The Portuguese Ruben Amorim, successful at Sporting this decade, is the most recent coach guillotined by Manchester United, the biggest winner of the English Championship (20 titles, tied with Liverpool).
Since the departure of the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, a Scot who led the club from 1986 to 2013 and won 38 titles, including 13 English Championships (Premier League) and two Champions Leagues, no coach has brought satisfaction. There were six, in addition to five interims, including the current one (Darren Fletcher).
There were big names, such as the Dutch Louis van Gaal and the Portuguese José Mourinho. None left at the end of the contract. They were all fired along the way.
Gary Neville, former Red Devils right-back for most of the victorious Ferguson era (1992-2011), currently a Sky Sports commentator, called for a coach “with the club’s DNA” as soon as Amorim fell.
In his view, Man United needs a commander who can bring back the “fast, offensive, aggressive and exciting” football of the glory days.
This being Neville’s thinking, he should have already complained, exchange after exchange, directly to the managers responsible for signings since Ferguson – “sir” from 1999 onwards, when he received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of his extraordinary services to football – retired.
Few coaches make their teams act this way, à la “rock ‘n’ roll”. The ones that come closest, based on their history, are the German Jürgen Klopp (ex-Liverpool, removed, by his own choice, from the role) and the Argentine Marcelo ‘Loco’ Bielsa (currently in the Uruguayan national team). On a step below, Julian Nagelsmann (German national team) and Eddie Howe (Newcastle).
Man United could even try one of them, but having someone with “club DNA” is not a guaranteed solution. Proof of this was the phase with Ole Solskjaer, former striker of the team who managed it for almost three years (2018 to 2021).
The Norwegian largely followed the playbook proclaimed by Neville. Maybe that’s why it lasted so long. To last this long, football had to be, in some way, pleasing in the eyes of managers, commentators and fans. There were no titles, and the demand for them was louder. It rolled.
What few people know is that Ferguson was not immediately successful. It failed for almost three and a half years before the initial achievement with Man United, the 1990 FA Cup. The first English Championship cup was raised in 1993, more than six years after its completion. They continued it.
And Ferguson’s Devils didn’t always win by acting with the DNA that Neville defines as the team’s.
Sir Alex’s greatest merit was instilling a winning mentality in his players, and making them adapt quickly to the circumstances of each match. There was no fixed, immutable tactic, no single way of playing. There was attitude and courage, a unique way of competing. That was what made the Scotsman, now 84 years old, a different coach. The titles came as a consequence.
Thus, commentators who focus on the lack of historical identity when a coach falls at a particular club, as Neville did in the case of Man United, end up making a vague and superficial analysis.
Not that DNA is not a component to be treated. Every fan knows how important it is for their team to play according to its principles – at Corinthians, for example, it is unforgivable that there is no race.
It is necessary, however, to look back to see which structural causes (poor planning, questionable hiring, desire for immediate results, lack of stability) are, in fact, responsible for the continued inoperability.
More than the DNA’s fault (which ends up working as an excuse), it’s the club’s bad governance.
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