The Director of Football Experiment

Handing over recruitment was always going to test my control.

When I gave responsibility to Director of Football Andrea Mancini, it wasn’t because I really wanted to. It was because I wanted to try to live the life of a modern manager. Could the structure carry itself without me micromanaging every shortlisting report and agent negotiation?

The timing, however, could not have been worse.

Nikolas Ioannou’s ACL injury – eight months out – proved the final blow and he chose to retire rather than face the rehabilitation. That left us with no senior left back after Brooklyn Ezeh’s exit, having refused to extend his deal, seeking football at the top level.

We were exposed. Everyone could see it. But could Mancini?

Mancini, to be fair, is not incompetent. If anything, he’s diligent. Structured. Methodical. On paper, exactly the profile that should thrive in a Director of Football model.

But January windows do not operate on paper.

The Misses

With days passing and no left back secured, I made the situation public through a not-so-subtle nudge through the press.

Still nothing.

Instead, he attempted to bring in:

• A collection of 19-year-olds across various positions – none anywhere near good enough.
• A loan goalkeeper no better than Tantalocci or Ghidotti.
• Omar Lebyad from Como – six Serie C goals, scout grade F – for £1.3m we simply don’t possess.

Each move was vetoed.

This wasn’t stubbornness on my part. We are chasing promotion. Developmental gambles are luxuries. Goalkeepers are not our problem. And speculative strikers rated “F” are not strategic investments.

The left side of defence, meanwhile, remained unaddressed.

The Turning Point?

Just as I prepared to abandon the experiment entirely, Mancini returned with another goalkeeper.

I almost dismissed it out of reflex.

But this time, it was different.

Robin Risser arrived from RC Lens on loan, with a £2.8m option. Taller. More commanding. Better distribution. A genuine upgrade. Not someone on my radar previously. Good work, Andrea.

This was intelligent market work.

Robin Risser joins on loan for the rest of the season

He followed it with a deal for Stredair Appuah Owusu from Palermo. Young, athletic, high ceiling. Under normal circumstances I’d have approved it. But he didn’t materially improve our existing wing options – and the budget had to remain flexible for the left side of our defence.

Then came another decent piece of business.

Seid Korać joined from Venezia FC on loan with a mandatory £500k fee. Aggressive. Dominant aerially. Reliable depth for a promotion fight.

Three solid deals in isolation.

But still no left back.

The Structural Question

At this point, curiosity replaced frustration.

Was this a scouting bias? Budget modelling? The Squad Planner – a tool I rarely use – perhaps signalling something strange?

I checked.

It showed a red warning light at left back.

A state of emergency.

Two days left in the window.

Finally – a message landed in my inbox saying a deal for a left back has been agreed!

Relief lasted seconds.

The player identified was statistically weaker than the options he was meant to replace. Not promotion calibre. Not structurally sound. That move was vetoed immediately.

The experiment had reached its natural conclusion and I had to intervene.

With time almost gone, I stepped back into the market myself.

Andrés Cuenca arrived on loan from Udinese Calcio.

Mobile. Balanced. Positionally disciplined. Crucially – competent at this level.

The left side was stabilised.

I ideally needed TWO additions but one is better than nothing.

So, What Did We Learn?

The Director of Football model isn’t broken.

But it requires alignment, and for the manager (us) to have:

• Clear tactical identity.
• Transparent positional hierarchy.
• Short-term vs long-term objectives.
• Financial guardrails.

Mancini identified value. He negotiated well. But he optimised for squad depth and future potential – not immediate structural weakness.

In a mid-table rebuild, that’s fine.

In a promotion race, it could be disastrous.

The experiment hasn’t ended yet.. but thank god I ensured I had to agree any deals.