There was a chant that went around Cardiff City that referred to Kenny Hibbit. It went "He's Director of Football, Ninian Park. What's he do? He's Director of Football, Ninian Park. What's he do?" in a circuitous manner that betrayed the confusion of Hibbit's role amongst the supporters. He seemed to be do nothing of great import apart from become caretaker manager as and when managers left.
Perceptions of directors of football in this country seem to range from characters that are seen as puppet-masters who really pick the teams to shady contract negotiators who take the responsibility of divesting agents of cash-filled brown envelopes. The idea abroad (in both senses of the term) is that, in that there Europe, they do it better with Director of Football being a more defined role that is different from the manager/coach. They appear to have an overarching role in clubs, defining the philosophy of football of the club, monitoring training and coaching and the throughput of players from the academy to the under-21s to the senior team.
Are either caricatures true? Who are the stand-out directors of football? Are there good ones here and is the idea of the professorial cerebral European Director of Football erroneous.
Perceptions of directors of football in this country seem to range from characters that are seen as puppet-masters who really pick the teams to shady contract negotiators who take the responsibility of divesting agents of cash-filled brown envelopes. The idea abroad (in both senses of the term) is that, in that there Europe, they do it better with Director of Football being a more defined role that is different from the manager/coach. They appear to have an overarching role in clubs, defining the philosophy of football of the club, monitoring training and coaching and the throughput of players from the academy to the under-21s to the senior team.
Are either caricatures true? Who are the stand-out directors of football? Are there good ones here and is the idea of the professorial cerebral European Director of Football erroneous.