A lot of Manchester United fans want to see a director of football appointed but I will always have concerns about how these people can operate properly while the Glazers are owners.
We are one of very few top European clubs who still don’t have a director of football, although John Murtough is currently working as a football director. Is it the same thing? Well, the role as director of football has different responsibilities depending on the club you are working at…
I always feared the Glazers would introduce a watered-down version.
Monaco chief Paul Mitchell has been linked with a move to Old Trafford due to his links to not only Ralf Rangnick but Manchester, although Fabrizio Romano claims he has no plans to leave the Ligue 1 club.
Paul Mitchell won’t join Manchester United as new director of football. AS Monaco officially announced Mitchell as part of the board for the new season. ⚪️🔴 #ASMonaco
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 24, 2022
Former Manchester United academy graduate Luke Chadwick previously tipped Micthell for a job at the Theatre of Dreams – along with Everton’s Marcel Brands.
Chadwick told CaughtOffside: “I think it’s vitally important. All the top clubs have a sporting director in there to oversee recruitment, which United have been much criticised about, particularly over the last transfer window.
“There’s been talk of a director of football coming in for I think two years now, with several names linked to the job, but I think it is recognised now as a matter of urgency.
“It’s vitally important they get the right name in or there’s going to be more criticism. I think Marcel Brands from Everton has certainly done a good job in terms of their recruitment … I’m sure Paul Mitchell, who I think is currently at Monaco, could be near the front of the queue, or Edwin van der Sar, or even Gary Neville.
“I think it’s an attractive role so they could get the right name in, but I think it’s an appointment that needs to be made sooner or later, especially with the January transfer window coming up soon.”
Then, when asked if it was important to hire an ex-player for the role, Chadwick added: “It’s important the best candidate gets the job. With an ex-player it helps in terms of the perception of it because they’ve got the fans behind them at the start, which I think helps as we saw with Ole, who was hugely popular around the club. I think that can help a lot in terms of the settling-in period.”
I reckon Gary Neville would prefer a career in politics or as regulator in English football.
