The Football Insider With Mikael Silvestre: Five Strategies United Need To Get Back On Track
Date
1/27/2025 4:30:38 AM
(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)
In the short time I have been writing this column there have been so many ups and downs at Manchester United.
They play well against City and Liverpool and then look like a team facing relegation against other sides.
Again last Sunday, they were lucky to come away with a 1-0 win at Fulham, thanks to a late goal from Lisandro Martinez. But once again, they looked short of ideas on the pitch.
Off the pitch a new manager comes in and says this is the worst team in United history and this month it looks like they are willing to sell any player to help fund the purchase of people Ruben Amorim wants in his squad. It's chaotic to say the least.
So I decided this week to try and pinpoint the five key strategies United need to pursue in order to get back on the road to success.
Work ethic and discipline
The club is a mess. Central to that is a lack of hard work and discipline and that needs to be fixed right away. In my time at Old Trafford that was a non-negotiable and you can have all the talent in the world and without a work ethic you will fail. This ethos needs to be ingrained in the club from top to bottom.
Former players and club culture
Darren Fletcher is still involved but the club has made an error in not involving more former players – many of who have coaching badges and are ready to go. Success breeds success and having them in the club will develop the right culture and this is an easy fix in my eyes.
Academy investment
The club has spent a fortune on transfers that have failed. You only have to look at how they are trying to offload Antony as a case in point. There is no need to push the panic button on investment but they should instead invest in youth. The fans at Old Trafford will understand that strategy and back it. Young players want to play for United but they need to invest quickly.
Stability
United is a club that demands success but they are in a position that this is not going to be solved in the coming months. It will take several years and for that to happen you need to have a strategy and follow it. Will there be big bumps in the road? Absolutely. But United fans are smart and loyal – if they know there is a plan they will back it. If they see hard work they will understand that in some games they will get beat. The club has been unstable for more than a decade now and it needs to stop.
Back the manager
Amorim clearly has the backing of the executives but how long will that last? No matter what he needs to be given time to make changes for the better. United have had so many managers since Sir Alex Ferguson who were out of the door the minute things went sour. If that happens again it will only make things worse. Amorim is young, tactically advanced and clearly has the strong personality needed to run the show at Old Trafford. Give him the time to also show he is a winner.
(Former French defender Mikael Silvestre won five Premier League titles with Manchester United. He was also part of the United team that won the 2008 Champions League title)
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