Man Utd took being Premier League champions for granted while they focused on commercial arm of club and never recovered
THERE were echoes of Sir Alex Ferguson when Pep Guardiola said in his programme notes: “Being Premier League champions is something we should never, ever take for granted.”
It was to Sir Alex’s constant frustration that people thought it had become easy for him.
To just send out a team who had won it the year before to go out and do it again. That it took no work to repeat the feat.
If City want an example of what happens if a club does take it for granted, then United can provide that. Because they did take it for granted after Sir Alex left.
They thought winning the title would look after itself while they concentrated on releasing the shackles of the commercial arm of the club.
A club that was kept in control under Sir Alex totally lost its boundaries as the fruits of his success began to be picked in terms of financial gain. The eye literally went off the ball.
Just ask David Moyes, who was given the impossible task of following Sir Alex and taken advantage of as he was asked to appear at things Ferguson would not countenance.
‘Did Sir Alex have to do all this?’ was his constant refrain. Well, no, but nobody had the guts to tell him that.
Things will not go astray while Pep is in charge at the Etihad, just as they weren’t allowed to under Sir Alex at Old Trafford. But it is what comes next that remains the worry.
Particularly if director of football Txiki Begiristain were to follow Guardiola out the door.
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Because do not think City have won six titles in seven years under this fabulous manager without a fight.
On three of those occasions it has gone to the last day. There has been an awful lot more to it than just big spending.
If it were down to money alone, why have United gone into reverse despite a £1.5billion splurge over the last decade and a bit?
They have just finished in their lowest Premier League position of eighth. Why? Because they took it all for granted 11 years ago and have never recovered.
“We won’t do a Liverpool,” was the refrain from one director to me after just one year without the title. It is now 11 and counting.
Guardiola knew City could never take their foot off the pedal in this campaign.
There is every chance that City will now go on and win the Double at Wembley with an FA Cup triumph over United on Saturday.
To do that after the exertions of winning a Treble the previous season, to have that drive, to avoid resting on all those laurels takes a lot of hard work not just physically but mentally.
No price can be put on what happens between the ears.
Man Utd trophies since Ferguson's departure
FA Cup – 2016
League Cup – 2017, 2023
Community Shield – 2013, 2016
Europa League – 2017
There is one great trait running through both managers who made the city of Manchester the centre of the modern football world.
Watch clips of both Ferguson and Guardiola when their team score.
They react like a child at their first game.
It’s because at heart they are both football fans but, more importantly, both winners — and ones that never ever take things for granted.
So City fans, ‘Watch it, drink it in’.
Because no matter how good you are now, things can change.
As they are increasingly beginning to fear down the road, you may ‘never see anything like it ever again’.
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