Manchester United’s recruitment has been good enough, claims Ed Woodward
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Manchester United vice-chairman Ed Woodward has revealed that the club’s recruitment over the last few years has been good enough for the club. The Red Devils have endured a terrible start to the season and currently sit two points above the relegation zone with Liverpool visiting Old Trafford next.
The Red Devils are in 12 place in the Premier League but also sits a massive 15 points behind league leaders Liverpool ahead of their clash on Sunday. The Old Trafford side have endured a tough start to the season and have just four wins to their name in all competitions. That includes just two in the Premier League, with losses to Crystal Palace, Newcastle United and West Ham, and one in the Europa League.
Not only that their decision to let Romelu Lukaku leave in the summer without signing a proper replacement has come under a lot of fire. While the Red Devils were linked with moves for Mario Mandzukic and Paulo Dybala, Solskjaer and Woodward opted to sign no one and utilize the club’s younger players instead. Yet despite that Manchester United’s vice-chairman Ed Woodward went on to admit that the club’s recruitment has been good enough with an efficient and productive system in place.
"There is a myth that we have non-football people making football decisions. I think that is insulting to the brilliant people who work on the football side in this club. We've expanded our recruitment department in recent years and we believe this now runs in an efficient and productive way. Player recommendations and decisions are worked on by this department and by the first-team manager and his staff, not by senior management," he said reports the BBC.
"The changes we saw over the summer have resulted in a very young squad. But it's also a squad, with the players and the culture that provides a base camp for us to build and grow from as we start our new journey."
Reports have indicated that the club will look to add reinforcements during the January window with many looking towards the winter window to help patch up a struggling team. Yet for Manchester United, the BBC reports, that any mid-season recruitment will be done to satisfy a long-term goal and not a short-term one. That, the BBC further added, is Solskjaer’s view for the club and Woodward went on to admit that it’s Manchester United’s as well.
"The middle section of last season, after Ole's arrival, feels most relevant to what we want to achieve and where we want to be. We saw a team playing fast, fluid football, with a clear representation of the style and philosophy the manager wants. Ole has also instilled the discipline back into an environment where we may have lacked it in recent years. He is building a squad that respects the club's history, in which players work hard and respect their team-mates. No-one is bigger than the club,” concluded Woodward.
