Woodward (old thread)

[Chesterlestreet]

Well, LVG has come out and said he needs new players so there's no hiding place for Woodward from here on in, and please, no more excuses from his apologists.

Aye. Thing is, though, if Van Gaal now brings in a CB and a CM - starters rather than back-up players - the question on everyone's lips will be...what the feck did you wait for, man? It's fair enough that you can conclude a transfer in 24 hours - but why the wait? Why not get in those quality signings everyone and his granny say we need in time for the pre-season tour?

I don't quite get that. Does he have players on hold? In case it should turn out that Ando ain't brilliant, we grudgingly call Juve and say "alright, we'll be having that Vidal bloke, then"?

Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see. At any rate, it doesn't seem as though we can lay anything on Woody yet. He has completed a couple of signings. If LVG wants to assess the squad to the full, that's his prerogative - and how it should be. Woody doesn't even enter the picture as far as that is concerned. Personally, I wouldn't wait until the last week of the window to get players in, but what do I know.

 

[bosnian_red]

Van Gaal said he would spend the pre season assessing his current players. He said he wouldn't spend during that period. Yesterday he said it only takes 24hours to sign a player which suggests that he hasn't given woodward the go ahead to sign his targets.

Think it's more likely that he just doesn't want to publically blame people. There were reports that he wasn't too happy that we haven't strengthened so far and missed out on a few people. Delaney who is reliable also said that he wanted to assess his squad as to where they all stand with regards to who he wants to get rid of or not play, he knew who he wanted to sign.

 

[Acole9]

Not strictly true, we've spent over £50m (mental eh) and replaced Evra with Shaw.

Ok yes I suppose that is true in a way but to begin with it looked like Shaw would come in and Evra would stay as cover. I fully understand he wanted to move on for one last challenge but that has again left us with one left back.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Ok yes I suppose that is true in a way but to begin with it looked like Shaw would come in and Evra would stay as cover. I fully understand he wanted to move on for one last challenge but that has again left us with one left back.

That was my impression as well. It would have been perfect if Pat had stayed as Luke now injured. He started as a winger, so would not have worried at playing as a WB.

 

[Firstouch20]

Think it's more likely that he just doesn't want to publically blame people. There were reports that he wasn't too happy that we haven't strengthened so far and missed out on a few people. Delaney who is reliable also said that he wanted to assess his squad as to where they all stand with regards to who he wants to get rid of or not play, he knew who he wanted to sign.

Rather take the mans word for it then these mystical reports that you've plucked from think air. Van Gaal isn't even the type of manager to not let his feelings known. Its pretty clear that he wanted to assess the team to see how they would adapt to his style before buying players.
Only player we've bidded for is Rojo. If we actually put in a bid for the likes of Di Maria and Vidal it would be in every paper.

 

[Rednotdead]

Rather take the mans word for it then these mystical reports that you've plucked from think air. Van Gaal isn't even the type of manager to not let his feelings known. Its pretty clear that he wanted to assess the team to see how they would adapt to his style before buying players.
Only player we've bidded for is Rojo. If we actually put in a bid for the likes of Di Maria and Vidal it would be in every paper.

Clearly you haven't been reading the papers.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

It's clear that LVG has told Woody to sign defenders and given him targets that he wants signed. Upto Woodward to deliver. He hasn't in time for the new season.

 

[Van Piorsing]

Business trip 2014... everything for the good of Manchester United.

 

[pseudo_canadian]

If nothing happens before the next game then I'd be amazed. Surely Woodward isn't that incompetent?

We shouldn't even be having this conversation on August 16th. All of this should have been sorted months ago. It's embarrassing.

I'm losing the little patience I have by the day. Get things done for christ's sake, and get them done quickly.

 

[Joga Bonito]

Hmmm would you guys be satisfied if we just brought a defender in? Say Benatia. Personally I wouldn't, we need another midfielder and another LB/RB to shore up our defence. I wouldn't mind a hard basterd to give us some much needed leadership qualities and some steel and grit. That would hopefully be Vidal and no Fellaini doesn't count... We are just looking too weak out there and we need someone there who can give players a kick up the ass when needed. It is just shocking to see us go down and not even remotely look threatening or determined to do something about it. Its like we are resigned to losing the game once we go down...

 

[manusteve]

It's pathetic isn't it? Herrera and Shaw were Moyes projects, with the former finally signing one year on. I cannot believe LvG has not given a definitive list of wanted players to Woodward. Yet here we are, with not a top quality central defender in the squad, and one decent midfielder in Herrera (Carrick crocked but he's not dynamic enough anyway), poor options in the winger department - is it any wonder we lost today?

At this juncture, it would seem like Vidal, Di Maria, Benatia, Blind, and Rojo are all available depending on the money offered. Surely AT LEAST one of these is on LvG's list?

I am so pissed off...

 

[BennyBlanco]

Hmmm would you guys be satisfied if we just brought a defender in? Say Benatia. Personally I wouldn't, we need another midfielder and another LB/RB to shore up our defence. I wouldn't mind a hard basterd to give us some much needed leadership qualities and some steel and grit. That would hopefully be Vidal and no Fellaini doesn't count... We are just looking too weak out there and we need someone there who can give players a kick up the ass when needed. It is just shocking to see us go down and not even remotely look threatening or determined to do something about it. Its like we are resigned to losing the game once we go down...

People were moaning and groaning when Nigel De Jong was linked to us a few weeks ago, at least he's got a bit of bollocks about him and probably would be around the edge of the box to screen both shit goals we gave away today.
Anyway... I'm sick of seeing the same underperforming players being given chance after chance while the Glazers pocket our money and live on the back of Sir Alex, we need to invest in the fecking squad, we need a world class midfielder and a world class CB and by God the Glazers and their stooge Woodward had better get it done.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Woodward seems to be slow as feck in getting transfers sorted. LVG has said that we need defenders for awhile now and Woodward has already missed out on Vermalen. It's shame that we have to go into the season with defenders LVG would probably rather not play.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Hmmm would you guys be satisfied if we just brought a defender in? Say Benatia. Personally I wouldn't, we need another midfielder and another LB/RB to shore up our defence. I wouldn't mind a hard basterd to give us some much needed leadership qualities and some steel and grit. That would hopefully be Vidal and no Fellaini doesn't count... We are just looking too weak out there and we need someone there who can give players a kick up the ass when needed. It is just shocking to see us go down and not even remotely look threatening or determined to do something about it. Its like we are resigned to losing the game once we go down...

No way.

Let's be honest here. LVG's "philosophy" starts with defenders who are comfortable on the ball. We simply don't have enough defenders of that ilk at the club right now. Not to mention the ones we do are also either not top defenders or are rookies, to boot. Watching Smalling snail about taking ages to make a few yards in that system today was awful to see. We need to sign two defenders IMO and possibly even two midfielders. We're short on numbers and quality.

 

[itso 7]

Think it's more likely that he just doesn't want to publically blame people. There were reports that he wasn't too happy that we haven't strengthened so far and missed out on a few people. Delaney who is reliable also said that he wanted to assess his squad as to where they all stand with regards to who he wants to get rid of or not play, he knew who he wanted to sign.

We are predisposed to believe any version that tallies with our perception or with our preformed opinions. Taking Van Gaal's words at face value would mean that Woodward is not sorely to blame for this window so it's Van Gaal shielding Woodward and the Glazers from criticism. The same Van Gaal who only has to look at what happened to Moyes to know the futility of such arse kissing and who is renowned for very public fallouts with employers. If he saw it fit to speak against our commercial activity why would he shield Woodward for something that will cost him his job ?

 

[Chicharito_]

I think the best we can hope for out of Woody is Depay and Blind.

 

[An Irish Red]

I think the absolute bare minimum is a centre-back and a midfielder. Personally, I reckon we need two new faces in midfield. It's that bad. A winger would be useful as well.

Woodward has a lot of work to do and I doubt there's many people who are confident about that.

 

[Van Piorsing]

I think the best we can hope for out of Woody is Depay and Blind.

You realize that even signing these players will require an actual effort from the chairman ?

 

[goin4glory]

The best move we could make this window would be to transfer woodward by to the commercial department never to be heard from again.

 

[itso 7]

Woodward seems to be slow as feck in getting transfers sorted. LVG has said that we need defenders for awhile now and Woodward has already missed out on Vermalen. It's shame that we have to go into the season with defenders LVG would probably rather not play.

Arsenal wanted Smalling in return, should he have acquiesced to that just to push the deal through ? Or should he have offered way more than the already overpriced £15m for an injury prone mediocre defender ? There are points where it makes sense to pull out of a deal, the moment Smalling was mention that line had been crossed.

 

[m1tch]

After the promising, proactive, early signings of Shaw and Herrera, it really looked like we meant business and were going to revitalise the squad.
I know van Gaal wanted to assess what he already had, a problem given the lack of time he had to do this.
Despite the fact he's not had much time, time probably significantly negatively affected by the commercially driven pre-season, I can't believe it takes a shit first real game of the season to highlight a chronic need for players.
Signing players at this stage is never ideal, integration should happen in pre-season, let's just hope we get moving before deadline day to avoid Fellaini-esque money wasting.

 

[Twisted_Woody]

Are Woody and his management team so inept that they can't even do transfers anymore? I'm starting to think of David Gill as the messiah.

 

[Baxter]

"We’ve been working with Louis over several weeks with regards to targets and we’re continuing to move forward on some of those targets," Woodward told MUTV's Stewart Gardner in Los Angeles.

"We are willing to invest. There is no fixed budget. Financially we are extremely strong and funds are available. Louis is assessing what’s going on and there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes, so watch this space."

That was on the 20th of July. Almost a month later and nothing. What the feck have we been doing?

 

[Twisted_Woody]

"We’ve been working with Louis over several weeks with regards to targets and we’re continuing to move forward on some of those targets," Woodward told MUTV's Stewart Gardner in Los Angeles.

"We are willing to invest. There is no fixed budget. Financially we are extremely strong and funds are available. Louis is assessing what’s going on and there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes, so watch this space."

That was on the 20th of July. Almost a month later and nothing. What the feck have we been doing?

We need a watch this space banner at the next home match.

 

[Red Shorts]

Ed, sit back and watch how £80 million spent can completely transform a team and make them arguably the title contenders for the season a.k.a Chelsea. All those deals were wrapped up only weeks after the World Cup, max, and they are all stellar signings that have strengthened a squad that was honestly weaker than ours was least season in my view, at least in attack and arguably defense. Shaw and Herrera are a positive way forward, but we have lost 4 huge leaders in the team, predominantly at the back, and it has needed strengthening the same time as our first two came in. When has our 3 of Jones, Smalling and Evans ever stayed fit at one time? I do not see us finishing strong towards the end of the season if we don't make at least two more signings (CB and CM) because not only is the strongest first team not even competing with the others on paper and on the pitch, it simply doesn't hold for the long term either due to expected injuries. van Gaal is a positive light in all of this because of his philisophy and his vision, but he's not working with the Ajax/Barca/Bayern teams that he was given before, but a team that was left by one of the greatest managers this game has ever seen, in the hands of a man that brought it down to seventh, its worst position finish in 2 decades. The rebuild should have started last season; it didn't, and the lesson should have been learnt and started this season, but yet again it didn't. The next 2 weeks will make for very interesting viewing for sure. Let's see how these Rojo/Benatia rumours go for a start, then whether Vidal was just one pile of shit all along.

 

[goin4glory]

"It's been well documented that we wanted Fabregas, Bale and Ronaldo. There was talk of Ronaldo when I first arrived. We were close to getting a couple of major names. I'm not getting into a blame game here but things just didn't materialise. I had taken over from the most successful manager in history, the chief executive had taken over from one of the most renowned administrators in the game (David Gill). It was a new job for two people"

Moyes.

So yeah Woodward made a mess of the window then. Personally I feel like the fans have a right to know what has happened behind the scenes and who is responsible when things go as badly as they have.

 

[.Rossi]

Space Ghost

 

[.Rossi]

"It's been well documented that we wanted Fabregas, Bale and Ronaldo. There was talk of Ronaldo when I first arrived. We were close to getting a couple of major names. I'm not getting into a blame game here but things just didn't materialise. I had taken over from the most successful manager in history, the chief executive had taken over from one of the most renowned administrators in the game (David Gill). It was a new job for two people"

Moyes.

So yeah Woodward made a mess of the window then. Personally I feel like the fans have a right to know what has happened behind the scenes and who is responsible when things go as badly as they have.

I agree but, there was absolutely no chance of us getting Bale and Ronaldo! No chance!

And Moyes is just as big of an idiot if he truly believed and wasted time, going for them

 

[psychdelicblues]

Ed, sit back and watch how £80 million spent can completely transform a team and make them arguably the title contenders for the season a.k.a Chelsea. All those deals were wrapped up only weeks after the World Cup, max, and they are all stellar signings that have strengthened a squad that was honestly weaker than ours was least season in my view, at least in attack and arguably defense. Shaw and Herrera are a positive way forward, but we have lost 4 huge leaders in the team, predominantly at the back, and it has needed strengthening the same time as our first two came in. When has our 3 of Jones, Smalling and Evans ever stayed fit at one time? I do not see us finishing strong towards the end of the season if we don't make at least two more signings (CB and CM) because not only is the strongest first team not even competing with the others on paper and on the pitch, it simply doesn't hold for the long term either due to expected injuries. van Gaal is a positive light in all of this because of his philisophy and his vision, but he's not working with the Ajax/Barca/Bayern teams that he was given before, but a team that was left by one of the greatest managers this game has ever seen, in the hands of a man that brought it down to seventh, its worst position finish in 2 decades. The rebuild should have started last season; it didn't, and the lesson should have been learnt and started this season, but yet again it didn't. The next 2 weeks will make for very interesting viewing for sure. Let's see how these Rojo/Benatia rumours go for a start, then whether Vidal was just one pile of shit all along.

So watch this space.

 

[Joga Bonito]

"It's been well documented that we wanted Fabregas, Bale and Ronaldo. There was talk of Ronaldo when I first arrived. We were close to getting a couple of major names. I'm not getting into a blame game here but things just didn't materialise. I had taken over from the most successful manager in history, the chief executive had taken over from one of the most renowned administrators in the game (David Gill). It was a new job for two people"

Moyes.

So yeah Woodward made a mess of the window then. Personally I feel like the fans have a right to know what has happened behind the scenes and who is responsible when things go as badly as they have.

Don't take it at face value, Moyes is just trying to deflect attention from his mistakes. The blame has to be shared amongst both of them. It was Moyes's indecisive nature that we had to pay 4 million extra for Fellaini, bid 12 million for De Rossi on the last day despite going past the deadline set by Roma and unnecessarily haggling over Baines's fee when we could have wrapped up the Coentrao deal if we submitted our papers earlier etc. Ed Woodward can only do so much, it is the manager who pinpoints who he wants and when. Then only can Ed act.

However, you could blame this season's shambles on Ed though. LVG has stated time and time again about the squad's deficiencies and the need for reinforcements subtlety. He has't been like Moyes at the start of last season where he claimed he was happy with the squad and would go into the season without any signings if that was the case. LVG has clearly stated what he needed and Ed hasn't delivered yet. I still believe that there will be signings but the lack of urgency, esp given last season's deadline disaster, has been baffling to say the least.

 

[KiD MoYeS]

We'll sign a couple of £20 million players and that'll be it I reckon. It will be a tough ask of van Gaal to deliver top four, I do believe he's up to it.

I'm not sure Woodward's incompetent, ownership dictates there is a limited budget to work within. He is, however, a complete bullshitter.

 

[goin4glory]

Don't take it at face value, Moyes is just trying to deflect attention from his mistakes. The blame has to be shared amongst both of them. It was Moyes's indecisive nature that we had to pay 4 million extra for Fellaini, bid 12 million for De Rossi on the last day despite going past the deadline set by Roma and unnecessarily haggling over Baines's fee when we could have wrapped up the Coentrao deal if we submitted our papers earlier etc. Ed Woodward can only do so much, it is the manager who pinpoints who he wants and when. Then only can Ed act.

However, you could blame this season's shambles on Ed though. LVG has stated time and time again about the squad's deficiencies and the need for reinforcements subtlety. He has't been like Moyes at the start of last season where he claimed he was happy with the squad and would go into the season without any signings if that was the case. LVG has clearly stated what he needed and Ed hasn't delivered yet. I still believe that there will be signings but the lack of urgency, esp given last season's deadline disaster, has been baffling to say the least.

I doubt Moyes is trying to deflect attention from his mistakes since there's simply no hiding from them and to be clear I'm not defending Moyes I'm glad he's gone but when you look at the shambles this summer has turned into it's seems clear to me that Woodward hasn't got a clue. The deadline day deals for De Rossi and Coentrao where because of the club's embarrassing failure to land Herrera and I seriously doubt it was Moyes taking care of the paperwork for Coentrao.

This summer has only gone on to reinforce the idea that Woodward has been largely to blame for the circus last year.

 

[roseguy64]

I doubt Moyes is trying to deflect attention from his mistakes since there's simply no hiding from them and to be clear I'm not defending Moyes I'm glad he's gone but when you look at the shambles this summer has turned into it's seems clear to me that Woodward hasn't got a clue. The deadline day deals for De Rossi and Coentrao where because of the club's embarrassing failure to land Herrera and I seriously doubt it was Moyes taking care of the paperwork for Coentrao.

This summer has only gone on to reinforce the idea that Woodward has been largely to blame for the circus last year.

No it hasn't. You'll see what you want to see.

 

[J-Stander]

He's fecking useless, just get rid. He gets all the praise for the commercial deals yet some people on here refuse to blame him for a fecking shite summer 2 years in a row. He's responsible. If we don't make 3 top class signings in the next few weeks he has to go.

 

[goin4glory]

No it hasn't. You'll see what you want to see.

I see that every single side in the Premier League has signed more players than us, that's not an opinion it's a fact. I see a squad in such dire shape we start with Blackett/Young/Lingard at the back and a performance which looks no different to the majority of games under Moyes.

 

[herokiller84]

Space Ghost

 

[roseguy64]

I see that every single side in the Premier League has signed more players than us, that's not an opinion it's a fact. I see a squad in such dire shape we start with Blackett/Young/Lingard at the back and a performance which looks no different to the majority of games under Moyes.

And how does that relate to last year's transfer window?

 

[Rednotdead]

And how does that relate to last year's transfer window?

Because what went on - or didn't go on, as the case may be, last year is being replicated this year and there's only one common denominator. The man himself said over a month ago we had deals in the offing but nothing has materialised. You can't go on for ever making excuses for him as to why players haven't been signed. We face the same problems as other clubs in getting deals done but other clubs manage to get their deals finalised whereas we don't.

Instance - the Rojo deal is being held up because of the 3rd party ownership problem. City have just signed Mangala, who was also subject to 3rd party ownership. They got the deal done. We haven't.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Simply has to deliver over the next two weeks or I hope he is never allowed to play any part in our transfer activities in the future. He must be the sloppiest chief executive/director of football at closing deals off. And it's hurting the club.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Because what went on - or didn't go on, as the case may be, last year is being replicated this year and there's only one common denominator. The man himself said over a month ago we had deals in the offing but nothing has materialised. You can't go on for ever making excuses for him as to why players haven't been signed. We face the same problems as other clubs in getting deals done but other clubs manage to get their deals finalised whereas we don't.

Instance - the Rojo deal is being held up because of the 3rd party ownership problem. City have just signed Mangala, who was also subject to 3rd party ownership. They got the deal done. We haven't.

Completely agree. It's as if people think only we face these issues. Every club goes through these processes. It's just that they get the deals done whereas we are sloppy as feck.