing out vague generalist leadership titles and I'm certain their roles are super-vaguely defined because otherwise you don't end up with rumours of Fletcher shouting instructions to the team.

That’s what happens when the owners of the business have absolutely no clue what they’re doing.

 

[The Siege]

Its proper, early modern monarchy, groom of the stool type stuff: You get a title, you get a title, you get a title, everyone gets a title!

If the bloat was translating into results on the pitch you could understand it. However, we have the most expensively assembled, best paid squad of Europa League level players in the world. Something's not right there is it?

Oh for sure. My largest fear right now is that we'll get a lot of good backroom staff and not find a system that makes it work. Dominic Jordan objectively is a great hire for data sciences. Mick Court is a very good balance of data-driven scouting. If the Paul Mitchell rumours are true, that'd be a great addition as well but I have 0 faith in a structure being formed properly enough to get the best results around them. And someday we'll find out what Fletcher was doing in all of this, and it'll disappoint us.

 

[MUW4Eva]

Oh for sure. My largest fear right now is that we'll get a lot of good backroom staff and not find a system that makes it work. Dominic Jordan objectively is a great hire for data sciences. Mick Court is a very good balance of data-driven scouting. If the Paul Mitchell rumours are true, that'd be a great addition as well but I have 0 faith in a structure being formed properly enough to get the best results around them. And someday we'll find out what Fletcher was doing in all of this, and it'll disappoint us.

How will Mick Court help the women's side of things, will he use his data scouting to help them??

 

[The Siege]

Truthfully, I wasn't talking about the women's team at all. None of the names above will likely spend any time on the women's team.

United can barely sort their men's first team out, from any lens of competence and that's the side that actually keep the economics of this club ticking unfortunately because of the nature of global football. Now if they can't sort that out, what shot do they have of sorting the women's team out - a domain they entered way too late, have no expertise in, and obviously don't have a roadmap (which seems to be the real United way tbh)

 

[#07]

@MUW4Eva the treatment of Man Utd's women's team has been an embarrassment. The circumstances surrounding Stoney's departure still shames us. Just not good enough. However, its reflective on an ongoing pattern of neglect that effects both the men and women's team. When was the last time United's men signed a #6? Things are allowed to get worn down to breaking point before anyone at the club seems to think: 'Hmm, we should do something about that.'

The new structure was meant to address these issues. I have limited faith. Guess we'll see.

 

[roseguy64]

Honestly, I had a proper look at the hierarchy when the two scouts left the club, and it gets worse the longer you see it tbh.

We had a 'head of recruitment operations' overseeing a 'head of global scouting', a 'chief scout' and a 'technical chief scout'. It was some proper 'Everyone is a leader in a flat hierarchy' nonsense. 'Football Director', 'Technical Director' - they're just handing out vague generalist leadership titles and I'm certain their roles are super-vaguely defined because otherwise you don't end up with rumours of Fletcher shouting instructions to the team.

Fletcher's role was defined. It's just he took on additional duties because we couldn't get Rangnick the coaches he wanted. It's been said numerous times. Before Ole was sacked he was doing similar stuff it's just on a smaller scale that's ramped up now to fill the gap. If he decided to stay on next season I expect we might not see him on the touchline but rather back in the stands with the analysts like he was under Ole.

 

[Chairman Steve]

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[Wednesday at Stoke]

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Pretty sure he already interviewed for the job so I guess he's being offered the role now.

 

[Tango80]

Makes me laugh the replies to that tweet with everyone saying they've never heard of him.

Realistically, how many deputy DoFs/DoFs or even anyone one who isn't a player or manager actually heard of?

 

[TheReligion]

@Solius

Break the news…

 

[Adnan]

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[Sparky Rhiwabon]

Did he test positive for United DNA?

 

[Adnan]

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[Adamsk7]

Glazer shill
What does he know about football?
Is he bald?
How tall is he?
Does he have any likeminded and affluent friends?


Am I doing it right?

 

[Adnan]

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[sullydnl]

Balding fraudling.

 

[devilish]

Did he test positive for United DNA?

O’Boyle said: “I am thrilled to be rejoining Manchester United" AND "A lifelong United fan, O’Boyle played as a youngster in a Manchester United Centre of Excellence in his native Northern Ireland before switching focus to coaching and sports science"

So yes

 

[TheReligion]

Glazer shill
What does he know about football?
Is he bald?
How tall is he?
Does he have any likeminded and affluent friends?


Am I doing it right?

Fraud, clubs a joke, believe it when I see it, no one else wanted him

 

[LordSpud]

Ex-fitness at Liverpool? Get those inhalers ready...

Edited for brainfart

 

[Ali Dia]

Sounds like another good hire.

 

[#07]

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As rumoured and expected for awhile. We're fully Murtough FC now. Lets keep our fingers crossed that it all works out.

 

[stu_1992]

Hopefully a good hire, I'm all for getting actual football people in decision making positions. Makes a change from most of the last decade.

 

[AjaxCunian]

Seems like a great addition, have quite some trust in Murthough and his team. Also in Richard Arnold, think United will improve greatly.

 

[TrebleChamp99]

This is the most important appointment we will make this summer, or just behind ETH. Fantastic and finally a real operating system. There has been a huge vaccum in the club at this level. Should mean we improve in many areas of fitness, recruitment etc, A proper football person.

 

[Kag]

Sounds promising.

 

[TheReligion]

Good they are getting things done early in preparation for a busy summer