Advertisement

Manchester United’s failure imperils Ed Woodward’s future

Manchester United’s failure imperils Ed Woodward’s future

Manchester United should sack Louis van Gaal and make sure that he is replaced by someone who can successfully organise a side. If they were to do that, they would probably qualify for the Champions League. There’s reason to believe that at least one of the four teams above them will suffer a serious wobble, and United could take advantage of it, if they choose to. But what is less widespread, but more compelling, is the argument that Ed Woodward’s position at Manchester United should be under far greater threat than it currently is. The announcement of United’s quarterly earnings this week should start a period of increased scrutiny. Whether it is enough to finally get him to move on, or accept his limitations, is another thing.

If the Glazers are close to selling, and there is reason to think they are considering it, then he has let his employers down. Manchester United’s share price is at its lowest since December 2012. Or, put another way, it’s at its lowest since David Gill handed over to Woodward. Gill was no financial genius, but it shows that Woodward has overseen a dramatic loss in value in one of the three biggest clubs in the world. The other two, Barcelona and Real Madrid, don’t need to worry about such a thing, but the Glazers do. Ever since their father died and passed on full ownership of the club to them, it has made a sale more likely, as the children do not all agree on long-term ownership as a viable plan. They have already made hundreds of millions, and could receive three billion dollars were they to secure a sale. The cuts of 15% they have requested suggests they are putting the balance sheet in order before letting the club go.

Now, Woodward might have increased revenue dramatically, by packaging up sponsorship deals by region, rather than globally, to sign a succession of deals at a premium, rather than selling two or three massive ones as a discount. He also signed a £750 million deal with Adidas for United’s kit, but about a year later, Real Madrid are ready to sign one for a full quarter of a billion pounds more. Whoops! Woodward’s position was secure as long as he was making the most amount of money possible for the club - sorry - for the Glazers. That is not necessarily the case anymore.

However, it’s not just off the pitch where Woodward is suspect. For far longer than that, he has used remarkable incompetence on the football side of things. Gallingly, he reportedly even knows his performance in this area is substandard, but it will have taken at least three seasons for him to do anything about it. Regardless of whether the rumours of appointing a Director of Football are true, there is an acknowledgement that he cannot be trusted with transfers. It was mildly amusing to see him being treated as the Wolf of Wall Street as he signed six players last summer, but more often than not he is more like Jordan Belfort’s performance after taking an overdose of quaaludes. Rolling around the floor, dribbling and unable to communicate or do anything effectively, save for breathing. And even that is an unconscious act. Will Woodward end up having to boast that he can breathe? Let’s not rule anything out.

After all, United are fifth and are still in the position to qualify for the Champions League - vital in terms of revenue and to attract players - if they received a short-term boost. The transfer window was there, ready, and once again, United performed as if they were under the influence of massive, strong sedatives. There is little other justification for waiting until the last day of the window to try to sign a right-back, when a central defender, winger and striker was also needed. That the full-back they did try to sign was Mathieu Debuchy, on loan, makes you wonder just how incredibly strong the drugs are at Old Trafford.

It’s not the first time that Woodward has pathetically failed to sign players. He believed Sergio Ramos was coming, because Ramos said he wanted to come. Fair enough, but he had absolutely no idea what to do when the move fell through. He bid for Marco Reus but refused to pay the necessary fee, and he was surprised when, with a couple of days before end of the transfer window, he couldn’t persuade Atletico Madrid released Antoine Griezmann for less than his release clause. A full two years after he failed to understand how Ander Herrera’s release clause worked. That was the window he delivered to David Moyes a solitary signing, having assured him Gareth Bale was on his way. Marouane Fellaini turned up, for more than his release clause - which had expired - because he’d been unable to sign a single player of the course of three months. It is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that what Woodward has in his head, and what he has in his hand, are very different things.

Add to that the farce over Pedro, where he refused to pay the asking price because he didn’t believe anyone else was interested - as Barcelona literally told him there was - only to see Chelsea pay the asking price, and you can understand what a buffoon he has been. If only it was limited to transfers. Sadly it covers managers, too. Along with Alex Ferguson, he was in support of David Moyes. That’s one mistake, but another was to brief that he was going to be sacked, forcing Moyes to know he was a dead man walking and having to wait a full evening before his fate in the morning’s meeting. It wasn’t wrong to sack Moyes at that point, but it was wrong to let other people know what was happening before he did.

It’s not the only managerial calamity. He won’t sack Van Gaal, who plainly wants to be put out of his misery and has been talking as such, intermittently, since Christmas. Woodward won’t do it, though, because it would draw attention to his run of mistakes. Far better he oversees a supposedly planned, dignified transition in the summer, even if it torpedoes the chances of even minor success this season. So far he’s got away with it, but when investors and the owners see that he’s losing the run of the club on the pitch and now the spreadsheets, his time may be up.