17 Jun 2020 11:21:11
Hey Ed002, hope you're well. I just wondered if you could shed any light on these links this morning with Frankfurt Sporting Director Fredi Bobic?

I know you said the club might have shelved plans for a DoF/ Technical Director.

Is this just a case of a friend/ former colleague (Lutz Pfannenstiel) throwing Manchester United's name in to the ring to bring attention to Bobic or has their been any kind of contact/ consideration from the club with Fredi Bobic?

{Ed002's Note - I am not aware of any interest at all from Manchester United in Fredi Bobic and cannot imagine where any such links are coming from. What has Lutz said?}


1.) 17 Jun 2020
17 Jun 2020 11:55:33
Ed002, I suspected it was fishing from Lutz. He said that Bobic has three options moving forward with his career, and name checked United as a possible destination. Worded more as the type of club he felt Fredi could do well at.

I thought it sounded tenuous at best, just wondered if there might have been something in it.

I take it United don't have any immediate plans for a DoF type role at the club? Cheers.

{Ed002's Note - No, Lutz is not like that. I imagine you have misunderstood what he said - Lutz would make an outstanding DoF by the way. Nothing has changed at MU.}


2.) 17 Jun 2020
17 Jun 2020 12:33:31
These are quotes taken from a collum he writes for Danz.

"I am firmly convinced that he could lead a club like Manchester United back to the top. The question is rather whether he wants that. Conversely, top European clubs have long been on the downturn. "

"At Man Utd, for example, restructuring with a strong sports director who works in the background of the trainer or manager, as they say on the island, would certainly work very well. "

Just name dropping United in, but nothing expressly saying United actually have an interest. I just wondered if there were any links.

I don't really know much about Lutz Pfannenstiel, why would he make such an excellent DoF? Cheers.

{Ed002's Note - It is simply an example he used - I have said similar things. LP played football on every continet but his skillset is as a scout and Head of Football. He used to spend a lot of time in London looking at young players and is very close to those at one London club. And he is a really nice guy with a fantastic sense of humour.}


3.) 17 Jun 2020
17 Jun 2020 12:59:53
Ed002, he sounds like he will have a very good post-playing career at board level in football. What are your thoughts on what skills would be needed for a DoF at United?

Could we bring in someone with limited experience or only experience at a much smaller club, or do we need someone who has had experience at the highest level.

What exactly would the role entail at United? As I know this sort of role has many different interpretations at various club's.

{Ed002's Note - The problem MU has it that the structure is wrong and adding a DoF without making other changes means it would end up with the same sort of issues there are at Arsenal.}


4.) 17 Jun 2020
17 Jun 2020 13:21:31
Shappy he also name dropped bayern, liepzig and dortmund, never linking any of these clubs with bobic. These are the quotes before the part you mentioned


I'm very excited to see where Fredi's path leads him. I think there are three options, " Pfannenstiel wrote in his column for DAZN .

"First, he could stay in Frankfurt for a long time, but I personally do not believe that. After all, what more could he achieve after double qualifying for the Europa League and winning the DFB-Pokal? Bayern, Dortmund and Leipzig are currently difficult to reach for Frankfurt.

"Second, he could move to a top European club. Or third, he could do something completely different, something more exotic and work for a club where he can build something structurally.

"I personally would like to see how Fredi works with a bag full of money and which players he would sign. Even if working at a top club is completely different compared to developing and building up a club with limited resources, I am sure that Fredi would be up to the task.


5.) 17 Jun 2020
17 Jun 2020 13:37:53
Is there a reason MU are not giving Marcel bout the job? He seems to have similar qualifications. Apologies if I am way off!

{Ed002's Note - Because they don't really know what they are doing as has been explained.}


6.) 17 Jun 2020
17 Jun 2020 14:00:37
RFL woody won't do that, it would take away his spotlight.


7.) 17 Jun 2020
17 Jun 2020 14:10:05
So who does the book stop with? The owners aren't involved in the day to day running of the club. It can't be Woodward making all the decisions.

We're clearly crying out for someone to lead the way off the pitch. Ambling from manager to manager, backing them one season and then leaving them enough rope to hang themselves the next.

We've been supposedly courting a DOF for a couple of years but somehow can't find a suitable one. As you said the structure of the club at the minute isn't suited to a DOF coming in. Are they aware we're struggling on the pitch?

The biggest worry for me is that people making the decisions are genuinely content with us floating around top 4 as long as the money is still rolling in.

I know none of this is an easy fix, but we seem to be happy with our name linked to these people but have no interest in actually bringing them on board.


8.) 19 Jun 2020
19 Jun 2020 14:21:03
Sorry, Ed002, you lost me when you said he was a German with a sense of humour. Wee bit of casual stereotyping there for a Friday afternoon 😁.