Manchester United hold proud to the tradition of legacies. They are known for having a youth graduate in the first team or matchday squad for 4000 matches consecutively and counting. Their most decorated manager lasted 26 years at the club. And before him, Sir Matt Busby was known as the torchbearer for the Red Devils. But as football evolves, the time of traditions seems to have waned. Many questioned the trigger happy Roman Abramovich’s decision to hire and fire managers at will since he took over the club in 2003, but 13 trophies in 18 years show that maybe this is how modern football works.
Most recently, Chelsea fired their legend – Frank Lampard – for a big named coach in Thomas Tuchel. The same squad the Lampard said needed time to build, was transformed by Tuchel who led them to a Champions League title. In the same breath, Chelsea fired high profile Carlo Ancelotti and replaced with then newbie Roberto Di Matteo who brought the club a FA cup and Champions League trophy.
How does this tie back to Manchester United? With their keenness to uphold these traditions it brings around a philosophy that is bigger than any manager can every uphold, unless they buy into these traditions as well. We see it with every manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. David Moyes came into the club and tried to impose himself into shoes that were gargantuan to fill. He replaced the team Sir Alex had left to help him bed in and chose to bring his own team. That went swimmingly and, depending on which side you’re on, he was let go after just 10 months. The next man that came in – Louis Van Gaal – was known to have his own identity. As the base creator of what modern football fans know as Tiki-Taka, Van Gaal’s methodical approach to football was embraced by the fans as someone with an identity. However, his methods were quickly dismissed when it bored majority of fans who watched the game. Possession was the name of the game and deviating from it was not the name, as Angel Di Maria found out. Van Gaal brought FA cup success but even he was deemed not good enough to continue at the helm of Manchester United. The powers that be then decided that United’s identity is that of serial winners and so, they brought in the one who won it all – Jose Mourinho.
Jose Mourinho’s similarity with Manchester United’s identity stopped at their winning mentality. He brought with him a negative side of football that not many of the fanbase can appreciate or relate to having grown up in the bountiful period that is Sir Alex’s. But in the first 2 season at least, Mourinho managed to win over the hearts of fans as his team plodded along from one victory to another culminating in the Europa League title and the highest finish in the domestic league since Sir Alex’s retirement. He was duly let go when his whining got louder and more frequent than his winning. And that brings us to the present – Ole Gunnar Solskjær. Fans loved the return of a legend to manage their beloved team because they know he understands the foundations of the club. To a certain extent, Solskjær goes for this angle in all of his press meetings. The inclusion of 11 youth players in first team action with the most notable ones being – Greenwood, Tatith Chong, Anthony Elanga and Shola Shoretire – simple displays his understanding of the club’s traditions. His first season was highlighted with breathtaking breaks from his team that catches their opponents off, similar to Sir Alex’s time as a manager. It papered the hurt the fans have been feeling from managers who were, off brand, from what they have been used to. But after 3 years, Ole has yet to bring a club so synonymous with success in the past, any trophies. And the fans are slowly wearing thin to this. Because of his connections to the club, many want to see him succeed and he is afforded more leeway than the 3 managers before him combined, especially since his former team mates also work in the media sector. Jose moaned about not getting Maguire and he was chastised as a whiner despite bringing 3 trophies to Manchester United. Ole has a squad that is more stacked than what Jose had, but the closest he has been to a trophy is 5 semi-finals in 3 years.
That brings the question – who next to manage Manchester United? There is hardly any current manager who look like they are aligned to the traditions that is United. Zidane? Conte? Nagelsmann? Serial winners or capable of building a winning team – yes. Building one with youths included consistently – maybe not. The fork in the road awaits not too far in the fan’s patience – win in any style or stick to their beloved tradition. Maybe down the road, a United legend – Rooney, Giggs, Evra can bring back the identity and blend it with success that is synonymous with Manchester United. But for now, maybe focusing on the success may be the more beneficial step for the team.
Written by:Baz
