I’m increasingly convinced Manchester United need to consider a major change in their football structure:
Christopher Vivell as Director of Football, working alongside Michael Sansoni.
Jason Wilcox deserves credit for helping modernise parts of United, but ultimately a Director of Football has to be judged on the football strategy — and right now I don’t see a coherent one.
United continue to look reactive rather than proactive.
We’ve spent window after window addressing one part of the squad while leaving obvious weaknesses elsewhere. The midfield and defensive problems weren’t suddenly discovered after poor performances — they were visible months ago.
Targets change. Priorities change. We miss players and move onto completely different profiles. Too often it feels like United are reacting to circumstances rather than executing a squad-building plan two or three windows ahead.
That responsibility ultimately reaches the Director of Football.
This is why I would promote Christopher Vivell.
Vivell’s background at Salzburg and Leipzig was built around identifying players BEFORE their value exploded, using scouting, data, age profiles and squad planning rather than simply paying a premium for established names.
Then pair that philosophy with Michael Sansoni, United’s Director of Data & AI.
That combination could be extremely powerful:
Vivell identifies the football profile.
Sansoni and the data department test the profile objectively.
Scouting provides the human assessment.
Recruitment finds emerging talent across Europe and beyond.
United then buy players at £25m–£50m BEFORE they become £80m–£100m players.
That is how Manchester United should rebuild.
Not constantly asking “Who can fix us now?”
But asking:
“Who will everyone else want in two years — and why aren’t we signing him today?”
Wilcox has had an opportunity to establish that identity. For me, the evidence on the pitch and the continued imbalance of this squad suggest it isn’t working quickly enough.
Give Vivell the sporting authority. Give Sansoni’s data operation a central role. Build a genuine multi-window recruitment model.
Manchester United shouldn’t be following the market.
Manchester United should be ahead of it.
#MUFC #ManchesterUnited #Vivell #INEOS #Transfers