Director of Football / Sporting Director

[Sidney1st]

Reports are surfacing that Arsenal are looking to appoint a director of football, with Marc Overmars and the bloke at Dortmund being the two main favourites for the job.

I know it's a popular role in Europe, but could you see one being appointed at Burnley again?
Would you be in favour of it happening again?

[ClaretTony]

Didn't last long last time did it?

We've changed the way we do things now. The chairman has taken on part of that role, working with the recruitment team.

[Transpennine]

Who was it last time? I don't remember us having one. Clearly made an impact...

[ClaretTony]

Frank McParland - didn't stay long and went to Rangers, now at Forest.

[Sidney1st]

Who was it last time? I don't remember us having one. Clearly made an impact...

According to some he made a massive impact with the signings of Gray and Barton wasn't it?

[claretspice]

Still think there is a role for this, not only in sorting out transfers, but also in ensuring stability and continuity through the club.

In recent times, we've tended to be very stable whilst we've had a manager, but when a manager leaves we suddenly seem to find ourselves looking for something very different: when Cotterill left we went for Coyle (which worked); Coyle's flair and inspiration was replaced by Laws' stable, staid, pragmatism; that in turn gave way to Howe's youthful promise and belief in expansive football before Dyche imposed a slightly more purposeful and inspired version of pragmatism and order on Howe's team. On each occasion, I'm not sure we've gone into the recruitment of a manager knowing exactly what we were getting or how good a fit he'd be for what he was going to inherit.

I think that when Dyche leaves, we need someone who is in a similar image. He won't be the same and he'll have his own ideas, but he needs to be comfortable working within the basic structures and processes that Dyche will leave behind. A director of football can help with this, in my view, and it can also help in establishing a blueprint throughout the club that is less vulnerable to the whims of managers - a problem we've encountered in the recent past with the youth set up (and even this week, I note that Nicky Law who is a youth coach has been referred to in an article by Dyche as "doing some coaching for me", suggesting a level of association that was supposed to have been swept away). The unobtrusive figure of Les Reed has been a huge factor in Southampton's success over the last few years, despite a relative turn over of managers.

[ClaretTony]

I note that Nicky Law who is a youth coach has been referred to in an article by Dyche as "doing some coaching for me", suggesting a level of association that was supposed to have been swept away).

You've read that wrong - the former team mate he referred to as doing some scouting (not coaching) for him was Kevin Randall, not Nicky Law. And of Law he said: "Nicky Law is now one of our scouts at Burnley". Law is head of academy recruitment for ages 16-23.

[aggi]

I think it's possibly a little less necessary at Burnley because we have a number of directors who have been involved with the club (and football) for a significant number of years and have football experience and the club ethos. Similarly, David Baldwin appears to be a little more involved in the football side than some chief execs.

Overall though, I'd say it's a good idea. managers are generally short-term appointments and all they are really interested in is results on the pitch. A director of football can give a more strategic view and add continuity.

[JimmyRobbo]

Still think there is a role for this, not only in sorting out transfers, but also in ensuring stability and continuity through the club.

In recent times, we've tended to be very stable whilst we've had a manager, but when a manager leaves we suddenly seem to find ourselves looking for something very different.

And what happens when the Director of Football leaves?

No perfect solutions. The most important constant is that we have someone at the top who is a 'football person'. The path that Sunderland has taken, for example, amongst many others would be a nightmare. Financial people have financial nous but not to be trusted on many other appointments.

I like our club operating as it is. I think allowing the likes of Eddie Howe to come in and make massive changes was always a risk.

It doesn't need saying, nobody is perfect, there are no guarantees.

[Giftonsnoidea]

I think the way that Southampton run their club with Les Read sorting out player incomings and managersalso should be something we look into for the future so there aren't too many changes at all levels within the club once a manager leaves.

They play some good stuff as well as getting decent results, something we should be aiming towards...

[tim_noone]

What is brendan floods role in the club if any... as he got a piece of the pie so to speak?

[Transpennine]

Frank McParland - didn't stay long and went to Rangers, now at Forest.

Thanks Tony, I'd completely forgotten about him...

[Transpennine]

According to some he made a massive impact with the signings of Gray and Barton wasn't it?

Very true Sidney. I seem to have erased that short period from my memory...

[claretspice]

And what happens when the Director of Football leaves?

No perfect solutions. The most important constant is that we have someone at the top who is a 'football person'. The path that Sunderland has taken, for example, amongst many others would be a nightmare. Financial people have financial nous but not to be trusted on many other appointments.

I like our club operating as it is. I think allowing the likes of Eddie Howe to come in and make massive changes was always a risk.

It doesn't need saying, nobody is perfect, there are no guarantees.

I think generally speaking, a good D of F is in post a lot longer than a manager /head coach, so the point doesn't really arise. The latter is, as Aggi says, a very short term position. Dyche has given us stability but even at Burnley the previous 3 managers all had relatively short tenures. A D of F is less high profile and suits someone who wants to work behind the scenes.

I'd agree a DofF needs to understand football - although i don't think they need to have been a player - but they also need to be qualified in financial and business skills that realistically, managers often arent. Its that interface between the running of a long term business and the short term results driven game of first team football, together with their ability to provide a strategy for the club at all levels, that makes them a useful tool.

[ClaretTony]

I'd agree a DofF needs to understand football - although i don't think they need to have been a player - but they also need to be qualified in financial and business skills that realistically, managers often arent

We've got one then - Dave Baldwin ticks all those boxes, even having been a player.


As for the stability, they seem to be switching clubs more often than players these days. Maybe it's clubs searching for something that's not there.

[Sidney1st]

I'm getting the distinct feeling that Tony is strongly against the idea.

[ClaretTony]

I'm getting the distinct feeling that Tony is strongly against the idea.

Not as such, but I'm not like claretspice who for years has considered it to be the best thing since sliced bread.

We tried it with McParland, but he moves clubs more often than managers from what I can see. At that point, the club appeared to make a very strong decision not to go down that route. The chairman himself said he took over player negotiations and we have a recruitment team to identify the players etc.

I'd say the club is being very well run right now in any case.

[Sidney1st]

I do recall reading something about clubs / agents etc being aware that Mike G doesn't mess about with negotiations too often, he's got his budget and prices in mind and sticks to them.
He will walk away instead of being held to ransom, which I think is spot on.

[claretspice]

Not as such, but I'm not like claretspice who for years has considered it to be the best thing since sliced bread.

We tried it with McParland, but he moves clubs more often than managers from what I can see. At that point, the club appeared to make a very strong decision not to go down that route. The chairman himself said he took over player negotiations and we have a recruitment team to identify the players etc.

I'd say the club is being very well run right now in any case.

Completely agree that the club is being run well right now, by the whole senior management team - Dyche, Baldwin, directors -but the big challenge to that will come when Dyche leaves. You are also probably right that Baldwin has a background that makes him uniquely qualified to be a CEO with a wider remit across the football club. I'm a bit sceptical though of the chairman being in charge of player negotiations - he has a day job, doesn't work from Turf Moor, and in a modern top level football club its a full time job - and I don't imagine Baldwin has the time to be in charge of overall football strategy, from youth teams up to the first team, and including the recruitment team. If that all falls to the manager, then you have the continuity issue previously identified.

I don't know if good DoF's (Reed being the example) do move around regularly, and I certainly don't think Frank McParland is a good example of anything - he arrived at Burnley with a slightly chequered history, and he's done nothing since to change the view that he's more of a short-term transfer fixer than a proper DoF.

[ThinLizzy]

I'd like to know that we have one man in charge of the team. He knows what he wants, knows what to do and knows his own mind.

Sure, the buck can be passed to the necessary parties to secure deals, but at no point would, and I emphasise AT NO POINT should a manager's decision be compromised.

A manager should be the coach/mentor/friend/ally. No need for someone else!

[tim_noone]

What is brendan floods role in the club if any... as he got a piece of the pie so to speak?

[cricketfieldclarets]

[quote="tim_noone"][/quote]

Hes working for a local company for some lads i know (good people and big clarets) not sure in what capacity. Theyre one of our business partners. Not sure if hes still involved at Burnley but I know they work with the club on a few things.