Man Utd set to appoint Director of Football (when hell freezes over)

[steffyr2]

There's people assisting him and giving him advice, how anyone thinks otherwise isn't thinking rationally due to our current malaise I would say. We have many ex reds and SAF still around and i'm sure they must give Woodward plenty of feedback on our current predicament. Then you have cnuts like Duncan Castles who is Mourinho's propaganda agent who spreads negativity surrounding our CEO and Paul Pogba to make Mourinho look like the victim which the gullible feed on.

Who are they and what did they say? Who told Ed to not get the players Mourinho wanted in the summer?

 

[Hugh Jass]

I agree with some of what you say but was Bailly regarded as having massive potential when he came here?, I heard we were willing to pay £10m more than any other team and I'm glad we did, I want to keep him as I think he is going to become very good.

Don't want to sound pedantic but Lindelof was 22 and still has time on his side to. Pogba seems as if he no longer has the hunger. he is too concerned with his image than fulfilling his immense potential, as he is 26 in March I think he should get a bit of consistency in his game.

Regarding Lukaku I think we could have done better but there wasn't much better available at the time. I do fully understand that a lot of fans want instant success rather than build for the future mate and I respect that opinion as some of them are probably starting to get sick of watching this crap every week.

We as a club should be challenging for the top honours.

I think if we had Guardiola with these same set of players we would be much better.

 

[steffyr2]

I think if we had Guardiola with these same set of players we would be much better.

Or he would have traded them in for better players -- oh, right, we don't have the kind of money he's used to playing with.

 

[Foxbatt]

Who are they and what did they say? Who told Ed to not get the players Mourinho wanted in the summer?

Any sensible person would not look to buy Toby or Perisic. Look at their ages and the transfer fees and how many years can they play? Jose wants players who can play for two or three years at the most.
The club wants players who can come and be at United for at least a few years.

 

[Eric's Seagull]

I think if we had Guardiola with these same set of players we would be much better.

I think the same as above post.

 

[ravi2]

I'm hearing David Moyes is odds on favourite to get the role, with LvG an outside bet

No white text

Dont even joke about that man, there is little our board can do that would surprise me anymore.

 

[Adnan]

Who are they and what did they say? Who told Ed to not get the players Mourinho wanted in the summer?

We have plenty of Ex reds like Irwin, Robson, Butt etc and SAF is still around.

I'm sure any sane person who had the best interests of the club would've advised Woodward not to pay the the ridiculous fees that were being asked by Spurs and Leicester for Aldeweireld and Maguire. £75m for Alderweireld and £80m for Maguire if you believe what was reported.

 

[Sultan]

Woodward and the club know the club survives and make money and its main focus is to take care of the interests broadcasters, sponsors, advertisers, corporate investors, administrators and elite players. I don't think we as fans matter as much on the grand scale as in the past.

If the present form and mismanagement continue younger fans looking for a team to fall in love will start disappearing and that's where it all starts to go downhill. Presently the club is run on what's left in the tank from great work and goodwill passed on by previous greats in Sir Matt and Alex.

 

[ravi2]

Hey I blame the guy for hiring LVG and Mourinho, not to mention that extension he gifted Mourinho, but how is that bold part on him?

I feel that he came into the role and had a lot to learn about how transfers are conducted, they arent straightforward as signing a sponsor or investment banking...both of which Ed excels at. Our club suffered while he was figuring that part out.

Maybe thats the on the Glazers, to let SAF and Gill go simultaneously is extremely poor succession planning and should have never happened.
It just shows our issues go all the way to the top.

 

[Amir]

Simply by the results of his decisions.

Football can be hit and miss even when the right people make decisions. Bayern are lauded for their system, but they've got some stuff wrong in the last couple of years.

 

[ravi2]

Woodward and the club know the club survives and make money and its main focus is to take care of the interests broadcasters, sponsors, advertisers, corporate investors, administrators and elite players. I don't think we as fans matter as much on the grand scale as in the past.

If the present form and mismanagement continue younger fans looking for a team to fall in love will start disappearing and that's where it all starts to go downhill. Presently the club is run on what's left in the tank from great work and goodwill passed on by previous greats in Sir Matt and Alex.

Sultan, this is what really worries me. None of my younger friends, nieces or nephews are United fans. I feel that by the time the board wakes up to what is happening, it will be too late. As it stands, we need a new manager and half our team needs replacing...its like we made zero progress since SAF retired

 

[el3mel]

Football can be hit and miss even when the right people make decisions. Bayern are lauded for their system, but they've got some stuff wrong in the last couple of years.

For us it looks like everything has been "miss" since Ed got the job, I don't remember a single "hit" when it comes to a football decision.

Bayern model isn't even that good. There's no problem in having businessmen as owners, it's actually much better than having old football men who still believes in patience and playing aging players till they die. The problem is we don't have a DOF and Ed is trying to act like Perez in Madrid, but Perez has far more experience in running a football club. Keep Ed as CEO and simply get a DOF to control the football side. I don't want him out or even care much about Glazers, but they have proved they're incompetent in running the football side. We're simply waiting for a lucky hit in our managerial appointment without any plan. They should get someone to organize football side for them then.

 

[Sultan]

Hey I blame the guy for hiring LVG and Mourinho, not to mention that extension he gifted Mourinho, but how is that bold part on him?

I actually understand the reasons why Mourinho was hired. However, to have lasted after the summer fiasco in the job defies all logic. Worse still, I'll never understand why Rooney, Nani, Rojo were given idiotic contracts. Why was Fellaini, who touted himself to all of Europe and couldn't find anyone to give what he demanded despite being on a free given a contract?

The club it seems is an orphan without any sense of direction or plan. I'm not saying this due to our results. I've seen relegation and still supported and enjoyed watching United during some very dark years.

 

[Amir]

For us it looks like everything has been "miss" since Ed got the job, I don't remember a single "hit" when it comes to a football decision.

That's because we got the wrong managers, which overshadowed everything. We signed good players, who were badly used.

 

[Foxbatt]

I am one of the guys who wanted LVG out in the end because it got so boring and he could not drop Rooney and get someone else to play there. This is one of the mysteries of the LVG era. Why didn't he or couldn't he get someone else to replace Rooney?
If he got a quality world class player things may have turned out different.

I still could not understand why we could not move the ball more quickly. The passing was not the problem but the pace of the passing was the problem.

I actually understand the reasons why Mourinho was hired. However, to have lasted after the summer fiasco in the job defies all logic. Worse still, I'll never understand why Rooney, Nani, Rojo were given idiotic contracts. Why was Fellaini, who touted himself to all of Europe and couldn't find anyone to give what he demanded despite being on a free given a contract?

The club it seems is an orphan without any sense of direction or plan. I'm not saying this due to our results. I've seen relegation and still supported and enjoyed watching United during some very dark years.

Jose for sure wanted them to stay and for Nani and Rooney it was Moyes who wanted them to stay. To be honest without Fellaini we may not have won the Europa and he is a very important player in the squad for now.

 

[Sultan]

Sultan, this is what really worries me. None of my younger friends, nieces or nephews are United fans. I feel that by the time the board wakes up to what is happening, it will be too late. As it stands, we need a new manager and half our team needs replacing...its like we made zero progress since SAF retired

It's happening locally in Manchester, Ravi Ji. I now see more and more kids wearing City shirts.

 

[ravi2]

Anyone think maybe Jose is doing bits in other areas which is keeping him from getting the chop? Akin to Fergie when he started out...?

Clutching at straws maybe.

I think Jose wants to leave but he wants to collect his payout as well. IMO he isnt doing anything on or off the pitch that could prolong his tenure at United.

 

[ravi2]

It's happening locally in Manchester, Ravi Ji. I now see more and more kids wearing City shirts.

Our board/upper management seem really out of touch with the real world and maybe they dont care. If the share prices fall enough, they can just sell at a handsome profit and laugh all the way to the bank.

I know there would be stiff opposition to a takeover by an oil state but they at least seem to know football and the environment that surrounds it.

 

[Sultan]

Jose for sure wanted them to stay and for Nani and Rooney it was Moyes who wanted them to stay. To be honest without Fellaini we may not have won the Europa and he is a very important player in the squad for now.

This is the problem. We as fans were able to see Rooney and Nani were past their best and their contracts were sucking the funds out of the club. Fellaini has had 10 good games in 6 years and says a lot when other clubs declined to give him a contract.

I'm no professional scout yet it was so obvious and in your face, I was telling my kids and family United should be buying Kante, Mahrez and Maguire whilst he was still at Hull. Some purchases were so obvious not buying these players seemed like purchases were made for reasons beyond football.

 

[Bob H from Manchester]

Or he would have traded them in for better players -- oh, right, we don't have the kind of money he's used to playing with.

We have more money than Guardiola, lots more.
Anyone but a fool would understand that FFP relates spend to income and, as we have the highest income in the PL, we can spend more than any other club in the PL.
If we want to.
We do that on our wage bill . . which is the highest in the PL . .

 

[Adnan]

We have more money than Guardiola, lots more.
Anyone but a fool would understand that FFP relates spend to income and, as we have the highest income in the PL, we can spend more than any other club in the PL.
If we want to.
We do that on our wage bill . . which is the highest in the PL . .

If we operated as a Football club then that would be relevant. We're are a business as long as we have owners like the Glazer family.

 

[SuperiorXI]

I think Jose wants to leave but he wants to collect his payout as well. IMO he isnt doing anything on or off the pitch that could prolong his tenure at United.

Okay, say he is trying to get a payout. Would this not be detrimental to him getting another job? It would be clear that he is willing to light fires to get fired.

 

[el3mel]

That's because we got the wrong managers, which overshadowed everything. We signed good players, who were badly used.

We didn't. We signed terrible players, that's the only common thing among the three managers we hired. The only quality player we signed in these years is Pogba and he has his fair share of problems. Honestly can't see how anyone can still be convinced the only problem in the club is the man on the touchline. He's part of the problem, not all of it.

Just because we overpay for crap players doesn't make them better btw.

 

[cheeky_backheel]

That's because we got the wrong managers, which overshadowed everything. We signed good players, who were badly used.

Thats what you keep telling yourself. Keep waiting for that miracle manager.

 

[ravi2]

I think if we had Guardiola with these same set of players we would be much better.

I think the same as above post.

I agree with this, the lads aren't motivated by Joses leadership/tactics and a more progressive coach could get a lot more out of this side

 

[ravi2]

Okay, say he is trying to get a payout. Would this not be detrimental to him getting another job? It would be clear that he is willing to light fires to get fired.

I'm sure getting another job is not something that keeps him up at night. It is possible that Madrid would take him back if he left United and they didn't have to buy out his contract.

 

[roonster09]

We didn't. We signed terrible players, that's the only common thing among the three managers we hired. The only quality player we signed in these years is Pogba and he has his fair share of problems. Honestly can't see how anyone can still be convinced the only problem in the club is the man on the touchline. He's part of the problem, not all of it.

Just because we overpay for crap players doesn't make them better btw.

fecking hell, go and check how good these players were before they signed for ManUtd.

 

[roonster09]

Thats what you keep telling yourself. Keep waiting for that miracle manager.

Don't need miracle manager, just a good one is enough.

 

[Fracture90]

I feel that he came into the role and had a lot to learn about how transfers are conducted, they arent straightforward as signing a sponsor or investment banking...both of which Ed excels at. Our club suffered while he was figuring that part out.

Maybe thats the on the Glazers, to let SAF and Gill go simultaneously is extremely poor succession planning and should have never happened.
It just shows our issues go all the way to the top.

You're backpedaling now mate, that's just doesn't make any sense. Sure he overpaid some players, but when you consider the infamous UTD tax and overblown market prices, he didn't overpay by that much. Besides the most important part is him going after the players that our manager points at.

 

[Fracture90]

I actually understand the reasons why Mourinho was hired. However, to have lasted after the summer fiasco in the job defies all logic. Worse still, I'll never understand why Rooney, Nani, Rojo were given idiotic contracts. Why was Fellaini, who touted himself to all of Europe and couldn't find anyone to give what he demanded despite being on a free given a contract?

The club it seems is an orphan without any sense of direction or plan. I'm not saying this due to our results. I've seen relegation and still supported and enjoyed watching United during some very dark years.

Well think as Rooney was our bonafide superstar back then and was again scratching to leave, they gave him that bigass contract to appease him.

I reckon Nani was given that contract because despite him being inconsistent he still had talent and was unplayable on his day.

Rojo was given extension I reckon for resale purpose.

Fellaini is Mourinho's main man, there was no chance of him not getting a new contract whilst Mouriho is still here .

I'm probably reaching with some, but that's what I think about those.

I completely agree with the last part. It's actually shocking how ill prepared the club was for the life past Fergie, as if they thought he'll go on forever as our manager.

 

[Amir]

We didn't. We signed terrible players, that's the only common thing among the three managers we hired. The only quality player we signed in these years is Pogba and he has his fair share of problems. Honestly can't see how anyone can still be convinced the only problem in the club is the man on the touchline. He's part of the problem, not all of it.

Just because we overpay for crap players doesn't make them better btw.

Martial or Sanchez aren't good players (a whole lot more than that, in fact)? Bailly isn't a centerhalf of great potential? Fred? Herrera? Dalot potentially? Matic has had a bad season, but he was very good last season, let's not forget that. Lukaku may not be my cup of tea, but he was a very good goalscorer with room for imporvement.

And let's say our recruitment has been terrible. Well, those were all players our managers wanted, which goes back to the actual issue - wrong appointments.

 

[NinjaZombie]

The guy has presided over 3 failed managers, and 5 years of failures. He's hidden behind his managers for too long.

It's time to hold him into account for it.

 

[Eric's Seagull]

It's happening locally in Manchester, Ravi Ji. I now see more and more kids wearing City shirts.

Please correct me if I am am wrong.

But this seems to suggest this is going to hit us commercially in the future as we are going to lose potential supporters to City and this may have a knock on effect as they gradually go
from City supporting youngsters to City supporting adults whose offspring and their future generations are going to support City. Sort of like when when I was younger and the majority of people supported united so did their children and theirs and so on.

Our results need to improve so people start getting attracted to United from a young age again.

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

The guy has presided over 3 failed managers, and 5 years of failures. He's hidden behind his managers for too long.

It's time to hold him into account for it.

He didn’t appoint Moyes. You can posture about holding him to account for LVG ang Jose. But not for a man that he had nothing to do with appointing.

 

[Josep Dowling]

I think if we had Guardiola with these same set of players we would be much better.

I don’t, I think we would be more akin to his first season at City. That defence simply wouldn’t be able to do what Guardiola wants.

De Gea’s distribution can be terrible.

Smalling can’t pass quickly let alone run with the ball.

The 4 full backs we have are very similar to the 4 he shipped at City.

Maybe the football would be better on the eye but I don’t think he would have us top of the league.

 

[Josep Dowling]

This is the problem. We as fans were able to see Rooney and Nani were past their best and their contracts were sucking the funds out of the club. Fellaini has had 10 good games in 6 years and says a lot when other clubs declined to give him a contract.

I'm no professional scout yet it was so obvious and in your face, I was telling my kids and family United should be buying Kante, Mahrez and Maguire whilst he was still at Hull. Some purchases were so obvious not buying these players seemed like purchases were made for reasons beyond football.

The flip side to this though is many people wanted Depay and Schneiderlin. There were threads on here about both.

I mean why wouldn’t we want the teenager who became golden boy of the season or the CM at a club like Southampton who just made Premier League team of the season.

Many fans wanted Shaw, an English teenager who would be our LB for the next 10 years. Or Darmian who had just made Serie A team of the season two years in a row.

The season we bought Pogba, Zlatan, Micky and Bailly. Can you honestly tell me you didn’t think these players would improve our chances of winning the league? I know myself I was absolutely delighted going into that season.

My point is it’s easy to say in hindsight we should have done this and that. We don’t know what happens behind the scene. Maybe we did try to sign Kanté but he wanted to move to London. City purchased Mahrez for a crazy amount of money and if he had the choice of the two clubs which one would he pick to win the league?

 

[Christie]

He didn’t appoint Moyes. You can posture about holding him to account for LVG ang Jose. But not for a man that he had nothing to do with appointing.

What makes you think the appointments are the issue? It's his management of the head coaches and his leadership of the club during this period that is the root cause. Do you really think 3 manager with decent to stellar records who suddenly become shit here is a coincidence?

 

[cheeky_backheel]

Don't need miracle manager, just a good one is enough.

That shouldnt be so difficult to find. So why havent we found one in 3 attempts?

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

What makes you think the appointments are the issue? It's his management of the head coaches and his leadership of the club during this period that is the root cause. Do you really think 3 manager with decent to stellar records who suddenly become shit here is a coincidence?

Moyes didn’t have a good record - he’s only won a playoff final with Preston in his entire career. Are you seriously saying that the abomination of Moyes reign is down to Woodward? Moyes who then went on Real Sociadad and took them tumbling down the league and the on to relegate Sunderland.

Woodward got rid of Moyes as soon as realistically possible.

Feel free to look at the Management of LVG and Jose (it doesn’t water down your perspective or argument), but including Moyes as a stick to beat Woodward with is just ridiculous.

 

[astracrazy]

That shouldnt be so difficult to find. So why havent we found one in 3 attempts?

I actually think with LVG and Jose they are both right manager at the wrong time. I think we would have done better if one of them took charge after Fergie (but they werent available).

I think we need a up and coming manager. Someone who is ready for the step up with new ideas and fresh outlook.