MANCHESTER UNITED APPOINT DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL!

Man Utd name Darren Fletcher technical director and promote Murtough to football director
[via FotMob]

Manchester United
Director of Football
Yes, they're in the same sentence!

For the first time in the history of the club, Manchester United have appointed a Director of Football. John Murtough has been promoted from Head of Football Development to Director of Football. Ex-Red Devil, Darren Fletcher takes up the helm of Technical Director alongside Murtough.

John will have overall leadership and responsibility for operations and strategy across all football functions. Murtough presided over the recruitment reboot two years ago with Solskjaer and his work on the three fronts has seen him gain a reputation as a fixer at Manchester United. He has worked closely with Solskjaer and the rest of the football staff to create the structures, processes and culture to deliver sustained success on the pitch. This has included successful overhauls of the club’s Academy and recruitment department.

Darren will work closely with John to add technical input and direction into all football and performance areas. He will focus on a coordinated and long-term approach to player and squad development, helping maintain the integral link between the Academy and the first team, aligned with Manchester United’s values and culture.

WHO IS JOHN MURTOUGH?

John Murtough is United's inaugural football director
[via MEN]

Murtough was brought in to United by David Moyes in 2013, having worked with him at Everton earlier. John became the club's Head of Football Development in 2016 and has continued to work with the club internally. He has been rewarded with a promotion for his work and takes up the helm of Director of Football at Manchester United.

John Murtough is a fairly experienced man in the field of football having have had a 23-year long career. Murtough has been the Head of Elite Performance at Premier League and has since had senior academy and player development roles at other clubs, before landing at the Old Trafford outfit.

Ironically, the Liverpudlian was a key man in the scouting of Hannibal Mejbri and helped Manchester United secure the sensational teenager's signature against the likes of Liverpool, Barcelona, PSG, Arsenal, and Man City.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR SOLSKJAER'S ROLE IN TRANSFERS?

🗞️ Solskjaer and the recruitment department retain the right to veto a target and #mufc settled on their summer shortlist in the winter. Solskjaer enjoys a positive working relationship with Murtough. @samuelluckhurst]

— United District (@UtdDistrict) March 10, 2021

Murtough will work with Solskjær on a day-to-day basis regarding recruitment 'to ensure that the first team has the best-in-class operational support it needs to succeed'. Solskjær will continue to have an influential role in the recruitment process. Darren Fletcher's remit as technical director will be to offer 'technical input and direction into all football and performance areas'. Fletcher has been overseeing #mufc games with the analysts, rather than flanking Solskjær in the dugout. Ole will continue his role in the recruitment process, supported by extensive scouting and data analytics functions, that will continue to report to John.

Below is Executive Vice Chairman, Ed Woodward's take on these appointments:

🗣 Ed Woodward: “This new position is a natural evolution that harnesses his [Murtough’s] leadership qualities and his years of experience in the game.” [MU]

— United District (@UtdDistrict) March 10, 2021

🗣Ed Woodward: “Darren’s [Fletcher] stellar achievements as a player and his own journey from Academy to Premier League and Champions League winner means he naturally commands respect and understands this vital part of the club’s DNA.” [MU]

— United District (@UtdDistrict) March 10, 2021

Ed Woodward took a step back from recruitment last season but had to muck in again, mainly due to the coronavirus pandemic, and met with Jude Bellingham and his parents before the midfielder decided to join Borussia Dortmund. Matt Judge, the transfer negotiator who previously occupied the title of 'head of corporate development', is now the director of football negotiations.

So basically, Solskjaer will be working alongside John Murtough in recruitment as the DoF will look to provide him with data and analytics, while Darren Fletcher is expected to give a technical point of view through his own expertise of the game. Matt Judge will continue to hold the negotiations, now with a proper title alongside his name.

WHY WASN'T AN EXTERNAL DoF APPOINTED?

Our Manchester United reporter James Cooper explains how the new #MUFC structure will work. pic.twitter.com/Io6HoQZuSD

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 10, 2021

The feeling among #mufc's hierarchy was the external candidates were synonymous solely with recruitment, whereas Murtough had overseen the overhaul of the United academy and built the women's team from scratch. In simpler words, the board felt the need to hire someone acquainted with the structure of the club, rather than have someone who'll solely play the role they're hired for. Sources concede bigger names, the likes of Van de Sar, were linked with the football director role but Manchester United were uncomfortable with the prospect of appointing them on the basis of their recruitment record.

🗞️ #mufc are comfortable with not appointing a former footballer, such as Van der Sar, as football director and believe they have sufficient football expertise with Solskjaer, Carrick and Mike Phelan on the coaching staff to 'communicate the football project'. [@samuelluckhurst]

— United District (@UtdDistrict) March 10, 2021

HOPE FOR A BETTER MANCHESTER UNITED IN THE TRANSFER WINDOW

Man Utd restructure transfer recruitment team with Darren Fletcher taking up key role
[via Washington News Post]

Manchester United have been really poor in recruitment since 2013, which has had massive impact on the club's status. Over the years, the Greater Manchester club has become one of the most inadequately run institutions in world football, a farce situation for one of the biggest clubs in the world. The Red Devils have made obnoxious investments in the past - Di Maria, a club record signing when he arrived, Alexis Sanchez, disrupted the whole wage structure for almost no return at all, and the infamous case of Phil Jones, who's still somehow at the club as he was handed a 5-year bumper contract in 2018 for no reason whatsoever.

Hopefully, the appointment of John Murtough as Director of Football and Darren Fletcher as the Technical Director will bring about a change in the running of the club and make us more efficient, especially in the transfer market.

What are your thoughts on the recruitment of 

John Murtough as Director of Football 

and 

Darren Fletcher as Technical Director?

Leave your thoughts in the comments.