Starting with saving Manchester United

The morning of the 20th.

From Carrington, Manchester to Mayfair, London, a mere three and a half hours' drive, Yang Fan once again experienced the advantages of working alongside his boss.

No wonder John Motav and Alan Dawson, among others, were so unwilling to work in Manchester.

On the train south, Woodward mentioned that, having learned from the setbacks in the summer transfer market of 2013, Manchester United would form a transfer advisory group.

The team leader is Woodward, and the core members include three Manchester United legends: Ferguson, Bobby Charlton, and Bryan Robson.

John Motav served as Woodward's assistant and deputy team leader, assembling the transfer team.

In other words, Manchester United's transfers will now be decided by the team.

The first priority of this group after its formation was to define the boundaries of the head coach's authority.

Simply put, how much power should the head coach be given?

The current English Premier League generally adopts the decentralized management system that is more mature in continental Europe, establishing positions such as technical director or football director between the head coach and the management team, responsible for coordinating and planning the development of the entire team.

Yang Fan had heard many fans mention this in his previous life.

But there's one problem here that has never been properly solved.

How to effectively evaluate the KPIs of a technical director?

The end result is that the technical director is often only responsible to his superiors, and the team's performance is irrelevant to him; the head coach takes the blame.

By the time superiors realize that the technical director is incompetent, several years have often already passed.

The head coach is under pressure to achieve results, but has little say in player transfers and team building.

Power and responsibility are mismatched.

In the unique industry of football, for a top club like Manchester United with hundreds of employees in the management team, developing an efficient management system is extremely difficult.

Not to mention, in the transfer market, they often face fierce competition for talent.

It's like Woodward and his colleagues mentioned Cavani of Paris Saint-Germain.

The Uruguayan striker is actually interested in joining Manchester United, but how can he convince Paris Saint-Germain?

Manchester United tried to negotiate with PSG through intermediaries, offering €8 million, but they still couldn't secure a deal.

The transfer market is not as simple as it seems: we make an offer, the other side counters, and both sides keep it a secret.

This involves a great deal of power struggle, not to mention the ubiquitous media.

Yang Fan listened silently the whole time.

For him, the biggest advantage of being a time traveler should be in attracting reinforcements.

……

5 Stratton Street, Mayfair, East of Hyde Park, London.

This is Manchester United's headquarters in London.

It is just across Piccadilly, a world-famous shopping paradise, from Buckingham Palace.

The property is over 100 square meters in total, with an annual rent of £1 million.

It is said that there used to be a Manchester United sign hanging outside the first floor, but it was removed because people were worried that fans would come and cause trouble.

Although it was only temporary, the signing ceremony still followed the head coach's procedures.

The signing took place in a conference room.

The wall behind the meeting room is a large trophy plaque made of oak, with all the championship trophies Manchester United has won engraved in gold lettering.

On the opposite wall is a huge photograph of the Manchester derby taken on the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster.

As soon as he entered, Woodward pointed to the photo to remind Yang Fan.

"We've lost all the derbies this season. Next Wednesday, we're playing Manchester City at home, which will be our last and most important derby. I hope you can lead the team and maintain last night's excellent performance!"

It is indeed embarrassing to think about.

Apart from Arsenal, Manchester United have lost all their big matches this season.

It would be one thing if they were simply afraid of the strong, but Moyes' team also couldn't bully the weak, and that's how things turned out.

"I will do my best," Yang Fan nodded in agreement.

If he remembers correctly, in this match commemorating the 50th anniversary of the plane crash, Manchester United lost 1-2 to Manchester City at home.

Is it really okay to hang this photo here?

Woodward didn't seem to care about that. "And then there's the Champions League. The draw for the quarterfinals will take place tomorrow at the headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. You need to keep working hard!"

Yang Fan agreed.

The Champions League quarterfinals have now been determined.

La Liga is Real Madrid, Barcelona, ​​and Atletico Madrid; the Premier League is Manchester United and Chelsea; the Bundesliga is Guardiola's Bayern Munich and Klopp's Borussia Dortmund; and Ligue 1 is Paris Saint-Germain.

In Yang Fan's previous life, after Moyes' Manchester United staged a comeback and advanced, they faced Bayern Munich.

But this time it's unclear.

This morning, a strange phenomenon occurred in Britain, France, Germany, and Spain.

The other 7 teams all hope to face Manchester United!

In polls conducted by Spanish newspapers Diario Sport and AS, the majority of Barcelona and Real Madrid fans hoped to draw Manchester United.

Needless to say, the situation in Germany is even more dire. Bayern Munich's key defender, Lahm, even publicly stated that "there are no easy teams to face in the quarterfinals, but we hope to meet Manchester United."

Listen to what people are saying.

These guys are treating Manchester United like an easy target!

Yang Fan's temporary coaching contract also uses Champions League performance as a performance evaluation criterion.

There are about two months left until the last match of the season, the Champions League final.

Manchester United paid Yang Fan £20 after tax over the past two months.

Compared to Premier League managers who easily command two or three million pounds, Yang Fan's salary is nothing.

Solskjaer took over Cardiff mid-season and earned over two million pounds in six months.

Not to mention renowned managers like Allardyce, who, despite managing a relatively poor team like West Ham United, still earn over three million pounds a year after tax.

According to Yang Fan, even the lowest-paid manager in the Premier League this season earns over one million pounds.

His short-term job was paid according to the minimum standards of the Premier League and even the Championship.

However, there are additional terms and conditions.

Manchester United are currently ranked 7th in the Premier League. For every rank they move up, Yang Fan will receive an additional £20 in bonuses.

If Yang Fan secures a place in next season's Europa League, which means finishing 5th in the league, he will receive an additional £50 bonus.

Yang Fan will receive an additional £100 million bonus for qualifying for next season's Champions League.

In the Champions League, Yang Fan would receive a £1 million bonus if he could advance from the quarterfinals to the semifinals.

Advancing to the finals increased the prize money to £200 million.

If you can win the championship, the prize money is £500 million.

When Yang Fan saw the contract, he was so moved that he wanted to curse Woodward's entire family.

Given Manchester United's current situation, let alone winning the Champions League, even reaching the semi-finals will be an impossible task.

Woodward and others themselves didn't believe it.

So, this is the carrot hanging in front of the donkey?

However, Yang Fan signed it without hesitation.

He's currently in his internship, and the most important thing for him is to gain experience.

As for money...

I've decided to dedicate everything to Manchester United; I definitely won't be looking at my salary card or anything like that!

……

After signing the contract, Yang Fan, accompanied by John Motav, went to the FA headquarters in the northeast corner of Hyde Park.

The straight-line distance from Manchester United's headquarters to the Football Association is just over one kilometer.

When Yang Fan entered the FA headquarters, everyone along the way stopped and stared at him with great interest.

People kept greeting John Mottaf.

After submitting his personal file and coaching contract, and taking a personal photo, John Mottaf took Yang Fan to the Professional Sports Coaching Development Department after completing the relevant procedures.

This department is specifically responsible for coach training, and the head is Jamie Robinson, a native of Liverpool's youth academy.

"Yang, don't worry about what your colleagues are doing. Last night's dramatic comeback was truly spectacular!"

"Nobody expected that such a brilliant comeback would not have come from a famous coach like Moyes, but from you. Everyone is very curious about you."

Yang Fan responded politely.

He never imagined that as Manchester United's manager, he would one day receive praise from Liverpool's inner circle.

Yang Fan came here to fulfill his commitment to UEFA and register for the FA's Level 1 coaching training.

The registration fee is £155.

Anyone who is 16 years of age or older can apply.

The training lasts for 4 days and 32 hours.

"The training program is actually quite simple. Half of the time is spent listening to lectures and reading professional training materials, and the other half is getting familiar with football training equipment. You are required to learn 14 different training programs."

"The exam will randomly select one item from these 14 training items, and passing that item means you've passed."

Jamie Robinson also specifically mentioned that completing 32 hours of study in 4 days does not mean studying for 4 days straight.

The courses are generally scheduled on Saturdays and weekends, with 8 hours each day.

The exam is held on the third weekend, and you receive your certificate on the spot if you pass.

"Jamie, this exam shouldn't be too difficult, right?" Yang Fan asked with concern.

It sounds very professional.

Jamie Robinson has a strange sense of absurdity.

Who would have thought that the dignified manager of Manchester United, who just led his team to an epic 6-0 comeback victory and is the talk of the town on the front page of major media outlets today, doesn't even have a Level 1 coaching certificate?

"Don't worry, as long as you're willing to spend time attending classes and memorizing, and become proficient in English, any able-bodied adult can basically pass." That was all Jamie Robinson could say.

As long as you have hands and feet, that's enough, right?

Then there's no problem!

"Is the training here in London, or at St. George's Park?" Yang Fan asked with concern.

St. George Park is located northwest of Birmingham, near Steve Lund's home.

"Level 1 and 2 coach training have been delegated to the regional football associations, so you can enroll in the nearest one. However, Level B and A coaches are required to receive formal training at St. George Park."

Yang Fan understood, but then another thing came to mind.

"The A-level certificate is also in St. George's Park? Then why did Giggs and his classmates go to Turkey to take the A-level certificate exam in 13?"

Yang Fan's question actually stumped Jamie Robinson.

Just as he was starting to struggle, John Mottaf whispered a reminder: "They are participating in a UEFA-authorized training course. Some countries have a lower level of football, so the exams aren't as rigorous as those in England."

Oh, I understand!

Yang Fan suddenly realized.

This is similar to how, in his previous life, many people traveled across provinces to take driving tests.

The certificates are the same, but in some places they are easier to pass, or you can even pass by paying money.

The English Football Association and UEFA will likely turn a blind eye to this.

Of course, not just anyone can do this.

After all, there were no connections.

Damn it, all crows are black!

Having a background as a professional athlete is a huge advantage.