When Sir Alex Ferguson left after 27 years in charge of Manchester United, the club were determined to ensure his successor would have every opportunity to succeed. They had a precedent. The most successful manager in United's history prior to Sir Alex was Sir Matt Busby, and his own departure brought about a slump in United's fortunes as United struggled immensely to replace a legend. Despite United guarding against such a downturn in fortunes, history appears to be repeating itself.
It is now almost a certainty that United will soon be putting a third new manager in place just three years. They have gone down the road of an external, British appointment and he lasted nine months. They have now gone to somebody with huge European experience and a history of success. They look no better off. Replacing Sir Alex is proving to be an impossible task. Just as it was with Sir Matt.
The man who was handed the poison chalice back in 1969 was Wilf McGuinness. Just as David Moyes and Louis van Gaal seemed logical choices, so was McGuinness. He was a former 'Busby Babe' who's playing career ended due to injury at the tender age of 22. He took up a coaching role early on, moved to reserve team manager and when he took over from Sir Matt he had been at the club for 16 years. Like Moyes, his tenure in charge didn't last a season. His long association at the club was ended.
McGuinness and United continue
In 1992, Sir Alex brought in Wilf's son Paul to coach some of United's younger players. Paul had also been a youth player at United under Sir Alex, but being handed an opportunity to work for a manager who was committed to overhauling the Academy was one that Paul didn't pass up. At the time, United still hadn't won the league title since the days of Sir Matt, but Sir Alex's commitment to developing youth proved to be a perfect platform for McGuinness and he flourished in his time at United in a coaching capacity.
This week his long association with United came to an end. The parallel's between the difficult years following Sir Matt's departure and Sir Alex's are eerie, and just as the first team are struggling so are the Academy. There may not have been neglect, but with the difficulties that the first team have encountered, the youth team has certainly not had the focus it demands. Since Brian McClair left his post as Academy Director nearly a year ago United still have no replacement. It may not be surprising that things haven't gone well for the U-18's.
Acadamy review completed
A streak of 12 league defeats in a row was unheard of, but it was compounded by a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Chelsea in the FA Youth Cup. This prompted action from above, and recently Ed Woodward was quoted as saying that there would be changes to the Academy set up. He said:
"The academy continues to be the heart of the club, giving youth a chance is part of our DNA. We took the departure of Brian McClair last summer as an opportunity to do a root and branch review of the academy. That is now compete and changes are underway. Announcements will follow in in coming days."
One of the announcements was from McGuinness. It was he that made a statement on the clubs website, and if you take the comments at face value, then it seems he has other ambitions. Maybe he wants to move from youth football to seniors and have a crack at management. Paul, like his Dad, loves United, so maybe he makes it look that way. Maybe he jumped before he was pushed.
Youth development over results
The results this season have been embarrassing. Of that there can be no doubt. However, at any club the remit for a youth Academy should not be winning the league or a cup, but developing players who can play in the first team. If, like in 2011 under McGuinness, you win the FA Youth Cup then that is fantastic. All that really means though is that at one moment in time, you had a number of top young players coming through at the same time - just like the 'Class of '92'.
Even from the 2011 crop of youngsters there is possibly only Jesse Lingard who will have a chance of really making it at United. Paul Pogba has made it in Italy, and he was also under McGuinness' tutelage. If you can get one or two from each graduate year to make the first team, then you can ask for no more. And that goes for clubs at all levels. At Manchester United, they produce more than there share but the level United's kids need to get to is exceptionally high and not so easy.
They still do it. And the kids are alright. Donald Love was the latest to get a first team debut, and whilst the result was not good, he acquitted himself very well. Cameron Borthwick-Jackson has been a revelation, and McGuinness had him as recently as last year. Still, it appears that he has become the first victim of the restructuring. Ironic how results may have put paid to McGuinness when there are so many kids in and around the first team, yet the poor results of the first team have not provoked any changes.
Butt to come in
Nicky Butt is going to take charge for the remainder of the season, and it looks like he may be the new Academy Director. He had experience of the Champions League youth tournament against the same clubs that the first team came up against. He included a lot of the current U-18 team. They won two matches in the games he was in charge, but they also lost 4-0 to CSKA Moscow and 5-0 at home to PSV Eindhoven. They got knocked out. Not so easy.
United are in a transitional period at all levels. They are struggling to cope once more with replacing a legend. It may just be that Nicky Butt has difficulty replacing another legend in McGuinness. Eric Harrison was rightly lorded for his time in charge, bringing through some wonderful players, Butt included, but McGuinness succeeded him with distinction and has been a wonderful servant also. His great work has gone largely unnoticed, and it is sad to see the McGuinness connection severed once more.