Pen pics of Manchester United's backroom staff.

Ethan Wheatley became the 250th Academy graduate to feature for Manchester United’s first team when he came on in stoppage time of their 4-2 win over Sheffield United last night.

Manchester United have confirmed the appointment of Jason Wilcox as Technical Director with “immediate effect”. The club made an official approach for Southampton’s Director of Football at the start of the month and the clubs have now reached agreement on compensation.

Manchester United have formally launched their new Academy Alumni Programme, with more than 40 former players invited to watch the Under-21s game at Old Trafford and celebrate the initiative.

Manchester United have confirmed that Football Director John Murtough is to leave the club after 11 years to allow a “new football structure to be put in place.”

Natasha Patel is Assistant Academy Director at Southampton and one of the most experienced women working in men's professional football. In Episode #64 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, she outlined her journey in football, how analysis has evolved and her experiences on either side of the Atlantic.

MANCHESTER UNITED have made an official approach to Southampton for their Director of Football Jason Wilcox. The Old Trafford club want to make Wilcox their Technical Director and have offered to pay Saints the equivalent of a full year of his salary.

RENE MARIC is one of the most exciting young coaches in Europe. At the age of 31, he is Head of Coach Development and Playing Philosophy at Bayern Munich and has worked for Red Bull Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Monchengladbach. He told the TGG Podcast about his coaching journey and lessons.

SIR JIM RATCLIFFE has outlined his formula for success at Manchester United, saying it’s not about “spending money on a couple of great players” but getting “the right people in the right boxes doing the right things in an elite environment.”

RADHI JAIDI became the first Tunisian to play in the Premier League when he joined Sam Allardyce's Bolton in 2004 and he remains a trailblazer as one of the only black Muslim coaches in senior European football. On Episode #61 of the TGG Podcast, Jaidi told us about his journey as a player and coach.

MANCHESTER UNITED First-Team Coach Eric Ramsay has been appointed Head Coach of Minnesota United in the MLS.

DAN ASHWORTH is the man Manchester United have chosen to lead their football strategy in the INEOS era. At our TGG Live Conference, he gave a fascinating insight into how he approaches the first few months at a new organisation.

IPSWICH TOWN Head of Recruitment Sam Williams is leaving the club after two years to return to Manchester United.

MANCHESTER UNITED have confirmed that Head Physio Robin Sadler will leave the club on February 29th and have thanked him for his “dedicated service”.

AS manager of League One Reading, Ruben Selles has one of the toughest jobs in the Football League. On Episode #60 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, he explained what it's like to lead the crisis club.

HEAD PHYSIO Robin Sadler has left Manchester United after three years as part of a restructure led by new Head of Sports Medicine Gary O’Driscoll.

NEGOTIATIONS MANAGER Sam Barnett has left Manchester United after seven years.

A United Celebration was an awards ceremony with a difference, with the club's youth players recognised for their achievements as people as well as players.

READING manager Ruben Selles, who worked with Rasmus Højlund at FC Copenhagen, explains how the striker has carefully chosen his clubs throughout his career, with PPDA a key metric.

BELGIUM'S Union Saint-Gilloise have marked themselves out as one of the smartest and most innovative clubs in Europe. In Episode #59 of the TGG Podcast, their Sporting Director, Chris O'Loughlin, gave insights into how they are managing to upset the established order.

MANCHESTER UNITED are “on a mission to build the best data platform in sport, not just football”, according to their new Head of Data Operations Chris Shumba.

KEVIN THELWELL has been Director of Football during a tumultuous period at Everton. In Episode #58 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, Thelwell talked about what his role involves, formulating a long-term plan for the club and what the future might hold.

MANCHESTER UNITED have launched an Academy Alumni Programme which they say is “unique in English football” and formalises support for their former players.

JES BUSTER MADSEN is Head of Research and Development at FC Copenhagen and a world leader in the application of cognitive neuroscience in football. In Episode #57 of the TGG Podcast he explained how and why brain training will be the next big growth area in football.

FOR the last decade, Mark Leyland has been one of the foremost analysts in this country - and has gone on to become even more than that. He spoke to TGG about the evolution of his role at Liverpool and Newcastle and his current job as Head of Coaching Methodology at City Football Group.

MANCHESTER UNITED have appointed a new Head of Local Recruitment and Pre-Academy Lead Scout as they continue to assemble a “best-in-class” Academy scouting and recruitment team.

MICK MATTHEWS is leaving the Football Association after 26 years to take up the new role of Academy Coach Development Manager at Manchester United.

MANCHESTER UNITED have made a number of changes to their Academy scouting and recruitment department as they beef up their UK operations following Brexit.

FOR almost a decade, Sarah Rudd was Vice President of Analytics for StatDNA and Arsenal, making her one of the most senior women in the Premier League. In this episode of the TGG Podcast, she told us about her work with Arsenal, her wider career and her thoughts on the future of analytics.

GARY O’DRISCOLL is leaving Arsenal after almost 15 years to become Head of Sports Medicine at Manchester United and begins his new role on Monday. The practitioner - who hails from Manchester and is the cousin of former Ireland Rugby captain Brian - is one of the most experienced medical staff in the game.

LIVERPOOL'S influential assistant Pep Lijnders was our guest on Episodes #53 and #54 of the TGG Podcast, giving in-depth insights into his work at the Anfield club.

MANAGER Ian Evatt and Sporting Director Chris Markham are working in tandem to try and restore Bolton Wanderers to their former glories. They outlined their approach in Episode #52 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl.

LUKE FEDORENKO has been promoted to Head of Academy Recruitment as part of a restructure at Manchester United.

MANCHESTER UNITED have announced their coaching structure for the Professional Development Phase (PDP) and top of the Youth Development Phase (YDP) for the forthcoming season.

WHEN Irishman Conor Nestor got an unexpected opportunity to manage Svay Rieng in Cambodia, he grabbed it with both hands. He transformed the way they operated, including a complete revamp of their analysis and recruitment. Here he explains what he did and how it helped land the Cambodian league title.

ARSENAL have a fantastic record of producing athletic Academy graduates. In Episode #50 of the TGG Podcast Des Ryan, the club's former Head of Academy Sports Medicine and Athletic Development, explains why and how.

SIR ALEX FERGUSON has presented Manchester United Academy Player Liaison Officer Dave Bushell with the 2023 Eamonn Dolan Award for his outstanding contribution to youth development.

BENFICA are the reigning UEFA Youth League champions and have the most profitable Academy in Europe. Their Technical Director Pedro Marques was our guest on Episode #49 of the TGG Podcast in association with Hudl.

OUR guest on Episode #48 of the Training Ground Guru Podcast is Norwich City's Stuart Webber, who we've often described as the 'purest' example of a Sporting Director in this country.

MANCHESTER UNITED have made a major addition to their new data science department by hiring Southampton’s Lead Data Scientist Alex Kleyn.

IN Episode #47 of the Training Ground Guru Podcast, Tom Vernon tells us about the origins of Right to Dream, its objectives and what the rest of football can learn from the group.

DAVID HARRISON has left Everton after almost three decades to become the new Director of Football Operations at Manchester United. He takes over from Alan Dawson, who will leave the club after 11 years at the end of July to “pursue new opportunities.”

PROFESSOR David Sumpter is a pioneer of the application of data science in football and has worked with leading teams including Ajax, Barcelona, Hammarby and England. In Episode #46 of the TGG Podcast he gives insights into his work and predictions for the future.

A TRIO of Manchester United Academy players will turn out for both their Under-21s and non-league Altrincham for the rest of the season as part of a “unique learning opportunity”.

ERIK TEN HAG has said that “final responsibility” for Manchester United’s Under-21s “lies with me” and that “this is totally new” for the club.

FORMER England Head Chef Omar Meziane has joined Erik Ten Hag's backroom staff at Manchester United.

BRENTFORD first-team coach Justin Cochrane tells us about his coaching journey on Episode #45 of the TGG Podcast.

IN the words of Danny Webber, Tony Whelan has been “player, coach, mentor, figurehead" at Manchester United, "a man who has meant a lot to a lot of people." In a special interview with MUTV to mark his 70th birthday, Whelan gives insights into his work "embodying some of the spirit of the club."

MANCHESTER UNITED Head of Sport Medicine and Science Steve McNally is leaving the club after 16 years.

IN June 2021, Justin Cochrane was appointed Manchester United’s first Head of Player Development and Coaching, with a remit to “maximise the potential of each individual player". Speaking on the latest episode of the TGG Podcast, he has given a fascinating insight into how he did this with Alejandro Garnacho.

ALAN DAWSON MBE has stepped down from his position as Director of Football Operations at Manchester United after five years.

MANCHESTER UNITED have started the process of recruiting data scientists, machine learning scientists, analysts and engineers as they look to become “dominant” in data science.

SALLY NEEDHAM is the Human Development and Performance Culture Lead at Sheffield United's Academy. On Episode #44 of the TGG Podcast she gives us the lowdown on her unique role.

MANCHESTER UNITED have appointed Sheffield United’s Tommy Lee as their new Lead Academy Goalkeeper Coach. The 36-year-old replaces Alan Fettis, the long-serving Head of Academy Goalkeeping who moved to Middlesbrough in the summer.

RUI FARIA is the most successful number two in football history. Here he gives in-depth insights into his time working alongside Jose Mourinho.

ANALYSIS Operations Manager Andrew Meredith has left Manchester United after three years. The Australian, who previously coached the Germany men’s hockey team to two Olympic golds, joined United in the new role in September 2019.

RUI FARIA has explained, for the first time, why he decided to scrap the use of GPS at Manchester United. As TGG revealed, United were the only Premier League side not to use the technology during the time Faria was Jose Mourinho's assistant at the club, from May 2016 to the end of 2017/18.

MANCHESTER UNITED manager Erik ten Hag has been named Premier League Manager of the Month for September and shared the award with his backroom staff.

SEAN DYCHE explains the lessons he has learned throughout his career, from being a trainee under Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest to taking unfashionable Burnley into Europe for the first time in 51 years.

STEVEN REID left his role as first-team coach at Nottingham Forest earlier this summer to become a confidence, wellbeing and leadership coach. On Episode #41 of the TGG Podcast he explains the reasons why and gives insights into his two decades as a Premier League player and coach.

FORMER England midfielder Tom Huddlestone has joined Manchester United as an over-aged player-coach with their Under-21 side.

ERIK TEN HAG has brought in Kevin Keij from Ajax to become Manchester United's new first-team performance analyst.

FORMER Blackburn Rovers striker Benni McCarthy is joining Manchester United as first-team coach with special responsibility for their strikers.

CARDIFF CITY Academy Manager David Hughes has joined Manchester United as a Professional Development Phase coach as the club make a number of new appointments.

DAMIEN COMOLLI tells TGG about the strategies he has employed to restore Toulouse FC to the top table of French football - and how they were honed during three decades in the game.

SENIOR Sport Scientist David Kelly has left Manchester United after 12 years. The Yorkshireman joined the club in June 2010 when Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge and went on to serve under five other managers.

MARK DEMPSEY will lead Manchester United’s Under-23s next season, with Paul McShane as his assistant in a ‘flexible’ new coaching structure.

JUSTIN COCHRANE has left Manchester United after a year to become first-team coach at Brentford. The 40-year-old, who has been described as “outstanding” and perhaps “the best developer in the country”, was Head of player Development and Coaching at United.

IN April, Southampton announced that they were launching a “unique” Learning Lab that would embed a “research culture focused on modern Ecological Approaches” in their club and Academy. TGG decided to find out more by welcoming two members of the Learning Lab Board onto our podcast.

ANDY O’BOYLE has been appointed to the new position of Deputy Football Director at Manchester United.

ALEX OUZOUNOGLOU has left Burnley after a decade to become Head of Athletic Development for the Youth Development Phase (12s to 16s) at Manchester United.

FORMER Cambridge United Head of Performance Matt Walker has been appointed Head of Athletic Development for the Professional Development Phase (17s to 23s) at Manchester United.

MANCHESTER UNITED have announced that Mitchell van der Gaag and Steve McClaren will be Erik ten Hag’s assistants at Old Trafford.

MANCHESTER UNITED’S Under-23 coach Neil Wood has left the club after eight years to become manager of Salford City.

NEIL RYAN is leaving Manchester United after 19 years to join the Football Association, where he will lead one of England’s youth teams.

AUSTRALIA assistant Rene Meulensteen was our guest on Episode #38 of the TGG Podcast. He told us about his coaching journey from Holland to Australia via Manchester United and the lessons learned along the way in front of a live audience..

MANCHESTER UNITED Director of Football Negotiations Matt Judge has resigned from his role after 10 years at the club.

MANCHESTER UNITED’S two most senior scouts, Jim Lawlor and Marcel Bout, have left the club after a combined 24 years.

MANCHESTER UNITED have launched a ‘Friends of the Academy’ initiative that will support the “local football ecosystem” by sharing resources and knowledge with coaches, schools, junior clubs and young players across the North West.

ANDREAS GEORGSON gives us insights into individual development coaching, evolving set pieces at the highest level, Malmö's youth development secrets and what it was like to work under Arteta.

THE Training Ground Guru Podcast is celebrating its third birthday. We look back on the 37 episodes we've had so far - and ahead to season four.

BAYERN MUNICH, Benfica and Manchester United have teamed up to launch a cross-club Mental Health Awareness Month for players, coaches and staff.

FOR 24 years, Francis Cagigao was one of the most important and influential figures at Arsenal. He tells TGG about his time with the North London club and about his new role, as Director of Football for Chile.

DARREN FLETCHER has moved to clarify his Technical Director role at Manchester United following external confusion about his first year in post.

BRENTFORD'S journey to the Premier League is a story of innovation, clever use of data and investment in people. We found out more about this from their Director of Football, Phil Giles.

MANCHESTER UNITED have topped TGG's Academy Productivity Rankings for the third straight year. Their Head of Academy, Nick Cox, says this is testament to the club's staff - and to a culture of youth development going back several decades.

MARIELA NISOTAKI is the Head of Emerging Talent at Norwich City - and the only female scout on the circuit in the UK. She told us what her job involves, how she balances data with live eyes and why Norwich are an ambitious club doing things their own way.

EWAN SHARP has joined Ralf Rangnick’s backroom staff at Manchester United as coach/analyst.

MANCHESTER UNITED first-team coach Kieran McKenna has been appointed as the new manager at League One Ipswich Town, with United colleague Martyn Pert as his assistant.

RALF RANGNICK has added assistant Chris Armas and psychologist Sascha Lense to his staff at Manchester United.

MANCHESTER UNITED have topped Training Ground Guru’s Academy Productivity Rankings for the third consecutive edition.

In Episode #33 of the TGG Podcast, Chris Ramsey MBE tells us about his role at QPR, his career journey, how he develops coaches and why the game has lost a generation of black leaders.

JUSTIN COCHRANE is destined to get a “formidable” job as an assistant or manager in the future, according to QPR Technical Director Chris Ramsey.

INTERIM Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick says he will retain the club’s current backroom staff “because I need their experience and expertise.”

ARSENAL'S Per Mertesacker says Ralf Rangnick has been an “amazing role model” during his career and that Manchester United have landed a “real man of insight” as their interim manager.

RALF RANGNICK has been appointed as Manchester United’s interim manager to the end of the season, with a further two years to follow in a “consultancy role”.

MICHAEL CARRICK has taken caretaker charge of Manchester United until the club appoints an interim boss who will take the reins to the end of the season.

GREGG BROUGHTON is the Academy Director at Bodø/Glimt, the small club making a big noise in European football. He was our guest on Episode #32 of the TGG Podcast.

MANCHESTER UNITED legend Nicky Butt says you don't need to have been a former player at the club to understand and enhance their 'DNA', as first-team coach Kieran McKenna proves.

MANCHESTER UNITED have appointed Dominic Jordan as their first Director of Data Science “to drive forward the club’s use of data to help players and staff deliver success on the pitch.”

MANCHESTER UNITED have launched an innovative ‘work experience’ scheme that will enable their Professional Development Phase players (Under-17s to U23s) to spend time with EFL clubs.

OWEN EASTWOOD, who has worked with the England men's football team since 2016, shares insights about building an optimum environment for teams and athletes to thrive.

MANCHESTER UNITED have announced planned improvements to their Carrington Training Centre, which has been their home since 2000.

MARTYN PERT was a left-field appointment when he joined Manchester United in the summer of 2019, but says languages have been key to his ascent.

LUKE BORNN, the former Head of Analytics at AS Roma, tells us about his own journey, and that of data science in football.

MANCHESTER UNITED have unveiled their new Pre-Academy coaching team after the Premier League introduced rules permitting Under-9s to be formally involved with Academies.

DAVE ALRED MBE shares the secrets for performing under pressure that he's used with Jonny Wilkinson, Luke Donald, Francesco Molinari and even Gareth Southgate

TRAVIS BINNION will take Manchester United’s Under-18s this season as part of a reshuffle of roles in the Professional Development Phase.

MANCHESTER UNITED'S Academy scout in Holland, Rene Moonen, explains how he scouted promising defender Björn Hardley - and why the way he operates has changed after Brexit.

OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER tells author Phil Denton how he instigated change during his crucial first 100 days in charge at Manchester United.

FORMER Republic of Ireland international Paul McShane has returned to Manchester United as a player-coach with their Under-23s.

IN just 20 months, Russell Martin has marked himself out as one of the most interesting and original English managers in the game. He told TGG more about his approach, covering topics including Buddhism, politics, playing without fear, work-life balance and the importance of sticking to Plan A.

CHELSEA Under-23s assistant Eric Ramsay has been appointed as Manchester United’s first set piece specialist and individual development coach.

MICHAEL BEALE gives an insight into the training ground methods that helped Rangers land their first title in a decade.

ENGLAND Under-17s coach Justin Cochrane has been appointed Head of Player Development and Coaching at Manchester United’s Academy.

PHYSIO Jonny Picot is leaving Manchester United after 11 years because ”lockdown made me realise how important it is to prioritise family and lifestyle.”

CHELSEA WOMEN manager Emma Hayes on some of the key influences on her career and how they helped to shape her leadership philosophy.

THE much-maligned Ed Woodward departs Manchester United at the end of the year following the European Super League fiasco. We asked insiders how the Executive Vice Chairman's exit will affect football operations at the club.

LAURENCE STEWART, the Head of Recruitment for AS Monaco, explains the core principles of the club's transfer strategy.

NICKY BUTT has stepped down from his role as Head of Development at Manchester United to pursue “a new professional challenge.”

RENOWNED coach and coach educator Brian Ashton MBE tells TGG the lessons he has learned from five decades in the profession.

MANCHESTER UNITED have promoted John Murtough from Head of Football Development to Football Director, and Darren Fletcher from first-team coach to Technical Director.

MANCHESTER UNITED Under-18s coach Neil Ryan says winning is “just a bonus” for his side and that preparing players for senior football is the most important thing.

AZ ALKMAAR Sport Development Director Marijn Beuker outlines how the club outperform their budget by thinking differently.

LIVERPOOL legend and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher tells TGG how he analyses matches and aims to take fans inside the world of the manager's post-match debrief.

FORMER Manchester United player Darren Fletcher has been appointed as a first-team coach by the club.

ROBIN SADLER has been appointed Head of Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy by Manchester United.

UNDER-16s lead Dan Micciche outlines the key principles of Arsenal's Academy and how they go about developing 'Strong Young Gunners.'

BRIGHTON Technical Director Dan Ashworth explains what the role involves and why he believes it’s so important.

MANCHESTER UNITED assistant Mark Dempsey - who worked with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Cardiff and Molde before moving with him to Old Trafford - is switching to a new role with the club’s Academy.

FORMER Manchester United player and coach Tony Coton has returned to the club after 12 years to become Chief Goalkeeping Scout.

FORMER Manchester United Head of Recovery Robin Thorpe remembers two stories that illustrate Sir Alex Ferguson's genius for man-management.

DR ROBIN THORPE, Manchester United's former Head of Recovery and Regeneration, tells TGG about his work at Old Trafford and how the club reached sports science 'utopia'.

EVERTON assistant Davide Ancelotti was the guest on episode #19 of the TGG Podcast. The 31-year-old talked about growing up with a famous father, gave insights into his role, explained why Dominic Calvert-Lewin was "the best striker we could have" and opened up about his own managerial ambitions.

Eddie Jones, Tom Vernon, Dave Reddin, Lorraine O'Malley and Karen Bardsley outline what they believe will be the big developments in football in the coming months and years.

SEVILLA Sporting Director Monchi says he “can’t believe” that Manchester United do not have the same role at their club.

LIVERPOOL Academy Manager Alex Inglethorpe takes TGG inside the club's Kirkby training centre and explains the principles that underpin one of the most successful youth programmes in English football.

MANCHESTER UNITED have decided not to release any players under the age of 19 from their Academy in recognition of the impact that coronavirus and lockdown has had on them.

DR PIPPA GRANGE, the former Head of People and Team Development for the Football Association, tells us about the differences between winning deep and shallow.

MANCHESTER UNITED Academy Manager Nick Cox lays out the key tenets of the club's youth programme, including the belief that there is a higher purpose than just producing professional footballers.

DANNY COWLEY lays out his footballing philosophy, which he described as "old-school values with new methods".

MANCHESTER UNITED have revealed their nutrition regime for players during lockdown, including Instagram cooking lessons, bespoke ready meals and a weekly weigh-in.

FEW outside Manchester United will have heard of Chris Chiang, but the Strategy Executive has become an important figure at the club.

TONY STRUDWICK says building relationships is still the most important skill for any practitioner, despite the increasing influence of data and science in football.

MANCHESTER UNITED Head of Football Development John Murtough is heading up a working group developing the club’s data science strategy.

GÉRARD HOULLIER is the "most underrated" Liverpool manager. according to Jamie Carragher, but he brought the club into the 21st Century and his legacy is still felt to this day,

STORYTELLING is a hugely effective way for leaders to get their message across. We hear how it can be done from a range of experts.

MANCHESTER UNITED are launching a new Emerging Talent Programme to “radically increase the number of schools, grassroots clubs and communities we interact with”.

BLACKBURN have been one of the surprise packages of the Championship season so far - and 35-year-old Stewart Downing has been their talisman. He tells TGG about the astute management of Tony Mowbray and how it's helped prolong his career.

ENGLAND rugby coach Eddie Jones shares insights gleaned from three decades in coaching, ranging from the influence of Pep Guardiola to managing mavericks to tactical periodisation.

GOALKEEPING COACH Craig Mawson has left Burnley after almost a decade to join Manchester United.

MLADEN SORMAZ, Head of Football Analytics at Leicester City; Luke Benstead, Head of Performance Analysis and Innovation for Belgium, and Ed Sulley, Director of Customer Solutions for Hudl, discuss the current state of data science in football and where it could be headed.

FORMER Sheffield United Academy Manager Travis Binnion has been appointed as Under-14s to 16s lead coach at Manchester United.

PAUL BALSOM, Leicester City’s highly-experienced Head of Performance Innovation, says a rare alchemy has taken the side to heady heights in the Premier League this season.

WYSCOUT founder Matteo Campodonico explains how he came up with the idea for the scouting and analysis platform, how clubs use it and why he believes Big Data will transform the way it is used.

LEEDS UNITED Sporting Director Victor Orta says the club’s recruitment policy is 70% human judgement and 30% data.

ENGLAND Under-21 boss Aidy Boothroyd has told TGG that new Manchester United assistant Martyn Pert is “a great example for any young aspiring coach”.

NEW Manchester United assistant Martyn Pert went to remarkable lengths to pursue his dream of a career as a coach, including living in a tent as he travelled Europe and visiting Marcelo Bielsa's home in Argentina.

MARTYN PERT has been drafted in to beef up Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s coaching team at Manchester United, while goalkeeper coach Emilio Alvarez has left the club after three years.

LES FERDINAND charts his journey from star player to Director of Football at QPR and laments the fact that bigger clubs are now “stockpiling” young talent.

AUSTRALIAN Andrew Meredith has left German side St Pauli to take up a new position as Analysis Operations Manager at Manchester United.

RALPH RANGNICK says football clubs can learn from the likes of Porsche and Mercedes by developing a “corporate identity” that remains intact no matter who is in charge.

MANCHESTER UNITED gave the most minutes to homegrown players in the Premier League last season, with champions Manchester City propping up the table.

RHYS LONG, Head of Performance Analysis and Insight for the Football Association, outlines his philosophy in the Training Ground Guru Podcast.

NICKY BUTT has taken on a new Head of First Team Development role at Manchester United, with Nick Cox stepping up to replace him as Academy Manager.

DAVE REDDIN, the Football Association’s Head of Team Strategy and Performance, tells the TGG Podcast that sports science is creating a generation of players with “limited physical capabilities”.

FORMER Manchester United player Michael Clegg has returned to the club as strength and power coach.

NEIL WOOD has been promoted to Under-23 coach by Manchester United, with Quinton Fortune as his assistant.

THIS month we go behind the scenes at the TGG Youth Development Conference in Manchester, with speakers Kris Van Der Haegen, Leigh Bromby and John McGuigan.

RICHARD HARTIS has left the Football Association to become senior goalkeeping coach at Manchester United.

MANCHESTER UNITED legend Gary Neville says the club no longer have "guardians" and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs to have a summer clear out.

NEIL WOOD is in the running for the vacant Under-23 job at Manchester United following the departure of Ricky Sbragia after less than two years.

OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER has confirmed that Michael Carrick, Kieran McKenna and Mark Dempsey will remain on his Manchester United coaching staff next season.

MANCHESTER UNITED have made Mike Phelan permanent assistant manager on a three-year contract.

TGG gets a tour of Burnley's Academy, which is on the verge of going from Category 3 to 1 inside three years.

GARY NEVILLE says Manchester United's players must dramatically improve their running off the ball if the team is to mount a title challenge next season.

ED LENG is set to leave Melbourne City to become Lead Sports Scientist at Manchester United, while fitness coach Charlie Owen has been promoted from Academy to first team.

WE asked Manchester United first-team coach Rene Meulensteen - who worked with Paul Pogba at Old Trafford - whether criticism of the French midfielder is warranted.

FORMER Birmingham, Derby and Stoke manager Gary Rowett is joined by his former Head of Performance, Dave Carolan, and Head of Analysis, Joe Carnall, for the first episode of the new Training Ground Guru podcast.

WHY more and more clubs are switching onto the idea of cage football as they seek to revive the spirit of street soccer.

MANCHESTER UNITED Senior Sports Scientist Robin Thorpe is leaving the club after a decade to become Director of Performance and Innovation at Altis in the United States.

GARY WALKER, Manchester United’s Head of Strength and Conditioning, is leaving the club after 11 years to move to the MLS.

DAVID MOYES says he does not regret changing Sir Alex Ferguson’s backroom staff when he took over at Manchester United in 2013.

A TACTICAL transformation has underpinned Manchester United's renaissance under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. David Adams explains a 4-4-2 diamond has liberated the club's best players.

MANCHESTER UNITED caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has admitted that the club’s recent spate of injuries is linked to the increased intensity they are playing and training at.

FORMER Manchester United Under-18 coach Paul McGuinness shares his memories of mentor Eric Harrison, who has died at the age of 81.

SIR ALEX FERGUSON has paid tribute to “one of the greatest coaches of our time” following the death of Eric Harrison at the age of 81.

FORMER Manchester United Senior Physio Dave Fevre says many “excellent British clinicians” are unable to get work in English football because they are regarded as being “too qualified”.

DAVE FEVRE was Manchester United's Senior Physio when they won the Treble in 1999. He shared memories from three decades of practice with TGG.

First team coaches Stefano Rapetti and Silvino Louro, technical scout Ricardo Formosinho, fitness coach Carlos Lalin and analyst Giovanni Cerra have all departed United following the sacking of Jose Mourinho last week.

MANCHESTER UNITED were the only team in the Premier League not to use GPS after Jose Mourinho scrapped use of the technology.

HOW can a leader affect the culture of their team? As Professor Damian Hughes reveals, there are several examples of how Sir Alex Ferguson managed to do this successfully during his 26-year reign at Manchester United.

MIKE PHELAN gives a fascinating insight into his work as Sir Alex Ferguson’s assistant and as part of the ‘team behind the team' at Old Trafford.

THERE’S one table in which Manchester United have continually improved and challenged for top spot under Jose Mourinho: that of tallest team.

SIR ALEX FERGUSON harnessed culture to great effect during Manchester United’s golden age, as did Pep Guardiola at Barcelona. This is an area United must refocus on if they are to rediscover their former glories, says Professor Damian Hughes.

FORMER Manchester United assistant Rui Faria has revealed he urged Cristiano Ronaldo to ease off on his gym work at Real Madrid.

ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC has incorporated taekwondo into his game since he was a teenager - now Man Utd have introduced it into their Academy training too.

GARY NEVILLE says Manchester United have been a ‘horror show’ since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement because they abandoned their long-term philosophy.

MANCHESTER UNITED are considering how best to replace Javier Ribalta following the Spaniard’s unexpected exit to Zenit St Petersburg this week.

NEIL RYAN, the son of former Manchester United player and coach Jim Ryan, has been promoted to become the club's Under-18 coach.

MANCHESTER UNITED Under-18 boss Kieran McKenna has been promoted to become one of Jose Mourinho’s assistants with the first team.

JOSE MOURINHO says his assistant Rui Faria would be “a good fit” for Arsenal and that he would “help him to pack and carry the bags” if he did land a big job.

FOR YEARS, the barmaid at The Borough thought the small, grey-haired chap wearing an old England rugby shirt was just another regular. She was right, up to a point.

MANCHESTER UNITED are recruiting for the new role of Head of Football Operations to oversee the Aon Training Complex.

TONY STRUDWICK, Manchester United’s long-standing Head of Performance and one of the leading figures in sport science in this country, has left the club to join the Wales national team.

RYLAND MORGANS has been released as Wales' Head of Performance as new manager Ryan Giggs attempts to bring in Tony Strudwick from Manchester United.

MICHAEL CARRICK will become a first-team coach at Manchester United at the end of the season, according to manager Jose Mourinho.

ROBIN THORPE, the head of recovery and regeneration at Manchester United, says some teams have been handed a ‘competitive advantage’ because of the festive fixture list.

MANCHESTER UNITED boss Jose Mourinho says he aims to give a debut to at least one Academy player every season.

SOON clubs will be able to start signing pre-contract agreements with players who are available on Bosman free transfers - and Scout7 provides priceless information about who is available.

WOLVES have recruited Andrew Findlay from Manchester United to become their new Head of Performance Analysis.

MARTIN EDWARDS transformed Manchester United from a club in the doldrums into a corporate juggernaut. So why doesn't he get more credit? Ben Dirs went to meet the club's unloved emperor.

WEST BROM are the tallest side in the Premier League this season, with Manchester City the smallest.

FORMER Manchester United Under-18 coach Paul McGuinness has been appointed National Coach Developer by the Football Association.

MANCHESTER UNITED have become the first professional team in the world to incorporate an elite-level virtual reality system into their training.

How effective is your team's Academy? A new study has ranked the 86 Category 1-3 clubs in terms of productivity for England-qualified players.

SIR ALEX FERGUSON explains why he made youth the foundation of his success at Man Utd - even when it led to complaints in the House of Commons.

MANCHESTER UNITED Academy boss Nicky Butt has derided Chelsea’s youth system, saying they produce outstanding players but fail to get them into the first team.

MANCHESTER UNITED are closing down seven of their Development Centres and changing the focus of the remaining 17.

SIR ALEX FERGUSON says his experience with Paul Scholes proved to him that developing talent was more important than size.

MANCHESTER UNITED have signed five Huddersfield youngsters - including the highly-rated Sam Murray.

WHY coaches are challenging the notion that the collective always counts for more than the individual.

RICHARD MERRON has stepped up to become Manchester United’s first-team physio following a reorganisation of the club's medical personnel.

MANCHESTER UNITED have appointed Lech Poznan’s Piotr Sadowski as their new Central European scout as they continue the massive overhaul of their recruitment department.

TONY STRUDWICK, Manchester United's Head of Performance, is approaching 20 years as a practitioner in pro football. We caught up with him at Soccerex to talk about changes in the industry, Sir Alex Ferguson and Marcus Rashford.

RENE MEULENSTEEN worked with Manchester United's Academy for six years, helping develop talents including Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingaard. He told us about his methods and philosophy.

RENE MEULENSTEEN was tasked with improving the technical skills of some of the best players in the world at Manchester United - it was a unique job that yielded incredible results.

NEW Manchester United Under-23 boss Ricky Sbragia says one of his key objectives in the role will be to make sure his players enjoy themselves.

EXCLUSIVE: Rene Meulensteen, who was Sir Alex Ferguson's lieutenant for six years, outlines what made the Scot such a great leader.

NEIL HOUGH, United's first-team head physio for the last three years, has switched to the same position in the Academy.

MANCHESTER UNITED have landed a star signing for their formidable recruitment department - Juventus chief scout Javier Ribalta.

A story about how Roy Keane helped his old team-mate Gary Charles challenges the public perception of the Man Utd legend.

MANCHESTER UNITED Under-18 coach Kieran McKenna says Academies are producing outstanding players - but admits their pathway to the first team is a big problem.

WEST BROM won the Premier League fitness title in 2016/17, with the lowest number of significant injuries and days lost to injury.

PSG are on the verge of signing Atletico Madrid Sporting Director Andrea Berta, according to reports in France.

DAVE PARNABY, who is retiring at the end of the season after 20 years as Middlesbrough’s academy director, says youth football has become too ‘formalised’ and lost the art of play.

MANCHESTER UNITED and Chelsea’s younger age groups have faced each other in an ‘elite playground’ format at St George’s Park.

MANCHESTER UNITED head of performance Tony Strudwick has marked his 20^th year in professional football by charting the ‘seismic changes’ he has seen in sports science and laying out the challenges ahead.

MANCHESTER UNITED’S global network of scouts have been summoned to Carrington for their first meeting following a massive overhaul.

CHANCES are only avid Manchester United fans had heard of Warren Joyce before he left to become Wigan manager last November.