By Riya M 
Manchester United has recently revealed that they have appointed a new Director of Football Operations, which will be a real change for the club in terms of football and concerning players and their acquisition. The decision has been taken as a part of series of measures being implemented for the reshuffle of the club as a means of integrating new changes for boosting its performance at both national and international level.
The new director hired to this position whose identity has not been disclosed to the public for now is believed to have vast experience in the management of several top European clubs and is expected to closely coordinate with the club’s manager Erik ten Hag in deciding the long-term future of this club. This structural setup breaks with the standard apparatus of a football club and responds to the emerging separation between organizational and sporting management which is now characterized in contemporary football.
A source familiar with the club has indicated that the new director will prioritize on restructuring the recruitment policy, establishment of a long term plan on recruitment as well as addressing the issue of utilization of analytical data in recruitment. It is considered to be a reaction to what has been widely deemed the rather unfocused and unproactive United’s transfer policy in the recent years.
Although fans applauded and expected from the club the appointment has received mild reception from fans and pundits. Some believe it is the right move towards handling the problems the club has faced in the past season and catch up with the English top-flight outfits. However, some supporters still doubt it due to other previous experiences in restructuring that have not been followed by corresponding changes in performance.
In other development the club has also released information that there are planned improvements at Carrington for the training facilities. The player facilities will be transformed with multi-million deal involving the use of the latest from technologists in equipment in the bid to help the players in the performance as well as recovery. This is considered part of a long process of building a competitive strategy that would help the team make the necessary changes to attract talented players.
The timing these announcements are particularly strategic as they are made very close to the start of the January transfer window. As was previously mentioned it would be expected of the new director to contribute significantly to the formulation of United’s transfer plans for the rest of the season and possibly the next transfer seasons. Looking forward, there is already speculation in circulation of possible targets, several big names are being earmarked for a possible switch to the Old Trafford outfit.
On the other hand, more about Manchester United’s United’s football team performance as the team goes through a difficult season. Recent performance shows some signs of a better improvement, but the problem has been seen to be more of an inconsistent one. Much has then been made of the Dutchman’s outfit next game especially the next fixture which is an away fixture against a top-four contender as this is deemed to be a perfect pointer to what ten Hag’s side is capable of doing at the end of the season.
As a social responsibility, the club has endeavored to serve the Greater Manchester community through community related programs. A recent campaign that the company has introduced in collaboration with the local schools is on the enhancement of physical regimes and mental health among young people. Overall, authorization to, and approval of, the program, as well as its perception as a demonstration of the club’s obligations to its social context.
While all these structural changes at Manchester United occur, interested parties will be observing the effect they will have on the future performance of the team. The months to come shall decide if this newest bid at modernization will help bring back the club to its former status and satisfy the increased global demand from fans.
nadmin