Totally agree. Some fans have blinkers on.
Ed Woodward 2019 - Until all Arctic ice melts edition
- Thread starter fallengt
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
It’s not too complicated.
There's no doubt Woodward is a failure/has failed.
But let's not rewrite history now that Woodward was the reason Jose failed and Jose had it tough with Woodward.
Jose failed, because HE was terrible. He had the resources and tools to succeed. He was an embarrassment to the club and should have been sacked immediately after his disgraceful comments following the Sevilla defeat.
But let's not rewrite history now that Woodward was the reason Jose failed and Jose had it tough with Woodward.
Jose failed, because HE was terrible. He had the resources and tools to succeed. He was an embarrassment to the club and should have been sacked immediately after his disgraceful comments following the Sevilla defeat.
Have to somewhat agree. The unfortunate thing for Jose was that Poch never got a single player in and finished in top 4, whilst reaching the final of the CL. Jose SHOULD have done better with the squad he had. He should have created a siege mentality, which he was notoriously known for. However, he too down tools along with the players and started petty fights with big players...as per his usual recent antics.
We don't know anything about our dressing room. What if most of our players can't cope with the pressure of performing every week? They just don't have the mentality. It certainly seems like it since most of them only turn up when they feel like it.
Also agree. Playing for Manchester United brings its own pressures, which only a few can cope with.
Sancho, I believe, has the mentality. He looks like the type of person who would thrive under the pressure...along with De Ligt.
Totally agree, both those players look to have the right minerals to play for United. Loved how De Ligt dealt with giving away the PK and how he played for the remainder of the match.
Nice Pen from Rashford too, the kids got good nerves.
Goblin looking Glazer stooge.
Basing that on absolutely nothing are we?
I hate his ventriloquist dummy looking head.
Also, hiring a DOF = another big earner on the payroll. Which is why it's all talk to reel the fans in.
Also, hiring a DOF = another big earner on the payroll. Which is why it's all talk to reel the fans in.
He doesn’t even look impressive, if you saw him a pub drinking alone you would think he was a pathetic drunk.
Gill had an aurora that worked for us, that scruffy looking gimp is someone I’d like to take to the cleaners like most clubs, agents and players seem to do with ease.
This - absolutely. Ed’s biggest failing is not getting a DoF to manage the football side. He’s got loads of helpers getting him the next noodle, tractor, tyre or birth control sponsor - but nobody competent on the football side.
I'm already seeing papers saying we are haggling over fees etc and I hope it's all bs. It's time they stop being so cheap and give Ole whoever he wants feck the money just get the players in.
Can someone slap this incompetent twat and point out to the direction of Madrid so he can see how a rebuild is being done?
Giving a 30 yo a five year contract ?
Can imagine what people would be calling Ed if he does that this summer
Who is this 30 year old? Ed is currently begging Mata to renew while already doing that with Young.
I know mate. The previous postrr was on about fecking Hazard, one of the best in the game. I bet Eden ain't gonna be earning 400k a week to warm the bench either.
I'd hope it's all BS too.
But it wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't.
We need the Glazers and Woodward out of the club.
Unless there is a buyout clause everybody haggles. Even money no object clubs do, why would you expect United to be an different?
Which bit?
Seems Ed has to prove his business acumen by haggling every price down, at the end of the day no club has to agree unless the buyout clause is reached. Do we see Citeh and others lose players for a relatively few million$ in the scheme of the transfer.
This is the sort of business that Woody and the Glazers undertake which underlines their failure to understand football basics, now that tv rights and sponsors have in some way taken away the need to sell to survive.
If you think it is smart practice, go and read the way the Tampa Bay NFL side is run and their success rate, we are heading in the same direction by the looks of it.
I'm surprised to see so many people still absolving Ed of blame. He's the problem at the heart of the club. He's the one in charge, making one poor decision after another, undoing all the good work he did on the financial side by fecking up on the football front.
We're not winning the League or the CL till we take off footballing responsibilities from Ed. Scary to think that Liverpool were a single point away from winning both last season.
We're not winning the League or the CL till we take off footballing responsibilities from Ed. Scary to think that Liverpool were a single point away from winning both last season.
Unfortunately I can't see why either of those players would choose United over their other options this Summer.
The level of decline at the club is ridiculous.
It's because they are clueless about the game. It really is that simple. If they knew anything about the game then some of the decisions that have been taken in recent never would have been taken. It's the problem with having people at the top of a football club who know little to nothing about the game. Obviously in the early days at the club Sir Alex was here and all they'd do is give him parameters in which to work. Since he's been gone it's been a mess.
Clubs without owners or senior management that knows about the game all pretty much struggle. Look at us and Arsenal. While Spurs is run really well cause of Levy and Chelsea have Abromovic who really lives the game. City decided they were clueless so basically hired the old Barca senior management.
We have a banker and his mate making decision yet people are still surprised the likes of Young and Mata still receive contracts. We give Sanchez the biggest contract in the league. Woodward is costing the Glazers more money than they'll ever know cause at the end of the day they don't have a clue either.
Every agent is licking their lips at the prospect of dealing with us on the negotiation table. Every club loves the prospect of selling players to us. We are the richest club in world football but haven't a clue on how to use the funds hence everyone on here goes on about ffp.
Clubs without owners or senior management that knows about the game all pretty much struggle. Look at us and Arsenal. While Spurs is run really well cause of Levy and Chelsea have Abromovic who really lives the game. City decided they were clueless so basically hired the old Barca senior management.
We have a banker and his mate making decision yet people are still surprised the likes of Young and Mata still receive contracts. We give Sanchez the biggest contract in the league. Woodward is costing the Glazers more money than they'll ever know cause at the end of the day they don't have a clue either.
Every agent is licking their lips at the prospect of dealing with us on the negotiation table. Every club loves the prospect of selling players to us. We are the richest club in world football but haven't a clue on how to use the funds hence everyone on here goes on about ffp.
Agreed. Lot of people saying, "it only takes one good manager and a few good purchases and we'll be competing again" but I don't see it that way. We are years off. In the meantime I'm waiting for some tipping point. We're getting close. When does decline become interesting and addictive as a thing? If Ole fecks up -which I have a horrible feeling he will, only partially through his own errors- at what point does it actually become more interesting to support Utd? In the 70s when the club got relegated, there was an even greater fervour surrounding interest in the club's fortunes. Check out YouTube, the support was manic. Not saying relegation would do the club good, that simply cannot happen with today's rich elite. But some mad crisis may be the only thing to precipitate a return to glory.
I think one of the struggles for him in believing that we need a DOF is that he knows we've been successful without one before. What he needs to wrap his head around is that real managers don't exist anymore. These blokes are all training ground coaches and not guys that are going to the negotiation table like Sir Alex used to be. He foolishly thinks he can just find a manager, stay in his office and get the plaudits. It won't work.
1988 - He's given them every chance to succeed, the manager doesn't have to spend big on every single player which is pretty much what Jose done for the most part. Scout and find diamonds in the rough, Jose had his own scout I mean, come on like. Why just opt for the one that is most expensive?
Denis - You prove my point exactly.
If Ed supports the manager and delivers the players he wants, it's his fault.
If Ed says no to the manager, its also his fault.
Again, we're the only club supporters calling for a CEO's head. Arsenal, Spurs & Chelsea aren't exactly flying along with success in recent times are they? They've all been as hit n miss as us.
You're going to defend Woodward tooth and nail and that's fine. You are saying he has given more than enough for this club to succeed and I'm saying he is bringing us to our demise. We couldn't be further apart.
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Well lets really bring it down to its bare bones shall we?
- Did he hire the best men that were available at the given time of recruitment? Their (LVG & Jose) CV's backed it up. Yes
- Did he give them freedom to conduct their own structure within the club? Playing style, coaching staff, scouting etc? Yes.
- Did he financially support both men? £250m approx for LVG & £350m for Jose...basically impossible to suggest he hasn't here. So its a resounding Yes.
- Did he offer to hire a DoF to aide Jose? Story goes yes he did. Jose fell out with the Real DoF (previously) and we've interviewed former players about taking a TD role so it seems there is some genuine truth to it.
LVG rolled out structure across the club, invested in youth with possession based football and long term goals in mind vs ignored the club structure, ignored youth and went for short term results based on conceding possession.
Woodward and the Glazers are milking this club and we will never win anything until this is changed. I don't care who buys the club as long as it's run RIGHT.
This great club is in decline since Fergie and Gill retired from their duties, and it will get even worse.
This great club is in decline since Fergie and Gill retired from their duties, and it will get even worse.
Agreed.
I think we are already in crisis. But in modern times it just leads to social media fan meltdowns. Not the "pull together" of the 70's. But I don't feel it will bring a return to glory.
The club has so many problems that it would take a long time (2-3 years minimum) to fix even if we brought in the most competent owners, CEO and had a bit of luck.
You nail it at the end.
But your first 3 bullet points are exactly why Woodward fecked up.
Possession based LVG spent millions on possession players.
Counter attacking Jose requires anti possession players so LVG's spending was ultimately wasted.
They are not designed to be successive playing styles as part of a rebuild. Stupid decision.
Agree entirely. The biggest mistake made by Woodward was the transition between Van Gaal and Mourinho. Ideologies were too far removed from one another and, in hindsight, the whole appointment was one of desperation. Van Gaal had bored us all to tears and Woodward voted for the hired gun. Turns out the hired gun was out of bullets, more interesting in turning the last one on himself.
If we were to go back a few years, then we’d have let Van Gaal go and replaced him with a more attacking manager of the same ilk. That’s the point at which we should have begun to modernise our approach in relation to technical directors or transfer committees.
But isn’t hindsight marvellous? Most of this forum were sucking themselves dry when Van Gaal and Mourinho were appointed. They were rubbing their willies against the computer screen when Sanchez and Pogba came in. It’s only now they sit there and take a paddy.
You have valid points there. However, this is exactly Ed's problem. Your point 1 to point 4 could be done by any normal Man Utd fan. The CEO of Man Utd should be much better than that or at least establish a structure in the club to assist him making these important football decision to prevent the failure of the last 6 years.
Chelsea just won the EL and even the league only 3 years ago, they are far from the shit we're in. Arsenal on the other hand are in the same exact spot as us, with parasite owners who only value profit and a CEO to do their bidding.
Woodward has no football background, no coaching badges, never worked as a scout, agent etc. We're one of the biggest clubs in the world and our planning goes as far that we need to make top 4. First he hired LvG, showered him with money and LvG bought players to fit his possession system. Woodward fired him and got a manager who didn't value possession one bit, starting a second rebuild. Then instead of firing him he gives him a contract extension but decides not to back him with money in the next transfer window. Now he hired a manager who wants speed and offensive football, you see a pattern here?
Woodward being the boss, should have put a clear strategy for the club, if he doesn't know how to then he should have hired a DOF to do the job. Woodward is responsible for this mess, he's the one running the club down a cliff.
Also, add to the list - extending Jose's contract, then not backing him (when the squad visibly needs major improvements), then not sacking him!
And now we have Ole who wants our players to ”run the most in the league”, a complete antithesis to Mourinho’s United who ran the least in the league.
Lukaku for example is a typical Mou player who will never work under Ole. At £90m he’s our most expensive player and now we might have to let him go for much less. He is admitting as much with his Serie A flirting.
Another butchered transition.
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Bit random but I can't stop thinking of the Woody's roundup song from Toy Store everytime I see Ed's name.
Refreshing to see some folks agree with similar sentiments.
If LVG had to go, fair enough. But at least try hire a new manager with slightly similar ideals.
The hiring of Ole feels somewhere between the two as he wants fast, counter attacking football and focused on youth. It's going to take a long time to get everything right again and if I'm honest I'm not sure Ole can do it.
I can honestly say though I was very much against the Jose appointment 3 summers back and I echoed similar sentiments at the time.
For every great season Chelsea have they have one equally as bad. Pre Poch, Spurs were a mid table side with Redknapp, AVB & Sherwood. Don't recall fans asking for Levy's head at that time? Arsenal have battled for 4th place for so long now I can barely remember them challenging at this point.
None of the CEO's have coaching badges for god sake
I highly doubt a single Premier League CEO has coaching badges, scouting experience or worked as an agent...not one! I'd be surprised if that's the case at all in the 26 year history of the premier league. Stand to be corrected but I can't think of one or recall hearing of one with that kind of experience. It's funny that folks think if Ed goes it'll suddenly make everything magical again. It reminds me when LVG was manager, folks professed the same about appointing Jose.