ManU is set to appoint the first director of football in its 140-year history "as soon as the current restructure of the club and expansion of facilities are complete," according to Jamie Jackson of the London GUARDIAN. The move will allow ManU "a continuity of football style and ethos as well as a more streamlined transfer policy." It is understood this is also "recognition by the hierarchy of the need to modernise in an era when managers are often in situ only for the short term." This can lead to "disjointed recruitment and a disconnect" between the manager and the exec. The club "suffered precisely this in the transfer window that closed on Thursday." Manager José Mourinho believed he "required a frontline centre-back to strengthen his squad." While the board led by Exec Vice-Chair Ed Woodward was supportive, it "was not prepared to sanction what was viewed as the exorbitant valuations demanded for the manager's particular targets." A director of football "would provide a buffer between the hierarchy and manager with the extra layer of expertise" designed to maintain ManU's style and ethos. This will allow an "instantly recognisable blueprint to identify players and any fresh manager appointment" (GUARDIAN, 8/11).
