This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
After all the murmurs of Manchester United looking into appointing a sporting or technical director to help ease some of the club’s off-the-pitch concerns, it appears that objective is dead in the water.
The club’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has been the target of much of the Old Trafford faithful’s criticism when it comes to the team’s transfer business, and so a director of football or a backroom role would have brought a welcome change.
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Instead, it looks as though the Red Devils have chickened out. According to The Manchester Evening News’ Tyrone Marshall (entry 13:06), United are apparently quite content by the club’s current approach to recruitment.
He said: “There is a concern within the club that an appointment could act as a lightning rod for criticism, with worries they would be seen as the saviour given the issues around the club at the moment and could end up being ‘annihilated’.
“The word recently has been that United are happy with their recruitment structure. Ed Woodward has been on the front foot over the last few weeks when it comes to criticism of recruitment and Solskjaer has also praised the way it’s been working, so there would seem to be little immediate desire to add a new body into that way of working.”
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For United to reportedly turn away from such a landmark appointment because they feel the individual would act as a “lightning rod criticism” smacks of serious cowardice. Surely the entire point would be that there is an added element of responsibility and accountability to the Red Devils’ transfer approach.
The club have had a mish-mash policy when it comes to recruitment since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill. Numerous different managers with Woodward effectively kow-towing to their varied philosophies and methods instead of sticking with someone that is in the best interests of the club.
Getting a specialist in the job would bring about huge rewards; United’s stubbornness and reluctance to make a commitment to a director of football is a major and, quite frankly, criminal oversight.
It will simply mean more of the same transfer failings that have plagued the club in recent seasons, like Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku.
The club desperately need a more stream-lined approach with one knowledgeable figure driving things in one key direction. Woodward’s decision is now only likely to cause more misery in the transfer market.