New double act press red reset button
IT’S still early to be judging the work of Richard Arnold and John Murtough at United, but one assessment that can be made so far is they appear to have a good grip on why things have been going wrong at Old Trafford.
Arnold replaced Ed Woodward on February 1 and taking on the job title of chief executive was perhaps the first sign that he intended to do things differently to his fellow University of Bristol alumni. That includes taking a backseat when it comes to the football department and Murtough has seen his powerbase grow as a result.
In Arnold’s pub chat with supporters at the weekend he made it clear that football director Murtough and manager Erik ten Hag were responsible for what happens on the pitch. He has wielded the axe across departments in an attempt to move the club forward and that has included recruitment.
Murtough is now the man in charge of recruitment. The departures of chief scout Jim Lawlor and head of global scouting Marcel Bout were part of a plan to streamline the scouting operation and, like most of their rivals at the elite-club level, United are now putting a greater emphasis on data.
There is certainly an element of caution to United’s approach this summer. The club are determined not to be panicked into deals and to avoid accusations of overpaying for players, an area where they’ve been rightly criticised in the past, with the £125m lavished on Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire three years ago a case in point.
As he talked freely to the fans on Saturday, unaware he was being surreptitiously recorded, Arnold said the Reds had “burned through” £1bn in the transfer market and as someone with a firm grasp of figures, he can see the rewards do not compensate for the outlay. It’s understandable he would want to change that approach in the transfer market and United have to improve their hit rate to expenditure.
Significant funds remain available to Murtough and Ten Hag this summer but the Reds want it invested more effectively than in previous years. Hence the drawnout pursuit of Frenkie de Jong.
United refuse to be rushed into signing the 25-year-old, especially when he wouldn’t arrive until early July anyway. There also remains a feeling that Barcelona simply need the money and a deal will have to be struck at some point.
A lot of this is sensible for United. City have walked away from deals they consider too expensive, such as Maguire and Fred, and Liverpool also take a strong stance in negotiations. The problem is the recruitment record at those clubs has created trust in the model for supporters. That remains absent at Old Trafford.
There’s also a feeling that United’s
Murtough is now the man in charge of recruitment as United put a greater emphasis on data Tyrone Marshall
approach to transfers this summer, while probably wise longterm, could be detrimental in the short-term.
They have changed tack at a point when a significant rebuild is required. They are operating from a position of weakness at the moment and rival clubs know it.
Navigating a path between astute spending and doing enough to give Ten Hag a competitive squad won’t be easy.
United could certainly do with altering the perception of how they operate in the transfer market.
Agents and clubs have taken advantage of them in the past and Arnold and Murtough have the chance to press the reset button now.
The problem is they’re trying to achieve that at a point in time when they have to be busy. This squad will improve for the detail and coaching Ten Hag can bring to Carrington, but it needs more than that.
Tottenham are acting decisively this summer to give Antonio Conte what he wants, aware this might be a limited-time opportunity to progress with a coach normally out of reach for them. Liverpool and City will be as good as ever and Chelsea should be top four material once again.
United are committed to this approach for the long-term, just like they’re committed to Ten Hag for the long-term. But with that must come an acceptance that it might mean standing still this season, or perhaps even regression, given to the extent to which teams around them are improving.
The time to truly judge United’s window will be when it closes. It’s still June and there is time yet for the Reds to make this summer a success, but it feels like they need four signings at least to achieve that.