Is the Manchester United DOF rumor just a move to pacify fans?

Manchester United is reportedly looking for a new director of football.

For a club of the stature of Manchester United, it’s shocking that they are still operating without a director of football, with Chief Executive Ed Woodward still handling both commercial and footballing matters at Old Trafford.

Indeed, the Red Devils are the only club in the Premier League’s current top 6 with no director (or an equivalent role), and this has reflected in their shockingly poor performance in the transfer market since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.

The appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjær has seen transfer policy change for the first time in 7 years, with all of the Norwegian’s signings proving to be positive additions to the squad (the return of Mike Phelan, a former assistant of Ferguson, has almost certainly had a positive influence).

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Around the same time last year, shortly after Solskjær’s transition to a permanent manager, there were rumours that Ed Woodward was on the hunt for a new director – rumours that predictably didn’t lead anywhere.

And now according to the Telegraph, the appointment is back on Woodward’s agenda.

The candidates

Atletico Madrid’s Andrea Berta is one of the top candidates. Berta has overseen a considerable overhaul of Atletico’s squad following the departures of important players like Antoine Griezmann, Lucas Hernandes and Rodri over the last summer. New signings like Kieran Trippier and Renan Lodi have proven to be good acquisitions.

Fabricio Paratici has overseen an astonishing revival at Juventus, which saw the Old Lady of Turin go from a 7th-placed finish in 2010/11 to 8 (soon to be 9) successive Scudettos. Over the last decade, the Italian giants have gained a reputation for spotting bargains in the transfer market.

Antero Henrique, a former director at PSG, has an equally glittering resume. Henrique convinced Kylian Mbappe to choose the Parisians over Real Madrid in 2017, making him the most expensive teenager in the world and was also in charge of several shrewd signings at Porto that earned them substantial profits (James Rodriquez, Eliaquim Mangala, Ruben Neves and Andre Silva to name a few).

Considering that Manchester United are one of the largest clubs in the world, and are currently in the process of an exciting transition with new signings and academy graduates shining in the first team, Woodward should have no problems in convincing any candidate to make the move to Manchester.

Fans and critics though, have reason to be sceptical.

More smoke and mirrors?

The Telegraph’s report already states that Woodward’s first priorities over the summer would be to deal with the financial fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, which isn’t a good start.

The problem is that Woodward stepping away from footballing aspects of the club would mean a loss of control for the Glazers, whose micro-management has been a problem in the past.

Since the takeover in 2005 by Malcolm Glazer, it’s been apparent that the American owners’ primary concerns would be financial in nature. With clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City getting a continuous inflow of cash from investors to challenge for titles, Manchester United have had a similar amount of money sucked out of the club.

Football clubs cannot be run like businesses. In the early years of their regime, Ferguson’s genius still won trophies for the Glazers. But their poor management has led to a shocking collapse in the years since.

This is not to say that no part of the blame lies with the managers, but the performance in the transfer market has been calamitous.

Transfers represent a significant chunk of expenditures for football clubs. A new director would therefore considerably lower the Glazers’ influence, something that history suggests they would not be okay with.

To be fair, however, things have changed over the last year. Solskjær has seemingly been given a larger degree of freedom with respect to new signings, and also more time than his predecessors. Jose Mourinho or Louis van Gaal could easily have been sacked for producing the results that Solskjær did at the tail end of last season.

And yet, patience has reaped benefits. The 47-year-old’s handling of academy talents (particularly Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams) has been faultless, and he has also improved Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial considerably (which might have something to do with Solskjær himself being a prolific striker).

New signings have all seamlessly integrated into the squad, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Bruno Fernandes arguably contenders for the best Premier League transfers this season.

If these improvements are reflected in the club’s financial performance, it is possible that the Glazers would realize the value a new director could bring.

Much of it hinges on Champions League qualification and progress in the Europa League – with Manchester United positioned well on both fronts. A draw with Leicester would be sufficient to finish in the top 4, while Inter Milan pose the only major obstacle in Europe.

A lot could change between now and the end of the season. Silverware and the inflow of cash from qualifying for Europe could just be enough to lead to a new director being appointed.