Yesterday United won a staggering 19th title. It was Alex Ferguson’s 12th Premier League title, a fete that will never me matched again, as long as I live anyway. The question I am posing is; Who can stop United?
In the same afternoon the blue pretenders from across the road won their first trophy in 35 years and Mancini was quoted after the game in saying,
‘This is just the beginning’
Maybe it was the euphoria of the occasion that clouded his judgement and made him have this random (or calculated) outburst but is it really the beginning? If that cup final win signals the beginning for Man City, that would mean the end for Manchester United.
So, can they be stopped?
Manchester United are more than a football club, they are a legacy, they are a super power, they are a way of life. Their values run much deeper than simply being a football team. Many life values are instilled within the blueprint of Old Trafford.
Honesty, integrity, loyalty, hard work, a desire to win, are the qualities needed to be a success at Old Trafford. You get the impression that when Manchester United are scouting young talent, those four mental qualities are top of the checklist. After the mental qualities comes physical and technical qualities. Is this what sets them apart from the rest?
It is no coincidence that Paul Lambert was part of the Alex Ferguson mentor program. Norwich City this season gained more points than anyone else in the championship in the last 5 minutes. Indeed an interesting statistic I found was that without injury time, Norwich City would not have been promoted. The pure stubborness to never be beaten ensuring that promotion goes the Canries way mirrors that of Ferguson’s troops. A prime example of this was the 1999 Champions League win in stoppage time . Do you think Norwich City would have achieved this without the Manchester United values passed on by mentor to mentee?
So who can actually stop them?
The answer in my humble opionion is nobody. Yes, the odd side might win a title or two, like Carlo Ancelotti and Chelsea did last season, but in the long run, 18 years of instilling traditional values to everyone from the tea lady to David Beckham will ensure that if any club is to try to knock United and Ferguson off their perch, they will have a huge and some might say impossible task on their hands.
However didn’t Ferguson’s reign begin with an FA cup final win……………
