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Manchester United confirmed on January 6 that executive vice-chairman and CEO Ed Woodward would leave the club on February 1. Richard Arnold, the club's Group Managing Director, will be the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
When the club's iconic manager Sir Alex Ferguson parted ways with the club in 2013 after 26 years, Woodward joined the Red Devils as the club's CEO. The new CEO had a difficult task ahead of him. He took over a side that had won 13 Premier League titles in the previous three decades and set a high bar for itself.
It was always going to be difficult to live up to that level of achievement. Woodward also admitted that Ferguson's abrupt departure made the start of his term extremely difficult.
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The club has now won the Europa League, FA Cup, and League Cup after nine years and spent nearly £1 billion in transfers. During Woodward's tenure, they did not win a single Premier League title which is why he has been the target of fans' wrath on several occasions for various reasons.
We look at five instances in which Woodward was accused of disappointing the fans and club during his time at Old Trafford.
#5 - Failure to sign a Defensive Midfielder
It is widely acknowledged that Manchester United currently lack a capable defensive midfielder. While all of their league opponents have many options in that position, the Red Devils have spent the last three seasons relying on makeshift defensive midfielders.
Nemanja Matic is their lone defensive midfielder, but he is long past his prime. United have had to make due with Fred, Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay and even Donny van de Beek in that role. Because none of them are genuine defensive midfielders, the results have taken a massive hit.
It is evident that United have required such signings for at least the last four windows. Hence, Woodward's failure to bring in a defensive midfielder has turned him into a target for the fans.
#4 - Handing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a permanent contract
After Jose Mourinho left the club in December 2018, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was brought in as interim coach. Solskjaer, a Manchester United legend and former youth coach, was supposed to be in charge until the end of the season.
However, Woodward decided to give the Norwegian a permanent position due to an improved performance by the side. Manchester United also returned from a 2-0 deficit to defeat PSG 3-1 in the second leg of the Champions League 2018-19 round of 16 under Solskjaer.
United's form under Solskjaer, on the other hand, began to deteriorate following that. They struggled in the league and lost in the Champions League quarter-finals against Barcelona.
There were rumblings at the time that Manchester United should have waited until the conclusion of the season to decide on Solskjaer's future. The Norwegian's time at Old Trafford came to an end in November 2021, with the club having failed to win a single title during his time there.
#3 - Wage Disparity
It is astonishing for many to understand how Ed Woodward, a former investment banker with JP Morgan, could have gone so wrong with Manchester United's finances. This only adds fuel to the fire.
Manchester United are a long way from the top of the Premier League table. But they have surpassed rivals Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal in terms of Premier League wage spending. Forking out an estimated £226.6 million on their players, with Cristiano Ronaldo being the highest earner.
The salaries of superstar players are set to continue their inexorable rise but there are no signs of an end to wage inflation.
United's top four highest-paid players, in addition to Ronaldo, are David de Gea, Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Paul Pogba. According to the Sun, these players earn a combined annual salary of £95.5 million.
David de Gea's long-term contract worth £375,000 per week, agreed in 2019, was a desperate attempt to bind the shot-stopper to the club. The goalkeeper became United's highest-paid player two years ago. Despite his strong performances this season, his wage bill is a drain on the club's coffers.
Despite the numerous opportunities given to him, Sancho has ultimately struggled this season. The Englishman has only scored once in 16 appearances, which does not justify his £350,000-per-week salary.
Varane, who signed a four-year contract with the club last summer, is another high earner at Old Trafford. The Frenchman earns £340,000 per week and has only kept two clean sheets for Manchester United.
Pogba joined Manchester United for a club-record fee in 2016, but it appears his relationship with the Red Devils has soured. His agent, Mino Raiola, claimed earlier this season that the midfielder was unhappy at the club and that he should leave during the summer transfer window.
All of this brought to light Ed Woodward's biggest failing as United's CEO. Simply put, the Red Devils have created a situation in which their highest-paid players aren't consistently delivering for the team.
It makes it extremely tough for individuals to move on in some circumstances, such as De Gea's. But the underlying issue is the sheer inefficiency of it all. Over £1 million is spent every week on players that are frequently overshadowed by Bruno Fernandes, Victor Lindelof, and Luke Shaw, who all earn less than £180,000 per week.
In football, money doesn't guarantee anything, but it's evident that wages at Old Trafford are no longer important to the squad.
#2 - Purchasing Harry Maguire and Fred
Manchester United fans were taken aback when Woodward opted to pay £52.5 million for Shakhtar Donetsk's Brazilian midfielder, Fred in 2018. A year later, he broke the bank again, signing English defender Harry Maguire from Leicester City. The England international was signed for a world record £80 million transfer fee for a defender.
Maguire's transfer shattered Liverpool's previous record when they paid £75 million to Southampton for Virgil van Dijk.
Manchester United's board thought Fred would be the answer to their midfield difficulties. However, he has only managed four goals and two assists in 91 games for the Red Devils over four seasons.
While Maguire was elected captain of the team in 2020, the defender has failed to live up to the huge investment Woodward made in him.
#1 - Involvement in European Super League
A group of 12 clubs from Europe's top leagues announced plans to form the European Super League in 2021. The league intended to offer permanent spots to some of the world's most powerful clubs and hold matches during the week. It allowed the clubs involved to compete in their respective domestic leagues. FIFA, the governing body of international soccer, and UEFA both opposed the plan.
There was a widespread criticism and protests from fans and supporters. Hence, all six Premier League clubs involved i.e., Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur withdrew from the plans. This all happened after a 48-hour power play between the clubs and the governing bodies.
This was the final nail in the coffin for the Manchester United CEO, who resigned shortly after the league was dissolved.
