{"id":4912,"date":"2024-10-03T02:42:09","date_gmt":"2024-10-03T02:42:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maniainc.com\/sports\/?p=4912"},"modified":"2024-10-12T08:29:35","modified_gmt":"2024-10-12T05:29:35","slug":"fan-rant-what-will-it-take-to-stop-the-mediocrity-at-manchester-united","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maniainc.com\/sports\/fan-rant-what-will-it-take-to-stop-the-mediocrity-at-manchester-united\/","title":{"rendered":"Fan Rant: What Will It Take to Stop the Mediocrity at Manchester United?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Things have been going too wrong for Manchester United for the better part of the last half-decade. Starting with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer<\/a>\u2019s tenure, and now with the management of Erik Ten Hag, Manchester United has consistently failed to up the ante and come out of their slump. In this fan rant, we ask, what will it take to stop the mediocrity at Manchester United? And yes, Man Utd’s performance for the last few seasons can only be described as mediocre, at best.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s Wrong with Manchester United?<\/h2>\n

Perhaps the most befitting question is what\u2019s wrong with Manchester United? What\u2019s ailing the legendary English football club? Despite Man Utd being among the richest clubs in all of football and with a roster of really good players, the team has failed to bring some heat on the pitch and is more and more becoming a second-tier club in numerous ways.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Best
I wonder what the club’s legends would say if they came back and saw the mediocrity that has befallen Manchester United. Aren’t the club’s legends turning in their resting places, aching to arise and hammer some sense into the current team? Source: Man Utd.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s unheard of that Alex Ferguson\u2019s Manchester United would finish a Premier League Season so poorly as they did last season. Can you imagine Manchester United finishing eighth? 8th??? I mean, isn’t that the stuff of nightmares? After each game as a Manchester United fan, I am left wondering whether this is really the same team that was truly the \u2018Red Devils\u2019 \u2014 <\/span>for how hot it was.<\/p>\n

Fergie\u2019s Man Utd was a masterpiece, as was Arsene Wenger\u2019s Arsenal. The clubs were behemoths\u2014<\/span> not at all for their finances, but for the power and excitement they brought onto the pitch. Watching a Premier League match back then was an event; now it\u2019s become just routine. I, personally, can hardly sit through a full PL match nowadays, especially when Manchester United is playing. It gets to the point that the team\u2019s performance is too mediocre to interest my attention.<\/p>\n

No Football Spirit at Old Trafford<\/h3>\n

A lot of things could be wrong at United, but the loss of the football spirit at the club, I feel, is responsible for doing the most damage to the club in recent years. If we\u2019d had this conversation a year ago, I would have told you that Manchester United needs infrastructure, or proper investment into the club. Now that there is that, thanks to Ineos and Sir. Jim Ratcliffe coming in, the club is still missing that spark.<\/p>\n

\"Sir
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS gave Man Utd a lifeline by purchasing a sizable stake of the club and taking over football operations. Source: ES.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Disunity at Man United<\/h3>\n

What I think is wrong with Manchester United today is that the club is disunited. i.e., there is no cohesion in the team. Erik ten Hag<\/a>\u2019s leadership has failed to, above all, bring the players and the team together. He\u2019s failed to create an environment where camaraderie is the order of the day.<\/p>\n

Think of Manchester City<\/a> and how palpable it is that the boys are brothers and truly have genuine love and respect for one another. For instance, you can see that after Erling \u201cThe Goal Machine<\/a>\u201d Haaland joined City, he was quickly brought into the fold and made to feel that he belongs, and truly, you cannot unsee the Manchester City in Erling Haaland today and vice versa.<\/p>\n

Ten Hag\u2019s failure, the biggest of his failures I think, is failing to make all the players feel not only appreciated, motivated, and valued but also as part of something bigger. When a football team is playing for greatness you can see it and it tells. Think of how Fergie\u2019s Man United played. Alex Ferguson<\/a>‘s Manchester United did not play for mere goals or trophies, they played to become legends.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why Wayne Rooney could have easily pulled a bicycle kick without even thinking about it. Rooney could swerve and shove like a rugby player without fear of injury or criticism because he knew he wasn\u2019t just playing to win an English Premier League season. In his mind, his heart, and his soul, he was playing for greatness.<\/p>\n

Oh Bruno, What Have They Done to You?<\/h4>\n

Fast forward to today, and magnificent, highly capable players such as Bruno Fernandes find themselves shouldering the burden of the entire team\u2019s disharmony. Bruno is such a good player that he would be a football magnate if he were in a team such as Manchester City. To me, it feels like such a waste that good players will come to Manchester United only to be disappointed with how disconnected the players are, on and off the pitch.<\/p>\n

\"Bruno
Bruno Fernandes was in tears this past weekend after he was shown a red card. The red card was undeserved and has been overturned after the club made an appeal. Source: Goal.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The result? A Bruno Fernandes red card in their match against Tottenham last weekend. Spurs beat Man United a handsome 3-0. 3-0! If you\u2019ve been watching and know Bruno, he is not one to get a red card. His level of discipline and fortitude in sportsmanship are unmeasured\u2014<\/span>but what can he do if the team is just forcing itself to play well.<\/p>\n

\"Sir
What happened to playing football from the heart? What happened to the pursuit of greatness at Manchester United? Doesn’t glory matter anymore? Look how disappointed Ratcliffe is! Source: TPS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What Happened to Playing Book-Worthy Football at Manchester United?<\/h2>\n

I am left wondering what happened to playing book-worthy football at Manchester United. Why would the team\u2019s owners let the issues at the club get to a point where it is clearly visible that the players are unmotivated, and only playing as a job while trying to force themselves to play well. Some players give it their all. A player such as Christian Eriksen plays from his heart. As does Bruno, and a few others. You can see that they love the game and it barely feels like a job to them.<\/p>\n

Playing from the Heart<\/h3>\n

What United desperately needs as the PL 2024-25 season<\/a> starts to get heated, is to find a way to play from the heart. It is as simple as that. Sometimes when a team is doing so poorly, it\u2019s seldom that they need financial reforms, and more like they need to reconnect with their reason for playing football and their love for the sport.<\/p>\n

\"Alex
Above all else, Fergie was a father to the boys and everyone in his team felt as if they were part of something greater. It was unlike him to fight the players and he instead supported them. That’s why his team won the 1999 Treble, something that seems unfathomable today. Source: ES.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To play from the heart, every football<\/a> player must go on a journey of reflection and self-discovery. They must dedicate time each day to gratitude, and meditation, and reminisce on why and how they got into football, what it has done for them, and what it means to them.<\/p>\n

I look at how Cristiano Ronaldo plays at almost 40 years old and I think, that is a product of Sir. Alex Ferguson\u2019s wonderful coaching back when CR7<\/a> was a Man United player. In many ways, Fergie built legends. His tenure at Man Utd has produced some of the best players in football globally, and it tells tales of just how a good manager he was. It may not be fair to compare Erik ten Hag with him, but you really can\u2019t mention the two in the same breath.<\/p>\n

\n

???????????? Cristiano Ronaldo: \u201cI’m just enjoying playing football now as I know I don’t have much time left on the pitch\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is not important to me now to be the best player or to win awards. What is important to me now is to enjoy and help my team\u201d. pic.twitter.com\/i5j8TV1W8b<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 1, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n