‘Woodward has zero understanding of football!’ – Van Gaal blasts Man Utd’s CEO

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The former Red Devils boss has questioned the logic of those at Old Trafford handing such a high-profile post to “an investment banker”

Former Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has slammed the club’s appointment of Ed Woodward, claiming the Red Devils’ executive vice-chairman has “zero understanding of football”.

The Glazer family brought a divisive figure on board at Old Trafford when completing a big-money takeover in 2005.

He has risen through the ranks and took on his current role in 2012 .

Questions have been asked of him on a regular basis over the course of the last seven years, with United having endured a humbling fall from grace since Sir Alex Ferguson headed into retirement.

Van Gaal is among those to have been charged with the task of trying to deliver a reversal in fortune .

He lasted just two seasons in the dugout and believes part of the reason he struggled to convince in English football is because United have the wrong management structure in place.

The former Ajax, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Netherlands boss told 11 Freunde : “At Bayern, the people in charge are football men. I always appreciated that.

“At Manchester United, on the other hand, Ed Woodward was installed as CEO – somebody with zero understanding of football who was previously an investment banker.

“It cannot be a good thing when a club is run solely from a commercially-driven perspective.”

 

Van Gaal was ousted from his role at Old Trafford on the back of an FA Cup triumph in the summer of 2016.

He was ushered through the exits in order to make way for the arrival of Jose Mourinho.

The Dutchman has never made any secret of his disappointment at how his departure was handled, but has further questions of United after seeing his successor manage just two-and-a-half years before heading the same way as he did.

Van Gaal added: “I don’t hold it against the club. They wanted Mourinho and he was on the market.

“Appointing him was obviously interesting from a business point of view.

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“He wins games and for a club like United, the main thing is to win trophies. How they are won isn’t the main priority, the English fans see it differently.

“They accept that the game is not all about attacking but it is also about defending. I always tried to defend high up the pitch, to be in the opposition’s half and play the game there.”

Mourinho delivered Community Shield, Carabao Cup and Europa League successes in his debut campaign with United, but was relieved of his duties in December 2018 as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer returned to Old Trafford.

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