I think that’s a completely fair and accurate assessment of how United have been run for the last 5-7 years. It’s incredibly cynical but if you look at the pattern and available evidence, then it’s hard to argue with.
We’ve clearly been in a cycle of Woodward plus one, the one being the manager. And all recruitment decisions being taken ultimately in that small duopoly, powered by commercial concerns, ego, and to some extent keeping the manager on side.
The hope, and again it can only be described as a hope, is that the apparent separation of football decisions and commercial operations, in the form of an Arnold - Murtough - Fletcher - Bout - Rangnick (as consultant) - Manager, decision making team, will bring a more sustainable long term football strategy, and better recruitment.
Unlike others, and i say this not to undermine your wider point, I was actually happy we didn’t recruit in January. Given the temporary nature of our current management team, and the emerging football structure - including ceo transition - it ran the risk of acquiring more deadwood, than it did sensible recruitment. I know we have some obvious needs, but I’ve completely let go of the “fix it now” mentality, in favour of some long term vision.
Papers are going to link us to players, no matter what. That can come from the club spin machine (as you say), agents, or just journalistic click bait. So it’s hard to tell of us keeping our powder dry is part of a more patient, thought out strategy, or just further incompetence.
What I do like is Rangnick having 6 months to work with these players, to change the mentality, to change the approach to the game. I don’t expect much in the way of great results, because this was such a hugely dysfunctional, lazy team. But we are already seeing us change how we play. With more urgency, more pressing, more cohesiveness.
Ironically our last two 1-1 draws against shit teams, has actually seen us play the most encouraging football I’ve seen in a long while.
Whichever manager comes in, we can all agree that we’ll need two midfielders. A robust, physical, disciplined defensive midfielder, and a technically superior, playmaking number 8. What form that combination takes is anyone’s guess, but they replace the outgoing Pogba, and the ageing Matic. It could be something like Rice plus Tchouameni, or Rice plus Tielemans. For me the must is Rice. Without him, the 8 is pointless. I don’t know what our alternatives are in the event we can’t sign Rice.
I could see a scenario where you’d do something like Kalvin Phillips plus a more robust or energetic number 8. Like Phillips plus Bellingham. Or De Jong plus Kessie. It’s all about how the combination compliment one another. In a dream world you blow your budget on Rice and De Jong, and use the Pogba wages to cover free agent moves for other positions like Rudiger at CB.
There is so much work to be done on the squad this summer, I think it’s a chance to reset. We’ll desperately need probably two forwards as Cavani, Mata, Lingard, Martial, and possibly Ronaldo will all leave. I also doubt Greenwood will ever play for the club again.