Football fans are pretty fickle - all but the most ardent Mourinho sycophants would have got over that one pretty quickly, especially if the new guy started doing well.If he had sacked Mourinho in the summer there would have been uproar and we would have been listening to Jose was badly done by forever .
Instead he gave Jose enough rope to hang himself and Jose and his supporters,have no excuses now
Ignoring the fact that your assessment of things includes a lot of creative licence in order to strengthen your point, Woodward was ultimately right.So, let's bring it all back to last Summer. Mourinho has written off the squad completely. Stating that everyone who played in the WC is knackered and the start of the season is a total write off. There are no youth prospects coming through the ranks who will feature in the first team squad this season. The 6 center backs that we have available (including the two that he bought) cannot tackle a paper bag. World Cup winner, Paul Pogba, is nothing special. Martial doesn't want to be here. Rashford can't hit a barn door with a banjo...Oh, and Sanchez has fallen off the face of the earth? He's locked in some sort of passport/visa/calf injury/thingummy/bullshit.
The Shopping list
Jose wants to sell 22 year old Martial to Chelsea and do a swap+cash deal with 30 year old Willian. He also wants to sign Harry Maguire for £75m. And 29 year old Ivan Perisic for £50m. Bearing in mind that we already have 3 left sided wingers at the club! He also wants 29 year old Toby Alderweireld for £35m, even though he only had a year left on his contract. He has since extended for 1 year with a release clause of £25m.
Knowing what we now know, did Woodward really help us dodge a rather expensive bullet, last summer? Has his faith in this squad of players and the academy, really shown Mourinho up as a crackpot who was hellbent on filling our squad with short-term fixes who would be finished in 2 years. Not that he would be around then anyway!
I don't think his rant saved Mourhino, it was more Sanchez last min goal. But I do believe Gary Neville fecked up big time with his outburst. He was the only ex Utd player who backed Mourhino, while others such as Rio and Scholes, kept quiet. (More to do with the respect for Utd). But Neville took it to another level. He must feel like a real prick right now.You can thank Neville for that. His rant before New Castle match saved Mourinho.
Creative licience was what i was about to write. We dont know the ins and outs of the club. Just paper talk. Woodward probably tried to get Maguire, Toby etc but the negotiations fell through. We definitely made bids for Perisic as well and it fell through. Probably a load of other players. He believed in Mourinho hence new contract. I am not saying he was right or wrong just you cant attribute all good moves or even bad ones to woodward in hindsight. There is a lot more to it and alot of people to share the blame. If he is not a football man then why didnt the football men step in. Even Ferguson got it wrong with MoyesIgnoring the fact that your assessment of things includes a lot of creative licence in order to strengthen your point, Woodward was ultimately right.
The same season that Pogba was dropped for McTominay which started the shitfest with Pogba and Jose?Maybe because its in the club nature to have a manager for long term and Mourinho haven't fecked up yet until this season. We are a club with longevity in mind, signing him for new contract made us look like we're stable into the new season.
When the new season arrives, Jose wanted new CB having spent more than 70 million for Bailly and Lindelof. The club beginning to question Mourinho's judgment.
So for me, Woodward was just being sensible about handling the situation. He being lenient because of our reputation of trusting the manager, but when the manager began to question the board, that's when Woodward realize it was a mistake.
I don't blame Woodward, it's just how the way it is. The manager doesn't fit with our club philosophies and it's so well known now.
You’re forgetting Mourinho was flirting heavily with PSG mid season during this time.Was he right to give Jose a contract extension and then proceed to immediately undermine him to the point that their relationship became untenable and Jose was actively trying to sabotage the squad? I'm not so sure that can be considered a good thing for Woodward. Jose forced his hand. Woodward would likely happily have Jose here still if he'd just played along a little better this season.
Mourinho's summer plans and views on our current squad seemed extremely terrible but Woodward probably should've known that before he gave him an extension.
If really the options were: Maguire at 70m+, Alder at 60m+, Boateng at 40m+ and Yerry Mina, then I think that he did well by not backing Mourinho to sign one of them.Sacking Mourinho is the only thing Woodward got right.
fecked up by extending his contract.
fecked up by not backing him with a defender in the summer.
fecked up by not sacking him sooner.
Ed doesn't come out of this as some golden boy. Golden turd, maybe.
He wasn't going to leave mid season, it could have waited. Instead Jose got a contract extension which presumably included the ~20m or so figure (whatever it was) we had to pay him for him to leave. I get the principle of it but giving him a new contract out of panic of him leaving doesn't leave Woodward in a good light either considering how it all turned out.You’re forgetting Mourinho was flirting heavily with PSG mid season during this time.
Woodward had to realize what not backing the manager with a defender was going to turn it on, though. If he thought it would be nothing then he failed to do his due diligence on Mourinho.If really the options were: Maguire at 70m+, Alder at 60m+, Boateng at 40m+ and Yerry Mina, then I think that he did well by not backing Mourinho to sign one of them.
Sure, the biggest mistake was assuming that United will change Mourinho.Woodward had to realize what not backing the manager with a defender was going to turn it on, though. If he thought it would be nothing then he failed to do his due diligence on Mourinho.
What on earth went on in those meetings between Woodward and Mendes? Is there ANY way of explaining that extension than utter failure? I get that giving the manager an extension could spark some kind of consolidation throughout the club, but subsequentially not supporting him in the summer window is weird. Would have thought they discussed the club moving forward, and agreeing how when signing an extension?Mourinho's summer plans and views on our current squad seemed extremely terrible but Woodward probably should've known that before he gave him an extension.
Nope, £35m would've been fine. But in reality it was going to cost an absolute minimum of £55m, and probably closer to £65m. So the question was whether it was worth spending an extra £35m to get him one year earlier.Nowt wrong with signing Alderweireld for £35m.
Pretty sure Woodward did try to get him the defender he wanted. There's a reason the links to the likes of Alderweireld and Maguire went right to the very end of the window - we had bids on the table that we thought should be enough and we were hoping one of their clubs would eventually accept. Ultimately though none of them did. There is a huge difference between that and the scenario that I always see written about which makes out that Woodward simply refused to buy a defender. The latter definitely indicates a lack of trust in Mourinho where he should have been fired then and there. Whereas if it went down as I believe then it's unfortunate but he did what he realistically could and it's up to Mourinho to get over it and make do with what he has. Same thing with Willian, and also Peresic the season before. We did try, but their clubs were asking for stupid amounts.Woodward had to realize what not backing the manager with a defender was going to turn it on, though. If he thought it would be nothing then he failed to do his due diligence on Mourinho.
I like to think that Mourinho wanted McGuire and Woodward said feck this, you're out.Pretty sure Woodward did try to get him the defender he wanted. There's a reason the links to the likes of Alderweireld and Maguire went right to the very end of the window - we had bids on the table that we thought should be enough and we were hoping one of their clubs would eventually accept. Ultimately though none of them did. There is a huge difference between that and the scenario that I always see written about which makes out that Woodward simply refused to buy a defender. The latter definitely indicates a lack of trust in Mourinho where he should have been fired then and there. Whereas if it went down as I believe then it's unfortunate but he did what he realistically could and it's up to Mourinho to get over it and make do with what he has. Same thing with Willian, and also Peresic the season before. We did try, but their clubs were asking for stupid amounts.
It also has to be mentioned that we always complain about overpaying for players and other clubs taking us to the cleaners. Well lately we do seem to be trying to put down a marker and refuse to overpay to ridiculous amounts. Hopefully that'll give us a stronger bargaining position going forward.
Maybe keeping Mourinho was a blessing in disguise? Who is to say that Ed wouldn't have gone after another star manager instead of Ole?He got it right on the transfers in the summer (out and in) but fecked up massively by not sacking Mourinho at the same time.
A disgruntled Mourinho is pure poison for any club and it ruined our season. The only way I can make sense of it is that Ole was in mind all along as wasn't available until the end of the Norwegian season (have heard fairly reliable rumours he was in talks before Mourinho's sacking)
What qualifications does he have to reach the conclusion they were not good enough though. No football background. Its why you pay a manager to take those calls.If really the options were: Maguire at 70m+, Alder at 60m+, Boateng at 40m+ and Yerry Mina, then I think that he did well by not backing Mourinho to sign one of them.
As in my post above, that isnt his decision to make. What would have happended if Gill had blocked Ferguson from selling Kanchelskis, Hughes and Ince because he thought there were younger players.If Mourinho has his way we'd have sold Martial and Pogba and instead had Perisic, Willian, and Alderweireld.
It isn't always something that needs a PhD and even if it was it doesn't mean you become the final authority on all things related to the field. Why we can criticise politicians despite having never served a day in office. Chelsea fans probably wish someone vetoed the De Bruyne sale. Doesn't matter if it was the tea ladyWhat qualifications does he have to reach the conclusion they were not good enough though. No football background. Its why you pay a manager to take those calls.
The qualifications of being the vice-executive manager of United, and being manager's boss.What qualifications does he have to reach the conclusion they were not good enough though. No football background. Its why you pay a manager to take those calls.
I never suggested the manager shouldn't be accountable. Just stating that the person questioning whether or not players are good enough should have a footballing background. I don't see that in itself as a statement anyone could have a problem with.It isn't always something that needs a PhD and even if it was it doesn't mean you become the final authority on all things related to the field. Why we can criticise politicians despite having never served a day in office. Chelsea fans probably wish someone vetoed the De Bruyne sale. Doesn't matter if it was the tea lady
