Woodward (old thread)

[SonnyTheHaloPro]

People using the "There is still one month left in the market" need to pack up and give it a rest!

The season starts in 2 weeks and we've only bought two players into the team. This was the summer that we were supposed to go "huge into the market", sums as big as £200millon were being touted about by people within United. Well.......we've spent £56million

Even our manager claims our squad is horribly "unbalanced" with too many number 10's and not enough "specialist wingers" which is what morons like me have been saying on the internet for months now. We've hardly shifted any deadwood as well Bebe and Buttner is all.

We are the team that had arguably the worst season out of every Premier League team last season and it was obvious that we needed many key positions refilling as well, yet the club have pretty much stood idle, once again!

Sure we might buy some players late on, but the season will have already started and the new additions would need gelling into the team. Most our main big money marquee players should have been bought a long time ago (I doubt we will even sign any). We've got one hell of an easy start to the league, so we need to pick up maximum points in our opening 6 games.

Woodward is going to look like an absolute clown come 2nd of September, especially after saying "Watch this space" wdf? Hope he doesn't think he can get away with cheap options like De Jong and Vermaelan.

 

[Gladiator]

the.transfer.window.has.NOT.closed.yet

 

[Sunny Jim]

As i said before - woodward and van gaal are making a choice right now. With this squad there is no way we will finish top 3. No chance in hell. We might get 4th. might.

I hope they understand this.

 

[Lawman]

As i said before - woodward and van gaal are making a choice right now. With this squad there is no way we will finish top 3. No chance in hell. We might get 4th. might.

I hope they understand this.

We have a better 11 than Arsenal and a better squad. We will easily challenge for 3rd at worst with what we have just now Sunny. But I like you would like to see a couple more come in but it's never easy to get top players. But I do think either a De Jong or Khedira would be an excellent addition and massive upgrades to our squad. But looks like to me we are going for Vidal or Strootman.

 

[Bestie07]

We have a better 11 than Arsenal and a better squad. We will easily challenge for 3rd at worst with what we have just now Sunny. But I like you would like to see a couple more come in but it's never easy to get top players. But I do think either a De Jong or Khedira would be an excellent addition and massive upgrades to our squad. But looks like to me we are going for Vidal or Strootman.

How do we have a better eleven than Arsenal, or indeed a better squad? Even our manager thinks our squad is unbalanced. This may all change depending on the players that come in and how the team reacts to van Gaal's methods, but as of now, no, we don't have a better eleven/squad. Massive 34 days for the club and Woodward.

 

[Lawman]

How do we have a better eleven than Arsenal, or indeed a better squad? Even our manager thinks our squad is unbalanced. This may all change depending on the players that come in and how the team reacts to van Gaal's methods, but as of now, no, we don't have a better eleven/squad. Massive 34 days for the club and Woodward.

Pick an 11 from both squads and I think most will be from United. We do need additions no doubt but we aren't exactly struggling. 2 players will give us the strength in depth to go close in the title race if we gel quickly. We are far too under rated in here imo.

 

[NMF]

We have a better 11 than Arsenal and a better squad. We will easily challenge for 3rd at worst with what we have just now Sunny. But I like you would like to see a couple more come in but it's never easy to get top players. But I do think either a De Jong or Khedira would be an excellent addition and massive upgrades to our squad. But looks like to me we are going for Vidal or Strootman.

No we don't. Our squad is horribly unbalanced we have an average defense a mid table midfield and an uninspiring group of wingers add that to our new system the team will need time to settle and that's if it goes to plan 3 man defenses have often not worked in the premier league.

Arsenal have a much stronger starting 11 then us only in GK and striker do we have better options.

 

[Lawman]

I'll be astounded if we don't sign anyone else this window. Shaw and Herrera were already in place. So we get a top manager and he comes in to an unbalanced squad (LVG words) and we don't sign anyone! I think not so prepare to buckle up over the next few weeks in the transfer market as I'd expect things to hot up!

 

[Lawman]

No we don't. Our squad is horribly unbalanced we have an average defense a mid table midfield and an uninspiring group of wingers add that to our new system the team will need time to settle and that's if it goes to plan 3 man defenses have often not worked in the premier league.

Arsenal have a much stronger starting 11 then us only in GK and striker do we have better options.

In my honest opinion

DDG
Rafael
Shaw
Smalling
Herrera
Mata
Rooney
RVP

Would all start. I could see the Smalling one get questioned but I rate him highly.

 

[Minimalist]

We have a better 11 than Arsenal and a better squad. We will easily challenge for 3rd at worst with what we have just now Sunny. But I like you would like to see a couple more come in but it's never easy to get top players. But I do think either a De Jong or Khedira would be an excellent addition and massive upgrades to our squad. But looks like to me we are going for Vidal or Strootman.

Very debatable regarding our squad versus Arsenal. Our midfield is shocking remember.

I completely disagree regarding the league finish. Without at least one more midfielder being added to the squad I think the best can hope for is to challenge for 4th and in my view, we'll come up short. LVG isn't a miracle worker.

 

[NMF]

In my honest opinion

DDG
Rafael
Shaw
Smalling
Herrera
Mata
Rooney
RVP

Would all start. I could see the Smalling one get questioned but I rate him highly.

Rafael is hardly fit, and Herrera is yet to play a competitive match in the premier league and no way would Smalling get in there at least Koscielany and Mertersacker have proved to be an effective partnership.

 

[Kag]

No we don't. Our squad is horribly unbalanced we have an average defense a mid table midfield and an uninspiring group of wingers add that to our new system the team will need time to settle and that's if it goes to plan 3 man defenses have often not worked in the premier league.

Arsenal have a much stronger starting 11 then us only in GK and striker do we have better options.

What a snooze. See problems yet struggle to identify the answers, it's the mantra of the fan that can only search for negatives. Play Smalling and Jones every week, establish a style, a vision, some consistently in team selection, and the improvement will be as big as anything seen since 06/07, even with this squad. We've been playing football without any kind of cohesion for about four years. I think this will change. It has to.

A few signings and we're gold. I'm confident they'll come. And by the way, football teams are not as simple as listing off vapid rubbish like: "well we have the best this, and they have the best that." That's Alan Shearer shit.

 

[Minimalist]

In regards to Woodward, I've said already but if he messes up with this transfer window I think he'll be replaced within a year. If he can't deliver then he's not immune to the same end that Moyes met.

 

[Lawman]

Rafael is hardly fit, and Herrera is yet to play a competitive match in the premier league and no way would Smalling get in there at least Koscielany and Mertersacker have proved to be an effective partnership.

Seen enough with Herrera in Spain to suggest he'd walk into both midfields. Rafael has been injury prone granted. I stand by my opinion on Smalling. I also think Welbeck and Hernadez would get a regular game for Arsenal.

 

[NMF]

What a snooze. See problems yet struggle to identify the answers, it's the mantra of the fan that can only search for negatives. Play Smalling and Jones every week, establish a style, a vision, some consistently in team selection, and the improvement will be as big as anything seen since 06/07, even with this squad. We've been playing football without any kind of cohesion for about four years. I think this will change. It has to.

A few signings and we're gold. I'm confident they'll come. And by the way, football teams are not as simple as listing off vapid rubbish like: "well we have the best this, and they have the best that." That's Alan Shearer shit.

How can we play them every week when they both are on the treatment table more than the pitch? I'm not doubting their potential it's their ability to stay fit also I wouldn't trust that partnership you need at least one ball playing defender and we do but his also an injury worry. It's wishful thinking but we really do need a Hummels or Benatia we've just lost Vidic and Rio who were once the best defenders in Europe in their prime that's the standard we need.

I do think we need more signings but it's the quality of those signings which has everyone worried. We need the likes of Vidal, Di Maria, Hummels but we know we can't get them and will end up with Vermaelen and De Jong.

 

[NMF]

Seen enough with Herrera in Spain to suggest he'd walk into both midfields. Rafael has been injury prone granted. I stand by my opinion on Smalling. I also think Welbeck and Hernadez would get a regular game for Arsenal.

Arguable if you want a balanced squad most neutrals would pick Ramsey.

 

[Invictus]

In regards to Woodward, I've said already but if he messes up with this transfer window I think he'll be replaced within a year. If he can't deliver then he's not immune to the same end that Moyes met.

Nuh uh. No chance of that happening anytime soon. Woodward's been with the owners from the very beginning of their takeover. Him and Arnold have revamped the club's whole commercial operation and reeled in deals worth almost $ 2 billion. That's a goldmine for the Glazers and Ed's the most important element in it. If he fails to land major targets this summer or the next and the manager/ fanbase is dismayed, at max a director of football will be appointed while Woodward continues in his position as CEO.

 

[harms]

How do we have a better eleven than Arsenal, or indeed a better squad? Even our manager thinks our squad is unbalanced. This may all change depending on the players that come in and how the team reacts to van Gaal's methods, but as of now, no, we don't have a better eleven/squad. Massive 34 days for the club and Woodward.

We have more player in a combined eleven but I think that they starting line-up is better anyway because they're better balanced. It's not all about the quality of the players, it's about their comparability too and we have some real bad examples here. Then, again, we didn't lose them last season and surely I wouldn't expect us to lose now

------------- DDG ------------
Rafael - Evans - Mertesacker - Shaw (bad CB pairing though, no real stopper, but I don't really rate Koscielny)
---- Ramsey ----- Herrera --------
Sanchez --- Mata ----- Ozil
----------- RVP ------------

with Rooney, obviously, better than Giroud and maybe he should be there over Sanchez or Ozil.

 

[harms]

Arguable if you want a balanced squad most neutrals would pick Ramsey.

Why choose between them? They both should start. Who else? Arteta? Carrick? Fellaini ?

 

[Sunny Jim]

In regards to Woodward, I've said already but if he messes up with this transfer window I think he'll be replaced within a year. If he can't deliver then he's not immune to the same end that Moyes met.

why would the Glazers want to change him? give him another year or two and he will make the players pay for the privilege of playing for United. The guy is a cash sourcing maschine. Just needs to shut up and get someone competent in the transfer business. Inst Gill still around? Couldn't he use Fergie for that role?

 

[Red Comet]

Maybe I'm being plain optimistic but I feel that there is still going to be some transfer movement yet.

• We need a strong showing this season to show the disaster of last season is a one-off, and not a precursor to a club on a decline. This will have impact on our continued commercial success, something that is close to Ed's heart.
  
• Despite the departure of Rio, Vida, Evra & Buttner the squad is still very bloated. Clearing the squad of more deadwood makes commercial sense as it saves our club from paying too much in salary to players who are playing too little.
• "Watch this space". Ed is not a tool and he knows how much he dropped the ball last summer with regards to transfer. He is unlikely to put such a confident statement without having something up his sleeve. (of course, it may be a silly show of bravado, which I feel is extremely unlikely given a person of his profile)

On the other hand though, apart from the "Hollandisation" of Barcelona, LvG's track record in the market has been conservative at best. He has always preferred to promote from within rather than signing a star player.

 

[MDFC Manager]

In regards to Woodward, I've said already but if he messes up with this transfer window I think he'll be replaced within a year. If he can't deliver then he's not immune to the same end that Moyes met.

The only reason Glazers would want him out is if the United manager makes a lot of noises about lack of transfers. Fortunately for Woody, LVG isn't going to force for transfers. I'd think that it might actually be the other way around where Woody would like to buy big name players for commercial purposes.

 

[NMF]

The only reason Glazers would want him out is if the United manager makes a lot of noises about lack of transfers. Fortunately for Woody, LVG isn't going to force for transfers. I'd think that it might actually be the other way around where Woody would like to buy big name players for commercial purposes.

Woodward won't get the sack. But if Woodward fails to bring in the players Van Gaal wants he won't shy away from letting people know and at best we can see Woody just focusing on commercial/sponsors and we bring in someone who knows how the transfer market operates.

 

[Drummer]

I am not one to ever defend the Glazers but I believe that gills and especially SAF's reluctance to spend big especially in the latter years of their tenure is one of the primary factors that has led to the predicament we are in today.

Coincidental that SAF was fighting with the owners around that time? And any coincidence that SAF towed the line with the glazers, keeping his mouth shut when they gave him nothing to improve the squad? I think not...

 

[Minimalist]

Nuh uh. No chance of that happening anytime soon. Woodward's been with the owners from the very beginning of their takeover. Him and Arnold have revamped the club's whole commercial operation and reeled in deals worth almost $ 2 billion. That's a goldmine for the Glazers and Ed's the most important element in it. If he fails to land major targets this summer or the next and the manager/ fanbase is dismayed, at max a director of football will be appointed while Woodward continues in his position as CEO.

Well that's more what I was getting at. Suggesting he'd lose his job was obviously the wrong way to word it. I mean transfer responsibility would be given to someone else.

 

[Drummer]

Nuh uh. No chance of that happening anytime soon. Woodward's been with the owners from the very beginning of their takeover. Him and Arnold have revamped the club's whole commercial operation and reeled in deals worth almost $ 2 billion. That's a goldmine for the Glazers and Ed's the most important element in it. If he fails to land major targets this summer or the next and the manager/ fanbase is dismayed, at max a director of football will be appointed while Woodward continues in his position as CEO.

This is what people don't seem to realise. Leg has already public ally questioned the clubs lack of focus on footballing matters, yet people keep clinging to the whole "Na ah, the owners need the club to win to be a success". When the truth looks different..

The club made a balls of last summers transfers. Suits some fans to blame moyes, but the fact that shaw and Herrera (who we haggled over last season) were pretty much wrapped up without a manager says a lot.

I think the squad has been allowed to get into this state by the owners who have penny pinched for too long. It was only last January when they started to invest in the squad proportionately to the supposed success that many think they strive for..

Perhaps this summer will be different but they left it extremely late. On a side note, I find it funny that people haven't made the connection between DM having Nearly the best net gain on transfers in the EPL. DM completely suited the glazers, I don't believe it was all SAF!

 

[Invictus]

Well that's more what I was getting at. Suggesting he'd lose his job was obviously the wrong way to word it. I mean transfer responsibility would be given to someone else.

I'd be on board with that.

Not a big fan of a single person overseeing every aspect of the club's operations anyway (especially at an enormous club like United). It just seems extremely strenuous even from the outside. Woodward's speciality is clearly handling the commercial side of things. Let him focus on that with Arnold and get someone like Marotta, Zorc or Agnelli (not literally but someone of that calibre, experience and contacts portfolio) to hash out transfer deals, sound out agents, handle player personnel decisions in sync with the manager etc.

 

[Dylan94]

People using the "There is still one month left in the market" need to pack up and give it a rest!

The season starts in 2 weeks and we've only bought two players into the team. This was the summer that we were supposed to go "huge into the market", sums as big as £200millon were being touted about by people within United. Well.......we've spent £56million

Even our manager claims our squad is horribly "unbalanced" with too many number 10's and not enough "specialist wingers" which is what morons like me have been saying on the internet for months now. We've hardly shifted any deadwood as well Bebe and Buttner is all.

We are the team that had arguably the worst season out of every Premier League team last season and it was obvious that we needed many key positions refilling as well, yet the club have pretty much stood idle, once again!

Sure we might buy some players late on, but the season will have already started and the new additions would need gelling into the team. Most our main big money marquee players should have been bought a long time ago (I doubt we will even sign any). We've got one hell of an easy start to the league, so we need to pick up maximum points in our opening 6 games.

Woodward is going to look like an absolute clown come 2nd of September, especially after saying "Watch this space" wdf? Hope he doesn't think he can get away with cheap options like De Jong and Vermaelan.

But didn't LVG say in his first press conference that there wouldn't be any new signings for 3 to 4 weeks while he assessed his current players? I'm pretty sure it's not even been 3 weeks yet. Give it the time that he said and then we will see deadwood going out and more new faces coming in.

 

[backofthenet]

But didn't LVG say in his first press conference that there wouldn't be any new signings for 3 to 4 weeks while he assessed his current players? I'm pretty sure it's not even been 3 weeks yet. Give it the time that he said and then we will see deadwood going out and more new faces coming in.

Or, we won't be able to sign any players that we want as they'll be seen as key to their existing teams and there is no time for them to get their replacements in. Once pre-season starts in earnest its too late for the big signings.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Or, we won't be able to sign any players that we want as they'll be seen as key to their existing teams and there is no time for them to get their replacements in. Once pre-season starts in earnest its too late for the big signings.

Well that's not true, is it? Loads and loads of examples of big signings made after pre-season starts. At United and many other big clubs. In fact, the biggest signing of all (Bale to Madrid) didn't happen until September 1st.

 

[backofthenet]

Well that's not true, is it? Loads and loads of examples of big signings made after pre-season starts. At United and many other big clubs. In fact, the biggest signing of all (Bale to Madrid) didn't happen until September 1st.

But Spurs knew it was going to happen, and were already spending the money like a drunken sailor. Real had been publically (via Marca) talking about it since May. Not making any moves in the market until the beginning of August is not the same.

Don't get me wrong, Woody could well have lined up three or four deals behind the scenes that are effectively just waiting for the green light from Van Gaal, and then I'll look a complete fool. I'm just concerned that that isn't the case, that we are waiting on Van Gaal to return to Carrington to assess the entire squad together before we go ahead with any deals and find that all of the clubs that we were hoping to buy from are now refusing to do business as they haven't enough time to line up replacements.

 

[mic.m]

Woodward is in a no win situation. His job would have been easier if he had taken over a squad that did not need an overhaul. Our problems date back to Fergie and Gill making mediocre signings and baulking at buying quality players after the departure of Ronaldo. Fergie chose to protect the Glazers by talking bull about value for money. Now Woodward who is as much part of the regime that allowed the squad to decline is being shown up. If we start the season with this current squad I will consider it a miracle if we get anything higher than a 5th place finish.

 

[NoWinNoFee]

7th place last season and only signed 2 players, inexperienced players i must add, including a teenager and lost Evra/Rio/Vidic/Giggs and Buttner and Carrick out injured until end of October.

If we don't sign any more players something is seriously wrong, surely all these new sponsorship deals with Chevrolet and Adidas we gave assurances to them we will be back in the Champions League again therefore we cannot risk not getting Champions League football again.

 

[Jev]

We have a better 11 than Arsenal and a better squad.

Disagree. We have a better goalkeeper, slightly better full-backs and better strikers but they have a much better balanced side with plenty of options in a lot of positions, especially the attacking ones, a much better core (centre-backs + central midfield), and we are not even close to matching their creative players. I would gladly swap squads with them.

 

[itso 7]

Didn't Van Gaal say, recently, that he won't sign another player until he has run the rule over the whole squad ? Let's say for a moment that this is the case, what would you have Woodward do ? Step on LVG's toes and sign players regardless of what the manager has said ? Van Gaal has made this decision and until we get confirmation or a slight inclination that it's all ''propaganda'', to quote @Drummer, then we shouldn't lay the blame on Woodward .

 

[Jev]

7th place last season and only signed 2 players, inexperienced players i must add, including a teenager and lost Evra/Rio/Vidic/Giggs and Buttner and Carrick out injured until end of October.

If we don't sign any more players something is seriously wrong, surely all these new sponsorship deals with Chevrolet and Adidas we gave assurances to them we will be back in the Champions League again therefore we cannot risk not getting Champions League football again.

We will sign more players but if they're from the Blind/De Vrij/Vermaelen/De Jong bracket, it won't help us all that much.

 

[Offside]

Didn't Van Gaal say, recently, that he won't sign another player until he has run the rule over the whole squad ? Let's say for a moment that this is the case, what would you have Woodward do ? Step on LVG's toes and sign players regardless of what the manager has said ? Van Gaal has made this decision and until we get confirmation or a slight inclination that it's all ''propaganda'', to quote @Drummer, then we shouldn't lay the blame on Woodward .

People just get itchy every passing day and don't have any mature outlook. They just want transfers now now now.

LVG has said he will wait till after the tour, and he will and then we will buy.

Surely there is no way Woodward would make those comments unless he knew we were going to buy.

 

[Trigg]

I can understand peoples frustrations when Woodward as said what he's said. He could have kept quiet and let his actions speak for themselves.

This could be a huge embarrassment for him really. He's still got time on his side but fans will be ready should these signing not materialise. Watch this space.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Didn't Van Gaal say, recently, that he won't sign another player until he has run the rule over the whole squad ? Let's say for a moment that this is the case, what would you have Woodward do ? Step on LVG's toes and sign players regardless of what the manager has said ? Van Gaal has made this decision and until we get confirmation or a slight inclination that it's all ''propaganda'', to quote @Drummer, then we shouldn't lay the blame on Woodward .

If he did say that, then you've got to ask why we signed Shaw and Herrera.

So far this summer it's looks as though we've been operating a weird hybrid of a DoF and our previous strategy of leaving the manager 100% in charge of transfers. Bearing in mind that Woodward hasn't the first clue about the football side of the business it does concern me that he may have been pushing through transfers for players that were never a priority for Van Gaal because Woody felt obliged to sign someone, anyone, to keep the fans from getting on his case and sell all our season tickets.

 

[noodlehair]

I think the club had put a lot of work into already lining up the Shaw and Herrera deals, and saw them as required, and probably ran the reasons why past Van Gaal prior to the World Cup, so he could just give the go ahead to get the players in.

From now on it'll be his signings I reckon.

Woodward has still to do or say anything that does anything to deter my suspicion that he's an imbecile. At least half of what he says or does further reinforces it.