No denying City have played a blinder.
They were setting up for Pep years before he joined them.
They had a clear vision in mind and executed it.
Man Utd set to appoint Director of Football (when hell freezes over)
- Thread starter RedMachine03
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No denying City have played a blinder.
They were setting up for Pep years before he joined them.
They had a clear vision in mind and executed it.
These aren’t comparable situations. Woodward making decisions about who we should/shouldn’t sign is the equivalent of Sundar Pai trying to rewrite some of Dean’s code!
Bad example dude.
I am bored rigid with ‘Pep’. The bloke has spent over a billion pounds at three clubs, won bugger all in his first season and has spent a huge amount to win the PL. Strong squad so he’s not that bothered about injuries like us and some world class players. That’s why JM wanted some cash from the supposedly richest club in the world but I reckon the Glazers vetoed it so they could pay themselves more.
We are a few injuries away from mediocrity. Given that, we should win tonight and hopefully move on.
We are a few injuries away from mediocrity. Given that, we should win tonight and hopefully move on.
I have already stated the club is fast becoming a soap opera. Time for the club to shut up, that includes CFO and the manager. We need a strong start to the season otherwise all of this will quickly escalate and history tells us that when the pressure is really on, we have a manager who can easily self destruct.
It’s painfully obvious that the people who run the club are damaging us on a daily basis. On a purely footballing basis this club is much worse than any other top football club.
But then it will be his last season and the problem is the put himself in that situation with his comments.
Are you having a laugh? I don't think those two had anything to do with the shit show Ed has been serving up. Ed is the owners' extension. Briefing the press to shelter his own ego. Now we all know Jose has an ego, but he's got ambition to match and a proven record. Ed is a "finance industry" man.
Can we sort out some sort of protest to get Woodward out of the club. Noodle pots on our heads? hats with taps on - something to make his commercial partners squirm and influence the board to get rid of him. His incompetence has held the club back since 2012 and I can't bear to see him in charge any more.
I agree - that's when alarm bells went off for me.
It obvious Moyes wasn't helped by Woodward either. It was very obvious Moyes was going to need help in his first window.
It sounds like he has far too much power, and is far too deeply ensconced in the club for anything to drastically change short term with regards to footballing matters. If such a strong personality like Jose can't budge him, then I'd fear for any other manager coming in after him.
Eeerm no.
feck off, Ed!!!
That's all I got to say.
That's all I got to say.
Sir Alex and Sir Bobby are there to give advice. That advice can most certainly involve telling Ed the direction of the first team doesn't feel right.
Of course, I may be speculating but so is everybody on the caf.
I think all fans turning up in black face should do it .
Advice maybe but people who are making the decisions are definitely not football men.
Is there any CEO out there who IS a football man? They are all businessmen at the top taking advice from all sorts of football men beneath that. The first team manager is but one of those football men.
Why are people calling for Woodwards head? He's done an excellent job since being appointed imo, both the football side of things as well as running the business.
The lack of spending this summer is simply a result of heavy investing during past windows, fading trust in the manager and the lack of options available that would significantly improve our team. Very wise move by Woodward to not splash the cash simply for the sake of it, when we very well might be in a need of an overhaul next season under a new manager.
The lack of spending this summer is simply a result of heavy investing during past windows, fading trust in the manager and the lack of options available that would significantly improve our team. Very wise move by Woodward to not splash the cash simply for the sake of it, when we very well might be in a need of an overhaul next season under a new manager.
Imo, makes him look stupid. Wants a long term approach, hires Mourinho.
As others have already said, if Woodward didn't agree with Jose's targets, why not address this issue back in April and work together to find alternatives?
Why has Woodward given our manager support for two summers, given him a new contract in January then a few months later stopped supporting him?
Jose said a week ago that he was confident of 1 new signing, but didn't think we'd get 2. Then its reported last night we were not close to any more signings.
Why is Woodward having a say on football players over someone as successful & experienced as Mourinho? And if Woodward doesn't like Jose's approach to football, why even hire him in the first place and extend his contract?
It screams of a man who is out of his depth and doesn't have a clear long term plan or vision of how a top European football club should be run.
And all this has now resulted in a lot of fans feeling sympathy towards Jose. Fans who were pissed off with him back in May.
Why has Woodward given our manager support for two summers, given him a new contract in January then a few months later stopped supporting him?
Jose said a week ago that he was confident of 1 new signing, but didn't think we'd get 2. Then its reported last night we were not close to any more signings.
Why is Woodward having a say on football players over someone as successful & experienced as Mourinho? And if Woodward doesn't like Jose's approach to football, why even hire him in the first place and extend his contract?
It screams of a man who is out of his depth and doesn't have a clear long term plan or vision of how a top European football club should be run.
And all this has now resulted in a lot of fans feeling sympathy towards Jose. Fans who were pissed off with him back in May.
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Imo, makes him look stupid. Wants a long term approach, hires Mourinho.
Not to mention sanctions the signings of Ibrahmiovic, Matic, and Sanchez (or, feck it, even Schweinsteiger) whilst offering renewals to Fellaini and not replacing our geriatric fullbacks and, by all accounts, being happy going after Godin.
The 'long term approach' is an excuse, as is the 'we had money to spend if the quality was there', and 'the cheap options weren't good enough'.
The only thing we don't know is what it was an excuse for.
The two blmaing each other in public hasn't helped anyone.
Mourinho: I gave woodWood my list months ago
Ed: Your list is rubbish.
Thats what has happened here.
Mourinho: I gave woodWood my list months ago
Ed: Your list is rubbish.
Thats what has happened here.
How would that be done?
He has no social media accounts.
Unless fans just started protesting at games. But regardless, him and the Glazers seem very thick skinned and give ZERO fecks about what the fans think.
The only way would be to protest by not buying anything from the club. But that won't solve anything.
I wish, there was some kind of campaign by the best businessmen to raise whatever the money is and buy those Glazers out of the club i.e. a more successful version of Red Knights from 2010.
Woody is a great businessman. Thats it.
Perhaps we could start boycotting club sponsors, bring signs insulting products or promoting others? We could also show up to games late. Imagine 50,000 people walking in during the game. That wouldn't look good to the marketing team and would show our feelings about the lack of investment.
Don't know where to begin with this. But maybe compare our spending over the last decade with rival's and you'll see how we got into this mess and why he is largely to blame.
Under Woodward we have finished 7th, 4th, 5th, 6th and 2nd (19 points behind first) and, sadly, have become a complete irrelevance in Champions League terms. We have our third manager since 2013 and it looks like they’ll be looking for a fourth soon. Woodward is very good at generating revenues through commercial tie ups but, on the football side, it’s a tale of directionless underachievement.
this. people should calm down we splasehd so much over theMourinho rule that we should be already better off now but Mou just cant make his players play well enough and is after unrealistic/way overpriced targets. what can you do if someone asks 100m for a 29 years old winger, it's like throwing the money away a bit, will serve a season under Mourinho and other manager might prefer someone else. I mean perisic or willian might be good players but really we would be paying for three peak years of their services with no reselling value if they fail or the very likely new manager form new season would prefer someone else. Not to mention that Bal would be at least 150m and is just not for sale under a new manager, real can keep their best palyers... If we are after toby sure Levy would sell to a direct rival for any price, maguire price skyrocketed, is he worth 80m pounds what leicester would ask?
How about we put a bit of blame on our scouting team and mourinho for being unable to play with other than strong tall players...
Why the last decade? Woodward was appointed CEO in February 2013. Here's an article on our spending from 2014 up to this year.
1. Manchester City (£496m Net spend)
2. Manchester United (£417m Net spend)
3. Arsenal (£166m Net spend)
6. Chelsea (£119m Net spend)
12. Liverpool (£18m Net spend)
Financial backing from the board has most definitely not been the problem.
I don’t think that list of 5 months ago included Maguire and Mina, nobody cared about them before the World Cup
This was Woodwards 2nd disgraceful transfer window in charge and we're never very active in January.
The summer windows are crucial for us and he's failed miserably twice. Once under Moyes and once under Jose now.
Hopefully Jose doesn't suffer the same fate as Moyes did or we could be at square one again.
The summer windows are crucial for us and he's failed miserably twice. Once under Moyes and once under Jose now.
Hopefully Jose doesn't suffer the same fate as Moyes did or we could be at square one again.
Those are Mourinho's words. Their relationship is now going to cloud our season.
Just some notes for that discussion:
- He's awful negotiator on the football side, especially when he has to working with release clauses.
- Can't even complete a fecking loan on deadline day.
- Second transfer window now in 5 years he has stalled manager's targets till the very end ending up with empty hands.
- Interferes with the footballing side, having no idea basically of what he's doing.
- Hiring crap managers in Moyes and LvG - mainly being the reason for this mess.
- Dropping briefs to the media, creating rifts between him the manager and possibly the players.
- Renewing contracts and keeping players that are generally no use to the manager.
- Chasing managers and players he'd never get like a numpty and missing up on other targets whilst ending up with Fellaini and Moyes.
- Not hiring DoF or even the tea lady who basically knows a bit more than him on football.
are 9 enough?
They are more ambassadors of the club, there to make some good videos and smile, rather than having real power. Or at least this is the rumour.
The last decade because it is the reason we're in this mess to begin with. And Woodward might not have been CEO, but he was certainly involved in the Glazers buying the club and advising them. City, Chelsea and to a less extent Liverpool have spent ridiculous sums of money to varying degrees of success. Between 2009 and 2013 we spent nothing while complaining about "no value in the market" sound familiar?
I'd rather we get players that the coach want than see huge profit go into owner pockets. Manchester United is larger than greedy American owners. As far as unrealistic targets go most on this board cried out without even knowing who Perisic was, most likely well scouted and a great fit, a Perisic for 45m€ proved his worth over and over since we failed to secure him and would have been excellent busines, loyal mentality and happen to be what our manager requested. Ed blew it big-time and is crying out sowing seed of discontent publicly unworthy of the position. The man should stick strictly to the business side of it all. Two wrongs don't make a right. Club/Board should stick by manager or sack, not self implode like moody babies.
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1) How do you know it? He is the guy who broke the 2 biggest deals in the history of football, but some Caf genius has decided that he is an awful negotiator.
2) Whom? Coentrao in 2013 which failed cause Madrid couldn't get their target and so didn't give him to us?
3) It was all on Moyes. He said that double bid for Fellaini-Baines was his idea, and that pissed off Everton. He wanted Bale but Bale didn't want us. He decided that he wants Fabregas after Barca sold Thiago. He decided that he doesn't want Herrera until the last day.
In meantime, we had deals with Garay (his own words) and Strootman (rumoured) but Moyes didn't want them.
For this summer, we still don't know what happened.
4) How do you know that he doesn't know what he is doing?
5) Moyes was all on SAF and Gill, not him. LvG and Mourinho are on him, and they have been relatively bad.
6) Fair enough though Mourinho started this. Ed had no reason to play Mourinho's game, instead should have given him a warning.
7) Whom?
8) Every club chases players they cannot get. Pèrez who is the most successful CEO in the history of the game, has chased De Gea without success for the last 5 years. Is he an idiot?
9) He should have hired a DoF, agree.
I agree that the team has underperformed massively since he took over, there’s no denying that. Woodward is however not responsible for the football being served up, that is the managers job.
The Moyes appointment was basically a Sir Alex decision, Ed reacted quickly by sacking him when things started to go downhill. LVG was also an understandable choice when it happened as he had just taken Holland to a third place in WC and had previous experience of managing big clubs in need of a rebuild. Mourinho was almost unanimously lauded as the best man for the job, who would bring guaranteed success, so Woodward made it happen.
That none of these managers properly lived up to the promises is very unfortunate, however it’s not something that can be blamed on Woodward at all in my opinion.
The press briefing is the most unforgivable shit I’ve ever seen. He’s basically opened the lid on just how chaotic things are behind the scenes and does it on the eve of the season no less. He’s gone out of his way to undermine a manager he entrusted with a new contract less than a year ago. He had three previous windows with Mourinho, he knows how he operates and knows he will want signings that will allow us to challenge City and yet the preparation beyond two players was a complete utter shambles. For all the form Mourinho has in short termism, Woodward has as much in more in total incompetence. He’s capitalizing on the fans’ reservations on the manager, his own appointed manager and using it to deflect his failures. A 19 point gap needs to be overhauled, areas blatant need strengthening if we’re to do it and it’s simply not good enough to say there’s no value to be found - This is the reality regardless of who the manager is but he's played on Mourinho's reputation to attract sympathy and some idiots are eating right out of his hand.
This is a guy who constantly announces to the world that we’re prepared to pay top dollar for top players and is now playing the victim when teams actually demand it – He needs United to be seen among the best in the world, rubbing shoulders with the elite – Meeting with Madrid over Varane so when nothing happens he can assure us we were trying. He literally played the exact same card in the Summer of Fellaini – “We were in for Bale and Fabregas, honestly” when the squad was crying for any sort of refreshment and the infamous “We will break the transfer record if needed” – Like Juventus didn’t remember that. He’s a fecking clown.
He’s prepared to pay what it takes for marketable, sexy names – Zlatan, Sanchez, Falcao, Schweinsteiger etc. – When the players help the brand age is but a number. When it’s merely a necessity pitch, it’s short termism. It’s not even about penny pinching with Woodward – It’s about commercial success and what must be done to help the business – This idea of long term planning isn’t necessarily false but anyone confusing that with what’s happening on the pitch is delusion – It’s a business plan, not a football one. Falling out of the Champions League is bad for business – The biggest club in the world shouldn’t do Thursday nights – This explains the so called backing LVG and Mourinho have received. They’ve been given resources but with different goals in mind. Mourinho isn’t the first to kick off either, LVG said as much just last year – That commercial dealings take precedence over anything football related. The tail is wagging the dog all the way to the bank.
With or without Mourinho the club needs a serious overhaul. Woodward can stick to getting deals from every noodle brand in Asia but it’s imperative that he’s purged from the football side of things. This won’t happen because the Glazers’ are quite content with the commercial direction of the club. The revamp will probably take a serious collapse on the pitch, a sort of big club existential crisis that sees the club’s value plummet – They want to promote the biggest football club in the world rather than the best. feck them, Woodward and all who make excuses for this bullshit. They are everything that's wrong with the club and everything that's wrong with football.
This is a guy who constantly announces to the world that we’re prepared to pay top dollar for top players and is now playing the victim when teams actually demand it – He needs United to be seen among the best in the world, rubbing shoulders with the elite – Meeting with Madrid over Varane so when nothing happens he can assure us we were trying. He literally played the exact same card in the Summer of Fellaini – “We were in for Bale and Fabregas, honestly” when the squad was crying for any sort of refreshment and the infamous “We will break the transfer record if needed” – Like Juventus didn’t remember that. He’s a fecking clown.
He’s prepared to pay what it takes for marketable, sexy names – Zlatan, Sanchez, Falcao, Schweinsteiger etc. – When the players help the brand age is but a number. When it’s merely a necessity pitch, it’s short termism. It’s not even about penny pinching with Woodward – It’s about commercial success and what must be done to help the business – This idea of long term planning isn’t necessarily false but anyone confusing that with what’s happening on the pitch is delusion – It’s a business plan, not a football one. Falling out of the Champions League is bad for business – The biggest club in the world shouldn’t do Thursday nights – This explains the so called backing LVG and Mourinho have received. They’ve been given resources but with different goals in mind. Mourinho isn’t the first to kick off either, LVG said as much just last year – That commercial dealings take precedence over anything football related. The tail is wagging the dog all the way to the bank.
With or without Mourinho the club needs a serious overhaul. Woodward can stick to getting deals from every noodle brand in Asia but it’s imperative that he’s purged from the football side of things. This won’t happen because the Glazers’ are quite content with the commercial direction of the club. The revamp will probably take a serious collapse on the pitch, a sort of big club existential crisis that sees the club’s value plummet – They want to promote the biggest football club in the world rather than the best. feck them, Woodward and all who make excuses for this bullshit. They are everything that's wrong with the club and everything that's wrong with football.
1) The Fellaini transfer? Set a precedent of paying over the release clause of a player he could've got for 4m pounds less some 20 days ago? Have you ever heard of other idiot doing that?
1a) The Herrera imposters stories? Couldn't reach a 30m pound agreement and activate a release clause having bid 25m on the same player shortly before?
2) And as always you have no plan B, beautifully demonstrated this window as well. You don't have to wait in the last possible moment to do your business, but that's given with our Ed. And I'm not talking getting Marcelo, but a fecking loan so we have a backup option in a position we're short in.
3) Really? A CEO that vetoes Jose's decisions on the transfer market, a manager with a great resume and credentials, but he is relieved of all responsibility listening to a clown with 0 titles in his career, that never worked at a top club? That I think he pretty much rebuffed this transfer window with his antics.
4) 2013 and 2018 transfer windows isn't that enough? The media stories. General assessment of players. The other 8 points combined? What credentials has he on footballing matters to veto a player the manager wants citing not transfer value but "not good enough"?
5) Yeah, because SAF and Gill were the CEO at the time? He could've vetoed that either. Come on...
6) Then fire him, he's your employee. Don't ruin another season.
7) Shaw, Fellaini(remember Jose wanted 2 CM's, can imagine he wanted to feck off Fellaini), one of the CB's, perhaps Martial.
8) The difference is that our idiot ends up empty handed. The other with Navas, Courtois, and generally plan B. It wasn't just Bale, it was Thiago, Godin, Fabregas, Ronaldo, Muller, Neymar, etc. You can probably make a entire team of players that many knew we wouldn't get yet he kept pursuing them without aforementioned plan B.
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