Lead performance analyst Andrew Meredith is joining Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s backroom team after stepping down at German side FC St. Pauli. Lead performance analyst Andrew Meredith is joining Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s backroom team after stepping down at German side FC St. Pauli.
The 47-year-old Australian is widely respected in his field and will start work at Manchester United on September 1, with the task of boosting the club’s technical expertise.
Meredith has previously worked with the Germany hockey team that won gold at both the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympics.
It’s understood he will report directly to United’s first-team head of analysis Paul Brand, in another sign the Red Devils are ramping up their efforts to recruit the best talent from around the globe.
Meredith was recruited by St.Pauli after impressive reports from his time working as a football technical analyst for the Australian national team.
He has spent the last six years in Germany and United are expected to add to their technical staff in the coming months. United have seen how rivals Liverpool and Manchester City have overhauled the way in which they identify potential targets in recent years and don’t want to be left further behind.
In tandem with the recruitment of top technical analysts, the Manchester giants are also investing heavily in more scouts, with the countries of France and Spain being of particular interest.
United have endured a mixed start to the Premier League season as they sit in fifth place in the standings with four points to show for their efforts from three games.
A win over Chelsea, followed by a draw with Wolves and a defeat to Crystal Place, has seen United fall behind rivals and current frontrunners Liverpool by five points.
Solskjaer will be hoping his side can get back to winning ways when United make the trip to St Mary’s on Saturday to take on Southampton.
The Saints picked up their first win of the season with a 2-0 win at Brighton last weekend and will be looking to build on that when United come to town.
Southampton have already face Premier League frontrunners Liverpool this season on the south coast and pushed the Reds all the way in a 2-1 defeat.
United can’t afford many more slip ups if they to keep Liverpool in touching distance and Solskjaer will be looking to ease the pressure on his players’ shoulders with a win this weekend after those disappointing results against Wolves and the Eagles.
