So we have this continental system where the Chairman runs the business side, the Sporting Director sorts out the football structure and the Head Coach makes sure the first team squad does the business in the pitch. It’s supposed to be better than the old system If manager/Scout/chairman. So in terms of transfers Is the Sporting Director simply a scout and it’s SP’s job to do the due dulligence and the deal or is DF the guy who should make sure the ducks are all in a row before bringing in SP with the cash? Who should have been aware that Lille had a problem with replacing Amadou?

Why assume that the fault for knowing what was going on lies at our door. Ever thought that Lille have been totally to blame for our failure to sign Amadou, ever thought that financial fair play rules have stopped us from buying a player now hence the loan now/summer purchase. With regard to club structure, fancy names like Sporting Director do not really change how a club is run, DF may have taken on some responsibilities that a manager or head scout may have previously done, but it doesn't matter whose job it is within our club if events conspire to prevent deals from happening in the first place.

I am from a commercial property background (Chartered Surveyor) and for years the industry went along quite happily until all of a sudden Facilities Managers appeared out of nowhere. No-one had heard of them before and their roles were previously filled by staff within an estates department. Now, you have facilities manager qualifications and it would appear that the industry feels a large building cannot function without one, which is complete tosh, it is just a job name that collectively describes a number of functions. A small example of change for changes sake (and normally a pay rise). I am sure that someone was doing the job of DF before he came along, he just didn't have a fancy title.

As to your specific question as to exactly whose role is which, that is impossible for anyone on this board to know without being part of the machinations of the club.

Someone who gets paid money for old rope?

There was a great ‘graphic’ on the BBC football website/app today showing transfer fee inflation ie the fee just paid for a player versus the fee last time he was transferred. For example Tosun last time was ‘Free’, this time was £27million.

Ergo maybe the rise of the Sporting Director/Director of Football is linked to the rise and rise of the transfer fee. I wonder what Cloughie would make of it all, assuming ‘The Damned United’ has a ring of truth about it - no agents, no Sporting Directors, just a manager deciding what’s best for his team and going for it by knocking on the player’s door and saying “how about it, son?”

Edited by YT (01 Feb 2018 11.40am)

Palace since 19 August 1972. Palace 1 (Tony Taylor) Liverpool 1 (Emlyn Hughes)