Ed Woodward has an update for Manchester United fans on transfers.
Woodward has warned the club must ‘be responsible in using their resources’ during the global pandemic.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side start their new Premier League season against Crystal Palace but the club has added just one signing to then squad this summer.
United spent £35m to sign Donny van de Beek from Ajax but more needs to be done if we are to improve significantly this term.
Fans on social media are becoming more frustrated by signing United’s rivals conduct business.
However, executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward says he is delighted to have signed Van de Beek this summer and has been quick to highlight the recent arrivals at youth level.
He didn’t speak without reiterating the testimony conditions in the transfer market this summer. Woody had to squeeze an excuse in there.
“Disruption from the pandemic is continuing to create huge economic pressure from the top to the bottom of the football pyramid and, when we are fortunate to be in a more resilient position than most clubs, we are not immune from the impact,” Woodward said in United Review. “Despite this, we are delighted to have brought in Donny van de Beek from Ajax, adding further quality to a midfield already strengthened by the recruitment of Bruno Fernandes in January.
“Both Donny and Bruno are players we had been tracking for some time and their signings reflect out long-term approach to blending high-quality recruits with homegrown talent to develop a squad capable of winning trophies playing attacking, entertaining football.
“As part of that process, we have also awarded new contracts to Nemanja Matic and academy graduates Dean Henderson, Brandon Williams, Scott McTominay and Mason Greenwood over the past year. We have also continued to strengthen our thriving academy by attracting several promising young players from across Europe, including Marc Jurado from Barcelona and Alvaro Fernandez Carreras from Real Madrid.
“Together, these investments reinforce our optimism about the future, and we will continue to build on these strong foundations. However, we must also be responsible in our use of resources during the most extraordinarily challenging time for everyone in football.”
Taking Woodward’s comments into consideration, I want to address a few things.
Club chef: “What would you all like for breakfast?”
Ed Woodward: “I’m monitoring the Corn Flakes.”
Matt Judge: “I’m actively exploring the possibility of having a croissant.”
Intermediary acting on behalf of Joel Glazer: “Joel has asked to be kept updated on the toast.”
— ً (@mufcAH) September 18, 2020
Solskjaer pulled off a miracle by finished third last season, he saved the so-called recruitment team who failed to sign a midfielder and now Woodward wants you to see it as a positive that they finally got one months later?
You look at the money United will now get from UEFA for qualifying for the Champions League and the avoided Adidas penalty. Woodward’s excuses don’t really add up.
There are too many people at United who are fine with the fact we don’t win trophies anymore.
Something needs to change.
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United will never win anything
Woodward is done at ManU and should be ousted for better business and growth at ManU.. he is really pushing a lot of fans away and we have now had enough of his failures across the transfer windows exceeding four (4) exclusive of the current one..👉🏾 OUT u go Woodward!!!
I think the issue is that other teams are making strong transfers. They seem to do this in a day or two and we chase transfers for months on end and never seem to get anywhere. Clearly there is an issue.
What doesn’t help is Woodward with the excuses and blaming Covid. It has likely to have hit all clubs hard but with all the sponsorship the club have there is no doubt they can afford to buy players to strengthen the squad. It’s not about buying Sancho, it’s about making the squad stronger.
We are at least four players from a title challenge. Plus why on earth are Perrera, Lingard and Jones still at the club?
Woodward has done a great job on the Commercial activity front, bringing in considerable advertising revenue.
Unless I am mistaken, the Glazers have used the revenue to fund other business activities in the US.
United, and Ole MUST press for this, need a Director of Football, who will ask Woodward “How much can I spend this transfer window”, and then liaise with Ole and the scouts to get the footballers that are needed, WITHOUT having to go to Woodward or the Glazers to sign everything off.
I suspect that is what Matt Judge is supposed to be doing, although I suspect he is sunning himself on some beach somewhere instead of working on transfer targets.
For the last month, it has become evident that Woodward and Judge would be unable to sign Jadon Sancho. There are other players out there who are attainable, and I am not including those that are past the Best Before Date (Perisic, Costa, Bale), and not those who, like Daniel James, are only a work in progress. Names like Frederico Chiesa (Fiorentina), Leon Bailey (Bayer Leverkusen), Inaki Williams (Atletico Bilboa) and Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich).
Before the transfer window opened, much was made of the £140, million facility that was drawn down, supposedly for transfers. Rumour (!) has it that Leon Bailey is (was) available for £40, million, Van de Beek has cost another £40, million, and Dayot Upamecano could have been signed (before he signed a new contract) for (I assume) another £40, million. Add on Agent fees, and there are three players that would make a huge difference, all signed for reasonable sums of money.
Add on the funds for player sales Romero (£6,m), Rojo (£7,m), Jones (£7,m), Dalot (£20,m), Smalling (£15,m), Lingard (£15,m), Andreas Pereira (£15,m) and you then have money to buy Jose Gaya (Valencia) who would be an upgrade on Luke Shaw, as well as offering AS Monaco £30,m for Benoit Badiashile. It does not get you enough to offer Lyon for Moussa Dembele, but maybe that is an option in January (if Matt Judge and Ed Woodward start now, it might just happen by the end of January).