Manchester United - What Went Wrong?

They say love is blind. How true. When you love someone too much you are blind to their faults. When you love yourself too much you can't see your own faults either. Whether you are a company, a football club or a person, you can be blind to your own shortcomings too. I pronounce you Man United (a priest said to two men who wanted to be married). 

Manchester United were still league champions and if you are a Man U fan, you are happy and most people probably did not see it coming. Some years back, Sir Alex Ferguson declared his retirement. Soon, their noisy neighbour Manchester City displaced them as champions. The Red Devils wrestled back the title but I saw a team that was still good but no longer what they once were. They never made it past the early stages of the Champions League. The squad was ageing and there were hardly any outstanding recruitment. The Golden Generation of Giggs, Scholes, Beckham, Butt and the Neville brothers were no more. Maybe they haven't the money to compete with City, Real Madrid, Barcelona and not even attracting the top players.

Sir Alex retired and left behind an ageing and depleted squad. No one could see that because they were champions just like no one believe the Titanic would crash and sink until they hit an iceberg. Life is very much the same. He picked David Moyes, a more than competent manager at Everton. Some may think Sir Alex did not want someone better than himself. It could be true. I said that too. Or did he picked Moyes as Moyes mirrored himself when he was younger? That is the danger of countries, companies and football clubs when you tend to pick people who are like you even if you are the government or the board in management. 

The United board did not help much either with an inexperienced CEO to boot. It was a disaster waiting to happen. Moreover, Moyes who has not won anything has to lead a squad with many veteran winners. Will he get the respect or how to earn it? You have to win the dressing room and the hearts of your players before you even face your enemies. I think he never got past this first phase. Why give six years contracts? Contracts are worthless these days.

As the results were not favouring him one by one, he got desperate and made Rooney a 300,000 pounds per week deal for a player who has always wanted out. He signed Fellaini when they could not get anyone else and then Juan Mata. Meantime, City, Chelsea and Tottenham and the others have upgraded. Liverpool had an overhaul of system. Whose fault is it from the beginning? Was there really a succession plan? In other words, David Moyes was set up for failure to begin with.

In some organisation or soccer teams they have poor managers but the players or staff are outstanding and could carry the organisation or team to achieve. It's like a bad employer who has a very good domestic helper, his house still gets cleaned and work done well. In this sense, the Man U players are also to blame for not carrying the torch. Perhaps you can't blame them, they got so demotivated to a point they have lost their desire. Never push a loyal person to a point he does not give a damn any more. They were not happy. But to say that you are not happy therefore do not give your best is poor attitude. How many of you are happy at work? You will still turned up and do your best each day. You do it for your customers, your team, your fans.

Whatever happens in football is the same as in the business world. Because football is now a business. 

Blame

The blame should always start from the top so the board was responsible for all the problems that you see now. Did they select from a variety of top candidates for the job of succeeding Ferguson or decide on a time frame when a new manager should come in? The new CEO was not able to get the players needed. Ferguson himself must take a big chunk of the blame too for not grooming a successor and for picking Moyes. Moyes comes in third here for not being able to win the dressing room. 

Ferguson

Sir Alex was in power for too long and because he was highly successful, nobody seemed to border with what he did. When people are successful, they can say and do what they want. When you are not as successful, nobody listens to you even if you were a genius or speaking the truth. That is the way society behave. He never recruited any player of outstanding quality nor did he replenish his ageing squad leaving behind a team in relative decline. When he picked David Moyes, was he picking someone who reminded him of himself in his younger days? Glaswegian, fiery with steely determination or so it seemed. A person who share some traits with you may not be necessary have the same personality or knowledge and experience. It was poor judgement but nobody questioned his wisdom? Why did he now say that he was happy that Giggs is in charge and that Giggs has selected Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Phil Neville to assist him when he did not do it?

David Moyes

The players do not seem motivated to play for him. He lost the dressing room. David Moyes is a good manager but he was at Everton designing teams to avoid defeat rather than go out to hunt for victories. Like everyone looking for a new and bigger job, landing one does not mean you will succeed. United players were winners. There are egos too. They may be thinking "what does he know." How will they respond to someone who has never won anything or done anything they have done? Worse, he was never given the time necessary to build his own team. When Moyes play negative, he was condemned. When Mourinho does the same, he is a genius. That is life. You have to find your own success. 

New Man Utd?

When they realised all the big mistakes, they make a bold decision to cut loss right here right now. That was an important move. That main person perceived to be the problem was sacked. Swift and sharp. It may seemed to be unfair to Moyes but hey the business world is like that. If the performance or ethics of a manager in the business world are bad, he gets the chop. An organisation that does not do it is like a sinking ship. There is no guarantee that Giggs and company can do it. Another new manager will bring his own entourage on board. Introduce new methods and idiosyncrasies. He would want his own "preferred" players. There is no guarantee that success would come naturally and quickly. No one owes you that. Arsenal and Liverpool have taken a long time. Manchester United could be next. 

Aura Of Invincibility

Some people have an aura. Their optimism, faith and personality can sway things and inspire others with what they say or what they do. The sporting arena and sports teams are the same. Kevin Keegan has a certain aura as he could make players play above themselves. Tiger Woods was once unbeatable and all conquering. So was Roger Federer. At one time, it was Bjorn Borg. In badminton it was Rudy Hartono but once these legends got beaten, they seemed to have lost some steam while others start believing that all of them can get beaten. The fear factor was gone and that aura of invincibility was removed. It used to be when playing Tiger, you just hope to come in second. 

Manchester United once had that. Barcelona was virtually unbeatable as they swept everything that came their way. Then Bayern Munich came along and whipped them over two legs and while still good they have lost the aura. Bayern Munich became the next big thing as they swept everyone aside. Now they have just gotten a hammering by Real Madrid who won 1-0 at home and went to the Allianz Arena and won 4-0 for a 5-0 aggregate win. Big surprise. You have to credit Real and Ancellotti. Liverpool had that aura till they lost to Chelsea. We shall see if they can recover it. 

Man Utd lost that aura big time this season. Can they regain that swagger. That certain cockiness where teams play you and hope to get a draw or just to lose by 1-2 goals. There are times when you lose it and you never recover or take a very long time to do it. Soccer is now played at an incredible speed by super athletes. Bayern Munich increased their tempo over Barcelona and now Real Madrid did that to Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid to Chelsea. It is not just about planning. You pick a method and philosophy and add belief. It takes faith. The question is do you have time? 

(Bayern v Real)

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=711946162181311&set=vb.266828596693072&type=2&theater

I, too would like to have such an aura if I do not already have it. But whatever it is, I do not want people to be like me or to follow me. I like you to be different. Then we will evolve in different ways and the world will be a better place.

Here is the pictorial of evolution.

From Balthasar Gracian's Art of worldly wisdom:

Even knowledge has to be in the fashion, and where it is not it is wise to affect ignorance. Thought and taste change with the times. Do not be old-fashioned in your ways of thinking, and let your taste be in the modern style. In everything the taste of the many carries the votes; for the time being one must follow it in the hope of leading it to higher things. In the adornment of the body as of the mind adapt yourself to the present, even though the past appear better. But this rule does not apply to kindness, for goodness is for all time. It is neglected nowadays and seems out of date. Truth-speaking, keeping your word, and so too good people, seem to come from the good old times: yet they are liked for all that, but in such a way that even when they all exist they are not in the fashion and are not imitated. What a misfortune for our age that it regards virtue as a stranger and vice as a matter of course! If you are wise, live as you can, if you cannot live as you would. Think more highly of what fate has given you than of what it has denied.