If you listen to his version of events at United, I think he quite clearly was brought down by the reverence in which he held Fergie and didnt understand how much change was needed. He was so conscious about not changing what had worked for them that it all just collapsed really quickly with him, a lesser version of Fergie, trying to keep it going.
It is a cliche about not wanting to be the guy who comes after the guy, but it really does seem that everything about the way he approached the job would have been better suited to coming in after someone had experienced the immediate post-Fergie let down.
No, not his most recent teams. I think he gets into trouble when he tries to have his teams play in a more attacking style, hence not working out at all at a big club. His last few West Ham teams tried to open up a little, and they did…but more on their own end that the opponents’.
Every manager will look to take their own coaches with them and the coaches are often not keen to stick around to work under a new guy they dont know. Especially if they have pretensions of managerial work, as all United coaches ultimately did.
At least according to Moyes he was interested in maintaining some continuity but among them they couldnt find an agreement. He thought the Dutch guy was going to stay, but then he backed out to join Hiddink in Russia. He has said had he known that he would have tried much harder to keep Phelan on, but by that time they had already parted ways and it wasnt viable to bring him back. That kinds of sums up who were United were at that point.
I had forgotten they once finished 4th under him. I quite like the guy and it’s appropriate that he will be there when they play their first game at the new stadium.
Yes, I have always had a lot of respect for him. Maybe that will rub off on their fans? Who am I kidding? Sweepstake on how long until he is booed off?
I had similar thoughts. First time at Everton saw his teams struggle more and more to score as time went on. It almost felt he was coaching his forwards how not to score.
But he might make them tougher to beat while finding a player or two who can pop up with the odd goal here and there, particularly if there is some cash available.
