Ed Woodward is yet to win the heart of every Manchester United
supporter, but Red Devils will be encouraged to hear the chief executive speak
openly about spending in large quantity this summer.
Speaking on United's pre-season tour of the United States,
Woodward was quoted this week in saying the club can break their transfer
record and then some this summer, per The Guardian's Jamie Jackson:
It’s difficult to deal in hypotheticals based on lots of
different things. The reality is that we’re not afraid of spending significant
amounts of money in the transfer market. Whether it’s a record or not doesn’t
really resonate with us. What resonates is an elite player that the manager
wants who is going to be a star for Manchester United.
Of course it’s in our capabilities. You guys think about the
money in a way that I don’t. I get pointed in the direction of a target that
the manager wants and there is an assessment of what that might cost and I’ll
negotiate hard to do the best I can on the trade.
Woodward's first year in the position unfortunately
coincided with Manchester United's worst campaign in decades, with a
significant portion of that blame being accredited to him for a distinct lack
of activity in the transfer market.
United have already gone about correcting those mistakes in
2014, having spent more than £55 million already in bringing Luke Shaw and Ander
Herrera to Old Trafford from Southampton and Athletic
Bilbao, respectively.
However, Woodward is right to note that money isn't the sign
of a good deal; quality is, and where those opportunities are seen is precisely
where manager Louis van Gaal and United as a collective will focus their
attentions:
I stand by what I said – there is no budget. We are in a
very strong financial position. We can make big signings. That doesn’t mean we
go and throw money around. Louis is the manager. We have a lot of scouting
output through the last 12 months, flagging up various things to us. Louis is
the one that makes the ultimate decision around who he wants in the squad. I’m
not going to force feed him with a player that he hasn’t selected.
In times of crisis, it's easy for change to be the immediate
reaction in what's needed at a club. Fans in uproar and other financial
pressures can create an environment that leads one to believe something new is
what's needed.
However, while there may be no more Sir Alex Ferguson
around, it's vital that the club doesn't lose touch with the old. Old morals
and policies that brought about a decade and more of prosperity at the Theatre
of Dreams, and can do so again, simply with a new face at the forefront.
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