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John Murtough is one of the most amiable employees at United but even he gave us a swerve at Rodney Parade on Sunday.
Us journalists were escorted from the Compeed Stand to the Bisley Stand opposite for the post-match press conference after full-time. While en route, we passed all of the usual United dignitaries: club secretary Rebecca Britain, director Mike Edelson, chief financial officer Cliff Baty etc. Also in tow was Murtough and Ineos sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford.
The pair were conversing as they approached the tunnel and Murtough looked straight ahead and past the journalists heading towards him. He knows plenty of us by name but eschewed any chit-chat.
It is a delicate time for the United football director. Murtough has been with the club for more than a decade and Ineos are planning to install a sporting director to effectively replace him. Murtough could remain in a more administrative role.
His name has cropped up in innumerable stories and pieces and much of the coverage has been unflattering, but balanced. He was certainly unhappy with one story this correspondent penned earlier in the season (which the club later conceded was true).