Roberto Di Matteo suits West Brom's European blueprint

Jul 5 2009 by Robert Tanner, Sunday Mercury

SPORTING and technical director – the job title carries a heavy burden in English football.

Often cast as the villain, especially at Newcastle United where Dennis Wise has been vilified as the Geordies have been dumped into the Championship, the role is seen as a meddling one, the occupant an interferer who has his own agenda and goes behind the back of the manager.

The other perception is that the role blurs the lines of responsibility and raises doubts about who is actually in charge of team affairs.

However, in truth the sporting and technical director is often a scapegoat, someone to whom the finger of blame can easily be pointed when things go wrong.

It is almost a thankless job, but that is the role of Albion’s Dan Ashworth, a man who in 18 months in a newly-created role is still looking to scour continental models to pick up tips of how the job can best be done to enable the head coach to send out a team in the best position to win matches.

The former academy director worked closely with former manager Tony Mowbray and he believes his relationship with Roberto Di Matteo, who has the new title of head coach, will be the key to success.

“The relationship between the sporting director and head coach is absolutely crucial,” said Ashworth.

“I would like to think I had a good relationship with Tony. We were very close and spoke several times a day. I spoke to him more than I spoke to my wife. The minute that breaks down it becomes difficult.

“I know there has been speculation about this kind of role that a sporting director signs players behind the manager’s back etc. It doesn’t happen and I can’t see how that works.

“Ultimately, Roberto has to make the final decisions of who are the 11 players who will start on Saturday and if he has six or seven players he didn’t sign it becomes a difficult job.