{"id":289983,"date":"2023-09-06T17:34:50","date_gmt":"2023-09-06T17:34:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/allmysportsnews.com\/?p=289983"},"modified":"2023-09-06T17:34:50","modified_gmt":"2023-09-06T17:34:50","slug":"simon-jordan-the-man-united-we-knew-under-sir-alex-ferguson-is-dead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allmysportsnews.com\/soccer\/simon-jordan-the-man-united-we-knew-under-sir-alex-ferguson-is-dead\/","title":{"rendered":"SIMON JORDAN: The Man United we knew under Sir Alex Ferguson is DEAD"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Glazers are undoubtedly a convenient scapegoat for Manchester United’s problems but the club’s malaise runs deeper than the identity of the owners.<\/p>\n
While fan indignation at the barefaced profiteering United’s owners have exhibited since landing the football deal of the century in 2005 has some resonance, supporters are delusional if they think a change at the top will be the panacea for one of the club’s main problems.<\/p>\n
Namely, that football has evolved and United no longer dominate. So while ‘Glory, Glory Man United’ chants have been replaced with ‘Glazers Out’ at Old Trafford, the truth is they’re no longer the only club with the financial muscle that allowed them to rack up multiple titles in the early Premier League years.<\/p>\n
It is true a fish rots from the head down but it’s too easy to blame the Glazers for everything that is wrong with England’s biggest club. Sure, the Americans are far from ideal but when United were dominating, no one was pointing to Martin Edwards as some kind of visionary or perfect owner – he nearly sold up to Michael Knighton for \u00a320million three years before the dawn of the Premier League for goodness sake!<\/p>\n
The bottom line is, United’s success back then was down to Sir\u00a0Alex Ferguson on the pitch and David Gill behind the scenes.<\/p>\n
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Manchester United are a long way from the dominant force they were under Sir Alex Ferguson<\/p>\n
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United fans need to accept their success came with a once-in-a-generation manager and that dominant club is now dead, with modern football making rivals significantly stronger<\/p>\n
Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n
In any business, you are never going to excel unless you get really top-end people that can carry you to where you want to go – and United still haven’t got them. They haven’t got them on the pitch, they haven’t got them in the dugout and, in recent times, haven’t had them in the boardroom. That naturally leads to an accusation that the Glazers are the ultimate problem but Ferguson was the reason for United’s past success, not Edwards, so why should it be different now?<\/p>\n
United are built to be an elite football club but don’t now operate like one.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The haphazard thought processes that hired five managers and fired four of them in a decade, the way they handled\u00a0Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit, the manner in which they bungled the Mason Greenwood situation, the scattergun nature of the club’s transfer policy, the decay of the once majestic Old Trafford, the issue with Jadon Sancho and now the allegations against Antony\u00a0– the list is endless.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Mail Sport columnist Simon Jordan believes the Manchester United of old is now dead<\/p>\n
True, these all fell under jurisdiction of the Glazers, but where’s the CEO? It is your senior management that drives a club and they have been missing in action.<\/p>\n
The fact is, the rules of engagement for United are different. It’s almost becoming an impossible job for United as the landscape of football has changed while they are still under more scrutiny than any other English club. The expectations placed upon them ensure that if United are not winning everything, they are considered a failure.<\/p>\n
Erik ten Hag\u00a0got them to third in the league and won the League Cup in his first season but all of a sudden questions abound because they haven’t started this campaign well and doubts surface about whether he’s the man for the job.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Unless United play with a swagger and a buccaneering style, unless they look a million dollars every time they step on a pitch and start every season as if their pants are on fire, then they are the subject of intense media scrutiny about the capability of the club, the attitude of the players, their recruitment policy, what the philosophy is, the ownership model – every aspect of it.<\/p>\n
That might be because of the proliferation of ex-Manchester United players in the media.<\/p>\n
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Erik ten Hag is not the best in class and is already deflecting four games into the new season<\/p>\n
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The Glazer family (L-R: Joel and Avram Glazer) are deeply unpopular with fans, but Manchester United’s malaise on and off the pitch cannot all be laid at their door. Others have failed, too<\/p>\n
When\u00a0Gary Neville dissects a defeat, the conversation is inevitably littered with observations about what the Glazers are doing wrong. No doubt this week’s share-price plunge will be used as an excuse for poor form on the pitch at some stage. But while they make the ultimate appointments, the Glazers don’t control the destiny of what the people they employ are doing.<\/p>\n
There’s also far too much harking back to the Ferguson era, as if it’s not abundantly obvious that, as with Sir Matt Busby, they had a once-in-a-generation manager.<\/p>\n
Pontificating back on that time is like the Monty Python<\/span> sketch with the dead parrot. That Manchester United is dead. They can no longer outspend other sides or attract the best talent because there are plenty of other people that have the financial resources to lure players with the potential of achieving something.<\/p>\n Then you look at the culture of the club. Everything about it feels wrong to me. The players and their attitude feels wrong, including their captain Bruno Fernandes who is a wonderful footballer but a terrible leader. Ten Hag is a decent manager with not insignificant achievements in the Netherlands but I don’t think he exudes the authority required of a man capable of leading United out of the desert they find themselves in, let alone the Herculean effort required to triumph over the imperious Pep Guardiola across the city.<\/p>\n Is Ten Hag the best in class? I would argue no. I certainly can’t see him ending the club’s title drought.\u00a0<\/p>\n What United really need is someone like\u00a0Jurgen Klopp, someone capable of embracing it all, shouldering the huge responsibility of managing such a massive club and delivering success.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There is a toxicity created by anger toward the owners – but United’s problems run deeper<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There has to be serious question marks about figures like Man United CEO, Richard Arnold<\/p>\n Someone who can harness the spirit and energy of the club from previous glories and set standards and outcomes reminiscent of yesteryears. Does that sound like Ten Hag? I don’t think so.\u00a0<\/p>\n Then again, it took four years for Ferguson and Klopp to win their first trophies in England so perhaps Ten Hag will prove me wrong if he is afforded such time to win the biggest prizes.<\/p>\n But we’re four games into the new season and he’s already in deflection mode. The best managers, the ones that ultimately achieve things, don’t call players out in public. If they do, it is usually because they are floundering and haven’t got the answers.\u00a0<\/p>\n Time will tell if Ten Hag does but if he doesn’t, it’s not because the Glazers own Manchester United. No matter what Mr Neville would have you believe.<\/p>\n MADDISON MOVE WAS GENIUS\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The transfer window closed last week and, while it is early days, Tottenham signing James Maddison for \u00a340million could be the best deal of the summer.\u00a0<\/p>\n He’s got two goals and two assists already this season and is a proper player who just needs a bit more substance about him. If he loses that little bit of the self-appreciation society he has about him, I think he’ll be very good for Spurs and could prove an excellent piece of business.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n James Maddison (right) could prove to be the signing of the summer in the Premier League<\/p>\n EUBANK IS A CHARLATAN… I STAND BY THAT<\/span><\/p>\n I’ve been criticised by people in the boxing world for calling Chris Eubank Jnr a charlatan but you won’t be surprised to hear I stand by that observation.\u00a0<\/p>\n After he beat Liam Smith last week, he announced he wanted to fight Kell Brook, Conor Benn or Gennady Golovkin. Sorry Chris, which one of those is a world-title holder?\u00a0<\/p>\n If you want to own the legacy that your father’s name gave you, fight for world titles.\u00a0<\/p>\n After that brilliant performance against Smith, the first thing he did was call out Benn, someone who hasn’t fought for nearly 18 months and at this moment in time is nothing but notoriety. Brook hasn’t fought since he beat Amir Khan and has had recreational drug issues while Golovkin is 41 and doesn’t hold a world title.\u00a0<\/p>\n It begs the question: why isn’t Eubank fulfilling his potential and fighting for world titles? If it’s all about money, that’s fine but let’s call it that.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chris Eubank Jnr called out\u00a0Kell Brook, Conor Benn or Gennady Golovkin after his latest win<\/p>\n ENGLAND MUST GO FOR BEST AVAILABLE\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Talk of Gareth Southgate’s England future this week inevitably led to talk of his successor and the importance of nationality. It’s pretty simple to me.\u00a0<\/p>\n Should the England manager be English? Yes. Does he have to be English? No.\u00a0<\/p>\n If we’ve got someone capable of managing England who is English then happy days but if we don’t, go for the best available candidate and get on with it.<\/p>\n RAISED STANDARDS IS A CHALLENGE FOR HOWE\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Speaking of English managers, Eddie Howe has had a difficult start to the season.\u00a0<\/p>\n Newcastle were always going to struggle to maintain the standards that secured a top-four finish – and, unfortunately for Howe, he is going to be judged by those standards.\u00a0<\/p>\n It certainly underlines how unhelpful it was of Amanda Staveley to be flapping her gums after last season’s League Cup final, telling anyone who’d listen how they were going to win the Champions League.<\/p>\n Listen to White and Jordan every weekday on talkSPORT from 10-1pm\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Eddie Howe guided Newcastle into the Champions League last season and is now finding it is not straightforward in maintaining that elite level when standards at the club have elevated<\/p>\n It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\nIT’S ALL KICKING OFF!\u00a0<\/h3>\n