LONDON: Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag wants any new sporting director appointed by the club to be “on the same page” with him.
The Dutch boss is not expected to have any say on who fills the role, with British media reports indicating Newcastle’s Dan Ashworth is the favorite to fill the vacancy.
British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe’s purchase of a 25 percent stake in United has been approved by the Football Association, with his deal to take control of all football operations at Old Trafford expected to be completed next week.
United have not won the Premier League since 2013 and the quality of the club’s player recruitment has been criticized repeatedly in recent seasons, with their under-performing squad at the end of last season the most expensively assembled on record, according to a UEFA report.
European football’s governing body said United’s squad at the end of the 2023 financial year cost 1.42 billion euros (£1.21 billion) in transfer fees, surpassing the figure of £1.13 billion posted by Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2020.
The appointment of a sporting director is seen as key to ensuring United improve their transfer dealings, although Ten Hag was adamant Thursday the new recruit and the manager had to have similar ideas.
“I think it is very important you are on one page about football philosophy, about football tactics, about the profiles of the players you need in the team so it is very important to have very good communication so you get the right players,” said Ten Hag.
“It is one of the most important factors to develop a good team, that you have the right players but also the right characters.
“That means you have to do the right work and be aligned and it’s a long process to get the right players in.”
The Dutchman added: “With the number of games you need people around who are on the same page, working on the same targets to achieve the high ambitions...I talk with the new sporting organization but it is not up to me.
“My focus point at this moment is on this team.”
United are currently sixth in the Premier League table, six points adrift of a Champions League place and 13 behind leaders and bitter rivals Liverpool.
They are away to strugglers Luton on Sunday, with United full-back Luke Shaw doubtful for the trip to Kenilworth Road and the injured Aaron Wan-Bissaka a long-term absentee.
Ten Hag wants Man Utd sporting director on ‘same page’
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Ten Hag wants Man Utd sporting director on ‘same page’
- The Dutch boss is not expected to have any say on who fills the role
- United have not won the Premier League since 2013 and the quality of the club’s player recruitment has been criticized repeatedly in recent seasons
Diaz scores again as hosts Morocco beat Cameroon to reach AFCON semis
- Diaz’s fifth goal in five matches at the tournament was followed by Saibari’s strike in the second half
- Morocco are under enormous pressure to win the Cup of Nations in front of their own fans
RABAT: Brahim Diaz kept up his remarkable Africa Cup of Nations scoring record and Ismael Saibari was also on target as hosts Morocco beat Cameroon 2-0 in their quarter-final showdown on Friday to keep their title dreams alive.
Real Madrid winger Diaz got the decisive touch to Ayoub El Kaabi’s 26th-minute header in front of more than 64,000 fans at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in capital Rabat.
Diaz’s fifth goal in five matches at the tournament was followed by Saibari’s strike in the second half, with Morocco well worth their victory as they progress to a semifinal against the winner of Saturday’s clash between Algeria and Nigeria.
That promises to be a stiffer test for Walid Regragui’s team than that posed by Cameroon, who were hoping to spring an upset having already exceeded expectations in coming this far after a troubled build-up to the tournament.
The Indomitable Lions, five-time African champions, created little with Manchester United forward Bryan Mbeumo struggling to make an impact.
Morocco, Africa’s top-ranked team and World Cup semifinalists in 2022, are under enormous pressure to win the Cup of Nations in front of their own fans, half a century after their last continental title.
There have been doubts as to whether they can handle the weight of expectation, but they remain on course to achieve their objective — it is the first time Morocco have reached the AFCON semifinals since they lost the 2004 final to Tunisia.
The hosts were unchanged from their 1-0 last-16 win over Tanzania as they looked to continue an unbeaten record going back to their defeat by South Africa at the 2024 AFCON.
Fresh from knocking out South Africa in the last round here, Cameroon were clearly banking on frustrating Morocco as much as possible in an attempt to turn the crowd against the home side.
- Saibari seals it -
Morocco were beaten by the Cameroonians in the semifinals the last time they hosted AFCON in 1988, but a repeat outcome never really looked likely.
David Pagou’s team were not helped by the early loss of right wing-back Jackson Tchamadeu, who tried to carry on after Noussair Mazraoui landed heavily on his knee before eventually being stretchered off.
Moments after that, Morocco scored. Achraf Hakimi sent in a corner from the right which was headed toward goal by El Kaabi at the near post, and the ball struck Diaz in the groin before going in.
That calmed a frenetic home support, who cheered their team off at the break after seeing Abde Ezzalzouli and El Kaabi come close to adding further goals.
Morocco were on top, and Cameroon’s response was to change formation after the break, from a back three to a 4-2-3-1, in an attempt to create more danger.
Ezzalzouli headed just over from a Hakimi corner, and then a cross by the Paris Saint-Germain star caused havoc in the Cameroon box as Samuel Kotto hooked the ball away from the line.
Mbeumo had appeals for a penalty dismissed by the Mauritanian referee before PSV Eindhoven’s Saibari fired in the killer second goal on 74 minutes after controlling Ezzalzouli’s dead-ball delivery, as Morocco march on to Wednesday’s semis.
