James Robson: Man Utd have left Ole with a bloated & imbalanced squad wasting over £1m p/w in wages

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AshRK

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Nothing new but unfortunately some fans think it is Ole's job to do the clear out. Blaming the manager has become a norm with this fan base when in reality we are run by incompetent people.
 

12OunceEpilogue

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Aye, we're packed to the gills with dreck. At least Ole sees it too and has said his piece behind the scenes.
 

horsechoker

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It feels like the club are looking to luck their way into success, spend a little, save a lot.
 

Bastian

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I'm just glad these pieces are more common now. Highlighting the incompetence of the hierarchy for all to see.
 

Sylar

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Seems like Ole is doing as much as he can by keeping some players out of the squad. And it is a lot of the player that most wanted gone. But the club/Ed seem intent on recouping or making profits on these players.

Not only that, but for a new manager, and for the start of a new 'change' only bringing in three players is quite sad.
 

edcunited1878

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Need to change the title for it to read...

"Ed Woodward, thinking he knows better than actual, proper football minds, has left Ole with a bloated and imbalanced squad which is ready to throw him under the bus."
 

DomesticTadpole

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Ole's role will be to tell the overlords which players he wants gone. It is then their job to sell said players, which they haven't. Absolutely useless. It is down to them that some are on bloated contracts that no other club wants to meet. They could have sold Darmian last summer, but wanted too much for him. He will probably not be sold and will go for absolutely nothing. How is that good business when the lad doesn't even get to play?
 

ClutchHunter

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Need to change the title for it to read...

"Ed Woodward, thinking he knows better than actual, proper football minds, has left Ole with a bloated and imbalanced squad which is ready to throw him under the bus."
You misunderstand this entire debacle.

He's not an arrogant guy mistakenly thinking he knows better than his club's manager what will take this club to the top.

He's a money man who's been hired by the Glazers to keep us moderately competitive whilst saving as much money as possible.

It's all about money, and that comes from above Woodward's deck.
 

Alemar

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Woodward is acting stupidly here. If OGS has told him "Rojo/Darmian/[NAME] will not play and are surplus to requirements", it would be wise to offload them even at a cut-price.
 

Greck

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I actually think this is Jose's legacy. Don't get me wrong Woodward as well but Jose would have us pay Willian a million pounds a week to back him. The club's finances simply didn't matter to him and the wages skyrocketed past any manager that's been here since SAF retired
 

reddevil702

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How is Ed still overseeing Football Operations? Just baffling that someone who has overseen United's decline still has a job.
 

FireballXL5

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There's only going to be one loser here, and it isn't going to be Ed Woodward.
 

edcunited1878

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You misunderstand this entire debacle.

He's not an arrogant guy mistakenly thinking he knows better than his club's manager what will take this club to the top.

He's a money man who's been hired by the Glazers to keep us moderately competitive whilst saving as much money as possible.

It's all about money, and that comes from above Woodward's deck.
You can't claim to be a money man and save money if you over-value assets and then overpay for them in the open market...then hold on to said overvalued/overpaid assets that depreciate annually, then expect to sell those same assets for a "profit". That's pure incompetence, if not ignorance...which Woodward is.

Woodward has nothing to do with the Commercial side of the club. That's Richard Arnold.
 

Big Ben Foster

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I actually think this is Jose's legacy. Don't get me wrong Woodward as well but Jose would have us pay Willian a million pounds a week to back him. The club's finances simply didn't matter to him and the wages skyrocketed past any manager that's been here since SAF retired
Some people will blame Mourinho for everything. These problems were inherent in our squad long before Mourinho took over - the only one to blame is Ed Woodward.
 

FujiVice

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This is what is wrong with this forum. A Manchester United message board with "Robson" in the title, and we're meant to assume its a journalist and not the best captain in our history.
 

Rob Bowman

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Yeah I do not blame Ole at all.

We renewed Jose contract and then did not back him last Summer Transfer window. We got now one in the winter, and getting Maguire this window felt like overdue business with the midfield and forward line left to atrophy.

Honestly what do we expect Ole to do when Woodward will not, or can not, do his job.
 

ReallyUSA

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We have to get rid of four defenders, one more attacker, and a midfielder. Can't do it due to Woodward's inabilities. I told myself I am not going to wake up earlier anymore for this shit. Americans understand that you can't always be on top, but the club has every ability to do so.
 

Bastian

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I actually think this is Jose's legacy. Don't get me wrong Woodward as well but Jose would have us pay Willian a million pounds a week to back him. The club's finances simply didn't matter to him and the wages skyrocketed past any manager that's been here since SAF retired
The managers do not deal with contracts. That's been repeated I think by the last 3 managers. SAF was different, he basically ran the club from top to bottom, delegating as he saw fit.

Since you mention the wages and Jose, the market changed dramatically whilst Jose was at the helm. We bought Pogba, the biggest profile player we've had since probably van Persie. And Zlatan, who came on a free.

The problem is not paying top players top wages, it's paying shit players top wages. That's completely on the hierarchy.
 

Ballache

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Said it before and I'll say it again, nothing will change until we make drastic changes on how the football side is being run. We can have Klopp or Pep here and we will still struggle.
 

Sparky_Hughes

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Woodward is an incompetent arrogant chinless Surrey wankboy, I wouldn't brake if I saw the clueless twat crossing the road. He and his greasy asshole overlords need to be made to be too damn scared to set foot in o.t
 

Shark

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Nothing new but unfortunately some fans think it is Ole's job to do the clear out. Blaming the manager has become a norm with this fan base when in reality we are run by incompetent people.
But ask yourself this question, would Ole even be here if we weren't run by incompetent people? he's been given a big big chance at this club and as bad as the squad is in areas, it's not bad enough to be winning 3 out of 14 games, most against lower half clubs. He was brought in originally give the club a lift, which he did but that didn't last. What is he going to do now to bring this club forward, as every manager is faced with difficult/incompetent people, be it SAF when he came to United, Klopp at Liverpool and Pep at City. If you're really cut out for the job you'll rise above them.
 

dev1l

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It seems that Ole cannot sign players before the club gets rid of it's deadwood. And it s becoming increasingly difficult to do so due to the high wages.
It's a frustrating situation because Ole doesn't really have control on sales of players and have limited control on whom we buy.
He can only give direction, then it's up to the negotiator/s.
 

AshRK

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But ask yourself this question, would Ole even be here if we weren't run by incompetent people? he's been given a big big chance at this club and as bad as the squad is in areas, it's not bad enough to be winning 3 out of 14 games, most against lower half clubs. He was brought in originally give the club a lift, which he did but that didn't last. What is he going to do now to bring this club forward, as every manager is faced with difficult/incompetent people, be it SAF when he came to United, Klopp at Liverpool and Pep at City. If you're really cut out for the job you'll rise above them.
Ole should not have been given the job but now having got one cannot ask for him to be sacked and act as that will solve everything. The issue has gone beyond manager now and that is why I find it funny when people say hey let us sack X and appoint and that will make us look great, if only it was that simple.

As for other managers, well Sir alex was given ample time to prove himself. He was not an instant success and one other there will never be another Sir alex so no point bringing him in any comparison. Klopp was also not an instant success, he was backed by the liverpool board to implement his ideas. Their board sold players that Klopp did not want and gave Klopp the money to buy his players. I am not sure why you even brought Pep's name. City's board are teh best to work for. Did you forget the summer of 2017 when they made whole sale changes to the squad. Pep did not have to fight with board, he was completely backed.
 

Dennis_Law

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If this article is accurate and I assume it is, the most worrying part is where it says a move for Rojo was rejected on deadline day as Everton are seen as a top six rival.... really, is that how the top brass think?

P.S. why, why did anyone think £450,000 a week was fair dosh for a thirty year old Sanchez? That is Mbappe money and he's a young fella.
 

amolbhatia50k

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Jones
Rojo
Darmian
Sanchez

Who else we we supposed to sell? It's not that long a list to be honest. And Jones signed a contract recently for no apparent reason.
 

Sandikan

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Hopefully it's not 6 or 7 players we've told that we don't want.
Otherwise them stinking the place up in the background will not help!
 

Alabaster Codify7

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I don't think Ole's the man for the job and I expec him to be gone by next summer.

However, I will definitely agree with the idea that he's made it clear who does not have a place here - Lukaku, Sanchez, Darmian, Rojo, Fred (yes I think that's the case behind the scenes), and even Smalling and Jones.

He's essentially sent all of them into exile apart from Lukaku who was sold. That's his half of the bargain - Woodward is clearly unwilling to get rid. So we are left with a squad bloated by fairly big earning (Sanchez aside) players with no future here and unless we get shot, we can't upgrade on them.

The blame starts at the top. I still don't think Ole is the man for us long-term but he's definitely fighting a losing battle due to the pricks above him who have sold him down the river straight off the bat.
 

edcunited1878

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But ask yourself this question, would Ole even be here if we weren't run by incompetent people? he's been given a big big chance at this club and as bad as the squad is in areas, it's not bad enough to be winning 3 out of 14 games, most against lower half clubs. He was brought in originally give the club a lift, which he did but that didn't last. What is he going to do now to bring this club forward, as every manager is faced with difficult/incompetent people, be it SAF when he came to United, Klopp at Liverpool and Pep at City. If you're really cut out for the job you'll rise above them.
When SAF came to United, the owners/chairman gave him time and allowed him to make the changes he deemed necessary. Patience and trust isn't something you relate with difficult/incompetent people. John Henry, Liverpool's owner, had a learning curve when owning the club and then employed the right people and allowed them to do their job with full support, which included hiring Klopp and allowing him to gradually put the right pieces, people and players in place over time. Pep had the same structure (Soriano/Txisi) at Barcelona when he came to City...plus a blank check. Those aren't really the same scenarios Ole found himself under Woodward and United.

The squad was decimated by injuries, knocks and mental/emotional fatigue post-PSG. I do agree United didn't have the quality or mental resolve to go a goal up and batten down the hatches until full time.

When your direct boss is arguably the most difficult and incompetent person relevant to their influence to the company, in this case Woodward, you're operating with your hands behind your back.
 

dev1l

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At this stage it is important that should things go wrong, anger and protests will be directed at glazers and woody rather than at Ole
 

Inigo Montoya

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I clicked expecting to see the quote from Bryan Robson:lol:

Nothing new here
 

Alemar

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He's essentially sent all of them into exile apart from Lukaku who was sold. That's his half of the bargain - Woodward is clearly unwilling to get rid.
Why? If he doesn’t get rid, he still pays wages, and they will leave as free agents later - it’s much more expensive then dispose of to cut price now