Have Woodwards briefings done their job?

AneRu

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The issue is it’s a dictatorship. Glazers and their puppet Woodward aren’t going anywhere unless there’s a buyout. We won’t get a DoF as that means more headache for them and a power shift.

There’s nothing we can do other than support someone else sadly.
There is but we are too fragmented to apply any form of pressure, do you think that if there were protests, walkouts and fan boycotts sponsors and partners wouldn't raise issues with the Glazers? Shareholders are already starting to raise misgivings but the most effective ones are fan boycotts. I know it would take a monumental effort to coordinate but if all fans just boycotted buying the new shirt at the start of a new season what do you think Adidas would say to the Glazers?
 

VeevaVee

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I believe what Woodward has said. It's still up to him to make sure those below him in recruitment are performing to the required standard though. He'll also be the one saying how much they're allowed to spend.
 

Andy_Cole

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There is but we are too fragmented to apply any form of pressure, do you think that if there were protests, walkouts and fan boycotts sponsors and partners wouldn't raise issues with the Glazers? Shareholders are already starting to raise misgivings but the most effective ones are fan boycotts. I know it would take a monumental effort to coordinate but if all fans just boycotted buying the new shirt at the start of a new season what do you think Adidas would say to the Glazers?
You are right. Just the pessimist in me believes we won’t be able to do it.

Someone should try create an alternate shirt for next season and sell it (with all profits going to charity). I suppose they would get sued or something. We may as well continue with green and gold.
 

Handsome Devil

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Both Woodward and Ole need to go. If there is a poll I’m pretty sure 99% will want him gone and no briefing will change that.
Has there ever been a poll, and if not, why not? Would just love the petty satisfaction of seeing the overwhelming percentage for sacking, oh, and as well as having a nose at all those troubled souls who think he is doing a good job.
 

Sterling Archer

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No. Edward is the bane of our Club. But the poor results on the field are on the manager. If he played the likes of Greenwood, Garner, Gomes, Axel, Williams, Chong, Pereira every game and got us relegated then I think fans would be more sympathetic than when he persists with Young, Lingard, Mata.
 

Alabaster Codify7

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No. Edward is the bane of our Club. But the poor results on the field are on the manager. If he played the likes of Greenwood, Garner, Gomes, Axel, Williams, Chong, Pereira every game and got us relegated then I think fans would be more sympathetic than when he persists with Young, Lingard, Mata.

I would not be sympathetic to any manager playing any group of players that managed to get Manchester United relegated to the Championship. Maybe I just have standards, I dunno.

But I understand the general sentiment.
 

WR10

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Ok let me ask everyone this. Who is Ed talking to? He’s not talking to fans. He’s talking to shareholders of a publicly traded company. His objective therefore is to continually reassure shareholders.

Since his statements, we’ve had our largest shareholder under glazer come out publicly and blame our transfer dealings (ie Ed & upper management) for our failures.

To answer the question set by OP - absolutely not. Ed has actually shot himself in the foot and got himself closer to the door based on shareholder response
 

Class of 63

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Simple question - since the flurry of briefing a few weeks ago about how well the club has been run, has the focus successfully been shifted back to the head coach and has our number 1 solution become 'just sack manager' rather than 'sack manager and...'?
Why so cynical?

Ed just came out(insert your own joke), and not before time, defending the club and everybody in it against the constant over the top criticism from everybody in the media who seem to be taking too much pleasure at our current plight, a plight 99% of clubs would think they'd died and gone to heaven if they were in a similar situation.

We should hear more from Ed, not less
 

C'est Moi Cantona

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I think he's quite thin skinned when criticism comes his way, and lets face it he's got away pretty lightly up until now, the match day fans aren't about to turn on Ole, so if we continue to serve up crap then he is going to find himself right in the firing line like never before.

I can see some fairly desperate, and even more laughable briefings coming thick and fast soon enough.
 

::sonny::

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I don't understand how some can't see the problems goes a lot deeper/higher than just the manager. United as a club is in a huge mess. From top to bottom more or less.
Sacking Solskjær might help short term, but in the long run it will change absolutely nothing.

United no longer have the best people in every position, not on the pitch and not in the offices. Unfortunately.
People should realise, that things will take time to change. Nothing can be done over night. Not even Saudi money. Have patience, do things the right way for once. We will not challenge next season, so get the right staff in, sign the right players.
Agreed
 

MadDogg

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So did LVG, people weren't clamouring for him to stay, despite the fact we were in a lot better league position.
LVG was given a lot more time to build things the way he wanted, and we were only getting worse (both in terms of general performances and results). He also made quite a lot of transfers and almost all of them ended up being failures. Martial and Blind are the closest he had to success.

Ole has only had the one transfer window. All three of his buys look likely to be successes, and we know he wanted at least one more attacking player but the club didn't manage to do it (hard to tell how much blame he should take for that). The club was in a lot more of a mess when he took over as well.

Don't get me wrong, I personally doubt that Ole is going to be the one to lead us into the future. But LVG was given time to prove that he was failing at pretty much every aspect, and that he was too set in his ways to try something different when his way wasn't working. It's too early to say that for sure with Ole, although the signs aren't great.
 

Rhyme Animal

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He's basically a parody figure now isn't he?

The club really should get him in a different role, out of the spotlight.

It's quite revealing of how out of touch they are, that they clearly don't see just how much of a comedy character he's viewed by literally all of football.

Imagine how he must be viewed by prospective signings...

FFS, imagine in demand players being greeted with a package of Woodward AND Solskjaer!

Laughable image.
 

Kemizee

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Woodward and Ole are both issues, they are not mutually exclusive.

We need a proper manager, but we also need a CEO who understands the sport, or at least reliably delegates to someone who does.

There seems to be a lot of confusion by some fans that think wanting a competent manager means we don't see what a mess Woodward continues to create.
All of this!
 

Bestietom

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Simple question - since the flurry of briefing a few weeks ago about how well the club has been run, has the focus successfully been shifted back to the head coach and has our number 1 solution become 'just sack manager' rather than 'sack manager and...'?
Most certainly not. Woodward is problem.
 

RamblingRebel

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I got a quick glimpse of a "woody briefing" from the MEN yesterday. Said something along the lines how he had Veratti and Varane lined up, but Ole changed the recruitment strategy to "hungry youth"

Anyone else see that or did I imagine it?
 

Ekeke

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Well they did at least clear up some of the absurd theories going around, I dunno why it wasnt done a long time ago. For instance that Woodward is deciding football matters and choosing who we sign. We now know for sure that isnt the case so that can be laid to rest
 

RamblingRebel

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In situations like this, look at the facts.

1. Moyes: Half decent manager, did a good job at Everton. Granted Utd was too big a step up for him.

2. LVG: One of Europe's most successful managers, tried getting something going, but for whatever reason it failed. Still a good manager though and had the right profile to manage a giant.

3. Mourinho: Only reason a few didn't want him was because his style of play its boring and he's too confrontational. His abilities were never in question. He has been the most successful manager since the turn of the century.

4. Ole: Inexperienced at this level. Has been straight right from the start and said the rebuild is gonna take time. He's got a plan and he's sticking to it. Yes the football is crap, he'd playing the likes of Young ect, but he can only play with the toys he's got. The previous 3 managers played all these players too, and under them the squad has got progressively worse and the signings have for the most part failed.

Its all well and good saying "he's not improving the players" but it's up to the players to get better, there is no magic wand they need to put in the effort and hard work like the Gary Neville's did.

At end of the day though, most of these players are mid-table players at best. Ole can polish them until kingdom come, but they will still be shite.

His only 3 signings have started out as good as anyone could've expected. Especially Daniel James. I've seen a vast improvement in his final ball in the short few months he's been at OT. Look at his final ball now compared to last season and early this season. That's coaching in action.

Ole can only work with the squad he's got!

Since SAF and that last CEO left the club managers have come and gone (2 of those managers were "world class") yet one guy is still there in the background making decisions that have led to Manchester United having the squad and the league position, (and that position is a true reflection of this squads abilities) that it finds itself in now.

Makes me wonder, how many of these new posters who are hurling all the blame at Oles door are actually shills of Woody.

Tldr. Leave Ole alone, its Woody's fault for allowing the squad to get so bad.
 

clarkydaz

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I got a quick glimpse of a "woody briefing" from the MEN yesterday. Said something along the lines how he had Veratti and Varane lined up, but Ole changed the recruitment strategy to "hungry youth"

Anyone else see that or did I imagine it?
Damn, he was happy to spend 100m on him aswell. Feck you, Ole! Team woodward
 

Class of 63

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I got a quick glimpse of a "woody briefing" from the MEN yesterday. Said something along the lines how he had Veratti and Varane lined up, but Ole changed the recruitment strategy to "hungry youth"

Anyone else see that or did I imagine it?
The fact Ed was targeting Verratti and Varane however unrealistic getting them was kinda goes against the argument he knows feck all about football/footballers.
 

roseguy64

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Well they did at least clear up some of the absurd theories going around, I dunno why it wasnt done a long time ago. For instance that Woodward is deciding football matters and choosing who we sign. We now know for sure that isnt the case so that can be laid to rest
As if Woodward would know who Daniel James or Eric Bailly are before we signed them.
 

wolvored

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I think if we struck lucky with a progressive youngish manager we would be in a lot better position. Someone who can play the modern game and knows which players suit, instead of buying a name or sticking with players just because they are English, or came through the ranks. Woody has spent a lot of money buying players. Was it his idea who to buy or the managers? We went for Moyes favourites Fellaini and Baines and got one. Mata was also a Moyes buy. LVG got Shweinsteiger Depay blind Martial Herrera Shneiderlin Di Maria Shaw Falcoa (loan) all seemed his buys. Mourinho, Miky Bailley Matic Lindelof Sanchez (free but mega contract), Zlatan (free). Fred and Pogba dont know. Ole got his Maguire Wan and James. so signings I dont think can be down to Woody. Lack of extra signings are. Does Woody have the final say or is it the Glazers who put the block on any extra signings? Contracts. Is that the managers or Woody. Some really wierd ones given out. Jones being the wierdest.
 
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romufc

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I think if we struck lucky with a progressive youngish manager we would be in a lot better position. Someone who can play the modern game and knows which players suit, instead of buying a name or sticking with players just because they are English, or came through the ranks. Woody has spent a lot of money buying players. Was it his idea who to buy or the managers? We went for Moyes favourites Fellaini and Baines and got one. Mata was also a Moyes buy. LVG got Shweinsteiger Depay blind Martial Herrera Shneiderlin Di Maria Shaw Falcoa (loan) all seemed his buys. Mourinho, Miky Bailley Matic Lindelof Sanchez (free but mega contract), Zlatan (free). Fred and Pogba dont know. Ole got his Maguire Wan and James. so signings I dont think can be down to Woody. Lack of extra signings are. Does Woody have the final say or is it the Glazers who put the block on any extra signings? Contracts. Is that the managers or Woody. Some really wierd ones given out. Jones being the wierdest.

This is exactly what is wrong with the football club. Not having a football person has led us to sign players that might not be suitable to us.

Appointing someone to do that job who would have realised Fellaini, Mata, Bastian are not Manutd players.

Having someone like a DOF can put something in place to say this is how we wish to play, these are the types of players we want. Not a scatter gun approach.
 

wolvored

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This is exactly what is wrong with the football club. Not having a football person has led us to sign players that might not be suitable to us.

Appointing someone to do that job who would have realised Fellaini, Mata, Bastian are not Manutd players.

Having someone like a DOF can put something in place to say this is how we wish to play, these are the types of players we want. Not a scatter gun approach.
We should have a plan with managers who suit a particular style, so any players signed will suit any new manager coming in. A DOF would sort this out. Woody seems to pick any big name available, and if Ole hadnt have had that purple patch, when results didnt matter so he could just go for it, would have probably gone for Allegri.
 

Globule

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There are plenty of people who recognise that the problems at our club run deeper than the manager and players and no briefings will change that. If there is a change of focus away from Woodward and towards Ole it's simply because of the performers and results in the field, which is always going to be the immediate focus of fans.
Woodward could have come out on Friday and said he has no idea what he's doing, but if the team follows that up with another clueless performance in a 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth you can bet the bulk of the anger will be directed at the manager and players.
There's no need for briefings to deflect blame away from the board. The manager and players are doing a fine job of that themselves.