Manchester United’s executive club chairman Ed Woodward has vowed to help Jose Mourinho bring the good times back to the club.
The club’s executive vice chairman reaffirmed his backing of United’s under pressure manager, despite tensions between the two over summer transfer dealings. Mourinho was frustrated when Woodward vetoed moves for Harry Maguire, Toby Alderweireld and Jerome Boateng, leaving him short of the world class central defender he believed was necessary to mount a Premier League title challenge.
Woodward, who announced a record revenue of £590m in United’s latest financial results, insists he will continue to try to deliver the biggest names in world football for Mourinho.
“Everyone at the club is working tirelessly to add to Manchester United’s 66 and Jose’s 25 trophies,” he said. “That is what our passionate fans and our history demands. We are committed to our philosophy of blending top academy graduates with world-class players and are proud that, once again, last season we had more academy graduate minutes on the pitch than any other Premier League club. Our increased revenue expectation for the year demonstrates our continued strong long-term financial performance which underpins everything we do and allows us to compete for top talent in an increasingly competitive transfer market.”
Despite failing to win the title since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, United’s prospects off the pitch continue to soar. Woodward predicts revenue will rise to £615-630m next year.