Paul Mitchell talks about becoming Monaco sporting director, finds Heung-Min Son, Ralph Rangnick and Manchester United | Football News

Paul Mitchell’s name has become synonymous with the modern transfer market, but he’s more than just a trading player.

Former head of recruiting at Southampton and Tottenham and now sporting director at AS Monaco, he is one of the prime examples of a technical director. An expert who arranges all aspects of a player’s work environment to maximize the player’s talent.

At RB Leipzig, working under Ralf Rangnick, Mitchell established himself as one of the best players in his field. Because of this, he has been repeatedly touted as a savior to come and save Manchester United.

With that opportunity yet to materialize, Mitchell is focused on rebuilding another great European football stronghold, AS Monaco, where he said he had the most difficult two years of his career. I’m here. sky sports news In an exclusive interview from Southampton Marina, where he once lived.

In a broad and engaging debate, Mitchell will revel in some of his legacy in England like Humming, while also embracing the blues he advocated to bring them back to the top of League One and top European competition. I will explain the photo. Having been brought to Tottenham in 2015, Son went on to win the Premier League’s Golden Boot.

But perhaps most interestingly, he confides in the following: that A picture of him alongside Rangnick in United’s youth game earlier this year, why it didn’t work out for his former boss at Old Trafford, as the great club in his native North West regains hegemony. What you need for

‘United need the best blueprint’

“It’s synonymous with big club,” said Mitchell, who grew up on the council estate in Denton, Greater Manchester. “It’s had such a role and scope, and it’s had some tough times.

“It can be difficult to comment when you are not inside and you always understand the context. but I think they need to get… before they really write down what Manchester United needs in the modern game.

“We have come a long way since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson.Eric Ten Hug is Ajax’s top coach, but they need a blueprint for the top not only now, but for the next five years. It’s a painful moment when you’re doing the right thing and not getting the right result.

“During that period, we need to know that consistency in decision-making will yield good results. Adopting that long-term strategy, both at Manchester City and Liverpool, will bring real consistency and sustainable success.

“I think that’s the biggest thing for Manchester United. Writing down the identity you want to be today, but the most important thing is what you want to be in five years, where you want to be, what you want to show.” From a young player Everything from the style of play to the overall peace of Manchester United culture.”

In March 2022, with Rangnick’s future being subject to much speculation, Mitchell was pictured with the Germans at a United Youth Cup match.

Mitchell said: Leipzig) so we were able to chat a bit in the game.

“It was tough[for Ralph]because the opportunity came late in his career. The time was short.

“His mission was really short-term, to win and get Manchester United into the rhythm to take them to the Champions League. is accompanied by

“I think it was a learning experience for him after all the experience. Talking to him[it]was a great experience. He always had one eye on coming to the Premier League. Feeling unfulfilled.”

“My grandson was told he wasn’t good at finishers, and I said, ‘You’re wrong.'”

One and a few of the commissions accomplished are those of Tottenham’s Humming Son, which Mitchell brought to the club from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015. The relatively unknown Son struggled in his first season under Mauricio Pochettino and faced many doubts both inside and outside the club.

Mitchell said the South Korean star is proof that all players need time and patience to adjust to their new surroundings and that clubs can pay dividends in the long run if they trust the judgment of their recruiting staff. We think we can. Son was the Premier League Golden Boot winner last season alongside Mohamed Salah.

Mitchell, who resigned in 2016 over disagreements with upper management, said, “It’s a bit controversial just because he made the decision to file a notice and resign.” From my point of view, this job could not have been better for me.

“In my first year at Tottenham I received quite a lot of criticism for some of my decisions.Sony was at the center of it.It was a bit of a learning curve for me.Sometimes a player needs time. They’re human and need time to settle down.

“The story started going around inside and outside the company that he wasn’t a good finisher. His history shows him to be a very sharp finisher from both sides at two different clubs.

“Since the first year of integration, we’ve seen this over the years. Because we know the qualities of an individual. That’s all we’ve seen. The coach effect is clearly , has (helped) grow that potential consistently, and I think he will go down as one of the greatest players in the history of the Premier League.”

“Minamino brings maturity and excitement”

The player Mitchell is excited about here and now is Takumi Minamino, who Monaco signed for £15.4m from Liverpool this summer.

One of Mitchell’s focuses has been overseeing the replacement of players from the bloated team he took over in 2020 into a more streamlined group with a clear path for young talent.

Monaco have long been synonymous with youth development, producing the likes of Thierry Henry and Kylian Mbappe, but a year after being on the brink of relegation from Ligue 1, Monaco were lost by the time Mitchell arrived. was

Despite being only 27 years old, Minamino is seen as a mature player in Monaco’s model, having elite experience at Liverpool while struggling in the regular game. Mitchell thinks Minamino is exactly the player Monaco should buy.

“We build squads over a period of time, and sometimes people see recruiting as very reactive and emotional,” Mitchell explains. “But it has to be more planned than that. We spent 350 million euros in the two years before I joined, and it didn’t work out.

“Players like Taki come from Liverpool, not a small unknown part of the world, so sometimes it seems obvious, but it’s all about balance. We are second in French football. We are a very young team and one of the youngest in Europe.At Taki we wanted to bring in a bit more mature elements, it was multifunctional.

“Monaco have to play in the big games in Europe, so they should have an exciting and attacking profile like Minamino Taki. Looking at the wealth of qualities that Jürgen Klopp has, it’s a big deal for him at Liverpool. “His disposal, and Liverpool have always recruited very strongly and very efficiently. comes in his peak year.

“We have a global strategy in assigning players. Everyone likes to look in isolation and contracts are a very exciting part of all our work and all of our lives. I know, but for me you have to think long term, medium term and short term. Investments have to be taken very seriously because if they go wrong they can stunt or even stop progress. ”

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