Manchester United CEO Ed Woodward doesn’t speak in public too often, and that is probably in his best interests. For someone who is in his position, and who polarizes opinion as much as he does, there really isn’t a need to do a lot of interviews.
When Woodward talks in public, it’s almost always to MUFC investors, and what he has to say usually appeals only to the Wall Street Journal/Bloomberg/Financial Times set. Sometimes however, he discusses the job security of the United manager, and these quotes have mainstream appeal.
With United currently sitting in 14th place in the Premier League, having taken only 10 points from their first seven matches, the heat is on manager Ole Gunnar Solskajer. Although they have a game in hand on most other clubs in the league, they still have just a -2 in goal differential, and there have been reports that Solskjaer could get sacked, and potentially replaced by Mauricio Pochettino.
The message from Woodward is the polar opposite- he provided a public vote of confidence.
“While there is still hard work ahead to achieve greater consistency, we remain absolutely committed to the positive path we are on under Ole as the team continues to develop,” said Woodward, in a session discussing the club’s latest fiscal figures.
“We miss playing in front of our fans and we are working hard together with our governing bodies and relevant authorities to ensure that fans can safely return as soon as possible.”
Woodward said pretty much the only thing he could say on this situation, and the future run of results will determine whether or not he maintains this stance on the issue. United are off to their worst start at home in nearly a half century. If the poor run of form continues, Solskjaer’s seat will continue to warm.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.