This is the way the world ends, this is the way the world ends, not with a bang but with a whimper.
Perhaps it was always going to be this way for Ed Woodward and his relationship Manchester United. But the words of American poet T.S. Eliot feel all the more apt now; as the shocking news of his resignation broke on Tuesday night after two days of European Super League (ESL) backlash.
As hundreds of Chelsea fans marched outside Stamford Bridge chanting “f*ck Super League”, as Gary Neville continued his one-man assault on the proposals to siphon off 15 (or so) ‘elite’ clubs from the rest of Europe in a money-spinning breakaway, as Marcus Rashford posted a powerful image of Sir Matt Busby’s famous quote — football is nothing without fans — something had to give. It was Woodward.
Some pointed towards Luke Shaw’s social media message, which came barely an hour before the news of Woodward’s resignation, as the final nail in the coffin, as the left-back timed his challenge perfectly for the umpteenth time this season.
The truth is United fans may never know the exact straw that broke this camel’s back. Woodward and his Glazer companions rarely speak in public to confirm anything anyway. What seems certain is 48 hours of stringent opposition to the ESL proposals took a heavy toll.
Does it even matter if Woodward or his Glazer cohorts speak now? Many fans will be too busy rejoicing. It’s just as well the pub gardens are open and the weather is warm.
Now for the small print: the Manchester Evening News understands Woodward was already considering stepping down this year after finalising the club's restructure — the ‘cultural reboot under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. They insist he was always due to leave at the end of the season.
But the timing is unerring.
Whereas Woodward’s former employee Jose Mourinho was fortunate that his sacking from Tottenham Hotspur flew somewhat under the radar amid the Super League mayhem, this announcement appears to be a direct result of the madness. It comes as Chelsea and Manchester City withdrew from the Big Six breakaway and after so many voices of players, past and present, took issue with the very concept of an ESL.
To describe it in pure footballing terms, the pressure has told and the defence has given way. It’s no surprise Woodward has gone.
His name was closely associated with the Project Big Picture proposals that were rejected in a similar fashion to the ESL back in December, after an 18-page document promised to overhaul the Premier League, threatening to give more voting power to the big wealthy clubs like United.
Woodward, 49, is also a former employee of the investment bank JP Morgan, which was confirmed as the financier for the new Super League. He was an accountant and investment banker for JP Morgan when the company helped the Glazers complete their 2005 takeover of United. He's always been a Glazer acolyte.
For many, those facts alone were enough, as the reactions poured in on Tuesday night. There’s no smoke without fire.
And so Woodward, a hugely controversial figure at United especially since he took the job as the club’s de facto chief executive in 2013, succeeding David Gill, has paid the price. The list of his highs and (mainly) lows in that position deserve an article, or probably a book, by themselves.
Many supporters will still feel angry that the Glazers remain in charge of United, with Joel Glazer a co-owner of the ESL and arguably just as unpopular as Woodward. The Glazers remain and many won't forget that they’re in place partially because of Woodward.
And so this Bristol University graduate’s stint running the biggest club in English football comes to an end, just as it started; by trying to help American billionaires clinch a divisive and controversial mega-bucks deal to change the face of the beautiful game. It’s only a relief to many that this latest venture now looks doomed to failure.
