Dadehmola:

I really don't see any need for all these conspiracy theories and assumptions, since our manager himself confirmed his approval of those signings, when he could as well have distanced himself from those deals by keeping mum.

there is no cosnpiracy here.

Shaw had been on our radar since the January transfer window this year.
Herrera even longer. So I don't understand where van Gaal takes any blame for signings that largely appeared to have been cocnluded before his arrival.
Like I said, if van Gaal approved it, it does not necessarily mean he was in the know then it was initiated. From the article you people are bandying about, it even tells us that the signings were already made before Giggs met with van Gaal.None the proponents of the van Gaal theory are yet to convince us on how van Gaal was responsible for the Shaw signing.

elampiro:

No no. Coogar misinterpreted it 100%. I want to believe it is deliberate too.

How so?
The emboldened says it all.

elampiro:

You always speak my mind on this issue. Gaal said in a press conference.......

Abi he dey lie for e own head?

Gaal is a domineering, worse than SAF in that aspect. Woodward wouldn't buy except Gaal sanctions it.

Dunno why there should be second-guessing on an issue which the manager has made his position very clear.

coogar:

woodward & giggs signed shaw & herrera. van gaal clearly stated he would like to see the strength of the squad first before buying any player.....

Another fact that people either deliberately or conveniently gloss over.

coogar:

to be fair to him, it's not his fault!
this dude earned his stripes getting commercial deals with big conglomerates. david gill & fergie should never have been allowed to leave the club at the same time. that was where we got everything wrong.

How so?
I'm not absolving him of responsibility, he's paid to do the job.
If he's not fit to prove himself, let him resign and let United shop for a proven hand or something of the like.
I do not want to believe that Woodward,most likely being the most senior person after Gill, didn't understudy Gill in any capacity so as to either prepare himself for a possible stint as United CEO or some place else.

StarBoard:
How so?
The emboldened says it all.

* Two have already come in. = Two of them have now come in.

* Two had already come in. = Two of them had already be signed before Gaal took over.

It's the first above. Moreover, Gaal has confirmed that he sanctioned those transfer because he like them, in a press conference.

StarBoard:

van Gaal approved it,

Shikena....

No need to dwell on the issue!!

elampiro:

No no. Coogar misinterpreted it 100%. I want to believe it is deliberate too.

please please....don't start your early morning madness here with your lack of comprehension.

van gaal

'At this moment, I cannot say anything about the squad and additions.

'I want to learn about my players and get to know them. When I am the coach and when I give the orders to my players to play a certain way, I want to see how they perform.

'That is why I cannot answer this question just now. I want to give all players the chance to show themselves under my guidance.

'I have to say that the players’ response to me so far has been fantastic. Maybe you think every trainer coach will say that when they are new, but I mean it.

'The players are very anxious to do what I say and follow the instructions of my assistants.

'The focus of what I have seen in training sessions is top level, but we have to see if the performances are also top level.'

unless van gaal has been watching luke shaw & herrera since last year(before moyes was even appointed), then it's clear as daylight he didn't sign shaw & herrera.

it then begs the question - why would van gaal be monitoring players that were yet to become united players when he himself was yet to become a united manager?

so van gaal had seen enough of luke & herrera to sign them but he hadn't seen enough of the united players he was supposed to manage & he now needs time to assess them first?

elampawa, where's your logic?

elampiro:


* Two had already come in. = Two of them had already be signed before Gaal took over.

Juan mata and marouane fellaini, if they have forgotten!

Lol. Na wa o.
Shaw was overpaid for, we know.
Kindly take your frustrations out on woodward/whoever sanctioned the deal, not the poor kid ffs!
He didn't buy himself.
He wasn't even the one that put a price tag on himself.
Haba.

That's how you people will start dissecting and blowing whatever errors he will make this season out of proportion.

Dadehmola:
Shikena....
No need to dwell on the issue!!

Take the whole statement, na. Why 5 words?
This is a clear example of convenient arguing, bro.

elampiro:
* Two have already come in. = Two of them have now come in.
* Two had already come in. = Two of them had already be signed before Gaal took over.
It's the first above. Moreover, Gaal has confirmed that he sanctioned those transfer because he like them, in a press conference.

don't get you bro.
you haven't told us when Giggs had that meeting with van Gaal. Yet you want to force tenses down my throat.

StarBoard:
How so?
I'm not absolving him of responsibility, he's paid to do the job.
If he's not fit to prove himself, let him resign and let United shop for a proven hand or something of the like.
I do not want to believe that Woodward,most likely being the most senior person after Gill, didn't understudy Gill in any capacity so as to either prepare himself for a possible stint as United CEO or some place else.

that exactly was the problem.
woodward's office was at london when gill & fergie were in old trafford. all woodward did was to run after big companies and sell our product to them. united opened a commercial office in london which woodward managed and their operation is non-football related.

they just call dangote & adenuga, lure them to shell the top dollar on the united brand. woodward knows nothing about on-the-pitch issues like player transfer. looking at his face, i doubt he knows anything about the offside rule.

Dadehmola:

Juan mata and marouane fellaini, if they have forgotten!

Boss you are in a twisting mood this morning.
How can you be talking to a United Boss-to-be about signings that took place in January and August the previous year?

why then does van Gall want to assess players you claim he knew of and signed himself?

coogar:

that exactly was the problem.
woodward's office was at london when gill & fergie were in old trafford. all woodward did was to run after big companies and sell our product to them. united opened a commercial office in london which woodward managed and their operation is non-football related.

they just call dangote & adenuga, lure them to shell the top dollar on the united brand. woodward knows nothing about on-the-pitch issues like player transfer. looking at his face, i doubt he knows anything about the offside rule.

If Woodward want ed to understudy Gill, distance wouldn't be a problem.
It's not the 60s where we use postage stamps and sh^t to communicate.
Woodward is as incompetent as they come.

StarBoard:
Boss you are in a twisting mood this morning.
How can you be talking to a United Boss to be about signings that took place in January and August the previous year?

why then does van Gall want to assess players you claim he knew of and signed himself?

van gaal wants to assess rooney, nani, valencia, welbeck first before knowing what to add to the squad........but he didn't need to assess herrera & shaw before signing them cos he must have known them from heaven.

StarBoard:
If Woodward wanted to understudy Gill, distance wouldn't be a problem.
It's not the 60s where we use postage stamps and sh^t to communicate.
Woodward is as incompetent as they come.

i doubt he knew he was getting the job!
he was in london popping champagne to celebrate sealed deals.

he's a top businessman - they said he can sell akara for £20,000 to anyone. he's a commercial guy, you need a football acolyte to do the job he's doing now. woodward doesn't even watch football games.

StarBoard:

Take the whole statement, na. Why 5 words?
This is a clear example of convenient arguing , bro.

That's the ish...

There shouldn't even be an argument when the manager himself has clarified his position. Assuming he didn't say anything, it would have been a different issue entirely but for God's sake, the man made a very clear statement on the matter

Dadehmola:

That's the ish...

There shouldn't even be an argument when the manager himself has clarified his position. Assuming he didn't say anything, it would have been a different issue entirely but for God's sake, the man made a very clear statement on the matter

And what would you expect?
A new manager distancing himself from the club's policy so early?
I never take these press conferences seriously, they are mostly a charade.
Most managers do it because they are obligatory. In reality they blab through them.

As per clear statement, didn't he say he wanted to assess his players? Why would he assess a new signing he made himself?

So the way it stands, van Gaal has said two very different things, and both seem to point in the opposite direction of the other.

ED WOODWARD

He's a former investment banker and key Glazer family ally, seen as a driving force behind Manchester United's commercial growth.

While Ed Woodward, 40, may not be a household name, he has built a strong reputation during his eight years at the Old Trafford club.

And this summer Woodward will step into the limelight when he takes over from chief executive David Gill, who is standing down.
A significant figure in the Glazer family's 2005 takeover, Woodward has played a pivotal role at United ever since.


As executive vice-chairman, the Briton is responsible for United's commercial strategy but, after Gill's departure on 30 June, he will assume responsibilities on the football side, including player transfers and salary negotiations.

Woodward will retain his current title, and is expected to remain at the club's London offices, with commercial director Richard Arnold becoming the most senior figure based at Old Trafford.


A close ally of the US-based Glazer family, Woodward told BBC Sport in a rare interview last October of his support for their financial approach, which has attracted vehement criticism in some quarters for loading debt on to the club.


He said: "They don't view us as even being at base camp in terms of climbing the mountain of what we can do with this business.
"Our debt, taking a house comparison, is like a mortgage. And it's small relative to the value of the business. And the person living inside it is getting richer and richer and richer in terms of income every year.

"We're verging on £100m more a year of commercial revenue than when the Glazers bought the club."
Woodward himself is largely credited with this upturn, overseeing a series of worldwide sponsorship deals that saw commercial income over the last three months of 2012 rise to £35.6m, an increase of 29% on the corresponding period in 2011. From 2014, one such deal will see Chevrolet pay United £51m a season for shirt sponsorship alone.


A lead role at the 19-time English champions may seem an unexpected direction for a Bristol University physics graduate, although Woodward began his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers' accountancy and tax advisory department in 1993, qualifying as a chartered accountant in 1996.


In 1999 he moved to JP Morgan, where he worked as a senior investment banker in their international mergers and acquisitions team.
It was there that he advised the Glazer family on their takeover at Old Trafford, and was invited to join United in 2005.

He was initially given a financial planning role, before taking on responsibility for United's commercial and media operations in 2007 and becoming a director in 2012.

Woodward had no experience of working in sport before he joined United, but began attending Premier League shareholder meetings alongside Gill in 2012 in an attempt to increase his understanding of football politics.


His new role will require him to work more closely with United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who described Gill's departure as "a big loss".
Ferguson, however, added that the expansion of Woodward's role would ensure continuity at the club.


He said: "United are great at promoting from within and we have done it again with Ed Woodward stepping up.
"Remember, David came as the finance director and ended up as chief executive.
"From the football side, Mike Phelan came as reserve coach and ended up as my assistant. Rene Meulensteen came as a development coach and is now my first-team coach. Brian McClair came as a youth coach and is now director of the academy.

"We see quality and potential in a lot of our staff. That happens throughout the club. There shouldn't be a big problem."
The long-term future of Ferguson, who turned 71 in December, is arguably the biggest issue facing Woodward.

Ferguson has not revealed any intention to retire, but Woodward told BBC Sport in October of his involvement in the plans to find a successor.

He said: "We have a view as to what that process [appointing a new manager] will look like in terms of finding a replacement and what type of manager we want and how and when we'll go about it.
"But it's in the drawer and long may it stay in the drawer."

starboard.....that's the profile of the man you want to blame. this dude is a physics graduate that later became an investment banker. he knows nada about sports & he doesn't look like someone who is even interested in watching football.

coogar:

van gaal wants to assess rooney, nani, valencia, welbeck first before knowing what to add to the squad........but he didn't need to assess herrera & shaw before signing them cos he must have known them from heaven.

but they were assessed in preseason weren't they?
So how come they were in the USA if van Gall already knew them and signed them himself? Or was he talking of another squad?

coogar:

i doubt he knew he was getting the job!
he was in london popping champagne to celebrate sealed deals.
he's a top businessman - they said he can sell akara for £20,000 to anyone. he's a commercial guy, you need a football acolyte to do the job he's doing now. woodward doesn't even watch football games.

any wonder we are in this log jam as regards transfers?
He must have been loafing away if he didn't expect to be named gill's replacement.
I was watching CTV last year when the team went on preseason and part of their business program's highlight was United signing an endorsement deal with the maker of a tomato paste. Giggs and Ferdinand even made appearances.
Seriously should that kind of fellow be CEO of Sunshine Stars?

coogar: ED WOODWARD


starboard.....that's the profile of the man you want to blame. this dude is a physics graduate that later became an investment banker. he knows nada about sports & he doesn't look like someone who is even interested in watching football.

simple,
Let him resign.
If we are all about cash and no longer about football, I would understand.

StarBoard:

Take the whole statement, na. Why 5 words?
This is a clear example of convenient arguing, bro.


don't get you bro.
you haven't told us when Giggs had that meeting with van Gaal. Yet you want to force tenses down my throat.

You don't get it?

Giggs gave this interview on 10/07/2014 after Herrera and Shaw had been signed.

He said these two have come in.




Assuming Giggs said two 'had' come in. You could then imagine he referred to players bought before he was made United boss.

StarBoard:
simple,
Let him resign.
If we are all about cash and no longer about football, I would understand.

it was one of the worst succession process ever. a big club like united should have done better. when gill announced his stepping-down from his role in feb 2013, woodward should have been summoned to old trafford with immediate effect to learn the ropes from fergie.

they kept him in london till fergie announced his retirement. so he never had the chance to work with gill/fergie. he was new in the job & the role itself. he has never negotiated transfer deals or player wages.

so it's the fault of the management. woodward was just the sacrificial lamb. he can only lure tomato makers to sponsor united, he doesn't know why shaw is valued at £28m. hell, woodward wouldn't know why 2-footed tackle is a red card.

StarBoard:
And what would you expect?
A new manager distancing himself from the club's policy so early?
I never take these press conferences seriously, they are mostly a charade.
Most managers do it because they are obligatory. In reality they blab through them.

Nobody put a gun to his head before he made those specific statements. There are so many other things he could have said about shaw and Herrera in that press conference.

StarBoard:
As per clear statement, didn't he say he wanted to assess his players? Why would he assess a new signing he made himself?

So the way it stands, van Gaal has said two very different things, and both seem to point in the opposite direction of the other.

The way it stands, LVG approved those deals, and he confirmed it by specifically mentioning the names of the players involved.

coogar:

please please....don't start your early morning madness here with your lack of comprehension.

van gaal


unless van gaal has been watching luke shaw & herrera since last year(before moyes was even appointed), then it's clear as daylight he didn't sign shaw & herrera.

it then begs the question - why would van gaal be monitoring players that were yet to become united players when he himself was yet to become a united manager?

so van gaal had seen enough of luke & herrera to sign them but he hadn't seen enough of the united players he was supposed to manage & he now needs time to assess them first?

elampawa, where's your logic?

This interview was given on 23 Jul 2014, after Gaal had been training with Man United players for days including his two signings (Luke and Herrrera) who have joined 3 weeks before.

elampiro:
This interview was given on 23 Jul 2014, after Gaal had been training with Man United players for days including his two signings (Luke and Herrrera) who have joined 3 weeks before.

when this interview was made had no relevance to the matter. van gaal reiterated he needed to assess his players before knowing what to buy - logic dictates none of the players currently at united as of today were van gaal's signing.

yet, he might have "approved" the signings and that is because he would have trusted the judgement of giggs(his assistant) & woodward(his chairman) on those transfers. it's not because he knew them enough to have signed them if he was acting single-handedly.

as of today, van gaal hasn't made his own signing.

Dadehmola:

Nobody put a gun to his head before he made those specific statements. There are so many other things he could have said about shaw and Herrera in that press conference.

Gbam! In a press conference for that matter.

Dadehmola:

The way it stands, LVG approved those deals, and he confirmed it by specifically mentioning the names of the players involved.

It very clear even from Giggs statement. Giggs was speaking to press after Shaw and Herrera singed late June, then he clearly was referring to Herrera and Shaw as the two who HAVE come in. He didn't use 'HAD' - which would have implied they came in earlier than when he (Giggs) met Gaal.


It's simple English.

elampiro:

You don't get it?

Giggs gave this interview on 10/07/2014 after Herrera and Shaw had been signed.

He said these two have come in.




Assuming Giggs said two 'had' come in. You could then imagine he referred to players bought before he was made United boss.

So how come the same van Gaal tells people after that said interview you people are clutching to that he needs to assess his players before signing anybody?
Did that include Herrera and Shaw?
If yes, then we can conclude there was no need for the duo to go on preseason tour because he already knew them.
If no, then he didn't sign them. Simple.

Dadehmola:

Nobody put a gun to his head before he made those specific statements. There are so many other things he could have said about shaw and Herrera in that press conference.

Boss, why na?
Who puts guns to what managers say?

coogar:
as of today, van gaal hasn't made his own signing.

wonder why people find this hard to comprehend or agree with.

Dadehmola:
Nobody put a gun to his head before he made those specific statements. There are so many other things he could have said about shaw and Herrera in that press conference.
The way it stands, LVG approved those deals, and he confirmed it by specifically mentioning the names of the players involved.

You opine like van Gaal was there when the stories about meetings with Shaw's agents began in January.Yet you claim I make conspiracies.

StarBoard:
So how come the same van Gaal tells people after that said interview you people are clutching to that he needs to assess his players before signing anybody?
Did that include Herrera and Shaw?
If yes, then we can conclude there was no need to go on preseason tour because he already knew them.
If no, then he didn't sign them. Simple.

van gaal was in brazil when shaw & herrera were signed. they were the signings of woodward/giggs. at best, he would only have glanced through the scout report on the 2 players.....there's no way van gaal would be interested in a player that looks like this.

www.nairaland.com/attachments/1625039_image_jpeg9f360c5ab7736510df54c882e9dbf188

coogar:

when this interview was made had no relevance to the matter. van gaal reiterated he needed to assess his players before knowing what to buy - logic dictates none of the players currently at united as of today were van gaal's signing.

yet, he might have "approved" the signings and that is because he would have trusted the judgement of giggs(his assistant) & woodward(his chairman) on those transfers. it's not because he knew them enough to have signed them if he was acting single-handedly.

as of today, van gaal hasn't made his own signing.

But do you agree that Gaal could have stopped these signings?

I guess over £50m was spent on these two boys. If you were the coach of Man United, would you just allow £50m to be spent without your own conviction?

The moment Gaal took over, he became responsible for transfer. Even a village manager wouldn't know he has to be the one to be responsible for deals once he takes over a 'shop'. Gaal could have made Cleverley the captain and sell Rooney to PSG and nobody will talk.

StarBoard:
So how come the same van Gaal tells people after that said interview you people are clutching to that he needs to assess his players before signing anybody?
Did that include Herrera and Shaw?
If yes, then we can conclude there was no need for the duo to go on preseason tour because he already knew them.
If no, then he didn't sign them. Simple.

* They are two separate interviews na. Look well.

* Giggs gave his after he hurried back from Brazil mid way into the world cup to sign Valencia, Shaw and Herrera. Gaal gave his after all his players (old and his new signings) were already assembled and training under him.

* Gaal meant he needed to access his players before making additional signings. These interviews were done in a question and answer format and I have read them as they were published.

elampiro:
But do you agree that Gaal could have stopped these signings?

dem no born him papa well. stop which transfers? you think this is swansea or chelsea - football institutions with no history? how would it have looked on van gaal to stop deals that were 90% into completion? it would then mean he doesn't trust the judgement of his assistant & his chairman.

white people don't reason like that!

I guess over £50m was spent on these two boys. If you were the coach of Man United, would you just allow £50m to be spent without your own conviction?

yes - the deals were in the pipeline before my arrival. united had identified, contacted & negotiated with the agents of the players involved. personal terms had been agreed on herrera since last season. documentation & deadline stopped the deal last summer. why wouldn't i trust the judgement of my employer and the person i personally chose to assist me?

The moment Gaal took over, he became responsible for transfer. Even a village manager wouldn't know he has to be the one to be responsible for deals once he takes over a 'shop'. Gaal could have made Cleverley the captain and sell Rooney to PSG and nobody will talk.

that's different - it does not concern giggs or woodward who van gaal decides to sell or make a captain. transfer deals nearing completion before van gaal's arrival concerns everyone at the top.

deadline day prevented us from signing herrera last season. promises must have been made last summer that we would come for him this year. more often than not, herrera would have been lured to sign a pre-contract agreement as at january to ensure no other big club comes for him.

how can van gaal overrule such? i reiterate, dem no born him papa well.

coogar:

dem no born him papa well. stop which transfers? you think this is swansea or chelsea - football institutions with no history? how would it have looked on van gaal to stop deals that were 90% into completion? it would then mean he doesn't trust the judgement of his assistant & his chairman.

white people don't reason like that!



yes - the deals were in the pipeline before my arrival. united had identified, contacted & negotiated with the agents of the players involved. personal terms had been agreed on herrera since last season. documentation & deadline stopped the deal last summer. why wouldn't i trust the judgement of my employer and the person i personally chose to assist me?



that's different - it does not concern giggs or woodward who van gaal decides to sell or make a captain. transfer deals nearing completion before van gaal's arrive concerns everyone at the top.

deadline day prevented us from signing herrera last season. promises must have been made last summer that we would come for him this year. more often than not, herrera would have been lured to sign a pre-contract agreement as at january to ensure no other big club comes for him.

how can van gaal overrule such? i reiterate, dem no born him papa well.

How was Shaw deal under 90% completion when he could have joined Chelsea ahead of us? Deals get cancelled the last minute.


How come he had the power to stop Kroos negotiations?