Time to Reflect on Manchester United
A look at the deeper issues running through the club, from ownership and structure to decision making and the latest managerial fallout.
Structure and ownership
We have owners in the Glazers, sat in the US, who have allegedly handed control to SJR to run the football operations. However, how does that actually work? If the Americans wanted Amorim out, surely they must still have the final say. The idea that SJR has ultimate control cannot be right. In itself, that is a big issue. A divided board and divided ownership.
Decision making at the top
What has SJR actually done so far? They extended Erik ten Hag's contract, gave him a lot of cash to spend on players who were not good enough, then sacked him, costing the club even more millions. Ashworth was appointed after a long period on garden leave, not listened to, then sacked as well.
That sequence alone speaks volumes about how decisions are being made, and undone, at the highest level.
Wilcox and the football side
We appoint one of the best young coaches, pull him out early in the season and tell him now or never, even though he wanted to come at the end of the season. We can argue all day, but the fact we still have no midfield and only one striker is utterly damning. Utterly embarrassing.
I have said before on here that we once had a good poster called No Midfield, and the idea that we are still sat here without one is disgraceful.
We do not know what Amorim asked for, but the club should never have left him without a good central midfielder. So what role did Wilcox play? Was he a mouthpiece for the Glazers, pulling funding to keep dividends healthy, or was he telling Amorim to change tactics and formation? On what basis did any of the SJR group have the technical knowledge to set formations?
Was it Vivell who was reported as jumping up and down? How many of them are genuine technical, tactical, manager level experts? None. Yet there is Wilcox allegedly telling Amorim what to do. Wilcox has skills, but do those include telling a manager how to manage or what formation to play?
They took Amorim on knowing exactly what he was, then tried to chip away at it, not least when it became clear it would cost big money to fund properly. I can guarantee that did not go down well with the owners.
A lack of clear authority
This is shambolic. SJR should never have allowed the Glazers to stay. If he truly loved the club, he should have bought them out to create a clear line of authority and decision making.
What does it say when he dealt with Ashworth the way he did? As with Amorim, he must have known Ashworth's views. Did SJR really let him start knowing his position, then bring others in who thought differently and force a change of direction? That flags a lack of clear thinking.
Amorim and what comes next
Yes, Amorim looked like he was going to go after his last press conference. I suspect he wanted to leave on principle. He has always come across as a man of conviction, and if someone he sees as less knowledgeable interferes, he will be angry. I suspect he would have been ready to walk away and tell them to stick the job. In the end, I think he got what he wanted.
How on earth are they going to handle this now? For a start, someone in management has to pay the price for this mess, whether that is Wilcox and or Berrada. Not in two months, now.
SJR needs to deal with the ownership issue now, not in months or at some point never. If he cannot afford to buy the Americans out, he should step aside. We need one owner and no debt.
This is not just about a coach or manager. It runs through the entire club. Nobody knows who will turn up next, but the Fred Karno circus as it stands suggests it is still going to be a mess. We need big change all round, not using this coach as an excuse. We need open heart surgery, a quadruple bypass, as Ralf said, at all levels. Instead, I suspect we will get insipid nonsense and lurch on.
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