16 May 2022 02:52:50
While I'm excited to see how EtH does with us, what excites/ intrigues me most is the host of people leaving the club in a variety of roles.

Woodward has left as CEO.

Bout and Lawlor have left as head of global scouting and chief scout respectively.

Matt Judge has left as head of finance/ chief of negotiations.

Hemen Tseayo has left as head of Corporate finance and strategy.

And chief of staff Patrick Coyle has now left.

Six people in key roles in areas of the club that many fans have questioned over the past 8 years or more.

Something is happening behind the scenes. Are they jumping ship? Do they know something is going to happen soon? A sale maybe? Or had the club decided that the past 10 years have been a failure and are looking to remove many of the people they feel has contributed to that failure.

Obviously in all walks of life people move jobs for all sorts of reasons. Yet the sheer number of people leaving after holding these positions for many years along with the timing seems to suggest something is a foot.

It might be a wait and see thing. With way and am positive for next season and am looking forward to the team and hopefully the whole club looking at moving in a new direction.

1.) 16 May 2022
16 May 2022 06:12:18
They've left because they were unhappy with certain things at the club shappy.

2.) 16 May 2022
16 May 2022 09:24:53
Angel, how true is that? Ed Woodward certainly didn't leave because he was unhappy. By all accounts he was a driving force behind the club's ambition to join the super league. When that whole idea fell flat he has fallen on his sword.

What about Tseayo? Head of Corporate finance and strategy along with Matt Judge. Two key people in terms of club finance and running the club.

Many if not all of these people have been at the club for over 10 years in different capacities. They were happy enough to stay here for the long term under the Glazers and Woodward's stewardship. Never seemed unhappy previously. So what has changed?

Why have many long term employees sudden become unhappy to the extent that they seek employment away from the club? What's changed or is about to change?

Are they having powers removed, changes in responsibilities, greater accountability?

Something has changed, something that is driving many people who are partially responsible for the mess we are in to look to seek employment away from the club for the first time in over 10 years.

Maybe a touch hyperbolic but the sheer number of people leaving at the same time could be called an exodus.

It won't be as simple as they are just looking for a new challenge. If they are unhappy the question should be why when they have been clearly happy for many years. What has or is about to change?

3.) 16 May 2022
16 May 2022 10:39:10
I will look at these moves as a positive regardless of the reasons for the move, we can't keep doing the same things over the past 10 years and expect a different result so to me these are all positive.
As for the logic that they are leaving due to not being happy with things happening at the club. In all companies you hear this from people leaving roles when companies have actually challenged them to perform, work harder, work more productively. suddenly they don't like what is happening. maybe the club is starting to make these roles more accountable and modernising it rather than an old boys club that you get sheltered by Woodward as you are in the inner circle.
Regardles, in this case any change for me is positive. We just need good football decisions to replace.

4.) 16 May 2022
16 May 2022 11:33:36
I’m with you Brad. Change is good, change is to be embraced, and change is desperately needed. We’re an archaic corporate entity and the people leaving have all been part of that issue.

5.) 16 May 2022
16 May 2022 11:52:34
Over the years, up and down the country and the FA included, football clubs have been set up as a job for the boys. There will be a narrative that these individuals are leaving because they are unhappy with the club and how badly it is run. Fact is they have been a part of all that and I see no coincidence that Woodward leaving has created this snowball effect.

Louis Van Gaal first identified the issue publicly when he said the difference between Bayern and United is that Bayern is run by football people and that United is a commercial club. Well you are only successful commercially in sport when you are successful in the actual sport. When Chelsea were brought by Abramovich we weathered that storm and remained successful, then City were brought and for a while we competed and was successful as well but the emergence of Liverpool, I don't think anyone running the club saw as they were not involved in a big takeover, they just got a football man running the club and team and suddenly there were 3 clubs challenging United and in fact, sadly, overtaking and pulling away from United.

Whilst United, commercially were successful, Woodward and his cronies were safe and could show the owners what they wanted to see but commercial income has been falling since 2018 and matchday income has been falling since 2017 (appreciate C.V. has been a big factor in this) . It has only been the broadcasting income that has been successful but with no Champions League and poor cup runs, the brand can only get you so far, the club need to get back to being successful on the pitch and these people don't know how to do that so rather than get the Spanish archer and have that on your CV, it's better for them to walk away and blame the club and the running of it as to why they are leaving than explaining to future employers why they failed and one of the worlds largest sport brands.

Unfortunately, from a British point of view, it as taken a number of foreign managers to identify the issue with the club, Van Gaal, Mourinho and now Rangnick. From a positive point of view, it seems we are getting a better structure and better individuals involved in the club and hopefully moving to a structure similar to that of the German clubs who I always consider to be very well run clubs.

And the final piece will be new ownership and as Shappy alluded to, potentially another reason for these individuals to jump ship but I suspect this will be a lot harder to happen then replacing the personnel that is currently happening.

But, could be miles off with all this but hopefully made for a nice read ???.

6.) 16 May 2022
16 May 2022 15:22:31
Ports. Woodward was a failure despite the initial surge in value thanks to great brand marketing. Stock price is down. Other clubs are more valuable. Club is a shambles from top to bottom. Jose nailed it when he said coming second was his greatest achievement given what was going on behind the scenes.

There is no coincidence that all these folks are jumping ship. Woodward's departure and this season's awful performances do not flatter them. The structure of the club requires major changes and they know it's coming and none of them can point to any positive achievements during their tenure. Whatever is coming next can surely not be any worse than it would have been had they stayed.

7.) 16 May 2022
16 May 2022 16:45:34
Shawthing, in our eyes as fans yes Woodward was a failure because we look at success on the pitch. But to his bosses? Well they come from a sport where success doesn’t dictate the financial income. Dallas Cowboys are the most valuable franchise in the NFL but not won the super bowl since 1996. New York Giants are 3rd and not won it for 10 years. Washington are 5th and not won it since 1992. So as long as Woodward was putting up numbers for the Glazers, they would, I assume view him a success. But football is a global sport and success makes football clubs more valuable. So currently we are not successful and the owners are facing a group of fans desperate to get them out, almost by any means necessary. I guess the club as well is not that appealing to any potential buyers currently. When you want to sell your house and you want top dollar, if it’s in a poor condition, you got to give it a facelift. I think we are going through our much needed facelift at the moment and hopefully will result in some interested buyers.

8.) 17 May 2022
17 May 2022 06:31:49
Shappy, because ed002 says it is.

9.) 17 May 2022
17 May 2022 11:44:59
I have never understood the praise commercially Woodward got. I honestly reckon I could get United a few sponsors lol.