Ed Woodward - Best In Class? More Like Worst...
Here's To The Crazy Ones...
Steve Jobs was a true innovator who understood the nuances in creating alignment behind a vision. Most importantly, he understood that the people within an organisation are its most important asset. Not the brand, not the marketing, not the IP, not the CEO, not the owners. Of his many quotes;
“It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.”, resonates most acutely at Manchester United at this moment in time.
The "smart people" telling Steve Jobs what to do led to Apple becoming one of the biggest and most successful companies of all time.
Former Manchester United chief scout, Derek Langley's recent interview will strike a chord with those concerned about the direction of the club. In spite of Langley's recommendations on De Ligt and De Jong, Woodward refused to act.
Combine this with Woodward's widely reported refusal to sanction Mourinho's transfer targets last summer, only six months after extending Mourinho's contract.
If Langley's assertions are true, and Woodward behaved as reported last summer, it points to a complete lack of strategy and direction, and an egotism within Woodward that consistently refuses to accept the advice and guidance of those who may be better positioned to make the footballing decisions at the club.
Woodward The Flip Flopping Failure...
The Guardian reported that United were about to appoint their first director of football in August last year. That was eight months ago.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/aug/11/manchester-united-director-of-football
What has happened in the meantime?
Any organisation that fails to fill a senior position for that length of time would be considered a laughing stock. Football clubs that mean business, and are serious about success, act swiftly and with purpose. Woodward's United appear to be completely flaccid, incapable of doing so. As the club continues to flip flop its way through the reported short list of Directors Of Football, several questions begin to emerge:
1. Why do multiple former players, with no experience of managing or running a football club, appear on the list (Fletcher and Ferdinand)?
2. Why are none of the world renowned/highly reputed Directors Of Football on this reported shortlist (Van Der Sar)?
3. Why is the club almost eight months down the line from announcing their search for a Director Of Football, yet appear to be no further forward?
There can be only two answers to the above questions:
a) The club has attempted to attract the best in the industry, and they have collectively laughed United out of town. This has resulted in former players being on the shortlist, rather than seasoned veterans of the industry.
b) The club hasn't bothered searching at all, and are only now reacting to the appalling drop in form since that night in Paris.
If the answer to the above is (a), then the follow up question should be; "Why?". That ex-players make up the majority of the reported shortlist suggests that those seasoned industry DOFs that spoke with the club, are not interested in the role as it is advertised. How has Woodward sold the role so poorly? What guarantees has Woodward made, or more pointedly, not made?
If the answer to the above is (b), it's another example of the shoddy operation of the footballing side of the club by Ed Woodward.
What should be most alarming to Manchester United supporters, is that having a former player as manager, and a former player as Director Of Football, will give Woodward the dream team "yes men" scenario. If this occurs, those within his employ will not rock the boat, for fear of losing their "dream job". Where is the impartial individual, the outsider, who can come into this situation and provide candid feedback?
Woodward Skewered...
And so to Gary Neville's rants on Sky's football coverage this week. Neville skewers the current leadership structure with his acerbic rhetoric. It's clear he has no time for Woodward's management of the current structure. United supporters would do well to take heed of Neville and direct their frustrations where it belongs.
Supporter dissent is already simmering. #UnfollowManUnited is trending on Twitter. Many thousands of supporters have unfollowed the club as a protest in this age of social media dependence. Reports that the club have commissioned bots to keep follower numbers up are as embarrassing as they are cynical. Another example of the public perception of the club being more important than the reality.
https://twitter.com/tuchelszn/status/1125860937229930498?s=12
How long until sponsors start to question how many real followers Manchester United really have? Perhaps sponsors will start to question the wisdom in their investment.
Rumours are also circulating that Mike Phelan has threatened to resign if the scouting and procurement structure is not overhauled.
All the above, in a week where United's fiercest rivals march on domestic and European success. If Manchester United supporters want their club back, they need to join Gary Neville in directing their anger and frustration where it needs to go. Supporters should be demanding that Ed Woodward removes himself from the footballing side of the club operations. Woodward's a great commercial manager, but a terrible Executive Vice Chairman. He certainly would not have fit in at Steve Jobs' Apple.
"Hire the best in class" was Neville's demand for running the footballing side of the club.
Ed Woodward is top candidate for "worst".
© 2019 A Voice From The Terrace
