Throughout my lifetime to date, I have been fortunate to see some of the greatest managers to ever practice their trade across several sporting codes.
From Sean Boylan, Mick O’Dwyer and Jim Gavin, to Brian Cody, Liam Sheedy and John Kiely in hurling, or Six Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho in soccer. Then how about Andy Farrell and Joe Schmidt within rugby. In truth the list could stretch from here to Tampa Bay in Florida.
However, there’s a thread linking some of those listed above which probably doesn’t make it into discourse nearly as much as should be the case.
Namely, that Sean, Ferguson and Cody all suffered heavy defeats early their stewardship which nearly resulted in their P45’s being returned to them before they’d found their way around their respective dressing rooms.
Thankfully though, for the sakes of Meath football, Kilkenny hurling and Manchester United, Fintan Ginnitty, Ned Buggy and Martin Edwards weren’t prone to bouts of kneejerk reactionism. Their cool headedness allowed sporting history stand as it does today.
In the Red Devils case at least, it’s a different football world now. Not a better one either. One where cut throat commercialism and outside influence end up having more say in on-field results than the sphere of leather being booted from one end of a field to another.
Clubs being bought by individuals and/or groups is a bigger gamble than expecting Eamon Ryan to stay awake during a meeting. Yes, there are occasions when it works, such as with Manchester City, Roman Abramovich or John W. Henry’s FSG.
However, there’s an even larger collection of examples of the recycled food hitting the wind propulsion instrument. From Blackburn to Blackpool to Watford and on to the most obvious and glaring one of the lot – Manchester United.
You see, the problem with these type of owners is, the either know as much about football as Onslo does about DIY and hygiene or they do know a bit but have too many irons in the fire. Which is exactly what is promulgating the ongoing destruction at Old Trafford – literally and metaphorically.
Like, how in the name of sanity could the home of the biggest and most important football club in the world have a leaky roof? One that, unbelievably, had been more in public conjecture than the chaos which has made the club go from a Theatre Of Dreams to a laughing stock.
Because of the grotesque Glazers, that’s how. They have as much knowledge of or interest in football as a cow does about Christmas holidays. To them, arguably the greatest football institution in the world is no more than a play thing. A vehicle via which to move money out of United to their American Football franchise, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It’s hardly coincidence that they were able to acquire Tom Brady and thereafter win the Super Bowl. Whilst at the same time the arse falls out of United’s world.
Now, of course some of the club’s troubles are down to ‘actual’ football matters. Overrated, under performing signings, crazy managerial hirings and firings and, yes, a modicum of bad luck.
You could nearly take the first two topics as one. From the angle of who’s in charge of hiring and firing of managers, who has final say over transfer targets and funding available for same.
Whoever it is or was, there’s a sense that, if the wheels hadn’t come off the wagon, Erik ten Hag would already be unemployed. Which, to my mind, would have been both unjust and wholly counterproductive. Admittedly, I knew nothing about the former Ajax boss before he assumed duty in the rainy city.
What is very easy to decipher, mind you, is that he’s a very obstinate individual with unwavering conviction about his own beliefs. How else to describe a grummock individual who ditched Cristiano Ronaldo and jettisoned Jadon Sancho and, thus far at least, has been proven correct in his judgement has been vindicated.
The haphazard wannabe’s the club have become is not his doing. You can chalk that up to sabotaging, incompetent owners and overrated, under-performing players. Yes, one of the current boss’s flagship signings, Andre Onana, is surely atop the latter list, but it can only be assumed ten Hag didn’t describe him as “The second best ‘keeper in the Premier League” by way of whimsy.
Not since Fabien Barthez has a United stopper taken such a roasting. At the time he deserved it too. For he had a damn better calibre of player in front of him than the Cameroon international has presently.
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Now, as with the manager, I will admit to not knowing the first thing about the new 25% stakeholder, Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Other than that not only has he a good track record for investing in a multiplicity of sporting disciplines, most importantly, he is an ardent Manchester United fan. Having the best interest of the club at heart. Unlike the eggheads who have nearly ran the club into the ground by treating it as nothing more than a feedlot for their other cash cows.
Having said that, United, or indeed their fans, wouldn’t want to fall into the trap of thinking the INEOS boss is going to come in, wave a magic wand and all will be well with the world.
This is one book to absolutely not judge by its cover. The acquisition of Sir Dave Brailsford looks good on paper at least – especially given his record of overseeing achievement in cycling. But what exactly his role will be is unclear, if equally fascinating to observe.
Fundamentally, though it might seem scarcely believable given the financial outlay there has been in the near 11 years since Sir Alex stepped down, the club simply do not have players who are consistent enough to challenge for titles, let alone compete decently in European competitions.
Such being the case is merely an instance indicative of the lowly, non-important entity the club have become. With respect, there are teams beating United now who – when the club was in proper order – the Red Devil reserves would put away in a training exercise. In no particular order – Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United, Wolves, West Ham, Brighton and Tottenham – all mid table mediocrity at best – underlines the football scour ten Hag’s team have been producing.
Have the mediocre got better or have the once untouchable simply become cr**? The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. As far as I am concerned, the problem is the same as it has been for the last decade or more. Since Rio Ferdinand left the club. Namely that the defence wouldn’t stop a bus, much less anything else.
There are good elements to this United team, unquestionably, but you can’t even think about going at the oppositions defence, you need to sort your own out. I’m not sure even Ratcliffe’s billions can guarantee that.
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