What can René Meulensteen bring to the Union?

Over the summer, I had the pleasure of meeting Kristan Heneage, who has covered English soccer for a range of outlets including ESPN.com, the New York Times, Sky Sports and ITV. We knew of each other's work from having appeared on Soccer Morning at various times, and Crwe finally crossed paths in person while I was on vacation in London.

(I should add that the encounter happened at the American Outlaws London chapter's viewing party for the U.S.-Germany World Cup game. It was all a bit surreal, but watching the U.S. get out of the group stage while standing in the heart of England's capital city made for a memorable evening.)

Kristan covered René Meulensteen quite a bit during the Dutchman's time as a coach in England. After the Union hired Meulensteen as a consultant, Kristan sent me a note offering to share some insight on what Meulensteen can bring to PPL Park.

Whether you know about Meulensteen's background or not, I hope it will be hepful to those of you who've wondered what he'll be contributing here.

René Meulensteen is a well-travelled man. From Denmark to Manchester, Fulham to Russia, his career has taken him around the world in a variety of different roles.

His time at Old Trafford is by far the most notable, and understandably the reference point Philadelphia Union majority owner Jay Sugarman used to introduce him to the media.

Meulensteen arrives at PPL Park after a protracted courtship. His hire as a consultant to the club - ahead of the appointment of a permanent sporting director in the future - raises interesting questions.

One issue stems from what had been an expecation among some observers that Meulensteen would be that sporting director. Assessing his work in the transfer market at Fulham and Brøndby, though, you may be thankful he was not granted that position with the Union.

While at Fulham, which now plays in England's second-tier Championship, Meulensteen signed young Manchester United academy graduates Larnell Cole and Ryan Tunnicliffe. He knew both players incredibly well, but neither player is near the first team at Craven Cottage. Cole is on loan at MK Dons in England's third tier, and Tunnicliffe is on loan to fellow promotion rivals Blackburn Rovers.

He also acquired Kostas Mitrogolu for nearly $20 million. To describe the Greek international striker as a 'bust' would be kind. He's now back in his native country after a dismal six months in London.

In Meulensteen's opening address on Friday afternoon, he spoke of his appreciation for "the trust" that the Union have in his abilities. That faith was sadly lacking at Brøndby, where after some less than successful moves in the transfer market, the club opted to sign players without his full permission.

The most notable of Meulensteen's signings at Brøndby was South African striker Giovanni Rector. Signed from Belgium, he was hailed as the perfect compliment to his other forward signing, Hannes Sigurdsson - largely considered one of the worst players in the club's history.

Rector would play five times and fail to score, while Sigurdsson just barely managed to surpass him with two goals in nine games. The South African was quietly released by the club, and not coincendally, Meulensteen's time in Denmark began drawing to a close.

So while Meulensteen has has not been given the job of Sporting Director, his track record might give some Union fans cause for worry if he gets deeply involved in scouting international signings.

But he does have a history of excelling in coaching and player development. Speak to any of his former colleagues at Manchester United's renowned Carrington training facility and they have plenty of kind words to offer on his methods and abilities.

"He is truly one of the best coaches in the world," star striker Robin Van Persie told the Telegraph in February of 2013. "I have had a lot of good trainers, but it is the way he prepares our team for games. Every match is different, so every training session in the buildup to games is unique."

It's quite the reference.

Queens Park Rangers' Adel Taarabt, a Moroccan striker notorious for his mercurial temperament, also praised Meulensteen for pushing him toward an improved training regimen during a short loan spell at Fulham last season.

"I've worked with him now for five or six days and he's unbelievable - the sessions he puts on are amazing," Taarabt told Fulham's website in November of 2013. "He understands the Premier League and how important it is to keep possession of the ball. Everything is intensity, intensity, intensity and working on in-game situations. It's what we needed and I think he'll bring a lot to Fulham."

Meulensteen's commitment to high-level training could be a benefit to Union manager Jim Curtin. As he's still very fresh to the world of management, the chance for Curtin to learn from someone with Meulensteen's pedigree is one that should not be passed up.

It is from that perspective that his emerging partnership with the Union seems a shrewd move.

Assuming that Meulensteen will have a look at first team affairs and analyze the situation before imparting his opinion, it will be to the Union's benefit that they can pick and choose which elements of his philosophy the club takes on board.

At Brøndby, he attempted to implement systems that were too grandiose for a club of such humble financial status. And if that sounds familiar, well, it seems so far that Meulensteen is pretty aware of the Union's situation.

(That is, despite referring to Major League Soccer as 'the' MLS.)

Among the most important elements of the Union that Meulensteen will scrutinize is the club's youth development system. The Union have long stated their desire to produce one of the best academies in the United States, and it already seems well-structured.

Meulensteen seems eager to get involved with the academy. The opportunity to do so would seem tailor-made for a man of his talents - especially looking at the work he did at Manchester United's much-heralded youth academy.

If you look on YouTube you can find videos in which he performs training exercises alongside the club's youngest recruits. In the clips below, see if you recognise the one young boy some three or four inches taller than the other boys. That's Danny Welbeck, formerly of United and now a stalwart for Arsenal and England's national team.

Other notable graduates from United's youth ranks during Meulensteen's time there include Italian-American attacking midfielder Giuseppe Rossi, who went on to play for with Italy's national team, Villareal and Fiorentina; and central defender Gerard Piqué, renowned for his success with Spain's national team and Barcelona (and Shakira, of course).

Those of you who follow the Premier League will likely know of other products of Meulensteen's tutelage, including current United defender Jonny Evans and Stoke City's Ryan Shawcross.

It is an impressive list of players, to be sure.

Meulensteen should be able to impart the wisdom he shared at Old Trafford while with the Union's technical staff. That will hopefully aid the player development structure at both PPL Park and the academy at YSC Sports in Wayne.

Long-term, if Meulensteen's methods take root - including his influence on the hiring of a full-time sporting director - that could help build up the dormant pipleline of homegrown players joining the first team.

Meulensteen should prove to be an asset to the Union, though it is unlikely he will arrive cheap. Yet as Sugarman, Curtin and CEO Nick Sakiewicz said at the press conference when Meulensteen was introduced, the club's inability to regularly throw big money at big signings forces them to think creatively.

So even if Meulensteen costs the equivalent of one Designated Player, his legacy may prove more valuable in the long run.