90min

Ed Woodward had 'tears in his eyes' reading tweets from furious Man Utd fans

By Jamie Spencer

Ed Woodward was hurting over the criticism from Man Utd fans
Ed Woodward was hurting over the criticism from Man Utd fans / Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
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Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward was alleged to have had ‘tears in his eyes’ when reading tweets from furious fans at the club’s lowest ebb in 2019, Anderlecht director Michael Verschueren has claimed after spending time with the Old Trafford chief then.

The spring of 2019 saw the feel good factor of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s early reign rapidly wear off and United were in disarray as the poor results fed into the start of the 2019/20 season.

Fans have campaigned to get Woodward & the Glazers out
Fans have campaigned to get Woodward & the Glazers out / Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images

With United taking months to secure the signature of Harry Maguire and failing to strengthen in other key areas of the pitch, Woodward bore the brunt of fan fury for the club’s stagnation. Even his family home was targeted at one stage as angry supporters sought to run him out of Old Trafford.

Woodward is also viewed by many as the public face of the hated Glazer family, whose profiteering has drained the club of potential funds and resources lost to shareholder dividends.

United’s structure is seen to be inefficient and lacking when it comes to football operations and it has long been questioned whether Woodward, a man whose skill and expertise lies in business and corporate affairs, is the right person to still be running the sporting side of things.

That question is still valid, despite United’s vast improvement over the last 12 months. But when things were at their worst, Woodward was personally suffering with the backlash.

Woodward has long overseen inefficient sporting operations
Woodward has long overseen inefficient sporting operations / RICHARD HEATHCOTE/Getty Images

“Two years ago, I was accompanied by Ed Woodward, the CEO of Manchester United, who was going through a sporting slump at the time,” Verschueren told Belgian news outlet HLN, shared in English by Sport Witness.

“He showed me tweets from supporters ‘Look Michael, how cruel the fans can be’ – the tears were in his eyes. Today Manchester United are [among] the leaders in the Premier League.

“I messaged Woodward a few days ago to congratulate him. He texted me back saying, ‘You know how tough the journey was.’”

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