Man Utd set to appoint Director of Football (when hell freezes over)

[Neo_Mufc]

A lot of people want Jose's head but why is Woodward sitting cosy in the club?

He's brought in 3 managers now who have not been good enough for the club followed by one of the worst transfer windows I think we've had in a long time.

 

[JohnnyKills]

But then why did he give him another season? It's obvious he doesn't trust Mourinho so the right decision would have been getting rid of him, we could have gotten Pochettino before he signed his extension with Tottenham, now that ship has sailed and we are stuck with Mourinho and his repugnant football for yet another year. Please don't give Woodward any credit he is completely inept of making any good decisions.

Yeah Woodward bottled it big-time. The only explanation might be that his preferred successor isn't available yet.

 

[Berbaclass]

A lot of people want Jose's head but why is Woodward sitting cosy in the club?

He's brought in 3 managers now who have not been good enough for the club followed by one of the worst transfer windows I think we've had in a long time.

2 managers. He didn't really hire Moyes did he.

 

[ZlatMan]

The common root to this joke five years is definitely Woodward. We will never move forward with him in charge. I better hope the new director of football takes over the football side and overhaul the club to its heights.

 

[3KDré]

I don’t know what people expected. He went after Pep and klopp and got rejected. Mourinho was the best manager available at the time and it’s on Mourinho that we’re awful. I don’t buy that we’re not good enough to beat Brighton without alderweireld and Perisic who are the only two players Woodward didn’t get for Mourinho.

 

[Obi-Red-Kenobi]

United's team after LvG was sacked consisted of one world class player - and that was the keeper.

We needed a major overhaul and we still do. You can't replace 10 players in one transfer window. I see a lot of people saying we're better off in 5-3-2. I know Jose said he wants to try it. Put an experienced head like Toby in the middle, someone who can also pass a fecking ball from the back and suddenly more players will begin playing to their strengths.

If the board doesn't trust Jose why give him an extension and then let him down in the Summer? Makes no sense apart to probably couple of feckwits on our board...

UTD are a very good team, I kept expected Liverpool to catch them last season, but we couldn’t.

10 players? Really, things aren’t that bad, and your first 11 is still strong enough to do some serious damage to the bottom 16.

Lindeloff, Lukaku, Matic, Bailly, Pogba, Martial, Shaw, Herrera, Mata, Fred and Fellaini cost the best part of half a billion, so should be good enough to support a title chasing squad.

Personally, I think there is a trust issue there, whether that’s a lack of trust in Mourinho or just generally due to UTD’s record of signings since Fergie left. I have just looked at the list of players who were bought and moved on for different reasons and its scary how quickly they were used and then sold for a loss.

The club have spent a lot of money, and I suspect there will be a parting of the waves at the end of this season with Mourinho leaving.

This feels like it might be a challenging season, but your fixtures are kind from now on until November, bar the Spurs game next week, or soon, whenever it is.

 

[Un4givableB]

2 managers. He didn't really hire Moyes did he.

Yeah, he did.

He might have deferred to Fergie's opinon but the last word was his.

 

[FootyGirl88]

I don’t know what people expected. He went after Pep and klopp and got rejected. Mourinho was the best manager available at the time and it’s on Mourinho that we’re awful. I don’t buy that we’re not good enough to beat Brighton without alderweireld and Perisic who are the only two players Woodward didn’t get for Mourinho.

The world doesn't revolve around those two - there's other coaches out there we could have brought in if we looked hard enough.

 

[Un4givableB]

I told you all in the summer, this guy is the problem.

He thinks he's the manager and he's a Glazer stooge.

We were 2nd in the table and progressing and we've let teams go further ahead than us and let teams catch up with us because this clown Woodward thought we had good enough centre halves and that he was above the manager when deciding on the future's of crap players like Shaw, Martial etc.

I said the day the window closed that this buffoon should be driven out of the club and was laughed at on here. I'll keep reminding you of it all.

100% correct.

 

[Obi-Red-Kenobi]

As a Liverpool fan who's spent well above that in 28 years and never won a title, you should know its about far more than the manager.

You're on your high horse now but what United are suffering from know is what you've had for over a quarter of a century. It's far more than just the manager selection, as any Liverpool fan worth his salt would know.

It's all the owners and their puppets like Woodward's fault. All of it. 100%. When the next manager has the same problems will our fans see it? Probably not sadly.

I’m being very respectful and am not on a high horse. I wouldn’t say Liverpool have spent more, certainly not in net terms anyway, but Liverpool should have won the league since 1990, but they haven’t.

Losing to Brighton is not the owners fault. You’ve won countless trophies since they took over.

 

[Jazz]

Can't blame Woodward for the way we play. That's all on the manager.

Woodward does need to get someone in charge of football matters because it's not his thing. He seems to have come to that conclusion looking for a DOF. However, at this moment he's given the manager plenty, and it's up to him to use the players in the best way possible.

 

[Jazz]

I’m being very respectful and am not on a high horse. I wouldn’t say Liverpool have spent more, certainly not in net terms anyway, but Liverpool should have won the league since 1990, but they haven’t.

Losing to Brighton is not the owners fault. You’ve won countless trophies since they took over.

Correct.

 

[SteveJ]

It's tempting to wonder whether Woodward asked the players if they support Jose...

 

[Enigma_87]

UTD are a very good team, I kept expected Liverpool to catch them last season, but we couldn’t.

10 players? Really, things aren’t that bad, and your first 11 is still strong enough to do some serious damage to the bottom 16.

Lindeloff, Lukaku, Matic, Bailly, Pogba, Martial, Shaw, Herrera, Mata, Fred and Fellaini cost the best part of half a billion, so should be good enough to support a title chasing squad.

Personally, I think there is a trust issue there, whether that’s a lack of trust in Mourinho or just generally due to UTD’s record of signings since Fergie left. I have just looked at the list of players who were bought and moved on for different reasons and its scary how quickly they were used and then sold for a loss.

The club have spent a lot of money, and I suspect there will be a parting of the waves at the end of this season with Mourinho leaving.

This feels like it might be a challenging season, but your fixtures are kind from now on until November, bar the Spurs game next week, or soon, whenever it is.

I said 10 players after LvG left, not now.

We have a good core, but that's about it.

It's not about the money, City, Liverpool, Chelsea all have expensive squads, ours is no better in that regard. The first 5 you mentioned are all Mourinho's signings.

 

[CA1]

I’m being very respectful and am not on a high horse. I wouldn’t say Liverpool have spent more, certainly not in net terms anyway, but Liverpool should have won the league since 1990, but they haven’t.

Losing to Brighton is not the owners fault. You’ve won countless trophies since they took over.

Losing to Brighton is a micro, atom of an incident in the grand scheme of why the club is facing backwards and moving and has been for over 10 years in all aspects except for milking money to feed the owners pockets.

You know nothing about our club. I'm not being rude but you don't.

 

[Enigma_87]

I’m being very respectful and am not on a high horse. I wouldn’t say Liverpool have spent more, certainly not in net terms anyway, but Liverpool should have won the league since 1990, but they haven’t.

Losing to Brighton is not the owners fault. You’ve won countless trophies since they took over.

Come on mate. We have worse losses under Fergie. The problem isn't one game. We finished ahead of Liverpool last season if you want to put it all on the manager.

 

[Obi-Red-Kenobi]

I said 10 players after LvG left, not now.

We have a good core, but that's about it.

It's not about the money, City, Liverpool, Chelsea all have expensive squads, ours is no better in that regard. The first 5 you mentioned are all Mourinho's signings.

Fair enough, I miss read.

Time will tell I guess, but UTD will be in the top 4, I’ve no doubt.

 

[Van Piorsing]

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[AllezLesDiables]

A strange thing which seems to be going on at a lot of football clubs - there are CEO's who have fantastic commercial acumen, good education and are very strong from a financial growth standpoint, but are so far disconnected from the average fan, its shocking.

I've worked in an Investment bank previously for 2 years - the issue is while these people are incredibly hard working, and many are highly intelligent, most aren't very creative, and its not really great training in running a business.

Someone who advises you on an acquisition, or an M&A deal isn't necessarily going to be the right guy to lead a behemoth like Manchester United. We've seen this issue in recent history at Liverpool, too.

Sometimes I wonder how someone goes from Investment Banking ---> top football club. You need people with a feel for the game along with the commercial acumen - making spreadsheets and advising pharmaceutical companies on acquisitions of other companies isn't exactly the ideal preperation. There needs to be a combination of football acumen along with the commercial/leadership aspects.

I think its an issue with a lot of organizations - just because a dude was at JP Morgan and advised you on syndicated loans for a buyout doesn't mean he's going to be a good leader for an organization.

Happens all the time. Peter Principle at work. People hate the idea that someone could walk-in from the street and be better suited to do something that someone who has 20 years of experience and has advanced degrees and has fancy titles.

Truth of the matter that people do not want to accept that they will never have the ability and no amount of work, training, or learning can surpass one’s own limitations.

Woodward will never be a good football decision maker or a CEO he doesn’t have the innate talent. He is a great salesperson and marketer and that they arena he needs to stay with.

 

[George Owen]

And the new appointed director of football is:

Ed Woodward!!

 

[7even]

Like many others have said it starts at the top.

1. The board must release Woodward from decisions related to football and let him focus on commercial deals and keep the financial books in order.

2. We can call it whatever we wants but we need a person in charge of football related things who’s not the manager. A DoF who are in charge of our middle and long term visions, recruiting key positions like the manager and key players, transfer activity, contracts, scouting, medical and physio department.

3. We need a new young and up coming manager with fresh and modern ideas. Someone like Nagelsman or similar. Unfortunately it looks like Mourinho has lost the dressing room. The club needs a new face, a new voice and someone with optimism. Jose isn’t a bad person but it’s to late now.

4. Our transfer philosophy must change. We can’t pay mediocre half arsed dross top dollars without any sort of performance related incentives. The deal with Sanchez was the last straw on the Camels back.

5. Short term. Find a core of key players who’s willing to back any new manager to the hilt. Bench players who sulk and those with the wrong attitude. It will cost us points and create a media storm but right now what is worse.

6. Sack him or back him. Do it now when we have the first international break. Either this or back Jose Mourinho 100% but also accepts the consequences who follows him and his philosophy.

 

[MadDogg]

Yeah, he did.

He might have deferred to Fergie's opinon but the last word was his.

I believe Gill was still calling the shots at that stage. Officially he definitely was, although he may (or may not) have unofficially handed things over to Woodward by that stage.

 

[George Owen]

Hurry up with this shit please!!

Woodward needs to stay the feck out from anything related to football.

 

[3KDré]

The world doesn't revolve around those two - there's other coaches out there we could have brought in if we looked hard enough.

Yes I know. We were rejected by Ancelotti too. That wasn’t my point, it was that we went after every big name and got rejected. Perhaps you could say we should’ve gone after someone up and coming but top clubs rarely do that.

 

[kouroux]

Ed Woodward can feck off, is all I have to say

 

[Acole9]

Who cares. If he benefits Utd take him. Club over Country any day.

Exactly this, England had a good World Cup and it was nice and all that but I want success for United first and foremost.

 

[Dr. StrangeHate]

Finally people are realising the right person to blame. If he had bought players like Toby, Willian, Glen Murray, Kronos, bongo and Duffy. This would not have happened.

 

[FootyGirl88]

Yes I know. We were rejected by Ancelotti too. That wasn’t my point, it was that we went after every big name and got rejected. Perhaps you could say we should’ve gone after someone up and coming but top clubs rarely do that.

That's exactly our problem - I think like you said we should have gone for someone up and coming. Madrid brought in Zidane, Bayern have made a similar appointment this season.

Top clubs focus on the brand of football when they do their recruiting we just go for name alone.

 

[C3Pique]

Good job Woodward decided that Bailly and Lindelof are the second and third best centre backs in world football eh.

 

[Minimalist]

"...I left the iron on didn't I?"

 

[Classical Mechanic]

Good job Woodward decided that Bailly and Lindelof are the second and third best centre backs in world football eh.

Exactly. Ed has been buying the players that the managers want. That's the issue. We have to buy a new set of players for each manager.

 

[Draco1986]

The look on his face says it all. Wonder if Mourinho will last this week. After the match all I can remember til now is Woodwards face.

 

[MDFC Manager]

It's tempting to wonder whether Woodward asked the players if they support Jose...

Would be interesting indeed.

Personally I think (hope?) that he just asked them to be careful about what they speak to the press and put out on social media etc.

I think Mourinho himself was fairly restrained in his post match comments.

 

[automaticflare]

He was spot on not giving Jose money if this is the kind of shite he serves up. It was fecking Brighton for gods sake, you hardly need to be world class to see them off.

I kind of agree but then he needs to sack the manager

Remember this is the guy who paid more than the release clause for Fellaini

 

[Dr. StrangeHate]

"Playing performance doesn't really have a meaningful impact on what we can do on the commercial side of the business."

- Ed Woodward
@United's quarterly conference call with shareholders on May 17th, 2018.

What is he supposed to say," pack it up investors we are shit."

 

[SteveJ]

What is he supposed to say," pack it up investors we are shit."

Yes. "We're shit but thanks for the tractors."

 

[Hammondo]

This has nothing to do with a lack of investment, their team cost far less than ours. Why would we put more money into someone who has already spent a huge amount of money and not shown equal results.

 

[Classical Mechanic]

It's tempting to wonder whether Woodward asked the players if they support Jose...

It's his job to know these things so he will be looking at morale. Although some on here seem to think he should be counting beans somewhere.

 

[Acole9]

He's doing an excellent job on the commercial side but that'll cease eventually if performances on the pitch aren't up to scratch. Manchester United will just be a name and dining out on past glory.

 

[M Bison]

I kind of agree but then he needs to sack the manager

Remember this is the guy who paid more than the release clause for Fellaini

He was supporting dithering Dave there to be fair to him, lets not re-write history.