Can someone enlighten me on the DOF role. I know he finds the players but does he negotiate a deal with them or is that left to someone else. If it is the latter then surely Walsh has done nothing wrong. If Walsh does negotiate then surely he has a budget to work with that he cannot exceed which could have put a few deals out of reach.
Hi mate, I wrote this in June as it represented what I believed would be the best division of responsibilities between DoF, Manager and CEO:
The model I would deploy for a Director of Football would be a senior footballing person, sitting at board level whose tasks would include the following:
- Represent the club's footballing interests at board level
- Responsibility for all football related strategic planning
- Responsibility for all player transfers and contract negotiations
- Control over player research and non playing staff recruitment
- Advisory capacity over all non first team divisions within club
- Control over all sports science related matters
- Responsibility for all football related facilities
- Responsibility for all football related PR and media strategies
The relationship between DoF and manager would be very close, each being aware that all the club does must be centred on the ability to perform and compete on the pitch.
The role of the football manager would be very much that of a head coach, meaning responsibility for and sole focus on:
- Team selection
- Team preparation
- Training & maintenance of fitness levels
- Technical development of first team members
- Tactics
- Injury prevention & management with sports scientists
Interestingly this model then allows the club to recruit a CEO who does not necessarily have a football background. The club can then recruit from a much wider talent pool focusing on commercial acumen, and operational and management excellence.
Whilst Koeman's role is fairly established it seems over this window that many of the responsibilities normally associated with a DOF were shared:
- Represent the club's footballing interests at board level - currently a combination of BK/RE
- Responsibility for all football related strategic planning - would hope SW but not sure
- Responsibility for all player transfers and contract negotiations - seems a combination of BK/RE
- Control over player research and non playing staff recruitment - would hope SW but not sure
- Advisory capacity over all non first team divisions within club - would hope SW but not sure
- Control over all sports science related matters - would hope SW but not sure
- Responsibility for all football related facilities - would hope SW but not sure
- Responsibility for all football related PR and media strategies - no one.
The bigger question is that if SW does not have the experience to perform all the above, or his role is more narrowly defined, who looks after the areas he's not looking after. From the window it would appear that is the problem.
