Director of Football - Do we want one?

For so many reasons..

• New CEO will no experience working in football.
• Our whole footballing operation needs a total revamp, from Scouting, recruitment, youth setup, first team coaching.
• DoF installs ethos, 1, 2 5 and 10yr plan and vision and when a coach leaves after 2/3 years there's not too much upheaval. Like we've seen when Rodgers left. Coaches come and go but the vision remains.
• PL acting as a quasi DoF is why we face such a major rebuild and such disconnect with the fanbase.

Those are just a few but nearly every thriving forward thinking club works to that model.

 

The last one and in bold the most important for me.

 

There is no right manager to appoint this day and age that can run a full club. Especially one of our size in our position who doesn’t have the money to compete with the big leagues.

Rodgers is as good a manager we could’ve hoped to get yet completely destroyed our scouting and recruitment.

When all the best managers in the world are working in a DOF sort of structure it tells you how vital it is.

It’d be gross negligence at this point to not appoint a DOF and let them build the club. It’s up to the club to now get that appointment right.

 

He’s top of their scouting.

Apparently he’s already went out and got his Director’s license so he’s clearly serious about wanting to make his own thing.

Some of his thesis has been translated about scouting and recruitment and he seems perfect to come in and build that side of it up.

The hope would be that how thorough, with his skill in scouting players would translate and help him understand what type of coaches he wants to implement what style he wants.

That’s probably far too radical and risky for the board though.

 

Whoever the DOF is will need to totally revamp the recruitment overnight, 2 year ago we needed to fill the leftback position and that was a total disaster then last year was keeper and that was a disaster, this year it’s keeper, centre back, leftback, rightback centre mid right wing left wing and striker

 

We appointed the right manager in 2016 and Rodgers massively modernised the club, but when he left the whole vision, ambition and brain of the club did too. That’s why we need a director of football - continuity, vision and direction.

 

So a DoF is actually the "boss" and the manager would really be the first team coach. Have I got that right ?

 

Well looking at it that way, right now the CEO is the ‘boss’ and the manager is the ‘first team coach’.

In other words the DOF takes responsibilities away from the CEO more than the manager.

But using terms like ‘boss’ shows a misunderstanding of how it all works (or should work) IMO.

 

He's infinitely more qualified than Harkin, which is precisely why he won't be getting the job.

He'll go on and build a dynasty at some other European club and we'll yet again be cursing the pitiful lack of ambition and small-mindedness of our present custodians.

 

Been really impressed with what I have read about Tognozzi.

The outstanding candidate by a long way in my opinion.

 

Think he mentioned somewhere he would be up for the job. The only problem for me is if he was in the frame he wouldn't be talking about it.

 

It's not as simplistic as that, they should all be cogs of the same machine.

And aye a DoF should be putting their own status on the line with in the hiring of the right coach for the job..

That's why it's essential we have a DoF in place first, they should be accountable for the hiring of the manager/coach.

Once in place though, the coach of the first team is the boss and arguably the most important person at the club and everything should be done to help him.

 

Exactly JC. CEO should appoint the DOF who then should appoint the Manager/Coach. DOF should be in charge of brining players in with the help of the Manager/Coach with what position & style of player required.

If in the idea the CEO doesn't know much about the football side then they should be seeking help in appointing the DOF. Sure i seen we have a company that is giving advice on this.

The problem fans have as that we don't know what system we are looking to go down, DOF & Coach or Manager with out a DOF.

 

I think people can get a bit too caught up in labels in this situation.

The structure is largely irrelevant. You can have sustained success with any combination of manager/coach/DOF. You just need the right people in place.

The reason we failed so badly this season is because we allowed a culture of nepotism to creep in, and believed that success on the field was proof that our decision making off the pitch was flawless, as opposed to just a lack of competition.

I’m not convinced that we’ve overcome those issues yet. Links with Harkin and Brown seemingly being allowed to dictate his own future entirely suggest to me that our mentality isn’t there yet.

 

Is there anything to stop a dof doing the same as the rat? Then cherry picking the best of the scouting and coaching staff for their new club?

 

Exactly, we shouldn't just be creating the role simply for the sake of it. If the right candidates are available, then by all means. Certainly not someone who appears to be little more than a glorified P/R or P/A for players man City loan out.

 

Yasssss Man City's feeder club here we go!

 

Don't you mean dumping ground?

 

Seen hoopsmanbrian saying DOF already chosen and will be used as a pr stunt to get season tickets sold ! Sounds legit as i think they know a lot of fans will be sceptical about renewing and selling a new visokn will hopefully sell season tickets