Player Unrest: A Manchester United Soap Opera

 

Where do I even start? The playing squad is showing their frustration by talking to the media. Here are some that I have read; players unhappy with Ralf Rangnick's coaching methods, lack of consultation about Ole Gunnar Solskjaer removal as manager, fringe players unhappy that they are not getting playing time, certain clique of players who influence decision making at the board level i.e. getting the manager fired.

All these reports are very concerning too me, it should be too you as well. How can a club, who is serious about competing and winning trophies, allow players influence them about changing the manager? Some of these players believe their own hype, most of them have achieved very little, if anything at all, but yet they want to call the shots. The ownership is partly to blame for this because they fired the previous manager and kept some of his coaching staff. This will cost a rift among the playing squad where some will show their loyalty to the previous manager's coaching staff. What should have occurred, is that the new manager should be allowed to bring and work exclusively with his own coaching staff, that he selected. This didn't happen at Manchester United, they want former players on the coaching staff or those involved in the structure of the club. There needs to be a cultural reset of the club, where anything connected to Sir Alex Ferguson must be disbanded. What Sir Alex did was unprecedented but that was in the past and the club has to move on. 

   

Manchester United 2020/2021 Season Review

 Manchester United fans' all over the world had low expectations when the transfer window was closed on October 5th after a mixed window. They bought a quality midfielder Donny van de Beek from Ajax, one of the best left backs in europe, Alex Telles, from Porto and a desperate signing in 33 year old Edinson Cavani from Paris Saint Germain after the failed recruitment of Jadon Sancho. Cavani prove everybody wrong, he proved that he still is a quality center forward, even as his career his winding down as he scored 17 goals in 39 appearances but he did pick up a few injuries throughout the season. Donny van de Beek was not given enough minutes in games, where Solskjaer constantly brought him on in the dying moments of games. The question must be asked if he was a Glazer signing? Alex Telles followed the same path where he suffered from a lack of games even though there were valid reasons for that with the season Luke Shaw had. Still he should have been given more opportunities. Amad Diallo a promising young talent from Atalanta arrived and starved for opportunities as well. As mentioned earlier Luke Shaw had an outstanding season along with Marcus Rashford who scored 21 goals and 15 assists while carrying various injuries during the season, Mason Greenwood finish to the season would encourage most fans but the standout has to be Bruno Fernandes who scored 28 goals and 17 assists, deservedly won the Sir Matt Busby Player of The Year Award. Where would they they be without him?

Solskjaer performed beyond expectations by finishing second, unbeaten way throughout the season and reaching the Europa League final but his inexperienced showed as he lacked the tactical know how and in-game management. He seems unable to change how the team plays during games. Substitutes are used to late to make an impact and it seems to be a refusal to substitute his favorite players i.e. Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Mason Greenwood, Paul Pogba and Edinson Cavani. The coaching set up needs an overhaul. Manchester United have a problem of creating chances against teams that are well organized defensively and there is lack of proper defending at set pieces. Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna don't have the experience to support a inexperienced manager like Solskjaer and Mike Phelan, is experienced but he worked under Sir Alex Ferguson but football has moved on and changed since  where there are experienced coaches with fresh ideas. Solskjaer needs to get experienced, proven coaches in. This is all he can do as a manager but he needs to be backed by The Glazers in the transfer market. Next season will be a make or break for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Time To Go

 

The Glazers' role in the inclusion of the now failed UEFA Super League and the fact that they were among the architects, is the tipping point for me to get them out as owners. I wanted them to sell before but even more now. To think, they wanted to join a league that would essentially fill their pockets and among other teams involved and kill the aspirations of smaller teams. There would never be a Leicester City winning the Premier League.

The Glazers since 2005, not only brought debt and are yet to repay that debt but they have also failed to upgrade Old Trafford. They have pumped money in transfers but the money is wasted because men with non-football brains do the the spending. They have showed no interest in building a relationship with the fans. Joel Glazer, co-chairman will hold a meeting with Manchester United fans on June 4th in the fan forum. Prior the only form of communication was when they acquired the club 16 years ago. It doesn't surprise me that  fans have had enough and has shown their discontent through protests, with the biggest one resulting in the postponement of arguably the biggest football game in the world, Manchester United v Liverpool. The only way they sell is that they are forced too. Please be aware that the owners will and try buy our support by spending money on big name players in the transfer market. Don't fall for their gimmick.   

Lack of appetite for success

 Manchester United had a great opportunity in the January transfer market to improve their squad so they can challenge for the premier league title. Instead the ownership, do what they normally do, become comfortable in their current position of second on the table and content with a champions league place. After all that is what all they care about, obtain that champions league money, it's a bonus if the team wins trophies. This season is an opportunity to win the league, with teams like Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspurs all struggling for consistency. If Manchester United don't win their 21st league title in 2021, I can't see when they they will get a great opportunity like this. Supporters of this club, know that a center back, right winger, defensive midfielder and a right back is needed to challenge for trophies. The only position that was invested in was a right winger, not the right winger that was rumored to join but instead the club bought, Amad Diallo, at 18 years old, he is a signing for the future and a desperate signing in Edinson Cavani was brought in. Don't get me wrong, Cavani has performed well this season, he's fast becoming the type of center forward that the club needs but they waited on the final day of the transfer window to sign him , when he could have been acquired much earlier given his contractual situation at PSG was well known. 

If Ole Gunner Solskjaer wins the league title or any other trophies, it won't be because of The Glazers backing but It would be in spite of them them. Previous managers had the same issue. The Glazers thinking and interpretation of success for Manchester United was be re-evaluated by themselves.  

 

Lakers' championship drought is over!

 

Going into this season many analysts made The Los Angeles Clippers the favorites to become NBA champions, followed by The Milwaukee Bucks and The Los Angeles Lakers. The critics also said that the Clippers was a more talented roster than Lakers, they questioned Antonio Davis pedigree as a player that Lebron can depend on. It is safe to say that they didn't see a Lakers' championship coming. Credit must be given to Laker's General Manager, Rob Pelinka on trading for AD and then assembling together a roster in a short space of time. Lebron and AD was another factor that Lakers' won. Lebron proved why arguably the greatest player of all time and AD proved he is not a first round playoff player but has tangibles to win a championships.

Winning this season's NBA championship has to be the hardest  because of not only COVID-19, where the NBA players were confined in a bubble for 3 months to protect them from the virus, the new normal was in effect. Many players found this difficult to adjust too.  Another disease was spreading over the world, which is racial equality. At one point, there was a possibility that the season may be cancelled because of the players standing for this cause. It is just impressive how mentally locked in the Lakers' players and coaching staff were.

In the last decade, the Lakers' have had their share of struggle. From Kobe Bryant's Achilles heel injury, his retirement and untimely death to fighting for lottery picks and not making the playoffs for six years. Now it's an opportunity to start a new era of dominance. At the end of the day all this great franchise want is some DAMN RESPECT! 

Manchester United In Shambles

What a catastrophe of a transfer market, it was for Manchester United? The supporters at the beginning of the transfer market on July 27th was excited about the possibility of signing 20 year old Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund. Here is a player that has the potential to be next great talent in football. The supporters were encouraged that this could be a reality since personal terms with the player had been agreed and Sancho wanted to play for the club. It has been said that, it is the hope that kills you and many supporters were killed psychologically when the transfer window closed on October 5th and Sancho remained a Borussia Dortmund player.

What went wrong? Let's review the facts. Borussia Dortmund asked for a sum of 120 million euros from Manchester United to prized Sancho from them at a deadline of August 10th. Manchester United didn't abide by either of those stipulations but it's just my theory that Ed Woodward, Matt Judge and company believed that they could bully Borussia Dortmund on the final week of the transfer window by submitting a bid lower than what they asked for and they would cave in. If you look at Borussia Dortmund's history of selling players they never yield to buying clubs. So I ask you, why this wasn't something, Ed Woodward and Matt Judge didn't research? The dynamic duo made the club look like amateurs as their gamble didn't come off. To cover up their embarrassment, they panic signed Edinson Cavani, a 33 year old striker from Paris Saint Germain, who has been plagued with injuries in the last couple years. It hasn't been all bad news because the signings of Donny van de Beek from Ajax and Alex Telles from FC Porto are quality signings who will add dept to the squad but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has not been backed by the board. A Center Back and a Right Winger was needed. The board failed the manager.

This catastrophic transfer market is just another example of the club not backing the manager year after year. It comes to a point that the supporters of this club must stop buying merchandize and when unfollow them on social media. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Covid 19 Impact

The Covid 19 coronavirus has infected most countries, at the time of writing there have been 15,000 deaths. I never saw this coming but who did? What is shocking to me is the rapid infection rate globally that has put a strain on global economies and social integration and sport. As an avid sports fan not being able to watch games, read the latest news of my favorite sports teams like The Lakers, Manchester United and West Indies is very stressful. Sport has always been a place to escape from what is going on in the world but with this pandemic, you can't even do that.


I am staying positive in the hope that things will get better. This virus won't last forever, either it dies all together or a vaccine is created.