paulhill
No one man is bigger than the club. It is a motto that Sir Alex Ferguson has lived by, and many such as David Beckham and Roy Keane have died by. The motto has provided Ferguson with a framework by which he has run the most successful club in English football for 25 years and that is why it seems so foolproof. However, a word of caution, Ferguson himself has already broken his own golden rule. The man himself is not just bigger than the club, he is the club.
The name ‘Fergie’ is now synonymous with Manchester United and that must be a worry for the fans. Currently, an attraction for foreign players coming to the club is not just the name of the club, or the opportunity to play alongside some great players, but the lure of playing under the greatest manager in the world. Danger signs should be ringing when one individual possesses so much power, even if he does deserve it. Not so much this past year, but in the club’s recent History, namely the 2010/2011 season he was the only reason why the Reds won the title, his influence transcended the quality of his players.
I’m not going to explain how this came to pass as it really is due to the amount of time he has been at the helm of the Manchester club; he just gradually became more and more powerful until there was no way of separating him from the goings on ‘upstairs’ in the club. This is now a severe problem which will manifest itself the minute the great manager himself steps foot outside Old Trafford, probably.
When he leaves, there is a risk that the whole infrastructure of the club will collapse. The very fact that he gets involved in all aspects of the club shows that he is more than a manager, he is the boss. When he leaves, there will be a big loss on the training ground, in the transfer dealings and in the contract renewals. There will be a marked difference in the transition the academy players make from the reserves to the first team and a calming influence, both on and off the pitch, for the fans and the players will be lost. There is a very real chance that this great club will come crashing down.
I can’t imagine the red nosed legend retiring any time soon though and don’t expect to see him playing partybingo.com either! You have more chance of seeing Fergie down the stables with his horse Harry the Viking…
That said, despite my pessimistic outlook on the future of Manchester United, it isn’t all doom and gloom (which may be surprising coming from me). Yes, Ferguson is now bigger than the club however this is not a guarantee that the club will fail after he has gone. It just increases the difficulty that the next United manager will face. The man who inherits this role will not just have to be a good coach, he will have to be astute in the transfer market, he will have to be able to put his vision of a team into reality, he will have to be able to deal with, mostly annoying and arrogant, agents, he will have to be able to communicate with the fans, he will have to be able to rule with an iron fist, yet have the ability to put a velvet glove on it sometimes, he will have to be able to spot young talent and most importantly he will have to be able to keep a whole squad happy. Only a select few will be able to, successfully, take up the mantle.
Although, if a man of suitable calibre and quality is not found (I’m not going to guess who it will be but PLEASE NOT MOURINHO!!) then this great, grand, historic, even classical institution will be shook to its foundations, and then there will be a precarious interval to see whether or not it disintegrates into dust.
the new manager might not pick danny wellbeck so lets not be too despondent…
welbeck class and hes only 22, hell be at united for the next 8 years without a doubt
For fucks sake. Nothing else to write? This has been regurgitated for 8 years. The most obvious question in football.
The question should be, what is the lacking ingredient to make UTD into the completed article?
At present it is delivering slightly above its ability.
@ Brads, Ferguson has spoiled us United fans. He has filled our trophy cabinet with over 30 major trophies that include 2 Champions Leagues and what will likely be our 13th EPL title. He has done this over a 26 year period. We have overtaken the once, great liverpool in the Top League titles. He has captured a triple and through Fergie, some of us have become a tad bit arrogant. We are inundated with the rants of arm chair critics and weekend warrior analysis that riddle the internet. We are tortured with the simplistic babbling of authors who have little more than a basic understanding of the game and it shows. My advice to these folks is to shut up, pray that Fergie stays healthy, believe that he and United have prepared a proper succession and cheer on another great United squad. Many of you may be nostalgic about the 1999 squad but the rest of us know that this squad is superior. The fact that they are playing in the same era as great Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich squads does not make this United team / squad any less significant. Some of you may not believe this and I would hazard a guess that you are in the minority, but the performance of this United team against Real Madrid over two games suggest that they are right there with the worlds best. Yes, they are back at the top echelons of European football. Fergie got it right and they got behind the RM back 4 with such ease at times it was scary. There are those that talk about United weakness at the back yet they eliminate the injuries over the past few years. They forget that Vidic was making a slow return this season. England's manager would have us believe that Rio has lost it but all he does is turn in top performances each week. Yes, he is the best English CH in the EPL–FACT! Only Zabaletta is better at the RB position–and Rafael is so close to over taking him. Evra is still world class. Evans is the future along with Smalling and Jones. Take a look at the goals leaked in the first 20 matches to where United stand now. We have conceded 31 and only City and Chelsea have conceded less (Chelsea –30). We score goals when we want to and lead the league by a distance. Cleverley is quickly becoming one of the best MF in the EPL–Fact! Even United fans take a poke at Carrick but all he does week in and week out is control matches–he is one of the best. Kagawa will be a super star, RVP is a super star, Wellback is a rising star, Chicarito, Nani, Young and Valencia often turn in 5 Star performances, Giggs is an aging star but star just the same and Rooney is the occasional star.
Stop complaining and feel blessed to be a United fan!
Rooney is an occasional star. Interesting.
United have a young team of huge potential.
De Gea
Rafael Jones Smalling Evans
Cleverley Powell
Welbeck Young Zaha Hernandez
This could be the side in 2020 !
Amazing that such talent has been quietly assembled.
Imagine what we might do in the next 10 years.
At the helm …. Moyes ?