WHY SAY ANYTHING?

Is this a falsely manufactured position with a fancy title or a required one? At the moment Manchester United should be including Pedro and Otamendi in their matchday line-up. The fact that they are not speaks volumes about one of two things, or possibly both.

The problem could be their transfer policy. They seem to be identifying players and, providing there is little or no competition, they are signing them. Hence the squad now includes Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger, Romero, Darmian and Depay. The latter actually being there due more to his relationship with van Gaal than anything else. They also got these signings over the line very quickly, consequently leaving very little time for other clubs to react.

It was about this time when United fans thought that Ed Woodward had redeemed himself for the calamitous previous transfer windows. The problems, however were only just beginning.

After spending weeks on the Pedro transfer, going as far as the press stating that it was a done deal on a number of occasions, he went to Chelsea in what seemed like a matter of minutes. There was speculation that United were penny-pinching on the fee and Chelsea just barged in, paid the buy-out and took the player. Louis van Gaal said he had pulled the plug on the transfer. I don’t believe that for a second.

Nicolas Otamendi was a centre half who also should have been signed weeks ago. They lost him because they spent too much time chasing Sergio Ramos. Everybody else in the world knew Ramos would stay with Real Madrid, they knew he wanted a better contract and they knew he would get one. Why didn’t United know this? This is naiveté at the highest possible level. Otamendi went to City because they acted decisively, paid the money and got him. Louis van Gaal said he was never interested. I don’t believe that for a second either.

So the transfer policy is OK providing United is the only big club who wants the player in question. If another club is involved it is a problem. Or is it? It could just be an inexperienced operator who is being walked all over when other clubs are involved who is at fault here. Step up to the plate Ed Woodward.

Since his elevation to the giddy heights of whatever title he holds now, he has managed to bring some players in. There are those I have already mentioned plus Ander Herrera eventually, Marouane Fellaini for £4 million more than his release clause and Juan Mata, who reportedly came after Alex Ferguson and David Gill attended the United v Chelsea match at Stamford Bridge, no coincidence there then. Again, with these three players as with the others, there were no other clubs involved. Also, without the involvement of any other clubs, were the unmitigated disasters of Angel Di Maria, a player vastly overpriced and overrated who lasted one season, and Radamel Falcao another vastly overpriced loanee who again lasted a season and is now at Chelsea who are paying him half of what United did. Had there been any competition and the chances are that Woodward would have lost these players as well, which in a couple of cases, would have been a blessing in disguise.

Manchester City have a Director of Football who is an ex player with plenty of contacts. They also have plenty of money so they can, if they wish, compete with United for any player. Because of the expertise of the transfer handlers at the big clubs Woodward doesn’t stand a chance. It’s all very well van Gaal saying how much he trusts him and what a great guy he is but it could very well be Woodward’s bungling costing van Gaal his job in the end.

Ed Woodward has, apparently, brought a lot of new sponsors to United which has in turn resulted in a lot more revenue coming in to the club. So, he is very good at marketing Manchester United to large companies. This does not make him very good at persuading players to go to United and clubs to sell them. It is no good haggling over a price when there are two other clubs prepared to pay the full price.

It is about time Manchester United moved with the times and appointed either a Director of Football or a knowledgeable ex-player to a similar role and stopped messing about with a man so obviously out of his depth.