What time are you referring to? He's been in the job since 2013.
Academy under "Root and Branch Review" - Woodward
- Thread starter Pexbo
- Start date
And that's not enough time to destroy an academy, the players who entered the academy in 2013 are still in it.
It's like I said in the OP, I think they've been doing a top to bottom analysis of our academy, no doubt studying other academies around Europe, checking the market for coaches and directors and seeing who fits the bill. A year isn't exactly a huge amount of time and there is a LOT to consider, especially if a restructuring means bringing new coaches or directors in and old ones losing their job or having duties changed or if it means building new facilites ect.
Best we do it right than rush it and do it wrong. As I said, a year isn't exactly a long time and we still have an active academy, it just doesn't have a director at the minute.
I agree a year isn't a long time and we can afford to miss one scouting season, which we won't since the academy chief scout only leaves this summer. But you have to admit that it's strange to only begin that process now, when it could have been started sooner and I'm talking about the planning and the executing.
And that's why I think we need a DOF, because I suspect that Woodward has a lot to do and he can't do everything as fast as he'd like.
An academy is about a damn sight more than simply the players in it.
He isn't the one who hired the coaches, the scouts and he didn't scout the players. So you have nothing to put on him, what you are seeing now is the work of SAF, Gill and McClair.
If you come into a job and something needs to be reviewed and restructured, how is that your fault? and not the fault of the people you are replacing?
Haven't heard anything about a revamp of the Cliff but its still being used by the younger academy age groups along with Littleton road. 1 of the biggest problems with the academy is that it was still being run the same way it was 15 years ago where the club relied almost solely on the prestige of playing for United to attract players. The club have already began to change this since McClair left with more money being put into the younger age groups and Eamonn Mulvey who is 1 of the higher rated coaches being given more control at the younger age groups
Hopefully its a sign that we are not going for that clown from Chelsea
Thanks for your input, which seems far more likely to be the truth than what the newspapers and bickering idiots on here tell us.
This would make Pexbo's antics during the annual transfer silly season both hilarious and infuriating.
No problem
It's good the review has taken place but it depends on what the outcome of the review was. If there isn't going to be significant investment, a recognition of the increased competition and a realisation that relying on the Utd name isn't enough anymore it won't amount to much.
Be interesting to see what happens, if the review was undertaken by competent people and there is a genuine desire to invest and improve the academy there should be some good news to come.
Be interesting to see what happens, if the review was undertaken by competent people and there is a genuine desire to invest and improve the academy there should be some good news to come.
It may not be his fault, for all we know. One thing which can be mentioned, however, is that Woody wasn't brought in to clean up anyone's mess. He was hired from within after having been made vice-chairman in 2012 (he merely kept that title after Gill stepped down). I suppose it's not unreasonable to think that he knew something about the structure prior to formally taking over for Gill (he was presented as someone Fergie was familiar with and looked forward to work with, etc., well before the latter resigned and Woody took charge officially).
One could further suggest that nothing indicates that Woody was hired to identify flaws with a structure that was perceived as outdated or otherwise ripe for an overhaul. If he had been hired after the Moyes fiasco, this would've been a very reasonable thing to assume. As it stands, things look different. In one sense, and from one perspective, it looks like both him and Moyes were meant to carry on steadily more than anything – in the tracks laid by Fergie and Gill.
Then Moyes blew up in the owners' – and Woody's – face, and he found himself in uncharted waters. On the money side he clearly kept on doing what he does best – on the football side, who knows what he's actually been up to. Hired LVG and has since relied mainly on him for football advice? Again, who knows.
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Can we wait and see what he does before canonising him?
He's been in the job long enough to have identified the problem and put the wheels in motion long before now. That's a CEO's job from day 1 in any large business.
I'm curious about the timeframe but neither you or I have any idea of the reason for what seems to be a delay, now I can give you potential reasons for the delaying.
The planning by that I mean knowing exactly what actions they wanted to take, the budgeting/financing and finally targeting the men that they want, coaches, directors, architect or doctors.
It is possible that some of the men that will be involved weren't available until now, maybe the club wasn't sure about what step take exactly (I'm thinking about the stadium), if there is constructions authorizations will be needed, etc...
Good to hear this from Woody. I'm looking forward to seeing what we do.
Hope it includes looking at the coaching, scouting and such at all levels of the club. Suspect a lot of people got 'comfortable' in their roles, and probably took their eye off the ball. You always need to stay competitive and keep improving.
I don't know, but it really looks to me like SAF and Gill let things slip a bit regarding our infrastructure. If so, it's not an easy or quick thing to improve. Rather the club takes the necessary time to get it right.
Hope it includes looking at the coaching, scouting and such at all levels of the club. Suspect a lot of people got 'comfortable' in their roles, and probably took their eye off the ball. You always need to stay competitive and keep improving.
I don't know, but it really looks to me like SAF and Gill let things slip a bit regarding our infrastructure. If so, it's not an easy or quick thing to improve. Rather the club takes the necessary time to get it right.
If they are only just making the cuts then perhaps it won't be seen until next year. Profits were up this year though so we may already be feeling the effects/'reaping the rewards'.
Woodward more or less said the reports were rubbish. He alluded to the recent stories in the press being untrue
They're not making cuts
How many more times do people need to be told this ?
The media really hate Van Gaal and Woody, i dont know if it's just because of how we went from being media friendly under Moyes to freezing them out with Van Gaal but they have been waiting for us to trip over and the last few months of 2015 they smelt blood and went for the kill.
It's been an incessant barrage of speculation and rumors, all negative, regarding the club and this starts to give everyone an impression that something is really wrong at the club at all levels. Be it the academy or the 1st team, luckily the U-21's have been going steady so they haven't had a chance to make the story of us imploding at every level.
I dont think will stop till Van Gaal leaves, and if we hire Mourinho, it's just going to get worse
It's been an incessant barrage of speculation and rumors, all negative, regarding the club and this starts to give everyone an impression that something is really wrong at the club at all levels. Be it the academy or the 1st team, luckily the U-21's have been going steady so they haven't had a chance to make the story of us imploding at every level.
I dont think will stop till Van Gaal leaves, and if we hire Mourinho, it's just going to get worse
The Vidal thread make sense now.
I heard a while ago Butt would be given a major role. Seems a good idea to me!
Although all I have to base this on is that Giggs documentary last year, Butt looked decent to me. At least he seemed to be the one actually doing something most of the time, while the others sat around drinking coffee, looking at photos and telling each other how great they are.
There are a couple of good articles which have bits about him and his work with the youth team knocking about somewhere. I'll link you them if I come across them
Thanks. That would be great.
He's been the acting head of the academy all season with scouts and underage coaches reporting to him so I'd be very surprised if he doesn't get the job full time