Darren Fletcher demoted by Erik ten Hag as Man Utd's backroom staff is overhauled
Darren Fletcher has been demoted from his role as technical director at Manchester United, with the former midfielder now set to take up a position as a first-team coach
Manchester United has reassigned Darren Fletcher from his position as technical director to a first-team coach role.
Fletcher, who was appointed to the executive role in March 2021 and worked alongside football director John Murtough, has spent over two decades with United as a player, making more than 300 appearances and securing five Premier League titles.
However, since Sir Jim Ratcliffe's arrival as United's new controlling co-owner, there have been speculations about Fletcher's future. Jason Wilcox was named technical director in April, with no reference to his predecessor.
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It now seems that Ratcliffe has retained Fletcher but shifted him to a different role, which appears to be a demotion from his previous job.
The Athletic reports that Fletcher has been moved from his former technical director role to a position as a first-team coach, where he will be responsible for bridging the gap between academy players and the senior team.
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This follows the appointments of Rene Hake and Ruud van Nistelrooy as assistant managers to Ten Hag, while Andreas Georgson has also joined as a first-team coach. Ten Hag has previously praised Fletcher's work with academy players.
"We loan such players to let them develop and make progress. To bring them back... that is the aim of a loan. We are really strong on them on the matter of the way we mentor them," the United boss said when asked about Amad's successful loan at Sunderland, reports the Mirror.
"So we follow them and we have communication through all the season, especially Darren Fletcher. He invests a lot in such processes and the aim is to bring them back as a better player and with better experience."
The top brass at Old Trafford are banking on a shake-up of the coaching team to give Erik ten Hag a leg up after a rocky second season.
Sporting director Dan Ashworth has put the spotlight on these changes as a crucial move in United's game plan.
"Together with Erik, we are working to strengthen all areas of our men's first-team operations, and refreshing the coaching staff is an important part of that," Ashworth said as Hake and Van Nistelrooy joined the ranks.
"It's a particular pleasure to welcome Ruud back to the club where he enjoyed so much success as a player, and I know that he and Rene will help reinforce the winning mentality and high standards we are aiming for."
United are gearing up to kick off their campaign with a home game against Fulham come Friday night. Fletcher is set to be in the Old Trafford dugout, even though he's slipped a bit in Ten Hag's inner circle.