Manchester United have begun the 2018/2019 Premier League season with two losses and two victories. In response to these results and the results of the last five years, a plane flew over Turf Moor before Manchester United played Burnley. The plane’s banner read, “Ed Woodward A Specialist In Failure.”
In many ways, Ed Woodward, the CEO of Manchester United, deserved the criticism. That is, he consistently fails to support the club in terms of the actual football.
Ed Woodward Hinders Manchester United
Transfer Window
Jose Mourinho and the fans knew before the World Cup that the club needed a right winger and a centre-back. Ed Woodward failed to deliver players in both these positions.
As the CEO, Ed Woodward should act as a mediator between Mourinho and the owners. That is, he must support Mourinho’s decisions, while also keeping the owners’ transfer market goals in mind.
By denying Mourinho, Ed Woodward has left a hole in Manchester United’s defence. The team has already conceded seven goals in four matches.
Money Over Trophies
Additionally, Ed Woodward has said that results on the pitch fail to impact the financial aspects of Manchester United. This, in a nutshell, says everything about Ed Woodward.
He will sacrifice trophies for money, given the opportunity. He views financial growth as his number one priority as the CEO. Of course, every business requires financial planning, but Ed Woodward showcases little desire to focus on the actual football.
In this way, he directly harms Manchester United’s performance on the pitch.
Managerial Appointments
Of course, it would be unfair to lay all the blame at Ed Woodward’s feet. The owners of the club, the Glazers, are also responsible for the team’s poor results.
All of these leaders failed to organize a long-term plan with respect to managerial appointments. After Sir Alex Ferguson retired, David Moyes and Louis van Gaal were appointed, respectively.
Both of these managers were sacked within two years. As a result, the club has changed managers far too often and sought short-term solutions. Jose Mourinho could easily be the next in line to lose his job.
Some fans argue that Jose Mourinho harms Manchester United’s performance on the pitch with his critical comments or defensive football. There may absolutely be truth in these arguments, but it’s worth noting that Mourinho has won the league everywhere he’s managed except for Manchester United.
This suggests that the football-related problems run deeper than just Jose Mourinho.
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