Thread by @draper_rob

*deep breath*

I know there’s a huge debate over ‘This is all the Glazers fault’ v ‘You can’t keep blaming the owners’ which was kinda Redknapp v Neville on Saturday night…..

Let’s be clear: Joel Glazer isn’t responsible for David de Gea chucking the ball in his net…..

Nor is he responsible for Erik ten Hag signing a 5’ 9” centre half, playing Eriksen as a false 9…..these are individual errors, coaching mistakes.

However, leadership is about the culture you create

So let’s break down the culture the Glazers have at #MUFC…..

1) It’s opaque and unaccountable

No-one ever has to answer for the numerous errors. They never do media, they abolished the AGM. They rule like a absolute monarch, with divine right. And pretty much everyone who deals with plc culture would agree that’s a recipe for failure…

2) They have no clear understanding of football

Funnily enough, this doesn’t actually matter. Nor does John W Henry. And look at Liverpool. The key is delegating well. So Michael Edwards, Ian Graham v John Murtough, Darren Fletcher.

Have Glazers ever made a smart appointment?

3) They have no vision. In 17 years of ownership, land around Old Trafford remains an industrial wasteland* + stadium in disrepair

Compare with #MCFC, #LFC #THFC, #AFC. All have progressed in last 15 years with significant investment around stadium and area

* Other than the oasis of @hotelfootballuk developed by #CO92 The irony!

4) I haven’t gone into the amount of dividends they’ve taken out or the interest payments (tho they could have built an amazing stadium with that money!) as they have invested in team. More than £1bn…..

….but this comes back to point 2. If your delegation is bad, then you’ll fail. #MUFC are comfortably the worst major club at recruitment in Europe. That’s down to Ed Woodward and now Richard Arnold + Murtough….

It looked a bit better at times under Jose + especially under Solskjaer. But this summer has been calamitous. Let’s say they get targets by Aug 31. By Sept 1, Utd will have played 5 (13% of season!)….new signings need a couple of games to settle?….

….by then it’s mid Sept + 18% of season is done. And it’s international break. So in reality, even if they got de Jong, he might not be settled til mid Oct. By which point 25% of season is gone. #MCFC will be 12pts clear (insurmountable) #AFC maybe 6pts clear (tricky)….

….and that’s assuming United form picks up! The window has been a disaster already whatever happens now. They can’t redeem it. They’re fighting for 6th at that point. At best…

Proper clubs (City, LFC, AFC, Spurs) knew this season of all seasons you needed squad in place for June, you needed a flying start. Even #CFC who were sanctioned (!) are miles ahead of #MUFC. This is totally on Arnold + Murtough. And thus it’s on Joel Glazer. They’re his men….

Lastly the Ronaldo recruitment. I know OGS approved it. But wld be interesting to ask him now whether it was a mistake? It was pushed by board especially Woodward. We can guess why. This is what happens when you get everything arse about face. Put celebrity above sport…..

Woodward was said to have pitched United to Klopp as an ‘adult Disneyland’ (He denies it but @honigstein book relates the story) Well, it is Disneyland. A place where celebrity + superficiality trumps reality

(Not sure Woodward was aware Disney was a creative desert in 70s + 80s, surviving off it’s history + theme parks + losing sight of their core business: making good films)

That’s your culture, right there. Joel Glazer needs to own it. Poor culture, creates poor appointments, poor decision making which creates poor performance on pitch. A team without clear direction from top plays like this #MUFC team. That’s the owner’s fault

See Brentford, Brighton for teams where clear leadership from owners empowers coaches + players. Glazers do the opposite for Utd. Players sense the lack od direction and are less than sum of parts.

In all of this, we haven’t mentioned ten Hag. There’s no need. It’s true he’s made club worse, adding to decline. But he is just logical outcome of a failing culture which is unaccountable + consistently makes bad decisions…

He already doesn’t look like right coach but that’s also function of leadership that left him totally unprepared for biggest professional challenge of his life. Yes, he should have asserted himself more. But he got the job partly because he’s compliant. Again, bad culture…

At the end of it all, if that’s what you have - a constantly failing leadership culture - then look to the top. Don’t pick at the tangential issues caused by poor decision making. Look at the decision makers. Ultimately that’s Joel Glazer