United are Mr Creosote of football
United’s executive vice-chairman, below, is seen as personifying everything that is wrong with the club, with his close alliance with the Glazers. Brilliant commercially, he has been found wanting on the football side since succeeding David Gill in 2013, presiding over seven years of mediocrity.
He has taken on the role of recruiting players, with little success, and is now on his fourth manager in Solskjaer. He has talked of appointing a sporting director to take charge of recruitment, leaving him free to focus on the commercial side.
With a week left in the transfer window and United still no closer to adding to their squad, fans are once again calling for Woodward’s head and for someone steeped in football to be handed the role. Former players Rio Ferdinand and Darren Fletcher have been touted. Woodward has held off making a sporting director appointment, to the ongoing dismay of fans, who adamant he is out of his depth. are
An immediate impact as caretaker boss, which saw him win nine of his first 10 games and oversee an epic Champions League win away to Paris Saint-Germain, landed him the job on a permanent basis.
But since then, United have regressed, with Solskjaer having lost more Premier League games (12) than he has won (11) since taking permanent charge, with a dismal win percentage of 34 per cent. United are also now six points worse off after 24 games than they were in 2013-14 under David Moyes, who was sacked after just 10 months in charge.
Solskjaer appears to have little tactical acumen and no ‘Plan B’ when United are struggling in games, relying solely on pace and counter-attack.
Although the anger of United fans has been directed at the Glazers and Woodward, there is a growing feeling among them that Solskjaer, despite his legendary status as a former player and his passion for the club, lacks what it takes to lead the team out of their current plight and a more experienced manager, such as former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, should be at the helm.