Manchester United News: The Red Devils are going through a major backroom overhaul. Justin Cochrane, the head of player development and coaching, was lured away from Old Trafford to take up a first-team coaching post at Brentford.
Neil Wood, the club’s U23 head coach, had already left to take over at League Two side Salford City last month. Whereas Neil Ryan, had also moved to work for the FA.
United has already confirmed their new coaching staff in the wake of Cochrane’s departure.
Mark Dempsey will take command of the U23s next season. On the other hand, Travis Binnion, United’s U18 lead-coach, will take over Cochrane’s previous post.
Manchester United News: Cochrane out, Dempsey promoted
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Cochrane, who had a brief time as a first-team coach at AFC Wimbledon, was employed at United last year and made an immediate impact. The highly-rated 40-year-old captained the Red Devils to their first FA Youth Cup victory since 2011.
Dempsey graduated from United’s academy in the 1980s. He went on to manage senior teams in Scandinavia before being invited back to Old Trafford by Solskjaer.
Paul McShane, a former academy graduate who is transitioning from a player-coach role with the U23s to a full-time coaching position, will provide him with support.
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What did Nick Cox say?
Nick Cox, United’s academy director, commented on the backroom shuffle: “We’re ecstatic to announce the new coaching structure for the professional development phase.”
“The increased flexibility reflects our individualized approach to player development. It focuses on assisting people in reaching their full potential by collaborating with each specialist coach at the right moment.” “
Last season, Travis, Mark, and Paul all played key roles in the academy’s success. Four graduates made their professional debuts and the Under-18s won the Youth Cup. They have a fantastic set of complementing skills that will help this group of players the most.
“Of course, we’re delighted that Justin was able to realize his objective of working in a first-team setting. I’m proud of the world-class learning environment we’ve built for our employees. It gives me tremendous pleasure to see them advance both within the club and through external chances.“
“We continue to recruit best-in-class professionals throughout our world-leading youth development system. These changes provide a great balance of long-serving club personnel and outstanding outsider appointments.”
