Darren Fletcher - First team coach

Damien said:
Yeah, Rio would have been ideal but he seems content settled in London with his role on BT Sport.
Click to expand...

Yeah Rio and Vidic are the immediate thoughts but Rio seems to have a lot going on down south, and Vidic never seemed like a coaching type.

It'll probably be a left field one if anyone, someone like John O'Shea who surely must have been excellent tactically to play so many positions.
 
Seems like the right profile to be a coach, considering he is a player who wasn't on top of the world in terms of natural ability but still found a way to get selected and perform well in more than one position and different playstyles. We watched him build himself up and culminated in that excellent 08/09 season, hopefully he can help some of our current players along a similar path.
 
P-Nut said:
Yeah Rio and Vidic are the immediate thoughts but Rio seems to have a lot going on down south, and Vidic never seemed like a coaching type.

It'll probably be a left field one if anyone, someone like John O'Shea who surely must have been excellent tactically to play so many positions.
Click to expand...

Wes Brown!
 
Hope he's a good coach. Other than Phelan, is our coaching staff mostly pretty young?
 
Fantastic news. He is definitely the epitome of the United DNA, and comes across as a well informed and well spoken football person. Hopefully adds to the fabric of the club and both the mental and technical aspect of coaching
 
seems a very down to earth and solid person. Can only be a good adition to the team.
 
P-Nut said:
Yeah Rio and Vidic are the immediate thoughts but Rio seems to have a lot going on down south, and Vidic never seemed like a coaching type.

It'll probably be a left field one if anyone, someone like John O'Shea who surely must have been excellent tactically to play so many positions.
Click to expand...

If the song is anything to go by, Vidic has a different vocation after his retirement. And O Shea is currently the 1st team coach at Reading.
 
Football is such a strange thing. You take a glance on Twitter and the amount of takes like, "but what does he know about coaching?"

Imagine you had a brain surgeon... one of the best in their field with a wall full of certificates and achievements throughout a long illustrious career. They decide they are going to pass on what they have learnt and help train a new generation of brain surgeons. Not a single person would think them unqualified or question their knowledge.
 
padzilla said:
Wasn't he touted as a director of football at one point?
Click to expand...
I heard this on the radio and it started off like “Man Utd have announced the appointment of Darren Fletcher “ I automatically thought he was going to finish with director of football.
 
We are essentially becoming the club I imagine Sir Alex was hoping for when he chose Moyes way back.

The main differences now being that we actually have a likeable, competent manager with a history at the club, and far less poison and player power running through the dressing room (with the latter obviously being caused by the former).

I hope to God Ole can eventually do the business with the team on the field, because he sure is the best man for the job in terms moving this club forward off it.
 
Excellent transition. Another good move from Ole, trying to bridge over LVG/Jose stamping out the Fergie history.

He'll provide a wealth of information, knowledge and advice to the squad
 
From what I’ve seen and heard from Darren Fletcher he is extremely astute tactically and knows what he’s talking about and being an ex player who played in arguably our greatest ever squad/team he has the mentality ingrained him that we need driven into our squad and what the club needs hence why he was heavily linked as being our Director Of Football.

I’d love for Rio brought in as our specialist defensive coach although I’d like to see how Wes Brown would get on in that role if brought in as he was regularly said to have been the most natural defender of his generation and said to have been world class if not for injuries, much like Fletcher he’s ingrained in the right mentality and played in arguably our two greatest ever squads/sides.
 
ZupZup said:
Football is such a strange thing. You take a glance on Twitter and the amount of takes like, "but what does he know about coaching?"

Imagine you had a brain surgeon... one of the best in their field with a wall full of certificates and achievements throughout a long illustrious career. They decide they are going to pass on what they have learnt and help train a new generation of brain surgeons. Not a single person would think them unqualified or question their knowledge.
Click to expand...

It's more than fair to question someones experience and suitability for a role. So long as you can except when someone shows they are suitably experienced, which Fletcher can point to certificates etc. I know I did with my brain surgeon!
 
Fantastic!
We are not only building a team but building a solid coaching team with the right character and undoubted loyalty and affection to the club. Superb!
He has the mentality and the experience in both high and low when he was here. He can pass those to the players.
Remember everyone were bashing his performance when SAF put him on right wing when he firstly got into the match squad. That’s one of our most difficult periods during team rebuilding by SAF. Against Chelsea, he scored that shocking header goal in the most ridiculous fashions one can imagine. Truly amazing!
 
Last edited:
Love it. Huge fan of Darren, one of the few United players I've actually met.

Think he'll do well. If not at United then elsewhere in the future for sure.

It'll be ever so sweet if we can win trophies with some likable ex-players from the Fergie era and Mike Phelan on board.
 
ZupZup said:
Football is such a strange thing. You take a glance on Twitter and the amount of takes like, "but what does he know about coaching?"

Imagine you had a brain surgeon... one of the best in their field with a wall full of certificates and achievements throughout a long illustrious career. They decide they are going to pass on what they have learnt and help train a new generation of brain surgeons. Not a single person would think them unqualified or question their knowledge.
Click to expand...

But everyone should question their ability to teach. There is a big difference between knowing how to do something and teaching someone else's how to do it. If anything football is strange because there is a way too much nepotism and people confound playing and coaching abilities.
 
ZupZup said:
Football is such a strange thing. You take a glance on Twitter and the amount of takes like, "but what does he know about coaching?"

Imagine you had a brain surgeon... one of the best in their field with a wall full of certificates and achievements throughout a long illustrious career. They decide they are going to pass on what they have learnt and help train a new generation of brain surgeons. Not a single person would think them unqualified or question their knowledge.
Click to expand...
Not a sound analogy. Not everyone who is good at their work is capable of imparting that knowledge to others. Many "best in the field" guys make lousy teachers, because teaching something you know to someone who doesn't get it, is not an easy task.
Else all ex-players would have become awesome coaches. But you see that many successful coaches had a not so illustrious careers as a player.
 
No idea if he is a good coach or not, I do remember him before his stomach issues been widely praised as one of the hardest off-field trainers in terms of fitness in the game so that can only be a positive thing.
 
With our injury record I have to say I'm equally if not more excited about the bloke I've never heard of being appointed head of rehabilitation & physiotherapy :lol: I just want positive steps forward in every department of the club.
 
Judas said:
With our injury record I have to say I'm equally if not more excited about the bloke I've never heard of being appointed head of rehabilitation & physiotherapy :lol: I just want positive steps forward in every department of the club.
Click to expand...
First assignment - Work with Phil Jones
 
JPRouve said:
But everyone should question their ability to teach. There is a big difference between knowing how to do something and teaching someone else's how to do it. If anything football is strange because there is a way too much nepotism and people confound playing and coaching abilities.
Click to expand...

I am not sure if you are based in the U.K... but it’s common practice here for lecturers and teachers of adults to come direct from the industry they work in. The nuances of teaching is something they learn on the job and your ability to be good at that aspect, is actually more based on personality. I worked in teacher training at a College so I am not lacking experience here.
 
Great to see Fletcher get a chance like this. Always liked him so I'm excited to see him back into the fold. Ole obviously thought we were missing something from the coaching staff so hopefully Fletcher is the man to bring that element that was missing, whatever that is. All I know is that he was a player with a massive big game mentality and a hard worker, and if he can translate that attitude to our players, it will be a good appointment alone. It's really great to see so many ex-players involved. There's a serious feel good factor and if we are ultimately successful with this management /coaching team, there's an extra satisfaction in that.
 
Polar said:
Agree. Think it’s a very important aspect, who someone seem to forget. Off course we could bring in someone from the outside and have some luck.

Don’t know why people complain and call it nepotism.This is the rule more than the exception among the greatest clubs in the world, but also if we have a look at many great companies.

Why recruit someone from the outside if we have a very good candidates within our own ranks?

Fletcher is likely one of the best candidates, and he is definitely the safest one.
Click to expand...

That goal of his against Everton (?) is one of my favourite O.T goals....what a strike
 
ZupZup said:
Football is such a strange thing. You take a glance on Twitter and the amount of takes like, "but what does he know about coaching?"

Imagine you had a brain surgeon... one of the best in their field with a wall full of certificates and achievements throughout a long illustrious career. They decide they are going to pass on what they have learnt and help train a new generation of brain surgeons. Not a single person would think them unqualified or question their knowledge.
Click to expand...
Yeah but what does he know about 'teaching' brain surgery. Get someone else in FFS
 
ZupZup said:
I am not sure if you are based in the U.K... but it’s common practice here for lecturers and teachers of adults to come direct from the industry they work in. The nuances of teaching is something they learn on the job and your ability to be good at that aspect, is actually more based on personality. I worked in teacher training at a College so I am not lacking experience here.
Click to expand...

That's the point and why your previous point made little sense being a brilliant surgeon doesn't make you a great teacher, it doesn't mean that you are going to be able to share your knowledge effectively. And there is nothing wrong about wondering if someone that has never taught can do it.
 
Oldyella said:
It's more than fair to question someones experience and suitability for a role. So long as you can except when someone shows they are suitably experienced, which Fletcher can point to certificates etc. I know I did with my brain surgeon!
Click to expand...

Well after participating in 500 operations and some 10.000 practice operations - I am sure Fletcher would have a clue what was going on - even without the diploma on the wall :)
 
lysglimt said:
Well after participating in 500 operations and some 10.000 practice operations - I am sure Fletcher would have a clue what was going on - even without the diploma on the wall :)
Click to expand...

Let's hope. Hes always come across well as a pundit so can at least talk a good game. And its nice to see old boys getting a shot with us.
 
JPRouve said:
That's the point and why your previous point made little sense being a brilliant surgeon doesn't make you a great teacher, it doesn't mean that you are going to be able to share your knowledge effectively. And there is nothing wrong about wondering if someone that has never taught can do it.
Click to expand...

No, only if you’ve misunderstood my point. I never said Darren Fletcher will go on to become a great coach. I think questioning his ability to coach football is pretty illogical though. Having the knowledge and personality to coach are the hardest parts. Learning to pass on knowledge effectively is not the hardest part.
 
ZupZup said:
No, only if you’ve misunderstood my point. I never said Darren Fletcher will go on to become a great coach. I think questioning his ability to coach football is pretty illogical though. Having the knowledge and personality to coach are the hardest parts. Learning to pass on knowledge effectively is not the hardest part.
Click to expand...

But that's part of one's ability to coach. I sense that you know it but for some reason have an issue with acknowledging.. It makes perfect sense to question someone's ability to coach when you don't know if that person has the required knowledge and/or personality to coach.

And to be clear I responded to your general point, I have no idea about whether Fletcher is suitable or not.
 
Great news! I have a soft spot for Fletcher. He’s tough as nails to have overcome the abuse he received and prove the doubters wrong way back when.

I absolutely love what we’re doing. United should be ran by the people who are United through and through.
 
ZupZup said:
No, only if you’ve misunderstood my point. I never said Darren Fletcher will go on to become a great coach. I think questioning his ability to coach football is pretty illogical though. Having the knowledge and personality to coach are the hardest parts. Learning to pass on knowledge effectively is not the hardest part.
Click to expand...
I spent many years coaching and the ability to coach football isnt exclusively about the knowledge of the game, its all about the ability to teach. The more I learned about how to teach the better I became at coaching. It took me many years to become effective.
How to teach is a completely different skill set to playing. Knowledge of the game is of course required to a certain extent but the most important things in coaching are based on how to design a training session, how to implement a training session and how to help players learn. Learning how to pass knowledge on effectively is actually the hardest part. Look up "guided discovery" and then follow the path from there.
 
JPRouve said:
It makes perfect sense to question someone's ability to coach when you don't know if that person has the required knowledge and/or personality to coach.
Click to expand...

It doesn’t make much sense to question whether that person has the knowledge when they’ve been a professional in their field at the highest level throughout their career. It doesn’t make much sense to question whether they have the personality to coach when you don’t know them and they have been hired to coach but people who know them extremely well. Just my opinion though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.