Does having 'united DNA' matter in management selection? If so, what is it?

fastwalker

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Over the past few days, I have heard the term 'United DNA' used a fair amount. Particularly with reference to possible management selection in the event that Ole is replaced. However, I am struggling to work out what 'United DNA' actually is? Does it mean history and affiliation with the club? If so, how far back does that history and affiliation have to go? For example, Steve Bruce, Roy Keane and Mark Hughes all have 'United DNA', but I am guessing no-one is expecting any of those to be appointed manager. So it cannot be affiliation can it?

Could 'United DNA' mean playing style? Well, Sir Alex would probably be the proponent of the most expansive and successful brand of football played by any United team. Front-foot, attacking and almost cavalier. Is that United DNA? If so, then that is not how Ole has been playing. His brand of football has often been characterised by counter-attacking football. So Ole, can't have United DNA can he? By contrast, Graham Potter at Brighton and even Gasperini at Atalanta have sharper attacking instincts than Ole. Should we offer any one of them the job if Ole is sacked?

Maybe 'United DNA' is experience of winning things domestically as a manager? Well Ole has won nothing domestically as a manager, so he clearly does not have 'United DNA'. By contrast Antonio Conte has, so has Brendan Rogers. Jose won loads domestically before he came to us, but I am guessing we are not looking to ask him back? What about Ranieri, he has won every domestic trophy available. Does he have United DNA?

So what exactly is 'United DNA' and does it even matter as long as we win things?
 

frostbite

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It is a silly way to say "nepotism". I don't know why some people consider it "a good thing".
 

Mainoldo

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It don’t exist!! Like the flipping West Ham I’ve been hearing all my life.
 

mu4c_20le

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Think it's just a term used to keep honest defensive managers down.
 

Smores

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I've never got why it's made out Ole is the only one who gets the united way. We don't hear it used to back even bigger legends of the club who have been critical do we.

Enough of our ex-players have gone onto manage clubs that we should really know by now that it's not some mystical formula passed down. Managerial greatness and accumen isn't achieved through proximity to Sir Alex.

It's only really relevant in terms of fans expectations.
 

mark_a

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It's bollocks. The sort of bollocks that has dragged us down since SAF. We need a good manager end of. You'd have to say that a really defensive manager would definitely not be "United DNA" though.
 

Sviken

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Did Busby and Alex have United "DNA" before being appointed as managers? Don't think so.
 

RedRover

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Under Sir Alex, you might say that "United DNA" (if such a vacuous concept can be nailed down) was winning, not accepting mediocrity and expecting high standards. Seems its changed.

It's total and utter bollocks - just like "the United way" rubbish people trot out. It's nostalgia, looking back at what was instead of looking forward and a high handed way of suggesting that United should be ran differently from other top clubs, many of whom have at least as much history.

It's also being shamelessly used by the current manager to remind everyone he used to be popular as a player to buy him more time.
 

Giggsy13

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Did Busby and Alex have United "DNA" before being appointed as managers? Don't think so.
I believe Busby was a former city and Liverpool player and was in line to be the liverpool
boss before taking the United job. Sir Alex was considering the Spurs job before ultimately taking the United job. This false idea of “United DNA” has failed the club before when Wilf was appointed after Busby. Just hire the best candidate available and act like a big club again.
 

hobbers

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Nope because it's not a thing.

We'd have more luck picking the next manager based on their star sign.
 

VanDeBank

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It's a way to sell appointments based on nepotism to the fans.

I think there's some value in having some of the staff be ex United, but that's about it. And by some I mean one assistant and the kit man, etc.

The broader problem with stuff like "the United Way" is that they're not defined on paper by the club.
 

BuzzKillington

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I’m not a big fan of the journalist, but Jonathan Liew in the guardian did an article on this yesterday. He just called in an attachment to “Fergusonism” and questioned whether we really want to start moving away from it and find a new identity. Problem is we start getting into that “rebuild” phase again where the club and fans needs to learn and adapt to a new philosophy, and I’m not sure I’ve got the patience for another one of those.
 

Flying high

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Fans of most other clubs are far more patient of a slow build up than ours. While we tend not to boo our own players, the groans when the ball goes backwards are always there no matter how well we're doing.

I don't think it's because, collectively, we don't understand the advantages of creating positions on the pitch through slow, deliberate play. It's just a fact that most of us prefer to see football played at a quicker pace, because we have seen it done successfully before and know that it's the most satisfying way to win. And most entertaining.

Personally, I would never want Guardiola to come here. I find it boring as hell watching his teams, most of the time.
 

Water Melon

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Fans of most other clubs are far more patient of a slow build up than ours. While we tend not to boo our own players, the groans when the ball goes backwards are always there no matter how well we're doing.

I don't think it's because, collectively, we don't understand the advantages of creating positions on the pitch through slow, deliberate play. It's just a fact that most of us prefer to see football played at a quicker pace, because we have seen it done successfully before and know that it's the most satisfying way to win. And most entertaining.

Personally, I would never want Guardiola to come here. I find it boring as hell watching his teams, most of the time.
Were Barca, Bayern boring under Pep? Is his City team boring?
 

BuzzKillington

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Were Barca, Bayern boring under Pep? Is his City team boring?
I find city quite boring to watch. Barca were more enjoyable to watch during his spell there due to the players he had playing for him, Messi/Xavi/Iniesta could alway be relied upon to do something absolutely outrageous which made the rest of the tedium more tolerable.

But generally, that endless recycling of the ball is tiresome, 3 or 4 walked in goals a game doesn’t change that, for me at least.
 

Flying high

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Were Barca, Bayern boring under Pep? Is his City team boring?
Barca - yes, really boring far too often. Didn't watch much of Bayern. City yes, when they take off the handbrake they are much more entertaining. It happens too rarely for the amount of talent they have.
 

beer&grill

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Fans of most other clubs are far more patient of a slow build up than ours. While we tend not to boo our own players, the groans when the ball goes backwards are always there no matter how well we're doing.

I don't think it's because, collectively, we don't understand the advantages of creating positions on the pitch through slow, deliberate play. It's just a fact that most of us prefer to see football played at a quicker pace, because we have seen it done successfully before and know that it's the most satisfying way to win. And most entertaining.

Personally, I would never want Guardiola to come here. I find it boring as hell watching his teams, most of the time.
They groan when the ball goes backwards then cheer and applaud the manager after a 5-0 trashing from our biggest rivals. I’d take that as an underperforming amateur coach.
 

Chairman Steve

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No it’s a stupid meaningless buzzword term that has become a meme to poke fun at Solskjaer and his lack of depth as a manager.

Its basically a phrase used to replace PASHUN AND DEEZAIUH
 

beer&grill

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The fans are way too lenient, it doesn’t matter if they groan while the ball goes backwards if after a trashing they cheer and applaud the manager like he’s won the UCL. The second bit was what I personally think Ole is.
 

BattleAxeRed

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Over the past few days, I have heard the term 'United DNA' used a fair amount. Particularly with reference to possible management selection in the event that Ole is replaced. However, I am struggling to work out what 'United DNA' actually is? Does it mean history and affiliation with the club? If so, how far back does that history and affiliation have to go? For example, Steve Bruce, Roy Keane and Mark Hughes all have 'United DNA', but I am guessing no-one is expecting any of those to be appointed manager. So it cannot be affiliation can it?

Could 'United DNA' mean playing style? Well, Sir Alex would probably be the proponent of the most expansive and successful brand of football played by any United team. Front-foot, attacking and almost cavalier. Is that United DNA? If so, then that is not how Ole has been playing. His brand of football has often been characterised by counter-attacking football. So Ole, can't have United DNA can he? By contrast, Graham Potter at Brighton and even Gasperini at Atalanta have sharper attacking instincts than Ole. Should we offer any one of them the job if Ole is sacked?

Maybe 'United DNA' is experience of winning things domestically as a manager? Well Ole has won nothing domestically as a manager, so he clearly does not have 'United DNA'. By contrast Antonio Conte has, so has Brendan Rogers. Jose won loads domestically before he came to us, but I am guessing we are not looking to ask him back? What about Ranieri, he has won every domestic trophy available. Does he have United DNA?

So what exactly is 'United DNA' and does it even matter as long as we win things?
Yes we have a DNA. It is developing youth,it is putting up a fight when all odds are against you in a game,it is winning and considering winning as an everyday thing. It is having a siege mentality the minute you put pen to paper to become a Red.
Our players have lost that and the manager can not bring it back because he is horrible tactically and a bad man manager.
 

SirReginald

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Who exactly has been going on about 'United DNA'?
It’s mostly a media thing but I do fear for your club if the people running it believe it’s actually a thing. It’s the type of trash that can hold back any business because they refuse to change with the times.
 

Solius

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Yes we have a DNA. It is developing youth,it is putting up a fight when all odds are against you in a game,it is winning and considering winning as an everyday thing. It is having a siege mentality the minute you put pen to paper to become a Red.
Our players have lost that and the manager can not bring it back because he is horrible tactically and a bad man manager.
Odd observation. One of the things he’s actually good at is man management. All the players clearly like him and bought into what he was trying to do. Tactically is a completely different thing.
 

SilentStrike

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I thought the whole DNA thing was just to make fun of Barca after their whole cringe Barca DNA marketing campaign.
 

2 man midfield

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Nope. We’ve had 4 appointments post Fergie, 2 with apparent Utd DNA, 2 without. All have pretty much failed. The ones who actually won trophies were the ‘outsiders’.
 

bonothom

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United DNA is all about wide players and Ole's embracing that. I mean just look at his selection vs Spurs that has United DNA all over it. Rashford, Greenwood, Sancho, Martial......... all on the bench hhehe. And ex players like Neville and the United board don't want Conte cos his 5 at the back is not the United way.
 

fastwalker

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Maybe it’s time to breed outside the bloodline, our DNA is failing us.
Totally agree with that. It is an almost romantic notion that implies heritage and culture. Ultimately results matter more than performances. When push comes to shove people remember what you won, not so much how you won it. I remember in the 70s and 80s the scousers used to go on about 'pass and move'. They don't talk about that now. It's all about the 'gegenpress'.
 

red thru&thru

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United is about playing attacking and attractive football. It's about promoting youth. As a team, we should be going out dominating teams.

This club was forged with an identity. Busy babes. 68 winning team. The class of 92. This is what we're about.
 

BattleAxeRed

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Odd observation. One of the things he’s actually good at is man management. All the players clearly like him and bought into what he was trying to do. Tactically is a completely different thing.
A liked manager and a man manager are poles apart..
A man manager betters players and is involved with the technical and tactical development of players,deploys players appropriately taking into account team rotation,systems etc and plays to systems that incorporates their individual qualities and abilities for a unified team output with positive results. To quote Machiavelli
" it is better to be feared than to be loved,if one can not be both"
Ole is a liked manager not a man manager.
 
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