Does Fergie Have Time For One Last Revolution?

Regarding Manchester United and the transfer window, there have been a few points that have consistently weighed on the mind of many a United supporter. Perhaps most notably, there is the fact that United were (by all accounts) completely played off the pitch by a Barcelona side that were missing three of their big-time players. As much as I would like to blame Slave’s selfishness for the 2-0 drubbing, the root of the problem was obvious: the midfield.

Before I continue, I will note that this isn’t going to be another post about how we need Lassandra Diarra or Daniel de Rossi. It’s been discussed. It probably isn’t happening. Let’s move on. No, the point of this issue is that clearly United needed some retooling. Just as the lineup proved lacking when Manchester went out to Milan 3-0 in 2006/2007, so too was United revealed as a club needing an injection of creativity and spark. To some, that meant signing big name players already proven on a world stage. To others (Sir Alex Ferguson amongst them) that meant, as it has in years past, turning to the youth of the club. As such, many have argued that this coming season could be the unveiling of Fergie’s Fledglings 2.0. Whilst an exciting prospect, such a statement ignores two key points. Firstly, were such dreams to come to fruition, it would actually be Fergie’s Fledglings 3.0. Second, whereas in years past Fergie has had time to build and develop young talent, now the 67 year old manager may be fighting a losing battle with the clock.

Few remember the fairly depressing 1988-1989 season (myself amongst them… as I was four at the time). However, in that period of darkness, depression, and parachute pants, one highlight endures. On Boxing Day in 1989, a bunch of kids wearing Manchester shirts crushed champions Liverpool on live television. As Rob Smyth described them:

“There was Lee Sharpe, 17, at that stage an unfettered, startlingly mature left-back; Russell Beardsmore, 20, a gawky waif who made mischief on the right wing; Lee Martin, 20, another old head on a young full-back’s shoulders; Mark Robins, 19, a supernatural, icy-veined finisher who would later prompt comparisons with Jimmy Greaves in this paper; Tony Gill, 20, a wiry, streetwise jack of all trades; Giuliano Maiorana, 19, a speedy left-winger with a sleight of foot that might have got David Mamet into football; and Deiniol Graham and David Wilson, both 19, and Derek Brazil, 20. Their lust for life infected the terraces and even the management. Manchester United FC became Feel Good Inc.”

One victory over a hated opponent may not seem all that pivotal, but for a club like United, youth and success will always go hand in hand. As Richard Kurt wrote in “United We Stood”, “Their appearance fulfilled the desire that lies within every Red, a longing instilled in the fans since the 50s and that is still there … that nothing beats the thrill of watching a young unknown, bred by United and filled with the Red Devil ideology, coming into the team and staking his claim.”

It should be no surprise then why so many are quick to point out the emergence of Fergie’s Fledglings 2.0 as perhaps the greatest period in Manchester United football history. From the team that won the 1992 FA Youth Cup came David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, and Nicky Butt. Paul Scholes, Phil Neville, and Wes Brown are also generally included in that group. Thus, a core reason for United’s resurgence in world football was a reliance on home-grown youth.

If the Red Devils were to emulate that period of success with this current squad, the similarities would be pretty astounding. The average age of the side that won the 1995/1996 season was 24. This year, it’s 23.86. The team was made up of players who had figured prominently in the United youth system. This year, players like Kiko Macheda, Danny Welbeck, Darron Gibson, and Jonny Evans could all get considerable minutes in more than just the Carling Cup.

There is one difference between the United squad of 2009/2010 and that of fifteen years earlier: the reliance on foreign youth. This year’s team features 25 players under the age of 25. Of those, 14 were born outside of England (that’s 56%). When Fergie led that team of youngsters to glory in 1995/1996, his regular 23-man squad consisted of 21 native English speakers (that’s about 93%). The two that weren’t? Peter Schmeichel and Eric Cantona. This time, Fergie’s roster speaks English, Portuguese, Serbian, French, Korean, and several others. Thus, United have coupled their long standing tradition of youth development with the modern need to scout abroad. This makes complete sense, and has helped United remain a premier footballing club. However, this policy also brings to light the inevitable questions regarding the age of Sir Alex Ferguson.

When Fergie made the decision to clear out his roster in favor of youth way back in 1995, he was 52 years old. That’s about average for a current English Premier League manager. Unfortunately, right now, Fergie is 67. Not only is he the oldest manager in the Premier League, he’s the oldest manager in Serie A (19.5 years older than the average of 47.5), the Bundesliga (20 years older than the average of 47), and La Liga (21 years older than the average of 46).

I’ve supported United since I was very, very small, and I know better than to question Sir Alex Ferguson. He’s been the manager of my favorite club since I was an infant, and he’s led countless United sides to countless glories. But to ignore the fact that he’s getting on in years could end up being a dangerous thing. With the youngsters who won that 1992 FA Cup Youth Title, Fergie had a (somewhat) unlimited time frame to develop and improve them. Can the same be said of 67-year-old Fergie? Who knows? He could live forever on a diet of red wine and chewing gum… at this point, I’m not putting anything past him. However, it’s also realistic to acknowledge that, at some point, every great coach is past it.

It happened with Red Auerbach at the Celtics, with Mike Ditka with the Saints, and (perhaps most notably) Joe Gibbs with the Redskins. Gibbs coached the Redskins for 12 seasons (1981 to 1992) and led them to eight playoff appearances, four NFC Championship titles, and three Super Bowl titles, thereby amassing a winning percentage of .683. In 2004, he signed a five year deal to coach the Skins again, but retired after only four. He coached the team to only two playoff appearances and a winning percentage of .461. Most contributed his failure during his second term to the fact that, in his eleven year absence, the game had changed radically.

Perhaps the game hasn’t changed all that much for Fergie since the 1995/1996 season, but the landscape certainly has. The emergence of big money spenders such as Chelsea, Citeh, and now (apparently) Portsmouth has meant that United can no longer boss the transfer market. Meanwhile, a look around the rest of the leagues demonstrates that the youth movement is in full effect. In Spain, 38-year-old Pep Guardiola just guided Barcelona to a rather impressive Treble. In Italy, 46-year-old Jose Mourinho continued his winning ways, having added yet another domestic title with Inter Milan to his already impressive trophy cabinet. Former United defender Laurent Blanc, aged 43, managed to guide French outfit Bordeaux to the title last season, knocking Lyon off of their seven year perch.

No one is questioning the legacy of Sir Alex Ferguson (least of all Rafa Benitez). However, there comes a point when one can have too much faith in a manager. Fergie has never been known to rest on his laurels, but he has been wrong from time to time (David Bellion, Eric Djemba-Djemba, and Kleberson, I’m looking in your direction). Even the most hard pressed United fan would, I think, admit that this team isn’t better than last year’s squad; but they are different. It isn’t a team built around one player. It’s a more complete unit filled with players that all (seemingly) want to be there. But only time will tell as to whether or not there’s enough sand in Fergie’s hour glass to build this team of youngsters into yet another Red Devil Dynasty. Keep checking… this season is going to be interesting…

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Category: Manchester United