If Jordan Henderson had been at post-Ferguson Manchester United from 2013 instead of at Liverpool, heād be doing very well to be getting a game for Sunderland now.
Instead heās extracted more than anybody would ever have believed out of his career under Rodgers and then Klopp.
I think McTominay would be a solid if unspectacular Darren Fletcher type player. Albeit he actually has more of a goalscoring ability than Fletcher.
Yeah. Decent listen.
Its all about culture. Every week players would be asked to sign 30 or so footballs for a lady working at the club whoād give them to charity or kids etc.
A few weeks went by and some lads werent signing all the balls. Ferguson got word of it and absolutely tore strips off the whole first team squad for the disrespect shown to the lady doing her job.
Banquo has created quite the cult around himself among the simple
More credence to the Brian Cody comparisons
He lives rent free in other simpletonsā heads then
Heās notoriously mean so I doubt heād pay
Coach Ole, minus Christy and the midget Dutch League hipster centre half, guided a squad with almost all of the current personnel to a second place league finish just 15 months ago.
Itās about instilling that culture of humility and privilege of representing Manchester United, one of the biggest clubs in world football.
The connection with the fanbase and the normal people behind the scenes and recognising how pivotal they are to success. It all seems quite basic but that attitude is essential to keep everyone grounded and focused.
Players like Sancho, Rashford, Martial, Greenwood, Fernandes etc. all have the ability to be superstars but theyāve forgotten the fundamental basics of what competitive sport is all about.
Ferguson would relentlessly talk about the players Grandparents and Parents and what sacrifices theyād have made to make the players what they were. Heād have his research done and know every players back story inside out.
Heād have them welling up before games and theyād run through walls as a result.
Very basic but very effective.
Two words for the state of man Utd.
Steve Mcclaren
Coach Solskjaer got 74 points that season. While not a points total that would normally get second place, you can only compete against whatās there and it was enough for second.
It should be remembered too that he got off to a very bad start that season with a 1-6 home defeat by Tottenham but bounced back strongly.
What you can say about Coach Solskjaer is that was he was, against expectations, developing something good, he had setbacks along the way but kept coming back from them.
His project was a delicate one and that summer of 2021 was a key stage of its development. The project needed nurturing, it needed careful husbandry, it was the proverbial sapling which given the right care could grow into something mighty. The very early signs of the 2021/22 season were the roots and branches were growing stronger.
Alex Ferguson himself went through that delicate stage of development with his project. It was so nearly Ta Ra Fergie at the end of 1989/beginning of 1990. Mark Robins had to perform emergency surgery on the Fergie sapling, but my how it grew after that.
What the Solskjaer sapling did not need was a petulant intruder to be invited to barge into the garden and kick it out of the ground. Thatās what it got. So it ended up as timber. Norwegian Wood.
We will never know how it would have developed.
Very insightful analysis there of Coach Olenās tenure.
It was the signing of Christy that upset that squad harmony and equilibrium. A signing that the intervention of Sir Alex himself largely brought about.
Ole had built something, counter attacking football, it wasnāt great but it played to his players strengths at least. Ten Fags is trying to play tippy tapa with lads with zero ability to play that style.
Everyone can see that. Youād wonder why he canāt.
Itās a very colloquial, GAA style approach but youāre dead right, itās proper man management. Itās why the likes of Ferguson, Pep and Klopp have been successful. Focus of what makes lads tick. How can I get the absolute best out of each individual? Tap into their personal situation.
Some people might find it cringy but take the Henderson and his father situation and the video after the CL final where the focus is on his personal elation at sharing his success with the person closest to him, his biggest fan.
Itās manipulation to a certain degree but heās established what makes Henderson tick, and used it to get the best out of an ordinary player.
Your starting point as a manager is to get lads running through walls for you. It doesnt matter the sport.
Everything else comes after that.
Genius of eth to deny utd an obvious successor
Throwing money around the place now.
Coach Ole had notched 7 of the first 9 points in 2021/22 without Ronaldo. The spirit in the team was good. There were signs that Coach Oleās attacking philosophy was coming together. The team was firing. A young home grown striker was flourishing under a good man. Another young home grown striker felt valued after his summer travails with England. Another young English striker had signed and the plan was to integrate him into the line up as quickly as possible.
What followed was a betrayal of a true Manchester United man who loved the club, a betrayal by the money men. Two of those young English strikers lost their way, and the third went down a much worse path. All were now treated as pieces of meat. For the latter especially, it was reminiscent of how Mike Tyson lost Cus dāAmato at just the wrong time for his development as a rounded human being.
That Anthony fella only scored around 10 goals in all comps last season in Holland. Heās not the most prolific to be attaining that kind of price tag.