While you may have switched off from football because of the international break, INEOS have made another step-in restoring Manchester United to the top of English football again.
Sam Erith has been hired as temporary performance director till the end of the season.
Now you’re probably thinking great…. but who is he?
Who is Sam Erith?
Erith is a specialist in player performance and sports science.
In England he previously worked at Manchester City, Tottenham and for the Football Association (FA).
But his most recent job has been at Maddison Square Garden Sports in New York, for basketball and ice hockey teams the New York Knicks and New York Rangers.
Dan Ashworth personally targeted the industry leader.
He will be tasked with creating an ‘elite environment,’ for which Erik ten Hag and his players can perform.
Sam Erith’s background
Erith studied at Loughborough university before spending six years at Tottenham as the head of sports science.
He then moved north to work in a similar role at Manchester City for 11 years.
Sam Erith career path⤵️ pic.twitter.com/tyBlxgaC7l
— UnitedRedReport (@UnitedRedReport) September 5, 2024
He did two spells for the FA, most recently acting as a consultant performance coach for the men’s senior team in 2016 and 2017.
Erith moved to America in 2022.
What Sam Erith will bring to Manchester United
With his experience there is no doubting his quality. He’s clearly one of the best in his field and will bring vital knowledge to the club.
United have desperately struggled with injuries in recent seasons, particularly last year racking up the most in the Premier League, with 45 separate ones.
According to the Premier injuries website, after research conducted over 20 years, last season United had the most individual injuries where a player missed at least one game, EVER.
Many of these players suffered multiple injuries as well.
They missed a total of 202 games.
So, it’s no surprise at all that INEOS have looked to bring Erith in.
His experience around sports science could provide vital insights for Ten Hag’s squad, in a hope of finding a way to reduce injuries and create that winning environment.
An environment which Sir David Brailsford, the head of sport for INEOS, would be proud of.
Brailsford’s legacy is built on ‘marginal gains’ to create elite conditions and so having worked as a performance director himself at British Cycling, he’ll know whether Erith is doing just this.
While only a temporary appointment, if he can succeed in his role, he may have a longer future at the club.