 MATT JUDGE & JOHN MURTOUGH

Matt Judge &

John Murtough

What do we know about them?

by Alex Dudley

It has already been a strong summer of business by United off the pitch. The new additions to the playing squad will be the ones to get all the attention, but long-awaited changes behind the scenes have also been important developments that have been made. Changes were desperately needed to help United fine tune their football operations, which led to the arrivals of John Murtough and Matt Judge. Darren Fletcher also returned to the club to take up the position of technical director. These changes have been vital in helping United bring in new stars over the summer months, but how much do we know about Murtough and Judge?

Murtough Appointed Football Director The role of Football Director wasn’t a position that was held by anybody at United before the beginning of March. However, the club announced that Murtough would be taking that position, and will be working closely with Fletcher focusing on the technical input of United, including the performance on the pitch. Murtough’s main responsibilities will include leading the club’s operations and strategic plans off and on the pitch. The biggest responsibility certainly would be the recruitment of new players, something that the club has been ridiculed for over recent years. There certainly has been a new plan this summer, as United have been able to get the vast majority of their work done early in the window. This hasn’t been the case over recent transfer windows, with United signing Alex Telles, Edinson Cavani and Bruno Fernandes towards the end of the last summer and window windows.

Murtough is no stranger to those that work at the club, as he has been with United since David Moyes arrived at Old Trafford in 2013. He was promoted to the club’s head of football development three years later, which has been a position that he has held up until his most recent promotion.

It is believed that Murtough impressed the club’s hierarchy during the formation of the women’s team, where the Liverpudlian was integral in helping find the right balance of players to lead the team. He was also a vital part of the overhaul of the United academy, and played a starring role in bringing in Hannibal Mejbri. Finding the right players has been an important role in his position throughout his career, as he was previously the head of elite performance for the Premier League.

Murtough and Fletcher’s new roles have been pivotal this summer in giving Ole Gunnar Solskjaer good time to fine tune his squad ahead of the new season. Business being done early means that players have time to bed in before the start of the new Premier League season, despite the quick turnaround following the European Championships this past summer.

Judge Named Director of Football Negotiations There will be a big change in how United bring in stars over the coming months, with Ed Woodward recently revealing that he would be stepping back from his duties. Woodward announced his departure following the fallout from the Super League, which was condemned by fans across Europe. However, Matt Judge was already appointed to have an integral role in transfer strategies back in March, as he was promoted to the position of Director of Football Negotiations.

Since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, the job of agreeing transfer fees and contracts with incoming players has rested on the shoulders of Woodward, but that changed with the appointment of Judge. His arrival means that he will now be the driving force behind agreeing the deals that are best for both player and club. Judge isn’t based at the club’s training base as much as Murtough and Fletcher, as he regularly spends time behind the scenes in the London office.

Once again, it was a case of promoting from within with Judge, as he has been with the club since the summer of 2012. He was appointed to a position to have a more hands on approach with transfers in 2016, as he would join Woodward in the negotiation phase of deals. Judge works closely with Murtough to help identify how the club can move forward from a player perspective.

The recruitment aspect of his position sees Judge work closely with the global network of scouts that United have. He will have direct links of communication with Mick Court and Marcel Bout to ensure that the right players are brought through the door to help United reach the next level. His role also sees him speak with agents of players to ensure that the move is something that the player wants, and makes sure that United aren’t used as a bargaining tool to help the player get a better deal at their current club. United have previously been stung by that tactic, most notably with Sergio Ramos. However. Judge’s position this summer has been essential in helping United tie down Raphael Varane to a deal at Old Trafford.

His position also sees him deal with existing United players, which includes both dealing with players that are surplus to requirements, and stars that the Red Devils wish to tie down to a new deal. Judge could have a busy few months or so, as he will likely be the man in control of the Paul Pogba situation at Old Trafford, which promises to be a story that develops consistently throughout the summer transfer window, and likely throughout the season as his contract comes to an end.

The importance of both Judge and Murtough is integral to United moving forward, as they will both have huge parts to play if United are to get back to the top of the sport. Undoubtedly, the early signs are positive given what we have seen already in the summer transfer window, but their job is never finished. What United achieve on the pitch over the coming years will have a direct connection with the jobs that Murtough and Judge are doing, and fans will be hoping that the recruitment fine‑ tuning will end the wait for a trophy.