I remember having the discussion earlier in the season and many people thought they had the 3rd best squad in England and I just don't get it.
I'll say again Mourinho did very, very well to take that team to 2nd and win the Europa.
Yeah, I remember it well.
From the neutrals, I think it stemmed from a general disdain of Mourinho and a vested interest in being "right" about certain players on the roster. As for supporters, it's natural to be supremely reactionary and to have hope, which inevitably clouds judgment. No one wants to truly believe (or admit) their club isn't on the right path or can't be "fixed". Pointing the finger at a single person is easier than considering nuance. Unfortunately, score-board journalism has permeated its way into the psyche of fandom, and the internet has made people feel their uneducated opinions hold more truth than they actually do. Not saying every fan is like that, but it's very, very common.
Win= good , Lose = bad. It's really that simple to some people. We're also living in an increasingly impatient society which doesn't help matters. Instant gratification is king, and the wisdom of patience and analyzing the grey of things are being pushed out the door. (ie the hot-take artists that used to love comparing Klopp's early record with Rodgers', as if that actually meant anything) But I digress..
Back to United, they've predictably regressed to the mean. They had a great run when Ole took over, but he's not a magician. This was always going to happen sooner or later.
It's a poorly run club from a footballing perspective, and no manager can change that. They have the money to compete for top 4 if they buy wisely (which they haven't), but not for the title. That's not going to happen until massive changes happen behind the scenes and it requires a legitimate long-term plan and footballing staff structure (and hirings), despite being insanely wealthy. And yeah, unfortunately, there's no cure for poor ownership in sports. You can only mask it and despite what people say, money doesn't solve everything. You still need to build and cultivate a proper infrastructure and culture which cannot simply be bought or fixed overnight.
I love Ole, and I wish him the best, but as it stands now, he's just going to be the next fall-guy in the list of axed managers post-Ferguson. You can tell by the recent contract extensions that things aren't going to change as much as people think (or hope).
I hope a guy like Paul Mitchell is brought in, but based on what I'm hearing, it's far from a certainty. That would be the first step in me regaining some semblance of hope as a United fan. Show me that you're taking the necessary steps behind the scenes, and I'd start to allow belief to creep back in. Being linked to an elite CB doesn't do anything for me. Either address the
real issues or eff off.
They are just miles away from City/Liverpool/Spurs in a sporting operations sense. Miles away. If making endorsement revenues is all you judge owners by, well then, the Glazers are the best owners in the world.
