Sunday 12 May 2013

The Man Utd Dynamic Guarantees Continuum

Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United's legendary manager draws the curtain on his unprecedented reign at Old Trafford. His accomplishments and career length guaranteed to be unparalleled  in the wider world of soccer. The execution of events leading to his departure was carried out with military precision - strategic, and a public relations success. It was fitting of the great man to have out-foxed us once again with the timing, and control of his destiny.
I still remember Manchester United sacking Big Ron Atkinson in the winter of 1986, announcing his replacement as Alex Ferguson. I found it an incredulous decision. Then a youngster, I could not fathom Martin Edwards and the board's visions at the time in bringing Aberdein's very successful
manager to the club. Maybe United should have recruited a better known manager from the English league would  be the more refined way to reprise my frame of mind from 1986.

Ferguson: Merson says his team will thrash Swansea in his honour!




l: : LEGACY: Alex Ferguson is a freak of nature, an inimitable phenomenon. His twenty six years as manager at Old Trafford would be read repeatedly in football's folklore. For all his achievements, what stands out for me is not the trophies he won, but his character, drive, passion, determination, and hunger : and how those incredible characteristics he combined never waned with victories and landmark successes. A Club's stature and history is the beginning and the end. Managers are brought in to immortalize the club's narrative. Sir Alex diffused himself, his work, and his objectives into the Manchester United frame work. It is often loosely construed the great man built the club in his image. That argument does not hold water in my opinion, and is anachronistic. It's been a symbiotic relationship. The Manchester United story-line is, and always will be the platform. Sir Alex Ferguson was strong and relentless at how he conditioned his teams over the years in the values and history of the club. That was the lightning rod in the counter insurgency to Liverpool's dominance of the late 70's and 80's. Liverpool only won two league titles in sir Alex's reign. That has deep connotations. He no doubt was a key figure in engendering and the enlargement of the Manchester United dynamic.


SUCCESSION APPREHENSION : Some fans are hung up on Alex Ferguson, and he personified  the club's dominance. Their present consternation and apprehension is understandable. Whatever the name of his replacement, doubts would hold. Solace ought to be taken from the fact that Alex Ferguson was active in the process of anointing his successor. He would have known all that is needed about David Moyes before his stamp of approval. I am certain his character and temperament would have been assessed and analyzed  from A-Z. He more than anyone else would know that to be a strong currency of David Moyes. The fans have got to trust his judgement as always, and remaining as a director is an insurance policy for club, the fans, and the new manager in the transition period. I think they got that spot on. 


WHY MOYES WILL DO WELL : fans would  have envisaged Fergie's replacement to come on board with a track record for laurels.  David Moyes comes  to old Trafford with a blank sheet in  that department. History tells us that does not need to  be an issue at very big clubs like Manchester United. Fabio Capello was an unknown quantity when he replaced the widely respected Arrigo Sacchi at AC Milan  in 1991. In his first season in charge, he guided Milan to the league championship. Marcello Lippi was not a household name when he took over the Juventus Manager's job in 1994 from the revered  Giovanni Trapatoni, who had managed Juve' in two spells for a combination of thirteen years, winning so many trophies. Yet, Lippi won the championship in his first season in charge 94'/95. Bill shankly plotted Liverpool's renaissance in the late sixties, and even after he retired in the early seventies, the club enjoyed it's brightest spell under a succession managers - Bob Paisely, Joe Fagan, and Kenny Dalglish. All three winning at least the League championship in their different spells as manager. When Pep Guardiola took charge of Barcelona in 2008, he had no pedigree as a manager, but look at the outstanding  success he produced. The heart of the matter is that great clubs like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus, and  Manchester United have  Core Values, Stature, an Apparatus, the Best players, and tremendous Financial leverage. These five qualities are riveted, and almost certainly guarantee a continuum of the Club's elite status and brand. David Moyes would be fostered in these pre-existing conditions, and it should dissipate the pressure. His job is not necessarily more difficult, neither does he have to replicate Fergie. The key thing is to merge his talent and hard work towards the Manchester United ethic, trophies shall arrive, and the club will go on to the next level in it's impressive journey. 

David Moyes: Departing Everton boss bound for Manchester United

UNSIGHTED:  David Moyes might have not won a trophy at Everton, but if you walk the story back to Everton's position when he took over in 2002, and to the club's position now, then David Moyes must know a thing or two. Lets not forget, He took over from a one time Alex Fergusson assistant, and a respected name, Walter Smith. Ferguson had affiliations with  Walter Smith, and his time as Everton's manager was one of the worst in the club's recent history. When Moyes took over form Walter Smith, the team were in the lower rungs of the premiership, but re-established it as a stable, top seven club it is today. That is a feat. A lack of champions league experience ? Man United have players and coaching staff with that sort of experience. Players egos?  Moyes could not have survived for eleven years as a premiership manager without being able to deal with such.  On the tactical side, he got Everton solid and hard to beat ;  with the layer of attacking talent at his disposal at Man United, there is enough reason to suggest he can make his new team even stronger. It takes a really bad coach to reverse a good team. That seldom happens in football. As Alex Ferguson said, he wanted to leave with the club in a strong position. David Moyes inherits a team that are champions, and is at a club with enormous tradition, history, and financial powers. The Manchester United dynamic would lead the way for Moyes as it did for Sir Alex Ferguson.



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