Old Trafford is going new school, just like Liverpool

THEY used to tell snide jokes about Liverpool’s transfer committee. Those who liked the British model of a strong manager, epitomised by Sir Alex Ferguson, saw it as an assault on their power base and fought Liverpool’s idea with derision.

Old-school scouts who had relied on clocking up air miles and watching players in the flesh appeared to cede power to university-educated data analysts.

But now, with Liverpool contesting the Premier League title, Champions League finalists in May and having overseen three years of near-perfect transfer windows at Anfield, the sneering has abated. And Manchester United look like they might try to emulate it. Roma’s revered sporting director Monchi felt compelled to deny that he would be taking over that role at Old Trafford in the summer. He spent his short sabbatical after leaving Sevilla in 2017 living in a London hotel and learning English.

Paul Mitchell, head of recruitment and development at RB Leipzig and formerly of Tottenham, Southampton and MK Dons, looks more likely to fill the role. To go down the route of hiring a sporting director marks a huge shift in United’s history.

But the facts tell their own story. In three years United have spent a net £315million and have Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku on the bench. Alexis Sanchez would most likely be joining them there if he were not injured. United’s buys are either conservative and thus expensive (Pogba, Lukaku, Sanchez, Nemanja Matic) or erratic (Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly, Henrik Mkhitaryan, Fred).

Diogo Dalot looks the one potential gem.

In the same period Liverpool have spent less than half that — a net £145m — and assembled a team that includes Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, Alisson, Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson. That list ignores those judiciously signed at exceptional value prior to that — Roberto Firmino, Joe Gomez and James Milner.

Add the injured Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and those coming through the youth ranks such as Trent Alexander-Arnold and you might argue the 16-point difference between the Premier League leaders and the team labouring in sixth is well illustrated. Philippe Coutinho was bought at £11.7m and sold for £117m. So if Jurgen Klopp deserves much of the credit for Liverpool’s revival, the team who pushed him to sign Salah should get their share of the limelight.

Men such as sporting director Michael Edwards, Ian Grahams, the physics PHD who as the statistical guru carried the blame for early wayward signings, Dave Fallows, head of recruitment, and Barry Hunter, chief scout. Hunter, the man who signed Gomez, is key according to many. Unlike other clubs subservient to analytical data, Liverpool retained faith with a man from the traditional world of recruitment.

‘Barry is an old-school scout but he’s been able to adapt,’ said a colleague at a rival club. ‘The problem at some clubs was that stats people got carried away and wanted to sign players. Liverpool’s system is brilliant because everyone knows their job.’

Like Liverpool, there are a number of people inputting to United’s transfer strategy. But United’s collective seems to have been thrown together and bears the scars of their incoherent managerial appointments.

So Jim Lawlor, appointed by Ferguson, is chief scout. Head of global scouting is Marcel Bout, appointed by Louis Van Gaal.

Head of development John Murtough was appointed by David Moyes. Jose Mourinho has a voice on signings but all would need the approval of executive vicechairman Ed Woodward.