WHY SAY ANYTHING?

It would appear that Ed Woodward isn’t very well versed in the takeaway. No, not the Chinese kind, the sales kind. The one which appears to remove a particular tidbit from a deal only to reinstate it at a later date.

It’s like saying that your favourite car can be bought, is affordable but comes without electric windows. Then when you, the client, say that the only thing stopping you buying the car is the electric window issue, they can suddenly be included in the price.

Ed has, apparently, told Paulo Dybala that his wages will be reduced by 25% should United not qualify for the Champion’s League next season, as is the policy at Old Trafford.

There is, however, a problem with this. Dybala doesn’t accept it! That’s the main problem and it is all of United’s making. Of course Dybala won’t accept it, neither would we. His argument probably goes along the lines of, “I am a new signing and I will give it everything, if we don’t qualify for the competition it won’t be because of me, so why should I take a pay cut?”

As every United fan will agree, the club’s biggest problem in the last few transfer windows has been Woodward and he is now proving to be inept at negotiating with players as well as negotiating fees.

It is a pretty simple problem with a pretty simple solution. Player’s salaries should be based on finishing in the top six in the Premier League with a bonus paid for top four, then second then a big payout for winning it.

All other cup competitions should be bonus related depending on which round the team reaches.

This takes away the totally negative issue of reducing salaries when not qualifying for the Champion’s League. The players would know they won’t be sharing a big bonus payout because of their failure and, although it will hardly bankrupt any of them, they still like to pocket all they can, it’s in their nature.

So instead of creating a big obstacle in negotiations with Dybala this could have been turned into a positive by just explaining what the bonuses were for qualifying for the Champion’s League. It is then a reasonable assumption that those bonuses are not paid if qualification isn’t achieved.

Why start discussions with a potential new signing by telling him how much his salary is going to be reduced by? Only Woodward would think this a sensible ploy.

How’s the clear out going…..?

Not only haven’t Manchester United sold several players who are well past their sell-by dates or just not good enough, they haven’t yet managed to sell two players who actually want to leave.

Antonio Valencia and Ander Herrera remain the only two “names” who have left the club and Herrera was not one the fans wanted to see go.

Still there and surplus to everybody’s requirements are Chris Smalling, Ashley Young, Phil Jones and Jesse Lingard proving that Ed is not only incompetent when trying to bring players into the club, he is equally incompetent when trying, (or not), to move players out.

Also, where is the director of football we were promised along with the major clear out of deadwood?

Getting the Glazers out may be the eventual goal of the majority of United supporters but Woodward returned to the marketing department and banned from anything football-related has to be the short term solution.

And finally…..

A big welcome to Harry Maguire who will immediately turn a dodgy defence into a good one again and restore David De Gea’s confidence in the world!