Makes you sick reading that. Just thinking about how Fergie and a few others basically built this club, and now we've got these fecking morons capitalising on it and running it like it's some conference club to maximise their income. Saving money on a desk for the manager.... how low do we need to sink before enough is enough.
Man Utd set to appoint Director of Football (when hell freezes over)
- Thread starter RedMachine03
- Start date
- Status
Makes you sick reading that. Just thinking about how Fergie and a few others basically built this club, and now we've got these fecking morons capitalising on it and running it like it's some conference club to maximise their income. Saving money on a desk for the manager.... how low do we need to sink before enough is enough.
Farther more quotes that show this guy is clueless in managing football clubs.
He has turned us to a full circus.
Those quotes are beyond moronic. Buying a name and thinking it guarantees success.
Real started winning their Champions Leagues once they actually eased off the galactico project lately.
The most surprising thing to me on this forum is the lack of outrage at the fact that SAF, let alone Sir Bobby, aren’t allowed input on footballing decisions at the club. Very shocking if true. We thought the way Roman ran CFC was a joke at times but my word United is a shambles at board level.
We all know that, but we're talking about some divvy that spends his life working in a bank getting a rock on over accounts. He's not a football man, he probably knows less than anyone on here about Football. I bet he's never kicked a ball in all honesty. Yet, this is the man that runs Manchester United for a living. Unbelievable really.
He should have no power on the football side of things at the club. If he continues to have power, we'll never ever get back to the top under him. It's clear that his incompetence can't be ignored anymore.
He's turned the club into a circus post SAF.
Well if the articles above are true, Woodward and the Glazers need to leave to get back to where we were. They've "took us in a new direction". No wonder we don't want a DoF with all the bureaucracy, it would be a pointless role because their hands are still tied completely. I thought Woodward being involved in the football side was the issue, but it actually sounds 10x worse.
I would hope that story about the desk and stuff aren't true.
It just sounds too absurd.
It's not just that though, it's the issue with having to convince the Glazers when we want to sign somebody. Sounds all wrong to me and I can see why the search for a DoF has been scaled back to that of a Technical Director.
Something has been off about things here for a while, but it's starting to become clear what it's like behind the scenes. Mourinho, LVG and Moyes have all hinted towards it.
We're a real life FM save for Woodward
It's not just that though, it's the issue with having to convince the Glazers when we want to sign somebody. Sounds all wrong to me and I can see why the search for a DoF has been scaled back to that of a Technical Director.
Something has been off about things here for a while, but it's starting to become clear what it's like behind the scenes. Mourinho, LVG and Moyes have all hinted towards it.
We're a real life FM save for Woodward
I don't recall seeing that.
What's story on that? Any link?
I don't particularly understand the Glazers on this one. You have someone who is clearly top drawer at marketing and has no practical experience in football. Surely you tell him that you want all of his attention on branding and marketing and put people with footballing experience in charge of the football.
Record high stock a few weeks ago was hit.
Clearly they think the football side of things is fine too.
Woodward needs to get demoted ASAP.
But it seems we truly do have a bunch of suits trying to run a football club.
SAF was the entire club.
Every season since he retired has only served to raise my opinion of the man and I didn't think that was possible.
His legacy was already as high as possible when he retired.
It's only grown with each passing season following his retirement.
We'll never see a manager like him again.
This is one of the reasons i side with Jose. Feckin hate Woodward and Glazers. The technical director is pure bullshit and everyone knows that.
He literally did about 4 full time jobs at the highest level and competed with Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid etc.
The truth is, they probably couldn't give a toss about what's happening on the football side of things when they see the numbers we're making. Ed does as he pleases by the sounds of it, and he's made us his personal play thing.
Surely common sense tells them that he could do an even better job making money if he just focused on that and that he would have a better "product" to market with the right people overseeing football. I don't know why I assume that but I just always thought you must need a modicum of sense to make billions, although I suppose it was their dad that made the billions.
It was posted on here a while back, I think around the time we bought Pogba. It flew under the radar a bit because we were in the process of smashing a transfer record. The report of us having to ok things like new desks with the money men reminded me of this.
Maybe they don't care about the footballing success all that much. That is not uncommon with US owners.
Financial success needs to drop for them to do something about it..
Yeah I agree. But when you hear Woodward saying our financial success is unrelated to what we do on the pitch, you realise that's not the case.
We're total shambles of a club right now.
The catch 22 is Woodward has undoubtedly made us more stable financially and been crucial in slowly working our way out of our massive debt. This is so important during the current period without major trophies, multiple seasons with CL football. Football is a business nowadays and, unless we can find a sugar daddy owner, we need to be sustainable and proftable. Ed has kept us in the hunt for all major signings and we're clearly in a decent financial position, this won't continue without success on the pitch though because at the moment we have a lot of history in the bank and the prestige of SAF's legacy which gives us this global reach. Go a decade without major titles and I can bet you the sponsorship queue will be dwindling.
The issue for me is Woodward clearly wants/needs some power over signings - to essentially be able to 'yes' and 'no' signings which is dangerous because he's an accountant but more importantly because he hired Mourinho and now seems to be undermining him. There should be a clear separation between him & Mourinho and transfer targets/ players for sale left down to the manager. If he's not happy with him and acknowledges what most people thought was a mistake of an appointment then fair enough but you either back him or sack him, not this weird middle ground.
The issue for me is Woodward clearly wants/needs some power over signings - to essentially be able to 'yes' and 'no' signings which is dangerous because he's an accountant but more importantly because he hired Mourinho and now seems to be undermining him. There should be a clear separation between him & Mourinho and transfer targets/ players for sale left down to the manager. If he's not happy with him and acknowledges what most people thought was a mistake of an appointment then fair enough but you either back him or sack him, not this weird middle ground.
He was also crucial in getting us into the debt!
Debt isn't always a bad thing though - it's a common way to invest and grow. I guess I mean on the commerical side he seems extremely strong.
Out of interest, do you know what his role was in structuring the debt?
Woodward was the Glazers' banker at JP Morgan and advised them on the leveraged buyout. The Glazers then appointed him to negotiate with the banks and hedge funds who provided the debt for their deal.
It is in this example though.
Debt is not a bad thing if invested in assets which will grow in value. The debt put on United was not to the benefit of the club. The Glazers benefited as the club rose in financial value. But the reduction in club spending for 5-10 years still impacts us today - we missed out on players and our facilities have fallen behind many others in the Premiership.
Regarding Woodwards role in structuring the take over.
"...he was appointed by the investment bank JP Morgan to work on their proposed takeover of United in 2005. Woodward... worked in JP Morgan’s mergers and acquisitions team and it was he who structured the Glazers’ complex, last-minute and — given the levels of debt they took on — controversial takeover."
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/...nited-is-bad-news-for-jose-mourinho-pns6snt7x
Beat me to it.
Ah yes, I remember the JPM M&A link. I was 16 when the they came in and didn't do much reading on the buyout but now I work in this sector so is v interesting reading up.
http://www.insideworldfootball.com/2018/01/18/manchester-united-top-european-net-debt-table-e561m/
I assume we still have the highest net debt despite becoming the most profitable club?
Former Premier League general secretary told me that Choccy confessed to him that he "doesn't recognize the club he loves anymore" and that it "no longer has an identity". Damning quotes indeed.
Net debt as of 31 March 2018 was £301.3m. Not sure how that compares with other clubs across Europe. I believe we are still top of the tree for gross debt.
The clown needs to give De Gea a massively improved contract asap. If we lose him we are truly completely fecked and every single elite club bar Madrid would want him if he wants out. I can see Barca wanting him as it would be a massive upgrade on Ter Stegen. Only way we could soften the blow if David was to leave would be a straight swap for Oblak so Prickward better hurry.
If this is true - and that's a big if - we are truly fecked for the next years no matter who the manager of this club is.
Incredible this guy is getting so much press time. This is the face of Manchester United at the moment, and that's a problem.
And this is why I time and time again say that even if we sack Mourinho I have absolutely no trust in Woodward making the right appointment. He has proven to everyone now that he can't make a single good decision footballing wise. This summer however was over the line. Jose wanted Toby, Levy wanted Martial in return, Woodward refused because he considered Martial "too valuable" Now ask yourself what would be better, finally getting that commanding elite CB we have all been wanting since Vida and Rio left, or a Martial who openly stated he wants out? If you think the latter well then I have to tell you we are now stuck with a player who doesn't want to be here and next summer probably every top club will be in for Toby so that's our chance blown but it doesn't end here.
Jose said fine if Ed refuses to make this deal happen let's move on and he told Ed to make a deal for Maguire, Ed once again refuses and said 70m is too expensive because now all of a sudden Woodward is an elite scout and knows whats best for the club. Another deal that could improve our defense blown because of Ed and note that Maguire is only 25 and would be a good investment for the future as well. I have always hated the Glazers and will continue to do so as long as I breathe and Woodward is just their puppet, only useful for commercial deals and as useless as Howard Webb's comb when it comes to footballing matters and as long as these charlatans are in charge of this club we won't win feck all and have to endure watching City walk the league every single year with now Liverpool being their closest competitor. It couldn't be a worse scenario.
Briefing that it's so good in fact that it quotes what Jose ends his texts to Ed with, kisses to the twins.
He's been at the training ground every day? He's going to end up appointing himself as caretaker manager like he has always dreamed.
So if they have problems with each other, Mourinho would have instead signed texts with "That's for you twat. JM" or what ?!
- Status