Danny Higginbotham feels Manchester United should prioritise hiring a director of football.
United crashed out of the Champions League following a disappointing 3-0 defeat at the hands of Barcelona. Since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took charge United’s stance in the transfer market has changed and the club is tilted more towards young talented players rather than hiring established names.
United are poised to appoint a director of football before the next season commences to provide the Norwegian a much needed helping hand to oversee the football operations.
A number of names including former United custodian Edwin van der Sar is believed to be considered but the club hierarchy is yet to take a final call.
Higginbotham said, “This summer becomes huge but there has been an unbelievable knee-jerk reaction to United.
“If they have a great performance and win [people say] ‘oh they are back’. If they get beat ‘oh this is going to take years and years’ to turn around. There is no middle ground.
“Solskjaer came in and got the team back on track. He got some unbelievable results – particularly away from home.
“But that does not detract away from the fact that, in my opinion, Liverpool and Manchester City well ahead of Manchester United at the moment.
“When Solskjaer got the job I was asked the question after they had won a few games, ‘how long do you think it will be before they start winning trophies?’
“I did not change the way that I feel. It is going to be a few years because it is a rebuilding process.
In the summer what needs to happen, I believe they need a director of football. That is the way football has gone. They need somebody who the manager can say to ‘right I want X, Y and Z’ instead of the manager having to go to someone like Ed Woodward and saying ‘this is what I want to do’ and then he is toing and froing. A manager’s job is hard enough. Have a middle man.
