ManU is looking to appoint its first director of football as the Glazer family seeks "to reverse the club’s post-Sir Alex Ferguson decline," according to Duncan Castles of the SUNDAY TIMES. Day-to-day responsibility for running ManU’s sporting affairs would be devolved from Exec Vice-Chair Ed Woodward "to a specialist working in tandem" with Manager Louis van Gaal’s successor.
The proposed move away from what a senior ManU exec recently described as the club’s belief in an "all-powerful manager model" reflects a growing realization that the "current structure is unfit for purpose." While Woodward "is expected to remain in his role after generating record revenues for the club, his involvement in player recruitment is to be scaled back." ManU's move to rationalize its transfer activity "comes as the board continues to deliberate on the key decision of who to replace Van Gaal with." The plc’s main board -- two-thirds composed of Glazer family members -- "is split on whether to appoint" former Chelsea Manager José Mourinho. Board members believe that ManU "holds the whip hand" in discussions with Mourinho "because he has no other viable job opportunity in the Premier League." However, they "are prepared to wait until the summer to make what directors consider to be a more informed decision" on Van Gaal’s successor. Primary responsibility for transfers and contract negotiations "would be handed over to the new director of football" in ManU’s plan. That person "would also be given the task of improving the performance of the club academy."
FA Technical Dir Dan Ashworth "has been considered for the role, but the 44-year-old has been out of club football for four seasons and has not worked at a level higher than West Bromwich Albion." On Mourinho’s candidacy as manager, the board "is confident it can keep him waiting while it examines alternative options for the position" (SUNDAY TIMES, 2/28).
