John Murtough is copying Michael Edwards' Liverpool FC transfer approach at Manchester United

John Murtough must be getting used to seeing people linked to what is essentially his job at Manchester United. The football director has been in power for a little over a year but every time a major name is mentioned for an Old Trafford vacancy the demand for change amongst supporters is insatiable.

Murtough was an unfashionable appointment, having been part of the furniture at United since 2014 without making many headlines, proving quietly effective in helping to establish the women's team and make improvements at the academy.

But he lacks the profile and record of some of his peers now he's been moved to the role of football director and after nine years of disappointment, United fans are accustomed to fearing the worst.

READ MORE: United stance on Michael Edwards and John Murtough

The drawn-out pursuit of Frenkie de Jong is being used as a stick to beat Murtough with now and it does feel like his first summer with overall responsibility for recruitment will be defining, given he's taking his lead in terms of targets from Erik ten Hag.

In the past few months Paul Mitchell, Dan Ashworth and now Michael Edwards have been linked with jobs at Old Trafford. United have left their football structure open-ended, accepting there could be more appointments in the future, but the reality is that when it comes to football decisions at the club Murtough is now king.

That doesn't leave a role for Mitchell, Ashworth or Edwards, who have all fulfilled that role at big clubs. They're not going to accept a position in the shadows, working under Murtough, even if United wanted to appoint them, which club sources insist they don't.

Since Richard Arnold's anointment as Ed Woodward's successor in February, Murtough has seen his