ARE MANCHESTER UNITED’S STRUGGLES JUST A CASE OF HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF

All of Manchester United’s 20 League Titles have been won by just three managers who spent a total of 60 years of the 138 the club has existed. Every end of a long managerial reign trophy laden reign, the club has struggled to hit the same heights twice in their history. Is it a case of lightning striking the same place for an unprecedented third time?

By Jonathan Ntege Lubwama

@JonathanNtegeL

                                                                              Ernest Magnall won United its first two league titles in an 8 year spell with the club

Manchester United was formed in 1878 as Newton Health LYFR FC and did not turn into Manchester United until 1902. The club that is now the second most valuable club at $1.98bn and makes revenues of over $500m every year did not enjoy any significant success until the appointment of Ernest Magnall in 1903. He led them to their first league title five years later and their first FA Cup the following year as well as the community shield. In 1911, which turned out to be his last year at the helm after 8 years, he won the club their second league championship. United then embarked on unfruitful years getting relegated twice in 1922 and 1931. In 1934, the club hit its lowest ebb when they were lying in 20th place in the second division, their lowest position of all time.

In October 1945, the legendary Sir Matt Busby was appointed manager after he failed to conclude a deal with Liverpool who were unwilling to give him the control over the first team which he desired yet Man United were ready. He was an unpopular appointment with the fans due to the fact that he had spent large chunks of his playing career with United’s biggest rivals Liverpool and Manchester City. However, the fans would forget that over the next 25 years he was manager.He managed three consecutive second place finishes in 1947, 1948 and 1949 alongside a solitary FA Cup triumph in 1948. In 1952, he took United back to the pinnacle of English football with the club’s first league title in 42 years. He managed back to back triumphs in 1955 and 1956 with a squad that had an average age of just 22 years which prompted the media to call the youthful team the now famous “Busby Babes”. The Munich Air Disaster of 1958 stalled Busby’s project to some extent because he lost 8 players  who were part of the 23 lives that were lost. Busby himself was left nursing injuries and reserve team manager Jimmy Murphy was forced to take over on an interim basis. When Busby recovered, he rebuilt the team signing most notably Denis Law who would go on to become a world player of the year. He also promoted a certain George Best to the first team. The team won the 1963 FA Cup and finished 2nd in the league in 1964. This was a springboard to triumphs in 1965 and 1967 which proved to be United’s last league glory until the Ferguson years. However, his greatest moment came in 1968. A team featuring three world players of the year in Law, Best and Bobby Charlton, they swept aside Eusebio’s Benfica 4-1 to become the first English team and only the second British team(after Celtic 1967) to win the European Cup. Busby resigned the following year and Wilf McGuiness was appointed as his replacement.

                                                                                    Sir Matt Busby turned United into a European powerhouse

As experienced after Magnall’s reign, United crumbled. Five managers in the next 17 years with just three FA Cups to show was all they could manage. United watched on as the Merseyside rivals Everton and Liverpool took over as the kings of English football. McGuiness managed an 8th position in 1969-70 and was shown the exit the following season after a poor start. Frank O’Farell was appointed as his replacement in 1971 but his reign lasted less than 18 months. Tommy Docherty was brought on board in Dec 1972 with the club in danger of relegation which he managed to stave off only for them to relegated in 1974. He however engineered immediate promotion and reached the FA Cup final in 1976 losing to Southampton.He delivered the first post Busby title, an FA Cup triumph in 1977 which was a 2-1 win over fierce rivals Liverpool. Dave Sexton replaced him after that losing the FA Cup final against Arsenal in 1979 and finishing 2nd in the league in 1980. He was dismissed in 1981 and replaced by Ron Atkinson who managed to win two FA Cup titles in three years(1983,1985). During the 1985-86 season, United were favourites for the league title. Unbeaten in their first 15 games (13 wins, 2 draws) they somehow finished 4th at the end of the season which was a huge disappointment. Atkinson was fired in November when the club was once again in danger of another relegation. Step up Alex Ferguson!

The Scot arrived with his assistant Archie Knox on the day Atkinson was fired. They managed to steady the ship and United finished in 11th place.27 years later, Ferguson had won anything on offer and was a knight. He managed a total of 38 trophies which included an unbelievable 13 league titles, 5 FA Cups and two Champions League titles. He perched Liverpool off their title as the most successful English club and engineered England’s first and only treble in 1999 when his well oiled United side won the FA Cup, Champions League and the Premier League. His class of 92 was essential to his success and drew comparisons with the Busby babes. Ferguson retired as a true legend of modern football in 2013 after the last of his 13 Premier League titles.

Ferguson eclipsed Busby achievements both ib terms of longevity and trophies won

Manchester United have never been the same ever since then missing out on champions league football n 2 out of the 3 years since his retirement. This was a team that had qualified for the same competition in each of the seasons since 1995. David Moyes, his replacement, was sacked just 8 months into his six year contract and club legend,Ryan Giggs took over on an interim basis. Louis van Gaal arrived after an impressive third place finish with the Dutch National Team at the 2014 World Cup. He returned United to the pinnacle of European football in his first season via a 4th place finish in the league. However, despite significant investnents, United finished 5th the following season. They however, managed to win a record tying 12th FA Cup, their first post Ferguson era trophy. Van Gaal was sacked by the club to make way for Jose Mourinho who had also been fired by Chelsea six months earlier after a disastrous first half of the season. Money, never United’s problem was again splashed around for signings of Paul Pogba, Eric Bailly and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Swedish superstar, Zlatan Ibrahimovic also arrived on a free. United have however flattered to deceive and are already looking like they will miss out on champions league football for the second consecutive season. A season that promised so much is already delivering so little and the form of rivals Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal make you think United may have lost the funk in this new era.

                Highly successful manager Jose Mourinho is Man United’s current tactician

Whereas relegation is almost unimaginable(stranger things have happened in football though), United dont look like the world beaters they ought to be. All of a sudden, its a case of a different cast but the same script. United losing a long term manager then struggling for many years before they find their next long term manager again.Its definitely not Jose Mourinho! Or maybe. Time being the best story teller there is, will tell.

IS THIS THE YEAR OF MESUT OZIL AND EDEN HAZARD?

Summary

Two of the Premier League”s best talents have recently lit up fans all over the world with stunning performances on a consistent level and finally threatening to be the kind of players they have always been thought to be

By JonathanNtegeL

When Eden Hazard was asked if he had considered leaving Chelsea in the summer, he said no. His point was he left Lille as a boss and he would do the same at Chelsea before thinking about leaving. And, he is finally playing like a boss. Hazard has been named man of the match for two matches in a row. In a very productive moth of October, he scored three Premier League goals in three consecutive games and was also named the Player of the Month. Hazard has so far managed  5 goals in the league in just 10 games, a far cry from the 4 he scored the whole of last season.Hazard scores past a sea of West Ham defenders in a game earlier this season

Hazard is hungry. Under Antonio Conte, he has become a menace for defenders and has added scoring consistently to his CV. He is a new player and once again , a reliable winger that the world has been expecting him to be. He defends with conviction and attacks with such purpose. His partnership with Diego Costa has given Chelsea a lift and suddenly they look like title contenders in what is set to be a tooth and nail season. He is creating the goals, making the runs, creating the chances and determining games

Then there is Mesut Ozil. The German is definitely enjoying his best season ever. His superb goal against Ludogorets Razgrad in the second leg of the Champions league clash will long live in memory of all fans allover the world because it is the day when poetry met football in full flight. The composure he exhibited is typical of a 40 goal striker. It further shows his renewed instincts in front of goal. A typical Ozil would have missed that or held up play and passed to a team mate but he had other plans in mind.

That Ozil moment when poetry met football while in full flight

Ozil is now Arsenal go to man. He wins them games they are not supposed to win. He has already scored 7 goals this season, a pale  reaction to the 8 he scored the whole of last season,The fact that Arsenal no longer play with a lone striker upfront means the midfielders have to take responsibility for scoring goals and this has  helped Ozil become a goal scoring rate.

Ozil and Hazard have a long season ahead of them but the form they are in, they are a safe bet for player of the year come June next year.