Ed Woodward 2019 - Until all Arctic ice melts edition

oz insomniac said:
Doesn't matter what the alternative is, why should the club accept the owners to be so incompetent, and their willingness to not understand what a poor job their favoured employee is doing. The basic reason I spoke about the Tampa Bay side is that encompasses their lack of feeling and compassion for sports, until the golden egg dries up we can expect the spiral that could well take the clubs performance and results below West Ham/Everton/Wolves etc to continue.

Dont believe we should excuse their inability to run this club successfully given what they inherited, they are just poor owners who will let the club plod aimlessLy along as they have no sports interest in their DNA. This is a time when supporters should be waking up every day expecting good news and a sign that things will improve, that's not what is happening and spinning that there could be worse owners, so what !
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I guess this is where we seriously disagree.
 
What have the club been planning all that time after Jose sacking?

Seriously, we knew we had to rebuild half way through last season. There was talk about a DOF and Pogba possibly leaving was no surprise even last season.
 
pocco said:
I think you're missing my point and Ndombele is just an example.

Something has to give eventually. We're walking away from targets due to price, but to what expense? Look at the season we have just had. Ndombele would start every week for us, so he's a good example of a good deal which we could have done, even if he wasn't exactly what we initially wanted. Basically, my question is how long do we refuse to do business because of price? Other clubs are making good additions, we are being left behind. This situation will finally cast a conclusive light on what we want to be: A great football team or a lucrative business.
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I completely agree with your assessment about our transfer business.

Being outside top four isn’t the end of the world from their perspective and there is the fundamental difference between supporters and shareholders.

Regarding Ed Woodward it’s clear as daylight that he don’t fully know how to run a football club. Six years of more or less mediocre results tells the story. He knows how to make money out of the commercial side of the business but he don’t have a clue how to be successful on the pitch.

Numerous of bad appointments regarding both managers and players where we haven’t done our due diligence the right way is proof enough. Blind faith in every new manager until the results go south is a testament that Woodward don’t know how to co operate with his management team.

He was recommended by Sir Alex to hire Davis Moyes. At this level he gave a totally inexperienced manager the key to the kingdom without a second of hesitation. Moyes first tree month at the club was total chaos and in the middle of all crazy decisions was our CEO. Mind blowing. In the January window we bought Mata, a desperate decision out of nowhere and a couple of month later it was all over. The relationship between Moyes and Woodward was none existed more or less the whole time and in the end we saw a total breakdown.

The same story repeated itself with Van Gaal. Ended in a total breakdown. No internal communication whatsoever. A miss match of transfers targets, from one extreme to another.

The Mourinho saga is even more crazy. First handling him a second contract then six month later refuse to back him up in the transfer market. Where is the logic?

Now it’s Solskjær.
 
The 100m budget news doesn't look as BS as they were previously now. We are probably waiting to sell Lukaku to buy any upcoming players in these 2 weeks.

Glazer seem to have had enough of spending on thr team these past few years.
 
Johan07 said:
I guess this is where we seriously disagree.
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You take one comment and respond without looking at the meaning. You have continually said there could be worse owners, my point is that is irrelevant as we have a current owner that is doing an absolutely awful job. To that extent it doesn't matter what the alternatives, we have to deal with the current mob who just don't have the improvement of the club at the core of their expectations.

That in itself ensures we go nowhere , except spiral down, that should not be acceptable for a club with the history and financial resources of Man Utd, but apparently it is for the Glazers and Woody. If you accept the situatIon and really only consider the asset value as the driving force, then sit back. Most supporters don't feel that is acceptable behaviour, and look at Woody and the Glazers as basically incompetent when compared to our rivals.
 
So the biggest club in the world ended up with what...a right back from Palace and some runner from the Championship? This is hilarious. Everything seems so out of depth at the club starting from the CEO, the rookie manager we hired right to the transfer market we adopted.
 
Renegade said:
What have the club been planning all that time after Jose sacking?

Seriously, we knew we had to rebuild half way through last season. There was talk about a DOF and Pogba possibly leaving was no surprise even last season.
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It's just a pathetic cycle . Just say this stuff every time we sack a manager and then get back to the same shit again . 6 months after sacking Jose we have basically signed one player (2 if you count James) and have not gotten rid of any deadwood at all . It would be so much easier to support this club if for once they would at least show a direction to what we are trying to do . We basically had a write off season last season and 12 months later we are somehow in a worse position than last season.
 
oz insomniac said:
You take one comment and respond without looking at the meaning. You have continually said there could be worse owners, my point is that is irrelevant as we have a current owner that is doing an absolutely awful job. To that extent it doesn't matter what the alternatives, we have to deal with the current mob who just don't have the improvement of the club at the core of their expectations.

That in itself ensures we go nowhere , except spiral down, that should not be acceptable for a club with the history and financial resources of Man Utd, but apparently it is for the Glazers and Woody. If you accept the situatIon and really only consider the asset value as the driving force, then sit back. Most supporters don't feel that is acceptable behaviour, and look at Woody and the Glazers as basically incompetent when compared to our rivals.
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Again: This is where we seriously disagree.
In my mind there is nothing that matters more for the club than what comes after the Glazers do decide to sell.
You say irrelevant, that really pisses me off tbh.
So I will leave this discussion at that.
 
It's astonishing how this bloke still has this gig. Other big clubs are pretty swift at getting deals done. Look at Atletico Madrid's dealings, they had deals wrapped up and signed in no time. About 4-5 quality additions within two weeks. It took us an age to get even James over the line, same for AWB and now this crap with Maguire and obviously not getting a midfielder. Madness. Utter madness.
 
Get the banners out for Chelsea for this inept fool.

I mean how can you brief the media with the same BS times and times again and get away with it every summer ?
 
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oz insomniac said:
You take one comment and respond without looking at the meaning. You have continually said there could be worse owners, my point is that is irrelevant as we have a current owner that is doing an absolutely awful job. To that extent it doesn't matter what the alternatives, we have to deal with the current mob who just don't have the improvement of the club at the core of their expectations.

That in itself ensures we go nowhere , except spiral down, that should not be acceptable for a club with the history and financial resources of Man Utd, but apparently it is for the Glazers and Woody. If you accept the situatIon and really only consider the asset value as the driving force, then sit back. Most supporters don't feel that is acceptable behaviour, and look at Woody and the Glazers as basically incompetent when compared to our rivals.
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It's all about what their priorities are, I'm sure they'll make a lot of money by the time they are done with the club, so in their eyes, they are anything but incompetent.
 
Two weeks until the window closes. The chances that Leicester will sell are decreasing fast, why would they sell their best CB just a few days before the season starts? They are not desperate and know our situation.

I am more optimistic from a time perspective of getting a CM in from abroad such as Fernandes or Savic and my stars do we need one but I doubt that we have the money.

Most likely we are done shopping. Luckily our youngesters are very promising, not least Greenwood, Gomes and Tuanzebe.
 
Cathy Ferguson said:
Two weeks until the window closes. The chances that Leicester will sell are decreasing fast, why would they sell their best CB just a few days before the season starts? They are not desperate and know our situation.

I am more optimistic from a time perspective of getting a CM in from abroad such as Fernandes or Savic and my stars do we need one but I doubt that we have the money.

Most likely we are done shopping. Luckily our youngesters are very promising, not least Greenwood, Gomes and Tuanzebe.
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I've read that Leicester said if the deal happen that they want time to get a replacement so if this happens we are leaving it very late. I agree with you point in bold which I think is an annoying thing. It doesn't make sense for Leicester to sell their best players as they would want to build on last season and try to qualify for Europe.
 
Fans are like children. He’s the ‘worst CEO in the history of football’ now, and if he gets the last deals over the line before the deadline, it will be memes of Woodward in thug life sunglasses, him surrounded by money to depict he’s the coolest richest kid in the playground, and all the other Woody is Lord of all memes I’ve generally seen on here over the years in the hours after we spend a load of money and everyone feels good about getting a player who, in their wisdom, will be great for us and ‘be here for 10 years’, or provide an injection of quality in the case of Zlatan/Sanchez etc. Then he’s the worst CEO ever again the very next window. The same people who despise him now can be bought over easily in a few days if we signed Cristian Eriksen or something. But once they’ve digested that food, we’re right back to where we were and they will stamp their feet again unless we sign the next one.
 
Rozay said:
Fans are like children. He’s the ‘worst CEO in the history of football’ now, and if he gets the last deals over the line before the deadline, it will be memes of Woodward in thug life sunglasses, him surrounded by money to depict he’s the coolest richest kid in the playground, and all the other Woody is Lord of all memes I’ve generally seen on here over the years in the hours after we spend a load of money and everyone feels good about getting a player who, in their wisdom, will be great for us and ‘be here for 10 years’, or provide an injection of quality in the case of Zlatan/Sanchez etc. Then he’s the worst CEO ever again the very next window. The same people who despise him now can be bought over easily in a few days if we signed Cristian Eriksen or something. But once they’ve digested that food, we’re right back to where we were and they will stamp their feet again unless we sign the next one.
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Complete flip flops a lot of them. Would be interesting re-visiting the comments in the Sanchez and Lukaku threads for example. Hindsight is such a wonderful thing. People losing their shit when the season ain't even started yet?
 
Rozay said:
Fans are like children. He’s the ‘worst CEO in the history of football’ now, and if he gets the last deals over the line before the deadline, it will be memes of Woodward in thug life sunglasses, him surrounded by money to depict he’s the coolest richest kid in the playground, and all the other Woody is Lord of all memes I’ve generally seen on here over the years in the hours after we spend a load of money and everyone feels good about getting a player who, in their wisdom, will be great for us and ‘be here for 10 years’, or provide an injection of quality in the case of Zlatan/Sanchez etc. Then he’s the worst CEO ever again the very next window. The same people who despise him now can be bought over easily in a few days if we signed Cristian Eriksen or something. But once they’ve digested that food, we’re right back to where we were and they will stamp their feet again unless we sign the next one.
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The same can be said to people going on about agents. When Raiola bought Zlatan and Pogba to the club, everybody was on cloud 9. However, after things didn't go exactly to plan and Raiola made noises about Pogba wanting to leave, suddenly he is a fat cnut and 'Man Utd should never buy a player represented by him again'. I have been guilty of the same things you said, but then we are 'fanatics' of Manchester United. Our love for the club is unconditional. And when the majority don't like the direction the club is headed, people at the top are on the chopping block.

That said, our season ended in May, and every Tom, Dick and Harry knew that we needed reinforcements in midfield and defence. I don't know why Woodward has not gone out and bought if not Maguire, atleast players like Upamecano or a Skiniar. Why not buy Bruno? Seems to me like Sporting is practically laying out the red carpet to sign him. I feel like haggling over 10 million pounds in the case of Bruno is useless when we have reports coming out that the turnover was close to 700 million euros. Not like Glazers are spending billions of their own money like the Sheikhs. Why not atleast spend the money that the club earns? A winger who has scored only 4 goals in his career and a 21 year old RB (as highly rated as he is) is not going to cut it next season, chief.
 
Rozay said:
Fans are like children. He’s the ‘worst CEO in the history of football’ now, and if he gets the last deals over the line before the deadline, it will be memes of Woodward in thug life sunglasses, him surrounded by money to depict he’s the coolest richest kid in the playground, and all the other Woody is Lord of all memes I’ve generally seen on here over the years in the hours after we spend a load of money and everyone feels good about getting a player who, in their wisdom, will be great for us and ‘be here for 10 years’, or provide an injection of quality in the case of Zlatan/Sanchez etc. Then he’s the worst CEO ever again the very next window. The same people who despise him now can be bought over easily in a few days if we signed Cristian Eriksen or something. But once they’ve digested that food, we’re right back to where we were and they will stamp their feet again unless we sign the next one.
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Yup basically.
 
Rozay said:
Fans are like children. He’s the ‘worst CEO in the history of football’ now, and if he gets the last deals over the line before the deadline, it will be memes of Woodward in thug life sunglasses, him surrounded by money to depict he’s the coolest richest kid in the playground, and all the other Woody is Lord of all memes I’ve generally seen on here over the years in the hours after we spend a load of money and everyone feels good about getting a player who, in their wisdom, will be great for us and ‘be here for 10 years’, or provide an injection of quality in the case of Zlatan/Sanchez etc. Then he’s the worst CEO ever again the very next window. The same people who despise him now can be bought over easily in a few days if we signed Cristian Eriksen or something. But once they’ve digested that food, we’re right back to where we were and they will stamp their feet again unless we sign the next one.
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Yeah i don't think that applies to everyone. The list of things Woodward has made a mess of is long and its an accumulation of things which sees him coming under scrutiny. I think most fans are finally looking at the situation objectively and won't fall for the "big signing will paper over all the cracks" like has perhaps happened in the past. Everybody knows that we need more than an Eriksen to sort this team out.
 
pocco said:
Yeah i don't think that applies to everyone. The list of things Woodward has made a mess of is long and its an accumulation of things which sees him coming under scrutiny. I think most fans are finally looking at the situation objectively and won't fall for the "big signing will paper over all the cracks" like has perhaps happened in the past. Everybody knows that we need more than an Eriksen to sort this team out.
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Fair enough. I have little issue with someone genuinely having a problem, if I feel they can explain it for themselves. I more get the impression that a lot of people are echoing each other, and if asked as an individual to list their gripes, it is likely to not be based on real fact, and largely stripped down to emotion. The emotion we all feel, myself included, of disappointment at United not being where we would like. Society is such nowadays where often people don’t even have to think objectively for themselves, we just echo the latest soundbite that seems to share a sentiment we want to believe.

Ultimately, I have a problem with baseless Woodward bashing/name-calling. Don’t think it’s helpful to the club, as the media, due to it’s interactive nature today, keep feeding that narrative because they can see we are happy to accept the blame figure they have suggested, and as a result, the mood around the club, the whole ‘incompetent Ed’ narrative that runs every summer, where there are tweets and stories about every detail of every negotiation we enter, think about entering, every player we may have gone after that goes elsewhere, with some hack revealing that ‘we looked at him 6 months ago, but the club decided instead to pursue x’. They know what they are doing, but I think our fans don’t, they are so invested that they just digest it all. This forum is full of jokes/attacks daily about Woodward, and as I’ve said many times, I strongly believe that many of his detractors could even come close to defining what his role includes, at least not accurately. It’s just hate venting at this point I think, just my take on it all.
 
VJ1762 said:
The same can be said to people going on about agents. When Raiola bought Zlatan and Pogba to the club, everybody was on cloud 9. However, after things didn't go exactly to plan and Raiola made noises about Pogba wanting to leave, suddenly he is a fat cnut and 'Man Utd should never buy a player represented by him again'. I have been guilty of the same things you said, but then we are 'fanatics' of Manchester United. Our love for the club is unconditional. And when the majority don't like the direction the club is headed, people at the top are on the chopping block.

That said, our season ended in May, and every Tom, Dick and Harry knew that we needed reinforcements in midfield and defence. I don't know why Woodward has not gone out and bought if not Maguire, atleast players like Upamecano or a Skiniar. Why not buy Bruno? Seems to me like Sporting is practically laying out the red carpet to sign him. I feel like haggling over 10 million pounds in the case of Bruno is useless when we have reports coming out that the turnover was close to 700 million euros. Not like Glazers are spending billions of their own money like the Sheikhs. Why not atleast spend the money that the club earns? A winger who has scored only 4 goals in his career and a 21 year old RB (as highly rated as he is) is not going to cut it next season, chief.
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Your first paragraph I agree with, the same flip-flopping. Majority of our signings have been greeted with glee on here, when things don’t go well, the club are fools for not signing the ones other teams did instead.

As for your second part, as is very frequently pointed out on here, Woodward isn’t a football man and surely isn’t responsible for choosing players for us to sign. If you don’t approve of AWB and James, then I suspect it is Ole who you should call clueless. Ed has done his job by getting them for him. If you feel we should have targeted Upamecano or Bruno Fernandes, again, ask the manager why he doesn’t want them. By all accounts, the manager wants Longstaff and Maguire - not Bruno and Upamecano, and as a result, it looks like it’s them we are trying to sign. This has always been the way.

I never heard anything about David Gill when we bought Obertan or Bebe and they were rubbish, I never heard about him when we didn’t go for Aguero, Robben or Ribery. This fixation with a club ceo is a new thing, and seemingly only applies to Manchester United in terms of football. I couldn’t even name the ones at the other 19 clubs I’m sure, and they will all fail to do business, do good business, and generally turn the wheel of the football transfer market this summer without being mentioned by name, or anyone caring. Except Daniel Levy maybe.
 
FootyGirl88 said:
Hopefully protests will start when the season begins, it's getting past a joke now.
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Unfortunately if this forum is any indication, most folks won't have the courage or gall to do anything more than unfollow a twatter page. So many of the cafe don't even have it in them to acknowledge the issue appropriately on a forum. It's easier to just let things go and continue to make excuses.
 
Samid said:
Has anyone ever heard him speak? Does he have a scouse accent by any chance?
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People have tried to talk to him but all He said was "Watch this space".

And the stupid journalists watched in awe, anticipating what's to come.
 
Rozay said:
Fans are like children. He’s the ‘worst CEO in the history of football’ now, and if he gets the last deals over the line before the deadline, it will be memes of Woodward in thug life sunglasses, him surrounded by money to depict he’s the coolest richest kid in the playground, and all the other Woody is Lord of all memes I’ve generally seen on here over the years in the hours after we spend a load of money and everyone feels good about getting a player who, in their wisdom, will be great for us and ‘be here for 10 years’, or provide an injection of quality in the case of Zlatan/Sanchez etc. Then he’s the worst CEO ever again the very next window. The same people who despise him now can be bought over easily in a few days if we signed Cristian Eriksen or something. But once they’ve digested that food, we’re right back to where we were and they will stamp their feet again unless we sign the next one.
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It's sad but true, I hope people start seeing past transfer windows and realize he is not fit to run a club of this magnitude. I really don't mind if we don't buy more players, I like this new transfer strategy (young prospects) as well but the expectations have to adjust accordingly imo. From us fans but especially the man/men in charge. This downward spiral of self-destruction has to stop and I fear it won't with Woodward at the helm.
 
Can we not put a word in with the Area 51 raiders and ask if they'll fly over in their newly acquired spaceships for the Chelsea game. Beam Woody straight out of his seat and sling him in to orbit?
 
Denis79 said:
It's sad but true, I hope people start seeing past transfer windows and realize he is not fit to run a club of this magnitude. I really don't mind if we don't buy more players, I like this new transfer strategy (young prospects) as well but the expectations have to adjust accordingly imo. From us fans but especially the man/men in charge. This downward spiral of self-destruction has to stop and I fear it won't with Woodward at the helm.
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Unfortunately if expectations are lowered due to lack of investment then fans support will be lowered. We can only take so much abuse by the owners before we stop buying merchandise and caring about the results. It's important the owners repay some of the billion they took out so United can move forward.
 
Rhyme Animal said:
fecker would probably just return to Earth with an 'Official Alien Sponsor'...
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This is most definitely true. We have monetised everything from noodles to tractors. Fans should go all Cuba Gooding Jr on Ed " Show me the money!!"
 
VanGaalyTime said:
Unfortunately if expectations are lowered due to lack of investment then fans support will be lowered. We can only take so much abuse by the owners before we stop buying merchandise and caring about the results. It's important the owners repay some of the billion they took out so United can move forward.
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I agree with you, and understand your point, but this rot started long before Moyes like you said. The lack of investment in the first decade of Glazer rule put us here. My fear is that Woodward will demand CL qualification, even if our transfer window ends now. If Ole doesn't meet expectations we're on manager nr 5, with a new "rebuilding" project. Hence why I said the lowering of expectations. Aim for top 4 but accept a top 6.
 
Ed's brilliant.

Wants to avoid players leaving on a free and ends up paying them more to keep them in wages than any potential fees that we can get.
 
I don't usually chime in on the Woodward threads, but honestly, this is getting stupid. If there were ever an off-season where sweeping changes were needed, this was it. We all said that for OGS to have any chance, he needed to be backed strongly. So far that has resulted in a very good RB purchase and a project/potential buy (at a position that wasn't really a need.) Sure there is still time, but everyone and their mother knew what we needed in May, so why are we waiting till August to get it? If selling Lukaku is what it takes to raise funds to buy a Fernandes and/or Maguire, then fecking sell Lukaku! If Inter is only going to pay 60 million, then maybe we should take it and immediately spend that on the players we need. Otherwise, we end up with Lukaku, who is absolutely not what we need, and don't get the attacker and defender that we absolutely do need.

Again, this is all speculation on my part, but the fact remains, we've bought two players (and failed to offload a number of players who really shouldn't be around anymore - Darmian, Rojo, Lukaku.)

It's just a shit-show, plain and simple.
 
If the window ended tomorrow this would be the worst transfer window ever, followed by another Woodward classic in 2013. Of course the year we sold Ronaldo was bad but we’ve never been in such obvious need for upgrades in so many key areas, while also failing to shift at least 5 players who should absolutely no longer be here.
 
He's got until the end of the window to sort it. 2 weeks. Not to worry. Eddie will make a couple of last minute signings. Then, one of our brilliant Caf members will create a few hilarious jib-jab videos depicting Ed as the conquering hero and all will be forgiven. He'll have bought another year. How many "great" Eddie the hero videos have there been? All great but let's hope we'll won't be broken hearted by Christmas as another coach leaves.
 
Johan07 said:
Again: This is where we seriously disagree.
In my mind there is nothing that matters more for the club than what comes after the Glazers do decide to sell.
You say irrelevant, that really pisses me off tbh.
So I will leave this discussion at that.
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Such a strange comment, we can’t criticise what the Glazers and Woody are doing to the club because some one in the future could be worse?

If they actually acted as interested owners and employed someone to actually improve the football side, then there would be no discussion or criticism. Like most , we want current action to reflect improvement, should the ownership change then that changes the argument. To continually say leave them alone as someone else could be worse is nonsensical.

The facts are simple, Woody is the figurehead of the club and authorises transfers and spend (possibly at the behest of Joel Glazer) , and this summer was crucial given the appointment of the coach and the apparent general acknowledgment that signings were needed in several areas, and that similarly players need to be moved on. What has happened is a mirror image of most of Woodys summers, a break where he is on vacation, then some low ball offers, then a realisation that he is failing a fairly simple task. How does this happen, TalkingSport is an overnight programme relayed here in Oz, they pointed to the clubs dismal transfer performance dragging the club down to the level of Everton and West Ham and how unsuited Woody appears to be to lead the football club.

Seriously, how is he defended, yes it's a difficult job but he gets paid £4 million pa to do,it, that's the bottom line.
 
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