Ed Woodward 2019 - Until all Arctic ice melts edition

[criticalanalysis]

Am I in the minority here where I don't lay much 'blame' on Woodward?

For sure he could and should have done better i.e bringing in a Director of Football/some footballing structure but all of our poor form over the years has been 80% on the manager for me.

I don't mind losing or not playing well but you absolutely can not forgive a lack of a clear playing system or some semblance of coaching.

That's on Moyes, LVG (who had good ideas but didn't understand the Premier League enough), Mourinho (defensive shite with the 2nd most expensive squad in the league, then demanded more transfers when he proved he couldn't actually improve a single player and sabotaged his last season) and now OGS.

LVG aside, none of these managers have proven they can actually teach a player something they don't know on the field apart from 'hard work', 'professionalism' and all other things not directly related to anything on the ball.

If we got Poch in 4 years ago and backed him with the money we have these 4 years, I'm absolutely sure we would be more successful than the previous.

 

[Marcus]

If United get relegated. Ed is gone. Now he will be genuinely worried instead of feigning his anger.

 

[hungrywing]

Bit of advice: start making fun of him. Here's an example.

FYI people like him find it comparatively easier to deal with direct insults/criticism (particularly that coming from 'lower' stations) due to how they regard themselves - or more accurately, how they regard 'the commoners'.

 

[Hawks2008]

Hes has overseen 4 failed managerial appointments now. At any other club he would be sacked but he is #1 Glazer crony so he stays, and probably gets a nice quarterly bonus too.

 

[MadDogg]

Am I in the minority here where I don't lay much 'blame' on Woodward?

For sure he could and should have done better i.e bringing in a Director of Football/some footballing structure but all of our poor form over the years has been 80% on the manager for me.

I don't mind losing or not playing well but you absolutely can not forgive a lack of a clear playing system or some semblance of coaching.

That's on Moyes, LVG (who had good ideas but didn't understand the Premier League enough), Mourinho (defensive shite with the 2nd most expensive squad in the league, then demanded more transfers when he proved he couldn't actually improve a single player and sabotaged his last season) and now OGS.

LVG aside, none of these managers have proven they can actually teach a player something they don't know on the field apart from 'hard work', 'professionalism' and all other things not directly related to anything on the ball.

If we got Poch in 4 years ago and backed him with the money we have these 4 years, I'm absolutely sure we would be more successful than the previous.

He's the one appointing the managers. Each one completely different than the last, with different players suited to their playstyle (who are then fish out of water when the next manager comes in). Klopp has said that we approached him and he didn't like the way that Ed described the job to him. If we had somebody who actually knew what they were doing in charge of the footballing side of things he, or somebody else who would work out, might very well be our manger right now.

In terms of buying players, the majority of managers these days are used to working under a DoF who handles the transfers in and out. The managers have their input, but they don't have the final say. Ed does that for us, and he's proven to be a failure. Whatever system Ed has here isn't working. It feels like both he, somebody who doesn't know what they are doing, and the manager, somebody who only cares about very short-term success, have too much power.

 

[oz insomniac]

It appears that the problem overall is that the club has spent money, the underlying massive problem is that it was basically done by Woodward and Judge. Whilst managers have input, the final negotiations and sign offs are with the 2 merchant bankers with little or no experience or real football knowledge.

Make excuses relating to managers et al, but the one constant in the downward spiral are those 2 controlling the purse strings and it seems the final agreement of the player and purpose in Utd playing style.This cannot continue, and if the absent owners delay any further in the restructure of the club, and actually remove the 2 amigos from the football decisions then it confirms that the shopping centre owners have no friggin idea about sports.

That is pretty evident from their ownership of the Tampa Bay Bucs, there seems little will change under the Glazers as owners and Woody as chief administrator. It's so sad as long term fanatical supporters have their passion slowly but surely drained.

 

[red thru&thru]

Am I in the minority here where I don't lay much 'blame' on Woodward?

For sure he could and should have done better i.e bringing in a Director of Football/some footballing structure but all of our poor form over the years has been 80% on the manager for me.

I don't mind losing or not playing well but you absolutely can not forgive a lack of a clear playing system or some semblance of coaching.

That's on Moyes, LVG (who had good ideas but didn't understand the Premier League enough), Mourinho (defensive shite with the 2nd most expensive squad in the league, then demanded more transfers when he proved he couldn't actually improve a single player and sabotaged his last season) and now OGS.

LVG aside, none of these managers have proven they can actually teach a player something they don't know on the field apart from 'hard work', 'professionalism' and all other things not directly related to anything on the ball.

If we got Poch in 4 years ago and backed him with the money we have these 4 years, I'm absolutely sure we would be more successful than the previous.

Who is in charge of hiring these incompetent managers?

If the managers are failing to get results and they get the blame, well Ed 7 years later on is still failing, why is he not to blame? After all, he is in charge!

 

[redshaw]

Woodward is hiring these managers and should be held accountable. He has to go soon after Ole is sacked but it seems so far the Glazers don't seem to care. I would've thought the Ole example should be a wake up call to get people in running the football side like rich owners of City, PSG and Chelsea do.

The hires have been terrible. I'll excuse Moyes since it was influenced by Fergie, we should've corrected the mistake but we went with an old manager due for retiring, he brought in so much dross. LVG to his credit saw how bare bones the club was but nothing was done.

We hire Jose after the Chelsea debacle, it was playing with fire, he sabotaged Chelsea when Roman didn't back him and we hired him, didn't back him after giving him a long contract just months before and quell surprise he sabotaged the club. He was damaged goods and shouldn't have been hired or at the least should've been sacked if the board was dubious in backing him and also should have been not given a silly contract at that time, let him feck off to PSG then, was bullshit anyway. So many mistakes made by our board.

The biggest mistake of all hiring a League one/two level manager, it's been the blind leading the blind, both the board and Ole having been incredibly stupid and naive with the squad. Both are extremely poor decision makers, we have no manager to counter the boards incompetence.

I can't fault the money that has been made, almost a billion, only City have spent around the same, we have almost nothing and are staring at the bottom of the league. It's all been squandered like a poor stock trader who can't make a good trade to save his life and loses 90+% of his trades. We have one at OT but keeps getting his funds replaced.

 

[red thru&thru]

And DO NOT glorify Ed as some f**king commercial guru. Manchester United were already the biggest club at the time Ed got involved, hence why Glazer's bought us. Kenyon and Gill did a marvellous job. It was easy to sell Manchester United whilst we were winning, you was at Manchester United, one of the most iconic clubs in the world. Chelsea went and got Kenyon from us, they thought they were getting the best...little did they know he was living off of Manchester United and Sir Alex.

I BET anyone £100 (being realistic here), Ed could not perform the same commercial figures as at Manchester United, anywhere else, outside of Real, Barca and Bayern.

 

[Escobar]

Some excellent points in here. The sooner the is gone and the sooner we have a proper modern setup the earlier we will he better. Lets see when that happens though

 

[Moiraine]

Problem is Ed Woodward, there is no doubt about that. How the fans should raise a voice against him?

How fans could express their displeasure and demonstrate against him that they are actually heard and paid attention?

 

[Tarrou]

If United get relegated. Ed is gone. Now he will be genuinely worried instead of feigning his anger.

He'd get a massive pay-off and walk into another high paid job

bet he's shitting it yeah

 

[Suedesi]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

He's presided over a rising tide, where revenues for ALL big football clubs have gone up year over year, due to TV money.

I wish people would stop saying "he's a brilliant CEO because he's delivered record revenues"

He's a shitty CEO because he's presided over the value erosion at Manchester United, has completely driven the club to the ground from a sporting perspective, has bought a bunch of duds in the market (Fred, Sanchez) and have given such duds and other deadwood spectacular contracts that makes them unsellable.

#WoodwardOut

 

[red thru&thru]

He's presided over a rising tide, where revenues for ALL big football clubs have gone up year over year, due to TV money.

I wish people would stop saying "he's a brilliant CEO because he's delivered record revenues"

He's a shitty CEO because he's presided over the value erosion at Manchester United, has completely driven the club to the ground from a sporting perspective, has bought a bunch of duds in the market (Fred, Sanchez) and have given such duds and other deadwood spectacular contracts that makes them unsellable.

#WoodwardOut

Agreed. I've literally said this is in one the threads. Ed is SHOCKING at his job.

 

[freeurmind]

 

[golden_blunder]

I feel like Ed’s position should be voted on like Barca do for their presidents. Maybe then an incoming new boss could promise us a right sided winger as his mandate

 

[Thisistheone]

They'll build a statue of him outside Anfield for his services to Liverpool FC.

 

[marktan]

It's actually a little disheartening to see the Ole threads, the Mourinho threads before him so busy but the Woodward one barely gets any posts.

He's easily the biggest cause of our decline over the last 10 years. We have money, but he choses managers on a whim, vetoes their signings on a whim, and then spends £20m+ sacking manages only to repeat the farce all over again.

The biggest joke was the 'Ole being interrim manager line while we look for a top quality manager and a DOF', only to then get neither. Sack him or push him into a money only role and get some competent football people in.

 

[red thru&thru]

It's actually a little disheartening to see the Ole threads, the Mourinho threads before him so busy but the Woodward one barely gets any posts.

He's easily the biggest cause of our decline over the last 10 years. We have money, but he choses managers on a whim, vetoes their signings on a whim, and then spends £20m+ sacking manages only to repeat the farce all over again.

The biggest joke was the 'Ole being interrim manager line while we look for a top quality manager and a DOF', only to then get neither. Sack him or push him into a money only role and get some competent football people in.

I'm still to see a valid argument at how this is not Ed's fault? He has not delivered for Manchester United, how is he still in a job?

 

[Eric's Seagull]

It's actually a little disheartening to see the Ole threads, the Mourinho threads before him so busy but the Woodward one barely gets any posts.

He's easily the biggest cause of our decline over the last 10 years. We have money, but he choses managers on a whim, vetoes their signings on a whim, and then spends £20m+ sacking manages only to repeat the farce all over again.

The biggest joke was the 'Ole being interrim manager line while we look for a top quality manager and a DOF', only to then get neither. Sack him or push him into a money only role and get some competent football people in.

Don't like him or trust him at all. If he told me it was raining outside I'd look out the window to check really dislike the man and what he is doing to club. Would really like to see him leave the club but can't see that happening for a long time.

Totally agree with your point in bold. He refuses to bring in a DoF to help him and thinks that he can just bring in a new manager, not back them fully and then when they fail, he is unwilling to accept that he has made any mistakes and when it all turns sh!te he'll just think he can get rid of them and start over same crap again.

 

[Bastian]

Think you've misunderstood.

What I mean is that as a Glazer, I would be firmly pushing the idea in the media that Woodward has spent £900 million of 'our' money in a bad way, however, I do not necessarily believe that is true. Remember, unlike City's owners, the £900 million we have invested isn't our own money, it is self-generated income the club has made thanks to our commercial activities which Woodward has been hugely responsible for. We're doing great, Woodward certainly isn't losing us money.

So removing Woodward would simply be a PR exercise to appease the fans and sponsors. Behind the scenes, I would hire someone with the same skill set as Woodward to basically do the same job (making us more money). I would certainly prioritise and value someone who has commercial acumen over football acumen anyway.

No, I think I understood. What I was saying is that he's wasted more money than he's made. We don't seriously believe that Woodward's "genius" is solely responsible for generating profits when pretty much every club in the Prem is seeing record profits? He's milked the brand but no one can seriously believe that he's the only one capable of acquiring commercial partners. So a cost saving exercise would be hiring football people to oversee the spend on the football side of things. Like I said, it makes economic sense.

 

[red thru&thru]

No, I think I understood. What I was saying is that he's wasted more money than he's made. We don't seriously believe that Woodward's "genius" is solely responsible for generating profits when pretty much every club in the Prem is seeing record profits? He's milked the brand but no one can seriously believe that he's the only one capable of acquiring commercial partners. So a cost saving exercise would be hiring football people to oversee the spend on the football side of things. Like I said, it makes economic sense.

Ed Woodward is doing great? These people clearly not seen the Tifo video from earlier on.

Ed Woodward has failed Manchester United. He has failed and is failing more and more.

He too over us as champions of England, spent £1bn and we lie in 12th. Yea, Ed is doing a marvellous job!

 

[ReparableTrack0]

I just don’t understand why he can’t hire some capable football people to run the sporting side of the club. He can still be the CEO! I am sure he has the best interests of the club in his heart even though he sucks at his job. Just let other people help you man!

 

[Eric's Seagull]

If United get relegated. Ed is gone. Now he will be genuinely worried instead of feigning his anger.

Maybe this is the kick up the ar$e Woodward needs to spend money in January and eventually realise that his football knowledge is not as good as he thinks that he is and that he needs to bring in someone with football knowledge to help him to stop this slump before it gets any worse.

 

[clarkydaz]

Ed Woodward is making his own history. The signings, managers, contracts, wages, bluffs like DOF all under his watch is incredible, and he is allowed to carry on unquestioned

 

[AshRK]

I just don’t understand why he can’t hire some capable football people to run the sporting side of the club. He can still be the CEO! I am sure he has the best interests of the club in his heart even though he sucks at his job. Just let other people help you man!

He loves having power. He doesn't want to lose his authority. The guy has a huge ego which one can figure out the way he goes around. I want the guy gone completely but I cannot see it happening.

 

[Eric's Seagull]

He loves having power. He doesn't want to lose his authority. The guy has a huge ego which one can figure out the way he goes around. I want the guy gone completely but I cannot see it happening.

Totally agree with you. His ego seems so big that he thinks he is bigger than everyone at the club and refuses to get anybody in because he is not willing to let any footballing decisions be made by people who have are more knowledgeable about football than him. I have been stating exactly the same thing regarding your point in bold

 

[fergiesarmy1]

He loves having power. He doesn't want to lose his authority. The guy has a huge ego which one can figure out the way he goes around. I want the guy gone completely but I cannot see it happening.

If it goes badly wrong against Liverpool which is pretty likely the ground is gonna turn on the glazers and Woodward.

 

[AshRK]

If it goes badly wrong against Liverpool which is pretty likely the ground is gonna turn on the glazers and Woodward.

I think we fans irrespective of what happens in the next month should start turning on them. But I seriously doubt it would make much difference. What has transpired in the last one year or so in totally unacceptable. We have wasted 2 full season including this one and the only thing Woodward's plan is hopefully things start working good.

 

[fergiesarmy1]

I think we fans irrespective of what happens in the next month should start turning on them. But I seriously doubt it would make much difference. What has transpired in the last one year or so in totally unacceptable. We have wasted 2 full season including this one and the only thing Woodward's plan is hopefully things start working good.

The press are starting to take note of the glazer out songs from a couple of thousand at Newcastle, half the ground start demonstrating in a couple of weeks while the other half have already left in one of the biggest games of the season they will come under pressure, my only concern with that is they think sacking Ole will make it all go away like sacking Jose did.

 

[Pexbo]

The press are starting to take note of the glazer out songs from a couple of thousand at Newcastle, half the ground start demonstrating in a couple of weeks while the other half have already left in one of the biggest games of the season they will come under pressure, my only concern with that is they think sacking Ole will make it all go away like sacking Jose did.

Maybe an unpopular opinion but we should be targeting Woodward before the Glazers IMO.

We've spent £800m in the 6 years since David Gill left and are on our fourth manager. Woodward should have left the football side of the club well alone and employed a best in class DOF to work alongside Judge.

£800m spent on this squad over the last 6 years and what have we actually got to show for it now?

 

[fergiesarmy1]

Maybe an unpopular opinion but we should be targeting Woodward before the Glazers IMO.

We've spent £800m in the 6 years since David Gill left and are on our fourth manager. Woodward should have left the football side of the club well alone and employed a best in class DOF to work alongside Judge.

£800m spent on this squad over the last 6 years and what have we actually got to show for it now?

That’s not an unpopular opinion, Woodward is very much to blame but he’s their boy so both need to feel the wrath of the fans but yes Woodward is the best target to go at. He’s a disaster and taking a pay rise last year was disgraceful act. That £2m a year could have been used to towards the salary of that thing we are missing, a goalscorer. Not a scruffy midget with no background in football.

 

[BlueHaze]

Maybe an unpopular opinion but we should be targeting Woodward before the Glazers IMO.

We've spent £800m in the 6 years since David Gill left and are on our fourth manager. Woodward should have left the football side of the club well alone and employed a best in class DOF to work alongside Judge.

£800m spent on this squad over the last 6 years and what have we actually got to show for it now?

Man he's just a Glazer with a different name. He was the "mastermind" behind their overtaking of the club and then further down the line they promoted him to whatever calamity of a position he has now. Remember every decision he takes has to be given a green light from the Glazer's aka the real problem.

 

[Salus Populi Suprema Lex]

He is an unmitigated disaster, unfit to be chief executive of a Salford market stall, let alone Manchester United. It's just one mistake after another as he continues to draw his massive salary. He should be chased out of the club.

 

[Tapori]

Ed Woodward is marvelous research study subject for business leadership

 

[clarkydaz]

Maybe an unpopular opinion but we should be targeting Woodward before the Glazers IMO.

We've spent £800m in the 6 years since David Gill left and are on our fourth manager. Woodward should have left the football side of the club well alone and employed a best in class DOF to work alongside Judge.

£800m spent on this squad over the last 6 years and what have we actually got to show for it now?

he does the Glazers bidding. If they wanted the club run for maximum team success they would have taken measures by now

 

[Pexbo]

he does the Glazers bidding. If they wanted the club run for maximum team success they would have taken measures by now

They’ve allocated him £800m to spend over the last 6 years on transfer fees and the highest wage budget in the league.

Do you think they did that while also saying “Oh by the way mate, if you can try and make us hover between mid table and top four then that would be in our best interests as owners of the club. We don’t want it doing too well after all.”

 

[red thru&thru]

Ed Woodward is marvelous research study subject for business leadership

Yea, on not how to lead and fooling people to think you're a genius!

 

[Fosu-Mens]

Ed Woodward is marvelous research study subject for business leadership

Business management*

 

[Tapori]

Yea, on not how to lead and fooling people to think you're a genius!

Ed Woodward is an incredible individual and we thank him everyday for his insightful stewardship of Manchester United.
Without him we would never know the joy of so many international brands and noodles.
Truly a visionary.