Different Time Zones

‘HAD Manchester United adopted the same policy towards their managers as many continental clubs do to theirs, Alex Ferguson would today probably be no more than a footnote in the club’s history.

”Allo, Allo”

His name would have been mentioned in the same breath as Dave Sexton and Tommy Docherty and Ron Atkinson.

As it is, United persevered with the Scot when results were not going for the club and have been rewarded with eight league titles, a European Cup and several domestic cups.

With the record Ferguson has, there would be no question of United sacking their manager, despite the fact that he has only brought the continent’s greatest prize to the club once.

Compare United’s treatment of Ferguson with Real Madrid’s treatment of Vincente Del Bosque.

He is the manager who in the four years since he took over from John Toshack has guided the club to two European Cups, two league titles, one European Super Cup and one World Club Championship.

And he is, from the day after he saw his Real side clinch the league title, a man out of a job.

Of course, Del Bosque has been helped by having many of the world’s best players to call upon – Zinedine Zidane, Raul, Ronaldo, Luis Figo etc.

But that in itself brings problems and the manner in which Del Bosque has managed to meld these massive individual egos into a team says a lot for his skills as a manager.

It may be that the new coach, whoever he may be, will be able to take Real on to even greater heights, but the contrary is also true.

Club president Florentino Perez is the toast of one half of Madrid having made the club undoubtedly the best in the world, but that popularity will only last for as long as they are winning.

If the new coach does not have early success, it may not just be him who gets it in the neck from the fans – Perez will rightly start feeling the heat too.

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Posted: 25th, June 2003 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink