How United pick managers
Every appointment since Ferguson has been a reactive attempt to atone for the last man's flaws rather than a judgement on what the next one might build, and I've long argued United need the tactical knowledge and authority to support and challenge whoever is in charge.
The posts
- Opinion The Carrick decision The results justify continuity, but without tactical knowledge and authority above the manager, United risk repeating the ETH and Amorim pattern.
- Longform Why do United managers fail? From Van Gaal to Amorim, United have appointed managers to atone for the last one rather than to build the next thing.
- Opinion Amorim should be judged on adaptation, not replication The back 3, the wingbacks and where Bruno fits are the wrong questions; the real ones concern risk-reward, pressing structure and whether his model can evolve here.
- Longform Hostages of history Three causes: a club that never replaced Ferguson's structure, a manager whose principles stopped adapting, and a media war neither side could win.