Manchester United are underdoing an extensive restructure under new investors Ineos.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe‘s Ineos are embarking on a restructure of Manchester United behind the scenes, to try and provide the club with a long overdue overhaul.
One reason why United are so far behind competitors is that the club did not even appoint a football director until 2021.
And when that appointment was made, it was a totally underwhelming one, with John Murtough selected for an internal promotion. This was a bemusing call, as he had no experience in a similar role elsewhere.
Murtough has found it tough going. United have deferred largely to manager Erik ten Hag, with £82 million splurged on Antony.
According to one report from The Athletic, Sir Alex Ferguson was ‘incandescent’ with Murtough for his role in the botched negotiations for Jude Bellingham.
Fair or not to pin to blame on him for losing out on Bellingham, it seems Murtough will be shuffled out, with Ineos planning an extensive restructure under new CEO Omar Berrada, with Dan Ashworth among the names incoming.
John Murtough latest
According to BBC Sport’s Simon Stone, there are said to be some at Manchester United who feel sorry for Murtough.
Stone reports: “United officials have sympathy for Murtough given he has been asked to execute deals, a job it was not envisaged he would have when he arrived in 2014, initially to work within the academy.”
Manchester United supporters do not share this sympathy.
He was hired along with Darren Fletcher as technical director, which United now admit was the wrong job title.
Murtough chose to take the job
John Murtough’s appointment was championed by disastrous former CEO Ed Woodward. This was warning enough.
Murtough told club media at the time that it was ‘an honour to lead Manchester United’s football department.’
No doubt highly paid in his role, Murtough lacking the experience to be able to execute his job properly is not something to feel sorry for him over.
United In Focus expressed concerns when he was appointed, writing at the time: “Is Murtough ambitious enough? Is this just a repackaging of the same man working the same role, under a different title?”
He has given it a go, and it has not worked out. Murtough will now be moved aside as United restructure, although his precise role remains unclear.
If ‘United officials’ feel sorry for him, then that shows the disconnect between them and the club’s fanbase.
It is time for the club to be run in a professional approach, hiring the best, most qualified experts for each role. If anything, anger is the overriding emotion rather than sympathy, that the Glazers allowed this charade to continue.
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