As a club, who do we mirror?

Fortitude

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Redknapp likened us to Liverpool post 80's yesterday, but is that a lazy comparison? Does it match?

Some have said we're like ourselves of the 80's before the good times rolled in, but I disagree with that as, throughout the pre-Fergie 80's, we were an exciting, attacking side who could give anyone a game.

Is what we've been since 2013 unique, or can you liken it to another club or time in our own history?
 

RedCoffee

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80s Man Utd is a good shout.
Potential but inconsistent and beaten regularly by anyone
 

devilish

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Liverpool during sourness time
 

UpWithRivers

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AC Milan. Lack of vision/plan/philosophy- inzaghi, Seedorf,Mihajlivic,Brocchi,Montella and all had different styles, visions that wasn't cohesive like we are doing now, they spent loads but never unearthed another kaka or shevchenko, they got thier arguably best player from youth setup - donarumma but they have no leadership, or truly great players, they have suffered economically, they don't have a true DOF i.e. someone who sets the vision and direction of the club

Nottingham Forest - just because their success was mainly built around 1 man Clough and when he declined that was it for them.
 
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Inigo Montoya

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AC Milan. Lack of vision/plan/philosophy- inzaghi, Seedorf, they brought Mihajlivic,Brocchi,Montella and all had different styles, visions that wasn't cohesive like we are doing now, they don't spent loads but never unearthed another kaka or shevchenko, they got thier arguably best player from youth setup - donarumma but they have no leadership, or truly great players, they have suffered economically, they don't have a true DOF it someone who sets the vision and direction of the club

Nottingham Forest - just because their success was mainly built around 1 man Clough and when he declined that was it for them.
This, I can't disagree with any of it
 

Schmeichel's Cartwheel

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AC Milan

Great in the 2000s, best players got old and retired, bad board, badly run, bad signings, bad managerial appointments, no title in ages, now midtable
 

WolfInSharp'sClothing

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I don't think it is a lazy comparison, but there were noted differences.

Liverpool had so much success in the 70s and 80s under Shankly, Paisley, Fagan and Dalglish, very similar to the dominance United enjoyed under Ferguson. Obviously the only difference being that yours was under one manager, rather than a number.

Up until Dalglish left suddenly, there was a clear line of succession in place to continue the success. Something United never really had, despite Ferguson helping to recruit Moyes.

I think the one thing that hindered Liverpool massively in the 90s was the Liverpool-heavy TV pundit lineups constantly chipping in with their opinions and the desperation to try and get back to what had made them previously successful. Until Liverpool stopped trying to go back in time and started to plan for the future and look forwards, they were never going to get anywhere.

I think that's the biggest parallel with United at the moment. Stop trying to bring back how Fergie did it, stop harping on about the 'United way', stop appointing people that were here under Fergie and start from scratch to build new success in the future.
 

roonster09

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Inter post treble, only difference is they had 2-3 new owners we have only 1.

They made shit appointments, spent money but on wrong players and struggled to qualify for CL. At least now they are slowing on the rise.
 

Theonas

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Inter post treble, only difference is they had 2-3 new owners we have only 1.

They made shit appointments, spent money but on wrong players and struggled to qualify for CL. At least now they are slowing on the rise.
I am not sure though, that Inter pre treble qualify as a major player in the European scene. Sure they won a few titles but that coincided with all that mess in Italy. I just don't remember them being mentioned in the same breath as the true elite except for those two seasons under Mourinho.
 

Theonas

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I don't think it is a lazy comparison, but there were noted differences.

Liverpool had so much success in the 70s and 80s under Shankly, Paisley, Fagan and Dalglish, very similar to the dominance United enjoyed under Ferguson. Obviously the only difference being that yours was under one manager, rather than a number.

Up until Dalglish left suddenly, there was a clear line of succession in place to continue the success. Something United never really had, despite Ferguson helping to recruit Moyes.

I think the one thing that hindered Liverpool massively in the 90s was the Liverpool-heavy TV pundit lineups constantly chipping in with their opinions and the desperation to try and get back to what had made them previously successful. Until Liverpool stopped trying to go back in time and started to plan for the future and look forwards, they were never going to get anywhere.

I think that's the biggest parallel with United at the moment. Stop trying to bring back how Fergie did it, stop harping on about the 'United way', stop appointing people that were here under Fergie and start from scratch to build new success in the future.
That's an interesting point about the Liverpool based pundits in the '90s. I am not old enough to remember but it makes perfect sense. It is always puzzling when instead of looking at how the clubs who are succeeding now are doing it, we are looking at how success was achieved 20 years ago. It is extremely arrogant to assume that whatever we were doing at a certain point in time can be replicated without considering how the competition has changed.
 

roonster09

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I am not sure though, that Inter pre treble qualify as a major player in the European scene. Sure they won a few titles but that coincided with all that mess in Italy. I just don't remember them being mentioned in the same breath as the true elite except for those two seasons under Mourinho.
Yeah agree with that, was just thinking about decline of club that won many titles. But yeah, agree with your point.
 

Schmeichel's Cartwheel

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This.

They have also just sacked another manager (after 4 months in charge).
We both also started our gradual decline with the sale of our Ballon d'Or winning best players to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009.

We are the two worst run big clubs in world football, and have been for a while.
 

norm87cro

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1) Club from Lancashire with a strong irish core amongst the local supporters
2) Won everything that could be won
3) A club that had a seroius dry spell before getting it wright and is looking to end a 30 year wait this season just like us in 1993.
4) A club that basically idolises two managers who gave them long term success
5) A club that has a large number of former players as pundits same as us

Do I really have to say it?
 

OverratedOpinion

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Milan most closely at present but it is a bit of a unique situation due to the money that has come into the game and how clubs now resemble huge multi-national organisations.

We probably resemble Apple whilst Steve Jobs was at Disney more than anything.
 

Green_Red

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AC Milan

Great in the 2000s, best players got old and retired, bad board, badly run, bad signings, bad managerial appointments, no title in ages, now midtable
Perfect comparison. Late 80s through to 90s and early 2000s they were a match for our 90s, 00s and early 2010s trajectory too. Same colours too, go figure.
 

INeedAbsynthe

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AC Milan is almost the perfect comparison.

Short term then yea Liverpool with Graham.
 

Class of 63

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Milan's slide started when it wasn't as easy for them to just pay the players wives a trillion lira for an hours office work to supplement their husbands wages which gave them an unfair advantage getting the very best players to the club, inject their players with the latest at the time undetectable(word)performance enhancing drugs, and most importantly bribe the Referees as it was previously.
 

ManUArfa

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....and Solskjaer has won it!
I don't think it is a lazy comparison, but there were noted differences.

Liverpool had so much success in the 70s and 80s under Shankly, Paisley, Fagan and Dalglish, very similar to the dominance United enjoyed under Ferguson. Obviously the only difference being that yours was under one manager, rather than a number.

Up until Dalglish left suddenly, there was a clear line of succession in place to continue the success. Something United never really had, despite Ferguson helping to recruit Moyes.

I think the one thing that hindered Liverpool massively in the 90s was the Liverpool-heavy TV pundit lineups constantly chipping in with their opinions and the desperation to try and get back to what had made them previously successful. Until Liverpool stopped trying to go back in time and started to plan for the future and look forwards, they were never going to get anywhere.

I think that's the biggest parallel with United at the moment. Stop trying to bring back how Fergie did it, stop harping on about the 'United way', stop appointing people that were here under Fergie and start from scratch to build new success in the future.
I don't disagree with what you say about the dippers with their succession plan and then the pundit problem but I think the main thing OGS is trying to reinstate is buying players with the right mentality and who are going to improve us while selling off those who are having a negative influence and/or are past their peak like SAF used to do.

OGS is being forced to use youth at the moment. Tactically he still needs to learn but we've still got a lot of players who aren't putting a shift in. Both of these are our current major problems.
 

johanovic

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We do not mirror any other club either now or ever before. I´ve been a United supporter for 40 years and will continue to be one until the end. My grandfather was a United fan and he told me stories about the Busby babes and the rebuild we had to undertake after that and we won the European cup(CL today) in 1968. I supported them trough the barren spell in the 80´s and my first favourite players were Bryan Robson and Norman Whiteside. Then Fergie came along in 1986 and after a long rebuild and being close to the sack himself Fergie started the most remarkable winning streak any manager has had in world football. So when he quit and David Gill there was a huge effect on the club. Of course we can all look back and see the many mistakes that have been made for the past 6 years.

Who is to blame? Past managers,owners,Woodward and players? Of course they all share a part of this burden and to explain it all off like some do by stating we need to spend more should look at the fact we have spent close to 900+ millions during that period. But in this case like most others the only way is forward and I think we are starting to see a path. We got rid of 7 players this summer and we proably need to get rid of 7 to 10 more and I think not to many fans argue about that. I liked the signings this summer and for me United have always been about giving youth a chance.

OGS surely did not get a great hand dealt when inheriting this playing squad and I doubt much could be done with that. Some want to sack OGS but do they really belive that somebody else could do something with this lot? Is the plain fact not that until we have gone through the next 2 transfer windows + getting rid of the deadwood can we start to look forward.

I think for example the 1988 team of Leighton,Anderson,Bruce,McGrath,Gibson,Strachan,Robson,Whiteside,Sharpe,Huges and McClair that was by no means the best United side we have seen would play this current lot of the park in every game. Why? On top of being decent footballers the 88 side had a lot of character and strength that this current crop are far from possesing. And football has not changed in that regard that no matter the systems if that is not matched by a strong teamspirit and workrate then you are not going anywhere.

Today is the birthday of one United´s legends Sir Bobby Charlton. He is for me a symbol for our club and the character and strength he showed after Munich is heroic in my estimate. He´s been with United every step since that dreadful day through thick and thin. Now we are going through difficult times but I think looking back in history shows that there is no holding us back and there is no club like Manchester United.
 

dwd

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1) Club from Lancashire with a strong irish core amongst the local supporters
2) Won everything that could be won
3) A club that had a seroius dry spell before getting it wright and is looking to end a 30 year wait this season just like us in 1993.
4) A club that basically idolises two managers who gave them long term success
5) A club that has a large number of former players as pundits same as us

Do I really have to say it?
Lancashire? Have you got that wright?
 

Blueman

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I don't think it is a lazy comparison, but there were noted differences.

Liverpool had so much success in the 70s and 80s under Shankly, Paisley, Fagan and Dalglish, very similar to the dominance United enjoyed under Ferguson. Obviously the only difference being that yours was under one manager, rather than a number.

Up until Dalglish left suddenly, there was a clear line of succession in place to continue the success. Something United never really had, despite Ferguson helping to recruit Moyes.

I think the one thing that hindered Liverpool massively in the 90s was the Liverpool-heavy TV pundit lineups constantly chipping in with their opinions and the desperation to try and get back to what had made them previously successful. Until Liverpool stopped trying to go back in time and started to plan for the future and look forwards, they were never going to get anywhere.

I think that's the biggest parallel with United at the moment. Stop trying to bring back how Fergie did it, stop harping on about the 'United way', stop appointing people that were here under Fergie and start from scratch to build new success in the future.
Very true ^^^
 

POF

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1) Club from Lancashire with a strong irish core amongst the local supporters
2) Won everything that could be won
3) A club that had a seroius dry spell before getting it wright and is looking to end a 30 year wait this season just like us in 1993.
4) A club that basically idolises two managers who gave them long term success
5) A club that has a large number of former players as pundits same as us

Do I really have to say it?
Does that mean next year is our year?
 

mu4c_20le

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Liverpool Spice Boys era. We still have a bunch of stars that live posh lifestyles and are relevant as a club and brand.
 

Houdini

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Milan or Chelsea just before they sacked Mourinho last time.