QUOTE(solstice818 @ Apr 23 2014, 05:16 PM)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...club-apart.htmlA good read on what happened when Houlier and Rafa wanted total control at our club. seems like a lot of ugly scenes behind.
Somewhat related to this article here about the importance of Director of Football in the modern era. DoF these days represent the philosophy of the club is trying to implement.
http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/espnfcunited/id/14058?cc=4716The punditocracy in England often claim that Directors of Football buy players a manager doesn't want and therefore interfere with his job. But a good Director of Football would be on the same wavelength with the manager because he would have had a hand in appointing him.
He would understand the profile of player the manager wants and present multiple options. Then they would choose together. As with all things, it's about getting the right guy for the job. A bad one won't help you -- but then neither will a bad manager -- while a good one will make a real, tangible difference.
A competent Director of Football would also be the perfect bridge between the first team and the Academy. Again, what's the better use of your manager's time: Working with his senior players or traipsing off to watch the U-21s and U-18s at every opportunity?
With a Director of Football at the top, you can create a situation where the guys running the Academy and the manager share the same philosophy, because it's also your philosophy. You can fully exploit what ought to be one of your clubs' biggest assets (and, historically, has been) by ensuring that the Academy produces the types of players the manager wants. And, if you get it right, that's exactly what will happen because the Director of Football, Academy director and manager will all have the same footballing philosophy.