Lampard gets it, Solskjær too. Sentimentality goes a long way in football – but it takes more to win a titleIn most lines of work your job application would discarded straight away if you listed “getting it” as a key skill. Be aware that it might come across as slightly vague, a bit fluffy, damning evidence of a lack of substance. You would probably be written off as a spoofer attempting to blag your way through life. A bluffer. A charlatan. A fraud.Unless, of course, you happen to be applying for a job as manager of a football club grasping for a way to connect with a discontented fanbase. Then it makes perfect sense to place a heavy focus on...
Manchester United’s status as the greatest club in England is increasingly in doubt under a Glazer stewardship that makes commercial considerations the priorityWhile Ander Herrera’s decision to leave Manchester United has come as no great surprise to the club’s fans, the manner in which he announced his going has left many understandably enraged. In a saccharine sweet and emotional farewell video that will almost certainly be widely lampooned by more self-aware social media departments at football clubs elsewhere in the coming weeks, the softly spoken Spain midfielder left viewers in little or no doubt United will always have a special place in his heart and is a club he would be prepared to do absolutely anything for, except play. He...
Time will tell whether United really have hit upon their saviour and, either way, the club must rediscover the boldness of oldFor those with long memories, the irony inherent in Richarlison’s marvellous opening goal for Everton against Manchester United was the way his overhead kick evoked the image of Denis Law defying gravity as he rose in a whirl of limbs.There were no Brazilians in the English game then, so the Scot’s combination of opportunism, athleticism and deadly marksmanship was something rare and precious, whether or not you were a Manchester United fan. The fact such a goal was being scored against United on Sunday, triggering their fifth consecutive away defeat, symbolised their plight. Related: Is there a single Manchester...
Defeat to Barcelona highlighted glaring weaknesses and a Champions League return requires a swift upturn in fortunesAs a chastened Manchester United turn back to the Premier League, where their aim of securing a top-four finish will be tested by the visits of Manchester City and Chelsea, at least they can dispense with the nostalgia bordering on superstition that came with Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s mission to rejuvenate his old club.Barcelona 2019 did not remotely resemble Barcelona 1999, except in that fact that United trailed for most of the game. The more exact parallel was with Barcelona 1994, where Alex Ferguson’s United were humbled 4-0 by the team of Hristo Stoichkov, Romário and a certain Josep Guardiola in a group game defeat...
Ole Gunnar Solskjær could do with help at Manchester United and Gary Neville is a club legend with business experienceIn the week Ole Gunnar Solskjær was confirmed as Manchester United’s permanent manager, I’ve been in New York to complete my executive master for international players, which is run by Uefa. It’s been an important commitment for the past two years and I’ve really enjoyed learning about the business side of sports organisations and seeing how they do things differently to football.One of the biggest aspects I’ve noticed is the importance of sporting directors in US sports – for example all the teams in the NFL and NBA have been using that model for several years and it is now becoming...