Ever since Sir Alex Ferguson departed from the club, it seems like the glory days have left them. It has been like a curse, as if the Scottish manager was something of a lucky charm for the Red Devils. Since his retirement, not only has the trophy count fallen significantly, they also have been devoid of any brilliance—the very signature of Sir Alex’s Man United.
Two managers have come and gone in the post-Ferguson era and none of them could do what their predecessor so easily did. The never-give-up spirit among players is now no longer seen in the games they play.
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It showed how much of an effect Sir Alex had on them, how powerful a man-manager he was. He always had the apt response for an adverse situation, a stimulus that made the players’ react.
Both David Moyes and Louis van Gaal failed at this, so now comes Jose Mourinho. Since Louis van Gaal failed at achieving success at Old Trafford, it would be interesting to see whether his former assistant could do what he couldn’t—especially since there are some uncanny similarities between the two.
Anyhow, if Jose Mourinho and Man United are to become regular title challengers in the Premier League again, here are 5 things that they could do…
Neither completely start from scratch nor fully continue Van Gaal’s work
A change in personnel beckons one question: will the new manager start from scratch or continue where his predecessor left?
With the mess Manchester United find themselves in, it would be foolish to think that Jose Mourinho would even consider not changing anything. Indeed, van Gaal’s ‘army’ were severely criticized for their lackluster style of play.
Hence, it would be wise and logical for the Portuguese to imprint his style at Old Trafford.
However, he must also be careful and not go overboard. Van Gaal’s reign might have been marred with controversies and a team that was often labeled as spineless, but some of the criticism was blown out of proportion.
So starting from scratch shouldn’t be on Mourinho’s mind either as United would then lose the good work that the Dutchman did—one of them being his nurturing of the youth. It is for this reason that he should…
Build team around the youth
Say all you want about Louis van Gaal, but it would be the biggest act of heresy to deny him the credit he deserves—promoting talented potentials to the first team and cultivating their abilities to groom them into young stars.
The likes of Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Fosu Mensah were given a chance to shine by Louis van Gaal, and their performances gave fans nothing but hope.
With Mourinho at helm, the biggest worry for the Red Devils is the Portuguese’s tendency to neglect youth and focus on building a squad with already-established players. His vision is based more on bringing instant success to the team, making him a nightmare for the youth players.
However, Jose Mourinho has never shied away from the fact that he dreamt about sitting on the hot-seat at Old Trafford, so the unexpected could happen: he could, for a change, think long-term and emphasize on building the team around youth instead. At least that should be the case this time.
Signing sensibly
The van Gaal era saw millions of pounds spent—recklessly, it must be added—on several players. However, despite spending so much money, there wasn’t really any improvement in the way the team played.
For example, Angel di Maria was Real Madrid’s most important player from a tactical viewpoint. At United, however, he wasn’t even a shadow of himself as the former Barca boss couldn’t find a position that suited his skillset.
In fact, the Argentine, in an attempt that bordered on desperate, was tried out as a striker where he failed miserably. In the end, United’s most expensive signing was sold to Paris Saint German only after a year and with a considerable loss.
With Mourinho, the one thing that remains stagnant is his amazing ability to target and acquire players that fit his bill. He does thorough research on a player before signing him, hence the number of successful signings under his name are aplenty.
Focus more on football than commercial deals
Over the last few years, Manchester United have signed more commercial deals than they have won trophies. They have basically sold the right of everything to anyone who paid a lot of money.
It seemed like the emphasis on making money was more. There is a ‘global spirit’ partner, an ‘offcial diesel engine’ partner, a ‘savoury stick’ partner, a ‘timekeeper’ partner, an ‘official beer,’ an ‘official wine’ partner…and so on.
This is not even half of the number of commercial partners they have—a number which totals to a staggering 70. Ever since Sir Alex Ferguson departed, the number of trophies won might have fallen down but the toll of sponsors keep rising.
Signing deals isn’t a bad thing, but it feels like the focus has somewhat shifted to a more Real Madrid style of managing the club and it is for this reason that they should...
Hire a new Director of Football
The problem with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is that he is a businessman running a football club like a business organization. While the financial rewards have been staggering and consistent at the same time, the accolades under his helm are anything but.
Granted, Real Madrid have won the Champions League twice in the last 3 seasons, but that doesn’t erase the fact that they were in a state of a quagmire at the beginning of this year, which was the president’s doing. Had Perez just stuck to the business end of the club instead of intruding in the daily happenings on the sporting side, the Blancos might as well have won many more trophies.
Something similar is happening at Manchester United now. While their Director of Football is no way near as impatient as the construction magnate, he is a businessman in a role that requires him to be more focused on the football end of the spectrum
The game has evolved a lot over the years, billions of Euros flow within the game, making it absolutely necessary for clubs to get their hands on as much money as they can. However, there is a fine line which, when exceeded, compromises the football for money.
With Ed Woodward on board, United have made strides forward with commercial deals but the football has been hampered, which makes it a necessity to replace him with someone who has a profound knowledge of the game and do what the job title suggests one to do.
