UNITED SPECIAL United know they need a new director
YOU might remember Jose Mourinho’s post-Sevilla sermon in March, the one where he harped on about ‘football heritage’ and charted United’s Champions League failings since their 2011 final appearance at Wembley.
He bristled at the very mention the Reds had lost to La Liga’s fifthplaced side.
“We went out to a side that’s more successful than Manchester United in last seven years in Europe,” Mourinho said.
“We are knocked out to a team that is brilliant in their approach for many years, with their scouting system, the way they invest with every Euro.”
It is that last sentence which has gained greater significance as United prepare to install their first director of football.
Sevilla’s former director of football, Monchi, held the post for 16 years and the club lifted five Uefa Cups, the Super Cup and two Copa del Reys before the Andalusian joined Roma in April 2017.
Monchi, a former goalkeeper, discovered Sergio Ramos and recruited Ivan Rakitic, among others, and was touted as a possible United director of football upon Mourinho’s appointment.
When it emerged the Reds would appoint a director of football operations in March, club sources clarified it would be a new position which is an updated version of the traditional club secretary role.
The remit was to ‘head up logistics, facilities, travel registrations and other similar departments.’ That role remains unoccupied and the ‘operations’ might be about to be dropped.
United’s need for a conduit between Mourinho and Ed Woodward has become pressing in the wake of the split transfer policy in recent summer windows, where Mourinho’s late 20-something targets have been vetoed by the board and spending has plummeted from £140.9m last year to £73.2m this summer.
Senior staff at United were against the role being created in the past out of fear it diluted the manager’s role, something Mourinho alluded to when he requested his title switch to ‘head coach’ rather than manager on Friday night.
The feeling now is it is necessary and John Alexander’s departure as club secretary has provided the platform to rejig operations.
The head of development, John Murtough, has previously referred to himself as the club’s director of football in meetings and was previously technical director.
Steven Nzonzi, Javier Pastore and Justin Kluivert are among the 14 recruits Monchi has clinched at Roma this summer and the Serie A market is still open until this evening.
The giallorossi have chiselled a Scudetto and two Coppa Italias to the honours’ board this century and have embarked on a £120.05m spree, although Gabriel Batistuta remains their record buy.
Regardless of Mourinho’s spin that the Sevilla scandal was anything but, Monchi operated on a bargain budget in Andalusia, which partly consisted of identifying Premier League rejects such as Nzonzi, Samir Nasri, Stevan Jovetic, Gael Kakuta, Iago Aspas and Didier Zokora.
Sevilla also banked handsome profits on Rakitic, Navas, Alvaro Negredo and Alberto Moreno. Monchi would be ideal, not just because he is one of the best in the business but he has Mourinho’s approval. United resisted a Sevilla signing, having glanced at Clement Lenglet prior to his Barcelona move, but Mourinho historically clashes with directors of football and thrives on autonomy. Autonomy that is eroding under the Old Trafford beancounters. Michael Emenalo and Avram Grant’s appointments at Chelsea in July 2007 undermined Mourinho and hastened his September sacking before Emenalo returned to haunt him in 2015. At Inter, Mourinho operated under technical director Marco Branca, yet you only need a glance at his signings’ ages to know who pulled rank in the transfer market: Wesley Sneijder was 25, Thiago Motta 27, Samuel Eto’o 28, Diego Milito 30 and Lucio 31. An Inter fan site described Branca as ‘the man who ruined Inter’ in 2013. When Real Madrid president