Former Manchester United scout slams Glazers and transfer failures

Former Manchester United scout Marcel Bout believes he could have been an 'ideal guide' for manager Erik ten Hag, hitting out at the Glazers' running of the club.

The American family, who are very close to agreeing to sell a 25 per cent to INEOS, have been heavily criticised for employing a lack of football minds within the club's boardroom in recent years. They have favoured figures with backgrounds in finance, including Richard Arnold, who stepped down as chief executive last week.

Bout, who joined United in 2014 and left last year, has admitted that he struggled to keep his thoughts to himself, admitting he was internally critical. He was unhappy with the way in which the club dawdled when it came to making decisions about the prospect of signing players.

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"I could have been an ideal guide for Ten Hag within the club," Bout told Algemeen Dagblad. "But Manchester United is not only a fantastic club, but also a difficult club.

"Everything is politically and commercially driven. My dismissal was a political dismissal. An influential Dutch bloc (at the club)… Not everyone liked that.

"I have been critical (of United) internally. A major annoyance was the long lines (delays) within United to make decisions about interesting players. Other top European clubs now have top players that we had seen early on with the scouting staff."

United's recruitment model is one of just several areas that the club's supporters hope Sir Jim Ratcliffe will be able to improve once he gets his feet under the table at Old Trafford. United's recruitment strategy has resulted in more misses than hits