Image from the Times |
Manchester United fans must be very glad that the season has finally come to an end. For me, this is the worst season I have had to bare in the short life span I have lived on earth as a Manchester United fan. I was alive during the days of Moyes but never in my life have I seen Manchester United players as satisfied with losing as they were this season.
This season has highlighted that the biggest part of the problem at United lies with the board and the players. Jose Mourinho wasn’t backed by the board as they claimed the squad were good enough to challenge. From what we have seen, finishing second last season was a huge huge miracle for Manchester United.
Enter Director of Football
We have endured the past seven years being controlled by a board whose executive director is an investment banker. From what has been seen, Ed Woodward’s focus has been mainly getting sponsors and endorsement deals from companies. He has grossly neglected and mismanaged the footballing side. Due to this we need a Director of Football to run the footballing side of Manchester United and leave the financial side to Ed Woodward.
A director of football is a senior management figure at a football club. The presence of a director of football acts as an intermediary between the manager and the board and may relieve pressure on a manager by handling aspects away from day-to-day coaching, allowing a manager to focus on on-pitch performance.The director of football often is an experienced football figure who may also positively advise the manager or the board.
However, there may arise tensions arising between director and manager and that’s why many clubs do not have one. Often these tensions are due to questions over the remit and powers of the two positions; particularly with regard to control over transfer policy.
Therefore, getting a director of football ready to have a good working condition with the manager and board is key. Also, his roles and responsibilities should be well stated at the point of hire.
My personal choice for Director of Football would be Ramón Rodríguez Verdejo (Monchi).
Monchi is used to operating on a low budget but what happens if you give him the right resources? The sky is the limit. Monchi’s scouting network along with United’s financial strength creates a havoc. He makes tailor made appointments. He alters the setup as per the need of the manager. He has a success story at Seville as he helped them reach 10 finals and they ended up winning 7 of them.
Monchi currently handles Roma and they surely look a better side with Monchi’s expertise.
United has been linked with lots of people to fill in that position. I don’t know about the qualifications of any of them but one thing I am sure of is that we should recruit smart, especially in that position. This should be done before we make any signing.