Meulensteen appointed to new Director of Methodology role by Stockport

The Dutchman will align players and coaches behind a clear football philosophy, coaching methodology, identity and way of working.  The appointment was overseen by Sporting Director Damien Allen, who described it as a “landmark” moment for the club and part of a wider drive to build “an elite football department.”

Allen was promoted from Academy Director to Sporting Director at the end of last season after Simon Wilson left for Sheffield Wednesday.

Meulensteen, who was our guest on Episode #38 of the TGG Podcast in April 2022, joins Stockport after serving as Assistant to Graham Arnold for Iraq at the World Cup. The 62-year-old first came to prominence in England in 2001, when he joined Manchester United as a Skills Development Coach, working in the club’s Academy and Reserve Team.

After a short spell at Danish club Brondby, he returned to Old Trafford in 2007 as a Technical Skills Development Coach, before being appointed First Team Coach a year later.

During his time at Old Trafford, spanning 12 years in total, he coached some of the world’s best players and played a key role during one of the most successful periods in Manchester United’s history, during which time they won 11 major honours, including four Premier League titles and the Champions League.

He left the Premier League club in 2013 following the departure of Ferguson, going on to work under Guus Hiddink at Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala. He went on to manage Fulham in the Premier League, before spells coaching in India and Israel, and has more recently served as Assistant to Arnold for both the Australia and Iraq national teams.

Announcing the appointment, Sporting Director Damien Allen said: “Today marks a significant milestone in our club’s history with the appointment of our first-ever Director of Football Methodology.

“This landmark appointment reflects our commitment to building an elite football department, where every player and coach across the club is aligned behind a clear football philosophy, coaching methodology, identity and way of working.

“We are delighted to welcome Rene to the club. His wealth of experience, football knowledge and proven success at the highest level will bring invaluable expertise to our coaching department. He will work closely with our first-team staff throughout the training week and on matchdays, while playing a pivotal role in the development of our football programme across the Academy and First Team.

“From the outset, we were determined to appoint someone with an exceptional track record of developing players.

“Throughout his distinguished career, he has played a key role in maximising the potential of world-class players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, and was an integral member of one of the most successful coaching teams in modern football, winning 11 major honours, including four Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League.

“This appointment represents another important step in delivering our long-term vision, reinforcing our commitment to creating an elite football department and developing players and coaches capable of competing at the highest levels of the game.”

Head Coach Jimmy McNulty said: “It is a genuine pleasure to be adding a coach of Rene Meulensteen’s calibre to our coaching team.

“Having operated at the very highest level, guided elite players, and gained invaluable experience across diverse footballing cultures in both domestic leagues and major international tournaments, he brings a tremendous breadth of wisdom and perspective to our coaching team.

“This brilliant addition adds another layer of strength to our coaching collective and I am delighted Rene has decided to join our County team.”

When he appeared on the TGG Pod, Meulensteen spoke in detail about his coaching philosophy, including his belief in developing players through repetition, technical mastery and ‘scenario football.’

“I never like to use the word change, because then people say, ‘What have I done wrong?’ I always like to use the words add or improve, because they are positive and people are more receptive to them.

“And I call it scenario football. In training, you might say you are 2-1 up with 50 minutes on the clock and the opposition need to score two goals.

“Or you’re down, 10 minutes to go, how many balls should we get in the box? You need to get two or three good chances to score a goal. If you have a plan, you maximise the time you have got. If not, you hit and hope.”

And on the demands of working in the game day to day, he offered an insight that now takes on extra resonance, given his reunion with his son at Stockport.

“I say to my son, Joppe, ‘When you’re in there your heart never stops, you’re constantly thinking about training sessions, games, solutions and it just keeps going.'”