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Jose Mourinho has been making the headlines for all the wrong reasons recently and is under tremendous pressure at Manchester United. He has been blamed in the media for the club’s current debacle – United are in their joint-worst start to the season in the Premier League. His team has been playing lacklustre football and his team selection has continuously raised eyebrows.
To make matters worse, there are talks of a player's mutiny and there are also reports of him falling out with some of his best players. To put things in perspective, Jose Mourinho is in a fix at Manchester United and even though he might not accept it, the Portuguese looks to have run out of ideas in his third season. Yet, had he been a little bit more flexible in his ways, the answers to his problems could be found embedded at Old Trafford itself.
When we talk of football management, the universal name that pops up is Sir Alex Ferguson. Perhaps very few managers in the world deserve such respect and love like the legendary Scot. Sir Alex was the greatest manager in British Football and one of the greatest ever in the world and it was at Old Trafford that he rebuilt Manchester United’s legacy and turned them into the best in the world. He gave them consistency, fame and the adulation of fans; and he took them to the pinnacle of success during his tenure.
The Blue Print, as such, is already there at Old Trafford. Mourinho only has to lose a bit of his ego and sit behind the desk to learn from the master and here we list 5 of the many lessons in management that the Portuguese can learn from Sir Alex Ferguson .
#5 Knowledge of the Transfer Market
Sir Alex Ferguson always had an exceptional knowledge of the transfer market. He did break the British world record for a defender when it was needed, and not all of his transfer signings worked, but he knew what his team was missing and left no stone unturned to get talent that was required.
When he paid a relatively noticeable amount for unknown talents like Cristiano Ronaldo and for a young goalkeeper like De Gea, it was because they were needed at Old Trafford.
When Manchester United signed Robin Van Persie from Arsenal, it looked like Sir Alex was undermining the players at hand, but 38 games later, Robin had won us the league. It is something that Mourinho needs to learn.
Since arriving at Manchester United, Mourinho broke the world record to get Paul Pogba, but rarely used him as the Frenchman would be fit. He bought Bailly and then the very next season went for Lindelof. This year, he wanted Alderweireld. He bought Mkhitaryan, a creative midfielder who lit up the Bundesliga but rarely used him in his preferred No. 10 role.
The Portuguese gives an impression that he cannot spot a talent, or rather, he does not know what he wants. He bought Sanchez last winter, even though he had two young talents who play in the same position, and put the youngsters into uncertainty. It is here one cannot help but think that Mourinho could learn a thing or two from Sir Alex Ferguson.
#4 Humility
Sir Alex Ferguson won 38 trophies as a United Manager, but not once did you hear him boast about himself. He was the first to take the blame when things went wrong and always gave credit where it was due.
During his time, there were a lot of rivalries with opposition managers – Sir Alex’s famous mind games managed to rock quite a few of them, but the Scot always demanded respect and was respectful of his colleagues. He had a controlled aggression, where he managed to rile everyone without crossing the line. It was a gift, and it was a result of his humble upbringings.
But he was not soft in any aspect, however, the only people who faced his wrath in public were the referees. How many times was he seen giving the fourth official a mouthful? How many times did he shout and glare at the referee? Sir Alex faced actions from FA during his tenure and it was because he did not mince his words when it came to refereeing. It was something that made his the most feared manager in the league.
Mourinho has always been arrogant and boastful, yet he expects people to respect him. If he really wants some respect, he needs to learn to be respectful of his players, of his colleagues. The Portuguese could do with a little more humility.
It is a sign of a great man and it is embedded in many good managers in the Premier League right now, for instance, Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola and even Maurizio Sarri, to name a few. It may be a little too late for him to change now, but it is his arrogance that has been his downfall again and again.
#3 Earning the Players’ trust
Every player who played under the great Scot respected and loved him from the bottom of their heart. He never had to ask for it, it was something his actions and his way of life demanded. True, he did fall out with a lot of players during his time, but very few players held a lifelong grudge against Sir Alex.
He was a fantastic man manager and one of his special talents was that even though he blasted players in the dressing room – everyone has grown up with stories of his hair-dryer treatment, he never criticized players in public. He played hard and soft as it was required, but he always got the best out of his boys.
Mourinho might think he has big egos to handle, but Sir Alex tamed Wayne Rooney, kicked Beckham out and made Ronaldo his replacement. He is an entire manual on player management and that is what made him the best.
Mourinho on the other hand, repeatedly builds distances with his players wherever he goes and true to his history, he has managed to create differences with Pogba, Bailly and even Sanchez. There are many more storms building which have not come to the fore, but the reason for this is the manager’s public lack of respect for his players, his constant criticism in front of the press and his failure to man manage as per the needs of the club.
#2 The right blend of Youth and Experience in the team
Sir Alex has repeated built teams during his lengthy career at United and this is because he knew that it is only the perfect mixture of youth and experience that makes a great football team. There was a time when Ryan Giggs tore apart opposition through the wings when Paul Scholes hammered home stunners after stunners when Roy Keane scared the opposition away.
But with time, Sir Alex brought in talents to ensure that the veterans had enough young legs around, who would not just take the mantle from them, but also learn the core values and attitudes of the club first hand. Sir Alex’s teams were heavily built on exciting young players, but he also had the experience around to rein in that adrenaline and nurture them into Manchester United players.
Mourinho’s desire for change is detrimental for a club with the heritage of United. His habit of bringing in players who are reduced to being members of the squad in a few month’s time has hampered the club the most. The Portuguese never tried to blend in youth with experience, he always tried to bring in proven winners who were not given time to flourish and this has caused major problems.
Also, it is clear that his use of youth in his team is forced, which is why they do not have the impact, and neither do they develop as they are supposed to. He does not build, he does not care for the future and this is one of the biggest lessons he can learn from Sir Alex – foresight in team building.
#1 Entertaining Football
The reason why Manchester United were the most loved team in the world was because they played attractive football. They did not always have the biggest names of football in the team sheet, but they were always a team that played together and electrified the stands.
The hallmark of a Sir Alex Ferguson team was its relentlessness, its ability to continuously attack. United under the great Scot were never wary, they did rely on counter-attacking football in tough away games, but they always thrilled the viewers. United fans would stay rooted until the final whistle because as long as there was time, the possibilities were endless.
It was a team that refused to be defeated, a trait that branded them the master of comebacks. They were bullish on the field and it was something that bodes well with the supporters and fans all over the world because Sir Alex understood the fans emotions and knew that they had to be entertained.
Mourinho, sadly, is a results-oriented manager. Manchester United knew what they were getting, but it would be wrong to conclude that Mourinho’s past teams never entertained. They did, but at present, United under the Portuguese rarely thrills.
They have become a boring, long ball playing, bus parking team, that just want to win the points. But where’s the charm in that? What is the use of a bunch of trophies, if you cannot remember one hair-raising outing from the season?
What is the use of the beautiful game if it doesn’t tug at your emotions if you don’t smile from the heart if you don’t shed a few tears? Mourinho doesn’t make us laugh, doesn’t make us cry, because unlike Sir Alex, he doesn’t entertain. And this is the biggest lesson the Portuguese can learn from Sir Alex Ferguson. This is why the Scot still rules our hearts and Mourinho just never might.
