What players did Woodward sign that the manager didn’t want? Possibly Ronaldo but I think Ole is nostalgic enough to have wanted him - who else?
The John Murtough Era
- Thread starter Trex
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The responsibility of a Dof is to continuously improve the team. If Ten Hag is saying FDJ or no one then he should be told we're going after a different midfielder who has similar attributes. If McTominay and Fred were at other clubs would ETH want to sign them? Course not. He's having to make do with what he's already got. Well he could also work with whatever players are signed for him, too.
Well I'm not an ITK, I can only show examples based on what I read on the news and discussions on RedCafe. And considering Arnold himself have said : "does it ring a bell?" when trying to make an example of us spending money carelessly during the pub meeting, chances are its true, some of the signings we made were there for glamour purposes and they're not specifically asked by the manager:
Falcao, Sanchez, Donny, Ronaldo. Waste of money.
Yes but we know they're idiots. We had our chance with Ralf if we wanted to proactively chase targets without the manager approval but we didn't follow it up so back to square one. I'd rather trust the manager than Murtough.
Fletcher said a passing comment about we got a good midfield already when we were on tour. If hes saying this, no wonder we are so loathe to shift players on and bring in better.
This.
People underestimate the importance of this. Sure, ETH will have had some knowledge of the players in the squad and impressions about them, but actually managing those players over time, seeing what they're capable of in training, seeing their attitude and personality, seeing how well they can take on instructions and apply them in matches is extremely valuable and will determine transfer targets and team selection.
Three signings before the first game of the season is pretty standard. Expecting at least two more before the window shuts. I'll moan if we don't make two more.
Also worth noting that Klopp only made 1 signing in his first (January) transfer window, a youngster who made a handful of appearances. In his first summer window he signed 6 players, but that included 2 backup keepers and a £4m backup CB the wrong side of 30. There were only 3 long term first team signings. We have matched that and will surpass that number before the window shuts.
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If true then this is the epitome of our Jobs for the boys approach to recruiting staff damaging the club. Fletcher saying this, despite what 99% of fans can see in terms of our midfield quality, proves that he has either very poor judgment or is towing a company line aimed at saving money.
Both eventualities are worrying. Any successful organisation should seek to retain talent and recruit the best talent from outside. We retain dross that we should really be losing, and do not seem to try to get the cutting edge from elsewhere. Often the incomings are mates of underperformers (ie Bristol University group) providing that the culture of nepotism stems from the top.
Working 20 hours a day remember. Poor lad must be knackered*
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Knackered*
This is the guy who admitted doing nothing after the multiple humiliations Ole got before his sack because he didn't want to hurt his feelings.
Top level football isn't for him.
Top level football isn't for him.
That is the problem when you promote the wrong people
It all comes from the top. We have bad owners, which has led to having a bad CEO which has led to every other position being filled with the wrong people
bingo.
Most top clubs have people in charge who know what they're doing. United has been going a different route for years, and it shows
Not only did Woodward not do it's actually what he should have done if he was actually qualified to be active in football operations. Operative term being qualified. The chosen football director figure is supposed to know teambuilding more than the manager and even overrule them if they think it's for the best. They'll get it wrong on occasion but for the most part keep the vehicle moving in the right direction. Of course I don't actually want Murtough to overrule ETH because I doubt he even knows more about team building than ETH. Unfortunately I'm not sure he's even doing a great job in the guiding hand role.
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Unfair to compare him to a DOF he is pretty obviously not one of them its another jobs for the boys innit, a dof doesn't hire a manager to ostensibly work under him and then proceed to hand over all direction without actually offering any targets of his own despite having a year to prepare for this role.
So much hype was made of this structural change you can't even laugh anymore its just typical United. A dof is ultimately the ying to the managers yang and we get someone who lacks football knowledge. Why else would we be relying on ETH to fulfill multiple club roles. This is actually a massive problem that are a lot of people are underestimating, doesn't even matter whether you trust Ten Haag or not that goes without saying, it doesn't change that he isn't a scout and his transfer targets are very limited, there is just no structure in place to help him out like he had at Ajax.
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Even the statement that the club will only sign the right players is ridiculous because the consensus is that other options will not be explored. What happens when alternative targets are not utilized ? The club's position to develop remains stagnant and the gap to improve widens due to rivals strengthening.
The influence Murtough has this summer is the same model for transfers as what was experienced under Moyes, LVG, Ole and Mourinho. Managers dictating most of the club's transfer activity. The DOF should work in correspondence with the manager but ultimately must build the team that the squad assembly is still viable even if the manager underperforms and a new coach is sought after. United are perhaps the only club in world football who go from rebuild to rebuild when transitioning from one manager to the next, rather than just making additions.
Do some of you NOW understand why was important to get deals done in time?
Fecking useless
Starting the season with this squad should be a sackable offence
Starting the season with this squad should be a sackable offence
His job isn’t to sign players the manager wants, it’s to sign suitable players that matches how the manager wants to play.
I really hope he is sacked immediately after the game today.
Gross negligence
Gross negligence
When Ed did that?
"Lets judge him after deadline" 
.
.Even if FDJ is our number 1 priority, Murtough would still need to sign another midfielder or two. Why the feck do we even a football director if he doesn't have his input?
Sigh...I'm tired, Robbie
Sigh...I'm tired, Robbie
No experience without a professional cv
It's easy to be in denial when no football is actually being played. Now that the season has started, not so much.
It's because fans are so sentimental they miss the need to be objective. All the posts that have rightly questioned Murtough are coming into validation. I will reserve criticism until the end of the window and give credit if necessary but there's no one from the Glazers down to just above the first team that anyone with any sense can have strong confidence in.
Posted the same notions almost two months ago, was met with posts of elaborate support concerning the hierarchy it's ridiculous. When you consider how inadequate the owners are people expecting them to appoint the right people beneath themselves.
Ten Hag was confirmed 21st April.
Ronaldo wanted to leave since January, still here.
McFred still starting.
No Forwards.
No RB.
All smart bargain deals off the table at this point.
We're back to panic and desperation when we've had months to prepare for this season.
Such a wonderful job so far.
Ronaldo wanted to leave since January, still here.
McFred still starting.
No Forwards.
No RB.
All smart bargain deals off the table at this point.
We're back to panic and desperation when we've had months to prepare for this season.
Such a wonderful job so far.
Rangnick speak the truth when he said we need 8 to 10 players to challenge. But he was sacked.
The idiot Murtough is still here continue Ed's legacy
The idiot Murtough is still here continue Ed's legacy
The warning signs were there when the club wanted Woodward to stay on longer to be a consultant
Very very very short era for this clown in a suit
The ice he's walking on is starting to crack rather fast...
Another amateur in a role he should never been in. Has given the new manager nothing going into the season, I hope he's the one getting sacked and not EtH.
Let's not forget the mess with Rangnick too, he has no clue.
Let's not forget the mess with Rangnick too, he has no clue.
The Murtough Woodward era (continues)
Sad thing is he will outlast ETH and probably our next manager Poch.
Another one around the club with no experience doing the job whatsoever failing to do his job as expected.
How can a club like United have no football people around it whatsoever?
How can a club like United have no football people around it whatsoever?
But but he was good with women and youth football.
It baffles me that Murtough can look at the Manchester United squad and not see it needs 'open heart surgery.'
How does a Football Director assess this Man Utd team and not think: Gotta get a defensive midfielder, need to upgrade at #8, need better options out right, need a new right back?
There are so many obvious gaps. Yet I'm not seeing any proactivity towards rectifying these issues. Instead I read journalists telling us United would ideally want Rice or Bellingham. Why the f-k would these players come to United at present? Its delusional stuff.
We made Murtough Football Director with his zero experience when we could've gone for someone like Luis Campos. Someone with experience building teams. Who can assess a squad and take action to improve it.
I have no confidence that Murtough even understands the problems with the United squad, nevermind knows how to fix them.
The club, ultimately, will pay for these decisions.
How does a Football Director assess this Man Utd team and not think: Gotta get a defensive midfielder, need to upgrade at #8, need better options out right, need a new right back?
There are so many obvious gaps. Yet I'm not seeing any proactivity towards rectifying these issues. Instead I read journalists telling us United would ideally want Rice or Bellingham. Why the f-k would these players come to United at present? Its delusional stuff.
We made Murtough Football Director with his zero experience when we could've gone for someone like Luis Campos. Someone with experience building teams. Who can assess a squad and take action to improve it.
I have no confidence that Murtough even understands the problems with the United squad, nevermind knows how to fix them.
The club, ultimately, will pay for these decisions.
And he was Woodward’s “fixer”. I wonder what kind of damage he’d do if you asked him to really fcuk things up.
Exactly, we were called panicky, toxic, clueless, impatient for pointing out this shitshow of a transfer window. These are the consequences for mediocre scouts, a clueless dof and a manager getting no help from any of the above and so having to rely strictly on players who he knows.
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