Manchester United: The Twentieth Time’s The Charm

2012/2013 Season Review:

                United started this season by making two high profile signings: Shinji Kagawa from Borussia Dortmund, and Robin van Persie from Arsenal. Both would play a key role in the months to come. Having lost the title the previous year in the most traumatic way possible, especially having it snatched from their grasp by their closest geographical rivals, United began with rhetoric of strength and stability, and a determination never to let it happen again. Unfortunately, they started their attempt to reclaim the title in the worst possible way. A 1-0 defeat away at Everton put them immediately on the back foot against their rivals. Subsequent 3-2 victories against Fulham and Southampton did little to raise expectations, as in both United could consider themselves fortunate to come away with all three points. Four successive victories followed, putting United back on track for European and domestic success.

                September ended in the worst possible way, with United relinquishing their usually impenetrable home record to a Gareth Bale inspired Tottenham. Further evidence that United were not yet at top gear, which gave hope to their title rivals. After the disappointment of this result, United rebounded in the best possible way, winning their next five games, including an away win at Stamford Bridge. It also ensured that there would be no repeat of the early elimination from the Champions League, as United cruised through their first three group games, caliming their place at the top of Group H. October, like September, ended on a sour note for the Red Devils. An incredible topsy-turvy game at Stamford Bridge in the Capital One Cup ended with a 5-4 scoreline, forcing United into an early exit.

                Despite this setback, United once again rebounded. Robin van Persie had started his United career in fantastic goalscoring form, with a goal on his home debut and a hat-trick against Southampton, almost single-handedly handing United the points. He showed no mercy with the visit of his former employers, Arsenal. A goal inside of 3 minutes set United on their way to a 2-1 success over the Gunners, and set van Persie well on the way to winning the Golden Boot for the second year in succession. United would only suffer one further setback during November, a shock 1-0 defeat at Carrow Road to Chris Hughton’s in form Norwich side. Whilst United quickly recovered, it brought the chasing pack very much into view once again.

                After the Norwich defeat, United went on a quite amazing unbeaten run, stretching 18 games. It was this run, coupled with the failing of Manchester City to be consistent, that ensured the title would be moving across the city once more. Notable games within this run include a defensive nightmare from both sides in an incredible first half at Reading, where the sides went into the break at 3-4 in United’s favour. A last minute, euphoric derby day victory at their great rivals City, simultaneously breaking the near 2 year unbeaten record of the reigning champions, which sparked ugly scenes in which Rio Ferdinand was hit with a missile from the crowd. The away game at Swansea was equally eventful, as after Robin van Persie was struck by a ball on the head from close range after play had been stopped, Sir Alex Ferguson proclaimed that ‘the ball could have killed him’. Widely satirised, the quote remains one of my favourites from the season.

                After easing through a relatively straight forward Champions League group, United had a less than favourable Last 16 draw, with Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid being drawn as their opponents. A hard fought 1-1 draw in the Bernabeu gave United fans hope of progression, with David de Gea and Danny Welbeck particularly impressing in Spain. The hotly anticipated return leg was stoked up further by Mourinho’s claims pre-match that ‘the world will be watching’. The game itself turned out to be a mostly scrappy affair, which turned on one decision. United, having taken the lead through a Sergio Ramos own goal, looked to be cruising to victory until an inexplicable decision from the referee saw the Red Devils reduced to ten men. A challenge between United’s Nani and Madrid’s Arbeloa saw the United man catch his opponent slightly late. A definite yellow card. Both Nani and his manager looked utterly bewildered when they noticed the card matched the colour of the winger’s shirt, and he had to make the long walk off. After that, Madrid sauntered to a 2-1 victory, with the added irony of Cristiano Ronaldo returning to score the winner. After the game, neither Sir Alex, nor any member of his side, fulfilled their press obligations out of protest, an action that subsequently saw him fined.

                After the heartbreak of the Champions League exit, United then suffered a second blow, being knocked out of the FA Cup by the holders Chelsea. After snatching a replay from a 2-0 deficit at Old Trafford, Chelsea won the replay courtesy of an acrobatic Demba Ba strike, ensuring that it was the Blues who went to Wembley. Fortunately for United, the league was still relatively safe, and even though they lost the subsequent derby at Old Trafford, the Red Devils strolled to the league title, wrapping it up courtesy of a Robin van Persie hat-trick against Aston Villa, that also guaranteed the striker the Golden Boot.

                The final few weeks of the campaign were concentrated over the news that Sir Alex Ferguson, United manager for the past 26 years, would be retiring at the end of the season. For more detail on my thoughts about that event, please check my earlier blog post. Certainly, he has left the game on a high, and one that I believe his successor, David Moyes, will find it incredibly difficult to replicate in the short term. Overall, whilst United were disappointed in Europe, they reclaimed what they believed was rightfully theirs.

 

Player of the Season: Robin van Persie – The former Arsenal man has made the switch between London and the North West look seamless, picking up where he left off at the Gunners, and putting to shame players that claim ‘it takes time to bed in’. Winner of the Golden Boot and the Premier League, it is not difficult to see why he wanted to join the Red Devils in the summer.

 

Game of the Season: West Bromwich Albion 5-5 Manchester United – Sir Alex Ferguson’s 1500^th and last game as United manager is certainly my pick for game of the season. Whilst Ferguson would have wanted a simple 3-0 away win, he failed to get his wish, and football fans were treated to a feast of goals and a host of entertainment. Whilst I fully expected injury time to continue until United scored a sixth, a final, sympathetic, ‘Fergie time’, it was not to be, but it was a hell of a game!

 

Summer Transfer Targets (What I Think They Need): With the introduction of David Moyes, it is very difficult to accurately predict what style of play he will attempt to implement. With Ferguson in an ‘overwatch’ position, I suspect not much will change. If this is the case, not many need bringing in. Perhaps another defender wouldn’t go amiss, with Leighton Baines a possible, but the champions seem to have a well-knit group already.

 

Transfer Gossip Links:

In:

Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund, ST), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus, CM), Radamel Falcao (Atletico Madrid, ST), Angelo Ogbonna (Torino, CB), Ilkay Gundogan (Borussia Dortmund, CDM), Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace, LW, £15million), David Moyes (Everton, Manager), Marouane Fellaini (Everton, CAM), Leighton Baines (Everton, LB), Nicolas Gaitan (Benfica, RM)

Out:

Sir Alex Ferguson (Retirement, Manager), Anderson (???, CM), Nani (???, LW), Wayne Rooney (PSG, ST)

Sir Alex Ferguson Retires: An End of An Era

             The phrase I use in my title is certainly clichéd, but in this case I think there can be no doubt it is correct. Sir Alex Ferguson, one of the most controversial and successful managers of all time, has announced he is to retire at the end of this season, after a magnificent career spanning nearly 40 years. Such an announcement does not come as a surprise, especially when I heard he was planning to have hip surgery at the end of the season. From the humble beginnings of lowly East Stirling in 1974, Ferguson’s career has been on a seemingly never-ending incline, leading to him being the longest serving top flight manager and most decorated manager in the history of English football. With 38 trophies at Manchester United, a place on the Board of Directors, and a stand at Old Trafford named in his honour, Ferguson’s place in the history of both Manchester United and the English game is assured.

 

                Sir Alex Ferguson’s career is a long list of honours, both on and off the pitch, and during his 26 years in charge of Manchester United, he has seen many significant high points. Such examples would include the first title for the Red Devils in 26 years, collected in 1993, the first English team to complete the treble, achieved in 1999, and the surpassing of the previously considered unbeatable Liverpool record of 18 top flight titles, back in 2011. As Manchester United manager, he has seen and experienced it all in the English game, and has had many memorable battles along the way. Initially, his lack of success at United that put him on the brink of the sack. A calculated risk by the United board to allow him to continue, and one that has paid off in the most spectacular fashion. His rivalries on the pitch are also well documented, and none you can say with any certainty he has comprehensively lost. Firstly, the battles in the mid-90s with Newcastle United and Kevin Keegan in particular, prompting the famous ‘love it’ lines. Secondly, his late-90s and early 2000’s spats with Arsene Wenger. Whilst Arsenal did win three titles, most famously the ‘Invincibles’ season, United and Ferguson remained top dog around those years. And who was there to end the ‘Invincibles’ winning run? Manchester United of course. Arguably his most famous personal spat was with Rafa Benitez during his stint at Liverpool, whose infamous ‘fact’ rant saw him lose significant credibility. The only battle that could be argued Ferguson has lost during his career is versus Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea. Statistics favour Mourinho in this department, with him winning more games than the Scot when the two have come face-to-face. He also oversaw two relatively runaway back-to-back title victories, a feat which no other manager has achieved against Sir Alex. Nevertheless, once Mourinho departed for Inter Milan, Ferguson reclaimed the top spot. More recently, the threat coming from Roberto Mancini’s Manchester City has forced Ferguson into action once more, and, after narrowly losing the 2012 title, he eased to his 13^th league title this year.

 

                There has also been a more controversial side to Sir Alex during his years in charge. Whilst these may be no more than the jealous mutterings of those fans who have been on the receiving end of his success, they still bear consideration. His all too regular berating of officials has seen him accumulate several FA punishments, fines and bans, and for some, these punishments and charges have not occurred regularly enough. They have also often led to specific referees being given fewer Manchester United matches, leaving favoured refs, such as Howard Webb, to referee the majority of Old Trafford fixtures. This has been argued to go some way to explaining the accumulation of penalty awards in favour of the home side. His infamous 2003 Beckham-boot incident led to subsequent revelations about his temper. This temper has also led him at times to exaggerate and over-dramatise situations when things have failed to go his way. Such examples have occurred this season, both when he claimed Robin van Persie could have been killed after receiving a ball to the head at Swansea, and when he neglected his press duties after defeat in the Champions League to Real Madrid, the latter smacking of ‘control freakery’ when his players seemed to do the same. However, a certain amount of needle is essential in being a successful manager, and his sometimes overdramatic antics simply make for good television. Without him, phrases such as ‘squeaky bum time’ would not have been created, and we wouldn’t get to see his dreadful, strange, double arm waving goal celebrations! Being passionate is not necessarily a bad thing, and whilst some of his actions over the years may have been misguided, they merely go to show that he is, in fact, human.

 

                His retirement undoubtedly leaves a chasm which Manchester United seem unable to adequately fill. Whilst bookmakers have placed Jose Mourinho as firm favourite to succeed Fergie, I have my doubts. His ‘where I am loved’ comments after Madrid’s Champions League semi-final exit last week are more indicative of Chelsea, not United. Hints made by both Mourinho and Chelsea interim manager Rafa Benitez support this conclusion. If not Mourinho, who else? Ferguson’s retirement announcement has come too late to secure the services of Pep Guardiola, who is now contracted to Bayern Munich. Whilst the rumour mill will ensure that many names will be thrown into consideration, serious contenders that have come into the frame are Everton’s David Moyes, and Borussia Dortmund’s Jurgen Klopp. In my opinion, Moyes’s inexperience in guiding a title-challenging club fatally harms his chances. Whilst his knowledge of the English game and his eye for a bargain is unquestionable, he lacks the necessary experience to win titles. Klopp, on paper at least, appears a better fit. However, there is no guarantee that he will have the ability to manage in the English game. There is also no guarantee that anyone who is brought in to replace Ferguson will have his tactical abilities and his ability to gel squads.

 

                Sir Alex Ferguson is the iconic manager when discussing English football, and his achievements, in my opinion, will never be surpassed. Almost certainly, we will never again see a reign at a club as long as his. Manchester United have a herculean task to replace him, and I fear for his successor, as the pressure placed upon him will be almost unbearable. As for the club itself, I believe that this end of an era will take a toll. Whether they can recover sufficiently to challenge for future glory remains to be seen. If they fail to, this merely reinforces my assertion that Sir Alex Ferguson is irreplaceable, and that he is, or was, the driving force behind many of the 13 titles and 38 trophies he won at United.

 

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