While David Moyes didn’t get a second season to redeem himself, our CEO, Ed Woodward has this transfer window to put things right – and it’s make or break time.
After the disaster of last summer, which was put down to a new CEO and new manager starting at the same time, Woodward is currently feeling the heat. There is no time or patience this season for the huffing and puffing that saw him panic-buy Fellaini for €4million more than had been required four weeks previously. It’s do or die, in career terms, for him this time around.
His poor planning, poor selection and poor execution have drawn the wolves to the door.
The initial signings this summer of Herrera and Shaw bought him some time while we waited for the one or two marquee signings that are needed. Having announced to the world that we have the money available and are willing to break the transfer record if needs be, there was a definite change of tack. And while it all sounds great the flipside of it is that the price for all players has now automatically gone up. But the bigger question is – who are we chasing that would even warrant us to spend big?
Time is ticking and still we wait.
With the day the transfer window closes, growing ever near, we can hear the faint familiar sound of that huff and puff and it’s uncomfortable listening as we hang on the borders of panic buying territory once more.
It’s our inexplicable inability to compete for the top players that leads fans to question if the money is really there. Most players are happy to sacrifice one year without Champions League football and with clauses for absolutely everything being inserted into contracts these days, the reality is, they could add one in if they were that worried.
We certainly haven’t lost our global appeal after one bad season, either. But talk is cheap and the Glazers apparent reluctance to ensure our club is number one will be to blame. The fans are crying out for them to invest in the club and stop lining your own pockets to make up for the failings of their other businesses.
One thing is for sure impatience is rife among reds everywhere with recent Twitter trends literally speaking for themselves.
From 24th July to 16th August, for example, there were approximately 3,000 tweets that contained #WoodwardOut and 1,000 tweets with #GlazersOut.
During the following seven days, however, these rapidly rose to 25,000 and 110,000 tweets respectively.
The fact is, this trend will continue until we see change. The Glazers need to put our great club first and also carefully consider if Woodward is the right person to be in charge of our transfer business.
This is a man who seems quite comfortable with making commercial deals but he needs to understand that fans don’t travel to Old Trafford every season to see sponsors. We want to be entertained by top quality footballers, playing the United way and fighting for honours every season.
We don’t care what food and drink brands you can buy from the shop at half time, what advertisements are flashing up on the billboards or that Bulova is the official timekeeping partner.
Remember, the fans are your timekeepers Ed, and unless things change very rapidly, then yours will soon be up.
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