Bruno Fernandes came almost seven years after Sir Alex Ferguson retired, but he’s identified the club’s main problem since then.
The start of the next season will mark 13 years since Manchester United last won the Premier League title.
Sir Alex Ferguson remains the last Man Utd manager to do so, and United have rarely looked close either, due to a multitude of errors.
The chief among them has been clearly identified by Bruno Fernandes. Ineos must address it.
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Bruno Fernandes on Man Utd’s ‘main mistake’
Ask most Man Utd fans, and they will attribute this lack of success to the Glazers and how the club was run under Ed Woodward and Co.
However, Fernandes believes the problem is down to an entire misguided philosophy, starting with the appointment of David Moyes.
Since that appointment, United have flip-flopped between two extremes, where a defensively solid coach has been replaced by an attack-minded one, and vice versa.
That has led to a spoiled broth of a dressing room, with players fit for one system, unfit for another, necessitating a complete rebuild every time the manager is sacked.
Fernandes said [via Diary of a CEO]: “I think the main mistake that the club has made through the years is that we’ve changed manager to manager. They were very different, and that’s already a bad sign, not of recruitment, because then you bring in players that fit that manager.
“The next one you brought plays a completely different way, and the three or four or five that you bought don’t fit this one anymore.
“The constant change of strategy in the club or in the way we wanted to play or whatsoever was not the best because then obviously it becomes that the players don’t suit anymore.”
Ineos are addressing this problem
Fernandes went on to add that finding the right characters for the dressing room is as important as the manager.
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He said that getting the right characters and then finding the manager who fits them is the template for success, which is what Ineos are doing now.
Firstly, they reduced the manager-driven transfer drive by signing players who are not system-specific.
Then, they focused on finding the right characters in terms of players who genuinely want to play for Man Utd and no other club.
The Amorim hiccup was where they missed the mark on getting a manager who suited the players, but Carrick’s appointment is a step in the right direction.
As it stands, they have a coherent managerial philosophy, a professional dressing room, and a manager who understands how to get the best out of them.
Fernandes identified the problem perfectly. Ineos are addressing it now.
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