When I was playing for England, Dan Ashworth was always there. He sat in the back of meetings, attended matches and came to training sessions in his role as director of elite development at the Football Association but he never openly interjected, keeping himself to himself. At the time I wondered what he was doing but gradually you could see the effect he had when everything around England improved.
Ashworth has gone on to have great success at Brighton and Newcastle in his understated way as a sporting director. The role was often misunderstood in the UK, more often used abroad, but it is a valuable part of a club’s structure. Ashworth is one of many who are showing the importance of employing someone with oversight of what is happening, giving a club a long-term vision that can bring success on the pitch.
The days of the all-powerful manager are over. Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger were incredible, managing everything from recruitment to team selection, but trying to repeat that in the modern age is almost impossible. They were at their clubs for a very long time and were able to build structures and working relationships to help keep them as the decision maker.
Managing an elite club is highly pressurised and a sporting director can help alleviate that. Having someone who looks over the style from the youth team to the first team and highlights targets in player recruitment takes a load off the manager. The coach can focus on training, sorting out the starting XI and dressing-room culture and inputting their philosophy on the pitch.
Manchester United are in the market for a sporting director and have been linked with some of the best in the industry. They appreciate the importance of getting this decision right. Erik ten Hag and Marc Skinner understand the pressure of managing the club and if they are allowed to focus on the pitch, it would be beneficial. United need a sporting director who knows the role and the market inside out.
The manager has to put a lot of focus on the next game, a sporting director can look forward and help create a clear strategy. They will be in charge of ensuring a club has the best possible analysis, scouting and recruitment departments. Often football clubs are judged on the players that are signed but I would argue they should be judged on the staff they bring in. The club should be thinking: “Who here is going to make this team better? Because I don’t know it all.” Surrounding yourself with the best people is imperative because the whole infrastructure is run by people. If you get the staff right, you are going to get the players right, and then the football follows.
Football has no certainties when it comes to form and injury, which means even the best clubs have dips and a few bad results can put a manager under pressure. Having a long-term plan can help navigate these problems because far too often there are kneejerk reactions, whether that is sacking a manager or overspending on a player who may have the potential to turn a season around. Short-term thinking often has a negative effect on a club and can be costly in terms of performance and finance.
It needs only a cursory look at the clubs with strong structures to see how the system works well. Manchester City are a prime example, with Pep Guardiola as head coach, Txiki Begiristain as director of football and Ferran Soriano the chief executive. Guardiola often stresses the importance of them being on the same page. The successful clubs who have got that role and work effectively are doing it in a collaborative manner and moving in the same direction, rather than being pulled apart by different strands. It is hard to attract talented players when things are chopping and changing – consistency is vital.
Clubs need to plan for many eventualities, from the manager leaving to needing a new left-back, and a sporting director has the ability to do that. They will have a succession plan for the manager. Graham Potter did a great job for Brighton and when he left for Chelsea, Brighton got a good deal and allowed him to move on. It was clear they had a plan to appoint Roberto De Zerbi and it has been a seamless process. In terms of player recruitment, the sporting director will be tracking five potential replacements for every position, in case someone is sold or an upgrade can be found. They have the time to do in-depth due diligence on any potential signings to ensure no stone is left unturned.
Having someone detached from the dressing-room environment overseeing performance is helpful for a manager. Coaches can become attached to their players, so even if someone is not performing to their potential they may not be open to signing an upgrade. Having a sporting director with that distance to offer advice is a useful asset.
Meticulous planning does not happen overnight – it needs time to take effect. Clubs need to move away from short-term thinking and the right sporting director could be more valuable than your next signing.
