Wikipedia gets its fair share of flak, but we can't help but feel they have Ed Woodward down to a tee. 

Edward Gareth Woodward, so his entry reads, is an accountant. He is also an investment banker. Third and last on the list, he is the executive vice-chairman of Manchester United Football Club. 

They are his three jobs. As Gareth Bale would say, 'in that order'. 

The kindest way of looking at Woodward's reign is that he is a fish out of water, captaining a ship that was always destined to sink without the guiding oars of Sir Alex Ferguson. 

Many United fans would go a step further, deriding a mere puppet of the Glazer regime, hell-bent on commercial success at the inevitable expense of football glory. 

There can no longer be any doubt that Woodward would benefit from a director of football. Rumour has suggested that should Ole Gunnar Solskjaer be relieved of his managerial duties, he could even be moved upstairs into such a role. 

Solskjaer's dubious qualifications for that job (and indeed his current one) are a question for another day, perhaps. 

In the meantime, United are left with their existing structure, a tree of which Woodward sits at the very top. 

It is inevitable that he is paid handsomely, but the latest figures are likely to raise eyebrows quicker than you can say 'Ashley Young's new contract'.  

Per The Times, Woodward earned £3.16 million last season. That was actually £1m down on the previous campaign, but it is a salary that is bound to be scrutinised nonetheless. 

What makes it particularly noteworthy is that the 48-year-old is therefore the highest-paid club director in the Premier League. 

Tottenham's Daniel Levy is his nearest rival on £3m. 

Accounts from Companies House revealed that United forked out a total of £6.8m to 12 directors, including Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Bobby Charlton.

By implication, that means Woodward taking home the largest chunk by some margin.

ANALYSIS

GIVEMESPORT'S Kat Lucas:  

So Ed Woodward is a money man. Not a football man. That much has always been clear. 

How then, can such an astute businessman account for wasting hundreds of millions of pounds on ill-fated transfers and ludicrously expensive payouts to three sacked managers in five years? 

Admittedly, the club made a profit of £19m last season and Woodward has overseen countless partnerships with tyre companies, mattress corporations - the lot. 

He would not get nearly so much criticism if that was his only job, hence why a technical director or someone to support the football side of the operation is needed. Even talking about a 'football side of the operation' is frankly absurd. This is Manchester United we're talking about.

United finished sixth last season, won no silverware and have made the top four twice in six years, albeit qualifying for the Champions League once more by winning the Europa League. 

Woodward's commercial deals will only appeal for as long as the Red Devils are recognised among the elite.

The Manchester United 'brand' which he is peddling is based on being the 20-time champions of England and one of the biggest, if not the biggest, club in the world. Their performances on and off the pitch are intrinsically linked. How long can he keep that image up for?