30 Sep 2018 11:34:24
My love affair with our club started in August 1968 and reflecting on the 50 years that have passed, three things stand out. First we have never truly nailed down a footballing philosophy identity like Barcelona have. Football played by Matt Busby and encouraging our youth is the nearest we have come to it. Second we have never seemed to have a strategy or plan. Lastly, the ownership of the club has never been firmly settled and have always seemed to lack the ambition to be the worlds top club.

We have benefitted from having two of the greatest ever managers but beyond that the club has got itself in a mess so many times.

I have written this a few times on here down the years but there needs to be a defined strategy, a plan, an identity, a philosophy and whilst the full details don't need to be shared there should be communication to the fans about it. However, the communication from our present owners and Woodward is shameful in its absence.

The club are in this mess because they seem to have no strategy, no plan, no philosophy, it looks like for 50 years they have wallowed around and relied on a genius for 26 years. Like having a genius in the team carries the team higher, a genius in the managers chair had the same effect. Many champion David Gill yet where was the strategy, the plan to deal with SAFs retirement?

Now, in Woodward we have a frontman for owners who do not appear to be ambitious for football success but target the brand value. It cascades down, Woodward doesn't appear to be football savvy but a good money generator and that likely matches whatever strategy the owners do have.

Gary Neville has alluded to the issues but points at the start being the sacking of Moyes, however, this mess is dating back long before that, it is a lack of identity and planning going back through my 50 years. The lack of stable ownership, from the Edwards family who tried selling the club to Knighton, the Plc who were caught between success and making profit to the latest mob who have added debt to the club.

Now we are in a corner, sacking the present manager means the players causing issues think they have won. They will play for a new manager but only until he does something they don't like and we change the manager again, that's what they get at Chelsea. If the club appoint Zidane it is yet another confirmation of a lack of strategy and planning, what on Earth is the direction of the club then? Another manager appointed with fingers crossed it will work whilst ignoring the players causing these issues and we can't sack them, until at least January.

This is a first class mess and the owners plus Woodward are the cause and unless there is a change of ownership and CEO this mess is likely to happen every couple of years,

1.) 30 Sep 2018
30 Sep 2018 12:17:04
RedMan, as you know, i too have been supporting for all that period. Even the side that got relegated played with more endeavour and spirit than this lot of mercenaries.
I hate the philosophy that Mourinho has brought, defend deep, don't lose, don't attack, don't risk. But i also hate the way the players have dpwned tools and given 20% effort. Lack of skill is acceptable, lack of effort and spirit is totally unacceptable.
So if Mourinho is sacked, then the next manager will have to come in and control those irresponsible, horrible bunch of players that we've got. Apart from a few of them, the rest are only here for the money. Patrice Evra understood the United way, but non of the current overpaid, useless persons who wear our shirt are fit enough to lace his boots.
Brings me back to a manager's job, i watch klopp, Pep and Simione in action, and the players seem to have respect for them, these managers have a real connection with the players. Mourinho's man management has been utterly pathetic.
We have reached the point of no return with him. This season is a write off, i can't see us finishing in top 6. So get rid, let Carrick and McKenna take over and the owners have to appoint a dof and manager with the right philosophy to run our club. We need to get rid of a lot of the overpaid persons we have, darmuan, jones, lindlehof, rojo, young and promote/ buy a decent defence. Until we have a solid base, we cannot compete.
Out of the managers out there, i think Pochittino, Zidane and Simione can be considered. They all have their good and bad points. But i do like the way Simione teams run through brick walls for the cause. I also like Pochittino's team tactics. I think it's a choice between these two.

2.) 30 Sep 2018
30 Sep 2018 12:17:39
Wonderful post Red Man.

Whilst I can see your point regarding the players and the manager I'm not sure I entirely agree.

Maybe we have to become a Club like Chelsea in order to succeed.

Managers rarely last longer than a few years anymore. Even the successful ones seek new challenges or suffer from burnout such is the pressure to deliver instant and continued success.

Maybe our thinking about giving managers time and craving stability is flawed? I honestly don't know, it's certainly something worth considering.

Otherwise I agree with your brilliantly written post mate. Throughout our history have we ever really committed to being the very best?

We all know what Real, Barcelona and Bayern stand for I'm not sure the same can be said for Utd!

Even City are developing a footballing philosophy, Club identity and commitment to excellence. I have no doubt that their owners are more committed to seeing success on the field rather than increasing their revenue opportunities off it.

Like your little history lesson has taught us, once SAF retired was this really going to end up going any other way?

3.) 30 Sep 2018
30 Sep 2018 12:54:34
This Jose / Pogba mess does remind me of a spat between Remi Moses and Jesper Olsen when it is alleged they came to blows in training. Ron Atkinson was asked about it and he denied anything had happened. Pictures were shown in the tabloids and Ron was then labelled a liar and didn't last much longer. Jose is saying everything's ok between Player and Manager but we all know that's not true and so do the press. I still think Jose is the one to get us out of this mess . We have to be UNITED through this 😆😆.

4.) 30 Sep 2018
30 Sep 2018 13:27:36
Fantastic posts red man and AAA. Can’t argue with any of that.

5.) 30 Sep 2018
30 Sep 2018 14:37:27
I agree Park.

Sadly I can't argue with anything AAA has written. It's hard for me to say that because I honestly believed Mourinho was the man. I think other factors have played there part but I can't argue that his time at Utd is not coming to an end.

As his career has progressed he has become increasingly egotistical and narcissistic. There was a time when he'd do anything to deflect the attention away from his players. He would blame himself, the officials, the pitch, the weather anything to alleviate and divert the pressure away from his players. This invoked fierce loyalty and respect. His players would literally run through brick walls, they loved him. Sadly this is a notion he seems to have forgotten. Now he blames the CEO, his players, the fans, the club doctor everybody and anybody but himself. He now defends himself and reels of his list of previous achievements like a roll call. He hasn't learned from his mistakes at Madrid or Chelsea, he hasn't learnt that conflict and division don't inspire success, he has forgotten the fundamental principles that brought him success.

As Albert Einstein once remarked the definition of insanity is making the same mistakes over and over whilst expecting different results. Maybe somebody should politely remind Mourinho of this fact and give him his P45 at the same time!

6.) 30 Sep 2018
30 Sep 2018 14:51:34
Ps - I regret posting the last comment about his P45. It was harsh and I wouldn't wish the sack on anybody. Anyone who I've said more than enough I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend!

7.) 30 Sep 2018
30 Sep 2018 15:52:59
You echo my thoughts exactly DLIB. I thought this would work out but it is clear it is a marriage of convenience. Unfortunately, I cannot see our dithering and incompetent board being ruthless enough to axing Jose in the immediate future. As usual we will be ill prepared and wait too long before the damage is even more severe and the season is totally lost. Already our season is hanging by a thread and we are scrambling for top 4, it’s only September. For once can we act quickly and efficiently when it comes to a footballing decision.

8.) 30 Sep 2018
30 Sep 2018 16:48:01
Well DLIB, Einstein didn’t actually say that. It comes from a book by Rita Mae Brown.

So I guess this means everything you said is discredited. Give Jose a new contract now, and tell him that he’s doing great.

9.) 30 Sep 2018
30 Sep 2018 17:30:48
Amazing post Redman.

10.) 30 Sep 2018
30 Sep 2018 17:50:35
Well Danny please forgive my ignorance and consider myself reprimanded. No need to discredit me pal I've never professed to posting anything remotely credible anyway 😂.

11.) 30 Sep 2018
30 Sep 2018 17:30:48
Amazing post Redman.

12.) 30 Sep 2018
30 Sep 2018 23:37:30
Excellent post Redman. Totally agree. We are back to wallowing with Woodward in charge. Things have just been heading ever downhill since he took over, but he's the Glazers' man since he organised their takeover of the club.