Life used to be much simpler. If your team lost you blamed the manager, if they won you celebrated in the pub. But football has changed and it seems that every club now have a technical director or a director of football or a sporting director sticking his oar in. No one knows who is in charge - or who is to blame - any more.

Six clubs in the top flight have jumped on the continental band-wagon and employed a middleman between the manager and the board, and more men in suits are on the way. “If you ask British managers what a director of football is, a lot would probably answer, ‘A spy,'” Gordon Strachan, the Celtic manager, said. “I don't want to be disrespectful, but I think they're mainly a way for chairmen to make sure they know what's going on throughout their club.”

Every club do things differently, as this trawl through the Barclays Premier League shows:

Arsenal Arsène Wenger has been looking for a director of football to work alongside him. Gilles Grimandi, the former Arsenal defender and now a scout for the club, and Nicky Hammond, the Reading director of football, were linked with the post, but Wenger is working on his own.

Aston Villa Randy Lerner is every manager's dream owner. The American billionaire has deep pockets and lets Martin O'Neill get on with the job of managing. If O'Neill needs advice he turns to John Robertson and Steve Walford, the first-team coaches, or he phones Lerner.

Blackburn Rovers Kenny Dalglish became the director of football in 1995, but he left Ewood Park the next year and the experiment with a continental management structure was short-lived. John Williams, the chairman, takes an active role in transfer negotiations, but Paul Ince, the manager, has the final say on all signings.

Bolton Wanderers Gary Megson, the manager, is in charge, although Phil Gartside, the chairman, takes the lead when negotiating transfers and contracts. Megson also has an assistant manager, a head coach, an assistant head coach and a football secretary.

Chelsea Luiz Felipe Scolari, the manager, identifies the players he wants and Peter Kenyon, the chief executive, does his best to sign them. The club are run by the executive board, headed by Kenyon, with input from Roman Abramovich, the owner, Bruce Buck, the chairman, and Eugene Tenenbaum, the director. Frank Arnesen is the chief scout and head of youth development.

Everton David Moyes, the manager, calls the shots, although Bill Kenwright, the chairman, takes an active role in negotiating transfers. David Harrison is head of football operations and Robert Elstone is the acting chief executive.

Fulham Roy Hodgson has managed Inter Milan and worked in eight countries, but Fulham sidelined their director of football, Les Reed, soon after Hodgson replaced Lawrie Sanchez last Christmas. Reed left the club at the end of last season and will not be replaced.

Hull City Phil Brown's team won promotion to the top flight for the first time in May and they are happy to rub shoulders with the big boys without employing a director of football. Brian Horton, the assistant manager, is Brown's right-hand man.

Liverpool Rafael Benítez, the manager, is supposed to be in charge, but as his doomed pursuit of Gareth Barry demonstrated, Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr, two bickering American owners, and Rick Parry, the chief executive, call the shots.

Manchester City Robinho's £34.2million arrival from Real Madrid on Monday proved that Mark Hughes, the manager, does not have complete control of transfer policy. City do not have a director of football, but Thaksin Shinawatra, Dr Sulaiman al-Fahim, Garry Cook, the executive chairman, and Paul Aldridge, the chief operating officer, were involved in player recruitment during the summer.

Manchester United Sir Alex Ferguson work with a director of football? Are you having a laugh?

Middlesbrough Steve Gibson is a dream owner who lets his managers get on with running the club. Gareth Southgate gets what he wants - usually - and Keith Lamb, the chief executive, and Neil Bausor, the chief operating officer, take care of the paperwork.

Newcastle United The club with the biggest boardroom in the Premier League. Started this season with an owner, a managing director, an executive director (football), a vice-president and a technical co-ordinator who would not let Kevin Keegan get on with the job of running the club. Looking for a manager.

Portsmouth Experiment with continental coaching structure ended in calamity four years ago when Harry Redknapp resigned after the appointment of Velimir Zajec. Redknapp is back at Fratton Park - on his own terms.

Stoke City Appointed John Rudge as director of football in 1999 and he is still there. Gets on well with Tony Pulis, the manager, and plays a key role in scouting, transfers and training.

Sunderland Roy Keane does not do directors of football. The Sunderland manager is the main man and Niall Quinn, the chairman, and Peter Walker, the chief executive, are in charge of signing the players he wants.

Tottenham Hotspur Two League Cups is all they have to show for the efforts of directors of football and sporting directors such as David Pleat, Frank Arnesen and Damien Comolli. Juande Ramos is the head coach, but player recruitment is controlled by a management group comprising Daniel Levy, the chairman, Comolli, Ramos and John Alexander, the club secretary.

West Bromwich Albion Dan Ashworth replaced Simon Hunt as sporting and technical director and he has a close working relationship with Tony Mowbray, the manager.

West Ham United Alan Curbishley walked out of Upton Park this week claiming that his position had been undermined by the club's transfer policies, but the former manager got on quite well with Gianluca Nani, who became West Ham's first technical director in March. Nani is in charge of cutting costs, modernising the club - and finding Curbishley's replacement.

Wigan Athletic Steve Bruce calls the shots, but John Benson, the general manager and formerly manager of Wigan and Manchester City, is involved in scouting and player recruitment. Brenda Spencer, the chief executive, plays a key role in contract talks.