Edward Woodward

[nimic]

Grubby-looking twat. Looks like he needs a bath. He should keep his trap shut until he's gone out there and made a signing or two that we actually need. fecking gnome.

What the feck?

 

[Salfordlad70]

I am prepared to wait until next September before slating him any further.The next two windows will tell us more about him and it was always going to be a tricky window just gone.People learn from mistakes, or should do and he may just surprise us! He can't do much worse but he must do a lot better and Woodward and his team will have no excuses and I expect that any deals in January are being worked on now.

 

[Eric'sCollar]

I am prepared to wait until next September before slating him any further.The next two windows will tell us more about him and it was always going to be a tricky window just gone.People learn from mistakes, or should do and he may just surprise us! He can't do much worse but he must do a lot better and Woodward and his team will have no excuses and I expect that any deals in January are being worked on now.

Agreed.

 

[Melvyn]

Well seeing as the Guardian has published this (from the UWS magazine):
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/dec/04/manchester-united-football-league-b-team

Manchester United want a Football League B team, says Woodward

Manchester United have become the first major club to back publicly the idea of having a B side competing in the Football League after the executive vice-chairman, Ed Woodward, claimed the 20-times champions believe it would "solve a lot of the issues" regarding the development of youth players.

Woodward's view confirms the belief that there is a will from Premier League clubs to have closer links lower down the pyramid, a subject that forms a key component of the debate initiated by Greg Dyke's Football Association commission. The FA chairman is heading a committee that is investigating ways in which home-grown footballers have a better chance of playing at elite level.

With Dyke having set a target of England reaching the Euro 2020 semi-finals and to win the 2022 World Cup, Woodward is concerned that the current system in domestic football "just isn't as good as it could be".

The breakthrough of Adnan Januzaj, who could qualify to play for England, into United's first-team squad is the exception rather than the rule. Twenty years ago 69% of English players were in the starting lineups at top-flight clubs, a representation that has now dropped to 32%.

Woodward believes the youth system can be improved. "We need to have a look at it. We have strong views at Manchester United on the subject," he told the United We Stand fanzine. "If we could have a B team playing then it would solve a lot of issues. The reserves do deliver some of the objectives, the system just isn't as good as it could be."

But given the resistance from the Football League, a model based on the Dutch system where Ajax had a formal relationship with lower division club Almere City may be more viable.

Woodward is aware that differing models should be looked at. "Barcelona and Real Madrid have a competitive advantage with their system [of B sides]. Ajax have got it," he said. "A team in the division below went bust a year ago. Ajax stepped in and now they are developing their players that way. You can look at different models and what Spurs have with Swindon. You can look at rotating players in the first team.

"There is no clear and obvious answer. If you buy a top 18-year-old, a [Cristiano] Ronaldo or [Wayne] Rooney, they could go straight into the first team. Or they could go into the squad at number 25 or 26."

The Football League is thought to remain privately against the idea of B sides or any formal links between top-flight and lower league clubs. The governing body argues that the loan system allows younger players from elite clubs to gain experience in competitive circumstances. There is also a fear that becoming a feeder for a Premier League team could stop a side progressing through the leagues, as Swansea City have recently done.

In September Greg Clarke, the Football League chairman, said: "The Football League is not keen to have feeder clubs. If you look at leagues which do have them, you tend not to get good attendances. We don't like the idea of it and I don't believe it would solve the problem – but we will look at it as nothing is off the table.

"But if there is a proposal it should be put forward as part of the process and be dealt with by the commission. Let's not hijack Greg Dyke's process."

 

[amolbhatia50k]

A lot of talk, but let's see him perform next summer.

 

[Revan]

Great idea. I think that we discussed this here on Caf some months ago and the opinions were very divided.

 

[Bestie07]

Don't like it personally. B teams of bigger clubs will end up taking the spots of some proper clubs in the league system, an idea which doesn't sit well with me.

 

[adexkola]

Shit idea. The English football system does not exist to serve the interests of the top clubs.

 

[datura]

Shit idea. The English football system does not exist to serve the interests of the top clubs.

That's a bit myopic, it could also benefit the national team if it improves the development of the best youngsters in the country.

 

[Earthquake]

Wasn't this the same thing Moyes wanted for Everton?

 

[LARulz]

I don't mind it on a selfish level but can see why people see it as disrespectful. But why are the Guardian reporting it as we are the first major club? Didn't Benitez, Wenger and Mourinho all say it at different times too?

 

[Earthquake]

Would it not be more viable to set up a partnership system? Each Prem team partners with a low league team, and loans them a group of prospects(perhaps English only, or a majority of English?), with the Prem team paying all the wages. The low league team gets a group of players for free, helping likely ridiculously tight budgets, and the Prem group get not only first team experience, but do it working together so they develop unity.

 

[Garethw]

Put the money where your mouth is Wood pecker, or shut your hole!!

 

[arthurka]

Spain are doing ok internationally and they have that system..

 

[thegregster]

Spain are doing ok internationally and they have that system..

It easier to used that system in Spain as their are less professional clubs and real/Barca can do things as they want.

Who do you let have B teams in England? What division do they go in? Who misses out?

Of course I would love to see United B play in the championship.

 

[smallred]

wonder what this gimp will deliver this window?

last time it was round the world trips, insulting bids, contacting wrong clubs for players, imposters in Spain, f8cking up the Ronaldo, Bale, fabregas and Fellaini deals and so on.

come on Woodie, at least give us something to laugh about.

 

[The Taurean]

It's what he does between now and the beginning of next season that will define his role.

 

[Sunny Jim]

Whenever i have a bad day, something sad happens, whenever the wine/whisky finishes, whenever a girls turns me down...then i think about Woodie's 25 mil for Fabregas and that brings a smile to my face.

 

[Ixion]

Give him time his flight hasn't even landed yet.

 

[Cling Bak]

January deals are very difficult, but we need to bring someone in.

The headlines today though are that we have 100-200mil to spend over the next 18 months. Even if it's bollocks, is that really a wise thing to have everyone in the World know about?! We couldn't have looked more desperate last summer and we've obviously shown plenty of signs this season that we need to bring in players!

It's like handing over a 20 at a Turkish market and asking him if, actually, would he sell it for 10 instead?

 

[Hellboy]

Is this muppet doing anything?

 

[Plugsy]

neither he nor Moyes can use the "January ain't a great time for transfers" excuse because it's down to them (probably mainly Woodward) why we're having to do this now in the first place.

If you shake a can of coke to feck you can't then complain when upon opening it jizzes you right in the eye.

 

[Adebesi]

If we dont finish 4th this season can we sack Woodward instead of Moyes?

 

[Red Shorts]

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/foot...m-to-stop-alarming-slide-at-Manchester-United

Spoiler

The Glazer family, United’s American owners, have told Moyes they will back him on any signing he wants to make either this month or in the summer, providing they are not simply short-term fixes.
After months of intensive scouting around Europe, Moyes is understood to have handed United’s hierarchy a list of targets that includes Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke, Borussia Dortmund pair Marco Reus and Ilkay Gundogan, Porto’s Eliaquim Mangala and Southampton’s Luke Shaw.
But Moyes’ dilemma is that while he desperately wants to make one or two signings this month, none of his targets is likely to become available until the summer when he may well be left with the task of buying half-a-dozen new players.
Neither Moyes nor United’s board are understood to want to blow money on panic-buys or short-term fixes having got their fingers burned by the £27.5m deadline-day signing of Marouane Fellaini, who has had a disastrous start at United.
That means Moyes is bracing himself to have to rely on the current squad to ensure United – currently seventh – finish in the top four and qualify for next season’s Champions League. Failure to do so would make attracting world-class players even more difficult as well as denting United’s revenue streams.

After Sunday’s FA Cup exit, former keeper Mark Bosnich said they are now paying the price for failing to land targets such as Cesc Fabregas, Thiago Alcantara, Daniele De Rossi and Leighton Baines last summer. Bosnich said: “United’s problems can be traced back to their lack of activity in the transfer window last summer. You have to improve your squad every year if you’re going to stay at the top.
“The Glazers, Ed Woodward [the chief executive] or whoever is calling the shots, have really got to stand up in this January transfer window and give Moyes funds to get the players he really wants.
“This season is heading towards disaster. They might not finish in the top four.
“I know United have got a history of saying, ‘We’re only going to pay so much because you’re coming to play for Manchester United’, but many of the top players in the world haven’t got the same love for United as some players in Britain have.
“They’re going to have to start paying what the market rate is for players if they’re going to get the type of quality of players that United deserve.”
Moyes will recall David De Gea, Michael Carrick, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra and Adnan Januzaj for tonight’s Capital One Cup semi-final, first-leg at Sunderland. And there is an outside chance Wayne Rooney might be over his groin injury.

This window really isn't on Moyes' shoulders should we fail to make any significant improvements, but on the Glazers and Woodward solely. They are in control of the money, they are the ones responsible for bringing players into the club. Those players highlighted are pretty much the best list of players we could add to our list in their position, and none of them are impossible to get (possibly Reus is the closest). Atletico are struggling greatly in terms of finance, and should an offer come in for Koke with a premium (doesn't he have a buyout clause of 60 million Euros?), Mangala is just the physical presence we can have in the middle, and Porto always seem to be up for selling (again with a premium), and Southampton could be persuaded with the English premium, but I would prefer the cheaper option of Coentrao for now. Gundogan is still recovering from a long-term injury, so buying him in the January transfer window would be great in the long term, but we won't be fully effective with him quickly enough. Reus' Buyout clause only activates next season so he would be extremely expensive to buy, so I can't see that happening unless we come close to an English transfer record for him.

Woodward and co. have to realise we need to pay big bucks for the top talent again, like £42 million for Ozil and ~£35million for Hazard. The likes of Koke and Shaw can be persuaded to come with the right offer both in transfer fee and in wages. The point about missing out on CL football is a good point, because although big transfers can be done, we only put ourselves in a trickier situation of persuading them.

 

[LawCharltonBest]

I blame Woodward as much as Moyes.

Woodward should have got us better players, but he left us on September 1st with a squad not enough to win the league this season. But on the other hand the squad isn't bad enough to be finishing below the top 4.

 

[Amir]

Woodward should have got us better players, but he left us on September 1st with a squad not enough to win the league this season. But on the other hand the squad isn't bad enough to be finishing below the top 4.

He can only work with the targets the manager gives him. If the manager says Baines, Everton won't sell for less than a huge fee and the manager doesn't provide other options, what is the CEO to do? Same thing with an unrealistic target like Fabregas.

Not saying Woodward handled things brilliantly and the Fellaini thing was crazy, but I'm not sure Gill would have seen us adding quality.

 

[Goooose]

Not saying Woodward handled things brilliantly and the Fellaini thing was crazy, but I'm not sure Gill would have seen us adding quality.

Aye. It's not as if Gill was making marquee signings every window.

 

[Sandikan]

You almost have to laugh looking at that transfer window.

From the quite startling sound of our manager and exec making big noises about signing the best, and then publically constantly talking about Fabregas personally, to the last 30mins scuffling about throwing in sh!Tloads of bids for all comers, and just about snapping Fellaini up for a fee higher than the first Fabregas bids!

and to think we started the window laughing at Arsenal's attempts to get seemingly any top striker they could

 

[Nate Dogg]

If we end on the final day of the transfer window scurrying to close a deal i will be angry, really angry. If the same situations occurs again then heads will have to roll!!!

 

[Sultan]

David Gill's loss has been massive.

 

[Will Absolute]

He can only work with the targets the manager gives him. If the manager says Baines, Everton won't sell for less than a huge fee and the manager doesn't provide other options, what is the CEO to do? Same thing with an unrealistic target like Fabregas.

Not saying Woodward handled things brilliantly and the Fellaini thing was crazy, but I'm not sure Gill would have seen us adding quality.

Yep. Moyes has to shoulder much, if not most, of the responsibility for the fiasco. Cash had clearly been made available - even after securing Fellaini, we were still scrambling around at the last minute chasing other targets; but we made such a monumental f**k up of our business that, in the end, we couldn't even buy things with money!

 

[forevrared]

David Gill's loss has been massive.

I think it's more a combination of losing him and Ferguson at the same time. Extremely poor decision by Gill to leave when he knew Ferguson was going. We badly needed some continuity in leadership.

 

[JustAFan]

I think it's more a combination of losing him and Ferguson at the same time. Extremely poor decision by Gill to leave when he knew Ferguson was going. We badly needed some continuity in leadership.

Nah the poor decision was hiring Woodward. Football transfers is a game of connections not just money, Gill had many, Woodward has none. Woodward is a rank amateur and never should have been given this position.

 

[forevrared]

I think it's well enough established that Woodward is a Glazer stooge. He was a value to the club in his role signing sponsors, but hard to say he's been anything but a detriment as operating chief executive.

 

[Amir]

There a lot more to being a CEO of a football club (or however we define his role) than to handle transfers for a couple of windows a year. Woodward may be very capable in doing most of the things he needs to. Question is if he can learn the business or football or whether we need to bring someone else to do that part of his role.

 

[Amir]

I think it's more a combination of losing him and Ferguson at the same time. Extremely poor decision by Gill to leave when he knew Ferguson was going. We badly needed some continuity in leadership.

Gill had already made the decision to go by the time Fergie told him he was off... We can't really blame him for that.

 

[PTME]

I think it's more a combination of losing him and Ferguson at the same time. Extremely poor decision by Gill to leave when he knew Ferguson was going. We badly needed some continuity in leadership.

it was an extremely poor decision by Ferguson, not by Gill.

 

[forevrared]

Well I have my doubts, regardless of what comes out through books and interviews, about how early Sir Alex knew he was going and I'd assume Gill knew, too.

Either way, both of them set United up for failure. Sir Alex actually did a lot that may not have directly set us up to fail going forward, but didn't allow United as a club to move forward into the 21st century with the rest of the super clubs in modern football. He had to know that would be a detriment to the club after he was gone.

 

[SirAF]

I think it's more a combination of losing him and Ferguson at the same time. Extremely poor decision by Gill to leave when he knew Ferguson was going. We badly needed some continuity in leadership.

Gill didn't know that Ferguson had decided to retire when he told him that he was leaving as CEO.

 

[Drifter]

Can not resist a sponsor.

Manchester United and Aperol announce sponsorship agreement

Iconic aperitif to be club’s global spirits partner

(NYSE:Man Utd) Manchester United Football Club has today announced a multi-season sponsorship agreement with international spirits brand Aperol, to become the club’s official global spirits partner.

The deal, which runs until the end of the 2016/2017 season, will see Aperol branding visible during all domestic games at Old Trafford, as well official club publications, MUTV and the official website. The partnership will also see the signature drink, Aperol Spritz, available in the stadium’s hospitality areas.

A celebration message of ‘Cheers, United!’ represents an exciting phase as Aperol develops its brand across the globe, extending into new markets and growing outside its traditional Italian roots.
Manchester United's group managing director, Richard Arnold, said: “We are delighted to welcome Aperol as Manchester United’s new global sprits partner. Like Manchester United, Aperol is an ambitious organisation and we have been impressed by their innovative approach to developing the brand on an international stage.

“Manchester United has 659 million followers across the world and this partnership will be another platform to bring the club closer to these fans. Aperol is a fitting partner to help the club and its supporters to celebrate our achievements and we look forward to sharing many successes together in the coming year