Time to embrace something new

Manchester United seem to be stuck in Groundhog Day. Hope turns into optimism then to anger then to apathy then repeat.

The game against Everton was for me at least the apathy stage where I couldn’t muster up the anger to be upset with these players, my attitude was if some of them can’t be bothered, why should I?

Top four looks all but over bar a late miracle involving every other club chasing pulls a Devon Loch, so it should be team to just get to the summer where real change can happen…hopefully.

Erik ten Hag is the favourite to take over in the summer and seemingly is the clear choice for the fans as well.

There is a huge danger that United keep making mistakes of the past and listening to the same old voices and opinions that has led them here in the first place.

It took Liverpool over 30 years to step away from the “Boot Room” that served them so well during the 70’s and 80’s. Their next generation were weighed down from expectations and criticism from the players who made their club so successful.

When legends of a club speak particularly successful ones then their opinion holds a lot of weight particularly with supporters, now with so many ex United players in the media the criticisms are inescapable.

Sometimes we cling to the old ways because change can be scary, we be entrenched in our ways and don’t want to veer outside our comfort zone.

There is an Episode of Seinfeld where George Costanza decides to do the opposite of everything he normally does as Jerry states: ‘If every instinct you have is wrong then the opposite would have to be right’. Maybe this is the way that United might need to go in the future as everything they have done has been wrong.

United need to change and with Ed Woodward leaving his position and Richard Arnold taking over, this is a time for a change or just a continuation of the status quo.

There are rumours circulating that Ralf Rangnick’s role will be reduced after the end of his spell as caretaker manager, and this is a big blow for the future of the club.

Rangnick has a proven track record of improving clubs behind the scenes and United would be wise to heed his advice on personnel and structure of the club and help streamline behind the scenes.

A problem that United have had is they don’t move on from the old ways, when Sir Matt Busby left the club as manager he was still around the club, and they still sought his advice. So, any new manager never could succeed as he was still seen as the boss, the same applies to Sir Alex Ferguson in this respect.

The great man did more for us than we can thank him for but let him go and enjoy his retirement in peace rather than have to come back and fix problems.

Maybe a new man like Rangnick and a new manager can mould the club into something that more resembles the modern football world, if you stand still then you are going backwards.

Maintain the principles of the club in attacking play and promoting youth but have a framework in it to allow the manager to add his own style and tactics to the time.

This seems like a pipe dream under Woodward but with Rangnick who has proved he is capable of building something and Arnold making the right kind of noises then maybe there could be change or maybe wishful thinking on my part thinking real change will happen.

Everything that the club has done so far has not worked so why not try something else, maybe someone outside the club can offer some new ideas and perspective to help rebuild this club to be the club we all want it to be.

First step will be the manager, then if the appointment is right then hopefully the rest will follow, the gap to the top is widening and City as well as Liverpool have adapted and embraced change and look at where they are now.

IF United make the right hire then they can move in the right direction but the question is will the board embrace change or simply repackage what they are doing now and hope nobody will notice?

More Stories Ed Woodward Erik ten Hag Manchester United Ralf Rangnick Richard Arnold