Here is how a Manchester United manager should be properly, objectively assessed.
Manager and Players
Manager’s job is NOT the following:
Manager and Players
- In general, all positives are due to the manager’s brilliant work, all negatives are due to players being not good enough, lazy and entitled.
- If the club achieves a high league finish or wins a trophy with several players being instrumental in the process, all 100% of the credit for the results must go to the manager. If same players start underperforming, then it is all their fault. The manager cannot be expected to do anything about it.
- If the same underperforming players (or any players who are deemed not good enough and must have been sold) get injured, they all must be treated as a huge loss. No matter how stark a drop in results and performances is, the manager is not to blame as he is a victim of circumstances.
- Players are not allowed any excuses whatsoever, ever. They always have everything perfect so they must be able perform at world class level at all times, so that the manager can get full credit for the success their performance brings.
- In general, if the manager has a significant say on transfers, he must be given all the credit for successful signings, but not take any blame for the unsuccessful ones.
- If a club overpays significantly for a player the manager wants, it is the fault of the negotiating team. Selling club is no need to sell, long-term contract, etc. are no excuses. They must be able to negotiate a very low fee for the player, so that - even if he fails - no blame can be laid on the manager as the player was "a cheap buy”.
- In general, the Football Director and other Executives can never have any excuses, e.g., about the deficits of the owners, difficulties of the market etc. They must also be able to continuously deliver world-class players at a cheap - so that the manager can get full credit for that.
- If the manager gets his influence on transfers reduced, he must get absolved of the blame for performances, results, or style of play since obviously in this case he is not backed and players who he does not want are foisted on him. If any of those players comes good, the manager must be given full credit though.
- Achievements of things like winning a league with a dominant domestic team or making CL semifinal with it must be treated as definite proof that the manager is top class at Premier League level. The evidence that there have been many managers who have done the same with no ensuing success at top level must be discarded.
- At the same time, the achievements of all other managers in lower-status clubs must also be completely discarded, no matter how impressive. The suggestion that any of such managers might have done better than the current manager must be dismissed.
- Upon losing 3-4 players of first eleven, all other top clubs in the history of football immediately drop to midtable, crash out of easy CL group and the team starts to look clueless and disjointed. All the contradicting evidence must be discarded. In general, all the other managers must not have any excuses as they are highly paid top employees and most of the bad results is always on them.
- None of the other managers have ever dealt with a dysfunctional ownership structure, lack of funds for transfers in January after hundreds of millions spent in summer and such a horrible executive and players’ roster.
- A meager 9 million annual salary and 400m transfer budget with a huge say on transfers must be viewed as a mere compensation for the unbearable suffering of being a Manchester United manager. We must be fearful at all times that the manager will walk away, as the conditions under which he is performing are so inhumane. A suggestion that this hardly ever happens must be dismissed since Manchester United is so unique in all respects.
Manager’s job is NOT the following:
- Instilling a recognizable consistent playing style within any reasonable period of time.
- Improving the existing players
- Finding a way to maximize a players’ output and their strengths while minimizing or finding ways to compensate the effect of their weaknesses.
- Ensuring that set piece routines are set up properly and positive outcomes from them are maximized.
- Making sure that the upsides of the tactical approach outweigh the downsides
- Making timely in-game tactical changes and substitutes, promptly react to the opposing manager’s change in approach
- Finding an individual approach to each player so that their morale improves.
- Being consistent in his treatment of players
- Recognizing his limitations (e.g. in talent identification) and delegating appropriately or being open to other opinions
- Standing on the touchline.
- Giving press conferences underscoring how well the team actually played despite the others not seeing it
- Taking full credit for any positives on the pitch, on transfer market or in other areas
Nothing more baffling than United fans, of all fanbases, downplaying the importance of the manager too.