Life After Sir Alex Ferguson: Summer of Embarrassment

Remember those lazy Sunday mornings as a kid, when you’d wake up to some delicious pancakes, French toast and of course some fried bacon. It would happen almost every Sunday when dad was home, you’d laze around watch some TV, and enjoy a glorious breakfast cooked by him. The menu wouldn’t change for weeks, but you’d still look forward to it. Now, think of every transfer window that United went into with Sir Alex Ferguson at the helm and David Gill conducting business matters for him.

Sir Alex and David Gill's experience was the difference (Photo: Getty)

Yes, it was the same old tricks, treading ultra cautiously, holding all cards close to his chest, but Sir Alex almost inevitably got a player that he desired. Even if he did miss out, the wily Scot would hardly ever be left red faced as no one could ever be sure about his pursuit of any particular player. It was like a ride in a Rolls Royce, cruising along at our own pace, making a couple of quiet stops and then getting on with our business. Supporters and experts were used to the calming influence that United’s transfer policy had in the market.

So, when David Moyes took charge of the club, most expected a continuation of the same ethics in the so called ‘crazy transfer market’. However, what at the time seemed like a welcome change, has actually turned into an embarrassment.  United’s long protracted chase for Thiago allowed his former mentor Pep Guardiola to come in and sweep him out of our hands. It was as if you’d worked all night to get a lady into bed, but the moment you finally started to make a connection, the old lover comes teary eyed to take her away. And while the 22 year-old’s fiasco may have been understandable, his compatriot – Cesc Fabregas’ relentless public pursuit was just bizarre.

Fabregas was never going to leave Barca. ( Photo: AFP)

Making loud announcements of your transfer targets, and brandishing about the club’s deep pockets is something United just don’t do. What’s rather ironical in this whole scenario is the fact that the club’s so called ‘noisy neighbors’ have gone about doing their business quietly and have already made four clever signings.

Prior to the club’s expansive statements, most supporters would have been content with just one smart signing like a Fellaini or a Strootman and a couple of promising youngsters. But those callous remarks from both Ed Woodward and Moyes, have left the fans perplexed and even more unnerved about the direction the club is heading under the new management.

The chaos from the transfer window has also overshadowed whatever few positives there were from a particularly mediocre pre-season with fans unable to understand how Moyes’s United would play. Moving in a new direction is one thing, but having no idea where you’re going is a recipe for disaster. The former Everton chief recently said that he “can’t wait for the season to start” which seems to be a statement from a man who is already feeling the heat.

Moyes needs to act quickly, even his loyal fans are starting to get agitated. (Photo: AP) 

Stability is what has defined United over the last 26 years, with Ferguson’s red army knowing exactly what to expect in every match, every transfer window and in fact anything related to the club. The fans are hence used to a particular rhythm to a season; traditions have always been of the utmost importance at Old Trafford. With Sir Alex, we had a messiah like no other, a man who steered us through the most glorious highway in the best of times and in the worst. It was almost like being spoilt by your dad, who worked his heart out in the week and cooked a delicious breakfast on Sunday. 

Joachim Johansson: An Ode to the Lost Swede

Well Sweden has produced some of the greatest players of all time with the likes of Bjorn Borg, Stefan Edberg, Mats Wilander ruling the mid 1970s and the entire 1980s. It wasn’t surprising to see that between 1974 - 1992 there were just 3 years when the winners list at Majors did not involve a Swede. In 1977, only the Australian Open was played whereas in 1986 the Grand Slam of the Asia Pacific wasn’t and given the Stefan Edberg won it in 1985 and 1987, anything could have happened! 1989 was probably the only year where permutations and combinations won’t work with Ivan Lendl, Michael Chang and Boris Becker lifting the silverware (Ironically in 1988 all 4 Majors were won by Swedes!).

With serve and volley being the dominating style of play back in those Golden Days, it was probably the evolution of the sport that led to the game styles changing. Playing from the baseline became the need of the hour with players like Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt, Gustavo Kuerten, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Marat Safin and Carlos Moya breaking down the big servers. Amongst those was another Swede named Thomas Johansson, who shocked the world by winning the Australian Open in 2002, defeating Safin in what was termed as one of his worst performances.

Coming back to what my article is all about – 1999 hinted the emergence of another Big Serving Swede – Joachim Johansson, also called “Pim-Pim”  as Elder brother Niclas couldn't say Joachim as a young boy and used to call his brother Pim-Pim...The name stuck and Joachim became Pim-Pim, which is also a well known hard candy in Sweden.

No wonder the Girls loved him!

Wrapping 2000 as the No.3 Junior in the World behind Andy Roddick Todor Enev, big things were expected out of Joachim, who was one of the good looking guys on tour. Not many people remember that his game style was a breath of fresh air – big hitting, boom serving and a swift mover, probably like Roddick. Playing with his Yonex racquet, the Swede was an instant hit on the tour and amongst girls too! He dated Lleyton Hewitt’s sister Jaslyn for a good 5 years before calling it quits in 2005. I remember watching a match between Hewitt and Johansson at that time with the camera focus only on Jaslyn and her dilemma of who to support!

A really quick service action, the Swede did not need a high toss for net clearance as his 6’6” frame compensated for it! A slingy service action that I would say was in fashion those days was a bit risky to execute but was really effective (look at Roddick, Nicolas Massu, Janko Tipsarevic and Robby Ginepri – all Top-15 Juniors in 2000).

With Roddick winning the 2003 US Open, more and more pressure was surrounding Pim-Pim as to can he too make a successful transition from Juniors to Men’s and 2004 proved just that! With his victory over defending champion Roddick at the 2004 US Open in 5 sets 6–4, 6–4, 3–6, 2–6, 6–4, Johansson officially announced his arrival to the big stage. A peculiar aspect of the match was that Roddick won 24 points more than Johansson but was defeated nonetheless. Pim-Pim was also awarded the Most Improved Player that year as he jumped more than 80 places from No.95 to No.12 on the ATP Charts.

At the 2005 Australian Open he for me played the best match of his career when he lost a 4 set match to Andre Agassi. He held the record for most aces served in one match as he blasted 51 aces past the American in the 4th round. In the post-match press conference, Johansson said he felt he could have served better. Interestingly, people do not remember his 3rd Round victory over Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, with whom he was involved in a 4 hour battle which he won 6-3, 3-6, 5-7, 7-6(2), 13-11. He smashed 38 aces in that match and won just 1 point more than his Spanish counterpart (200-199).

With a shoulder injury hampering his progress (nothing unexpected the way he played) in 2005, the Swede only played for half th season and was still ranked in the Top-50. Trying to make a comeback in 2006, he was again injured in the initial season and made his comeback again later that year at the Stockholm Open. Facing Top Seed and in-form Rafael Nadal in the Second Round, Johansson fired 17 aces en route to his straight sets victory over the Spaniard and announced his return to the top of the game, calling it his “greatest win ever.”

Retiring from a persistent shoulder injury, Johansson is engaged to Johanna Westerberg, a Swedish professional golfer on the Ladies European Tour since April 2009. He caddied at several tournaments for her which earned him Rookie Caddie of the Year award. Well Johansson did not do justice to the talent he possessed but surely gave us glimpses of what he could do!

To a former Top-10 player – Joachim, Cheers!

Missy Franklin: The Greatest Female Swimmer of All Time?

Nicknamed the ‘ Missile’ the now 18 year old Missy Franklin arrived on the big stage at the London Olympics last year where she won four gold medals and a bronze and was immediately tipped as the heir to the throne of the Greatest Olympian of All Time ‘Michael Phelps’.  In fact, the pundits rechristened her as the ‘Female Michael Phelps’ and so far she has proved them right as she has truly transformed herself into the Golden Girl of Swimming.

In the post Phelpsian era the sport of Swimming was in desperate need of a Superstar and Missy has certainly taken the sport to newer heights as never before a woman was hailed as the ‘Wonder Woman’ by her own competitors in the swimming pool. And she isn’t the ‘New Poster Girl’  without a reason – on Sunday Franklin became the most successful female swimmer of all time at the World Championships as she joined the Australian Libby Trickett as the only other woman who has claimed nine gold medals at the Worlds.

In addition to that, the youngster who resides in Colorado also broke the record of her countrywoman Tracy Caulkins who triumphed on five different occasions during the 1978 World Championships and Trickett who matched the same streak in 2007, as Missy helped her American teammates in clinching the gold medal in 4x100m medley relay on the final day of the competition in Barcelona.

After winning the 100m backstroke ahead of the lady from Down Under Emily Seebohm, the 200m freestyle over Beijing Olympics gold medalist Federica Pellegrini of Italy, the 200m backstroke in a new championship record time of 2:04.76 and  finishing on the podium with the 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relay squads, Franklin was disappointed with her performance in the 100m freestyle as she missed out on a medal in that race and wanted to make up for that on the closing day of the World Aquatics Championships at the hilltop swimming arena situated in the Catalan capital.

In a fitting reply to all her rivals, Missy swam the first, backstroke leg of the 4x100m medley relay at the Palau Sant Jordi and led from the front in that one as she recorded a time of 58.39 sec for her part of the race and her teammates Jessica Hardy, Dana Vollmer and Megan Romano later responded with equal poise to nudge out the Aussies to accomplish victory that gave Franklin a record breaking 6^th gold medal at the Worlds. The California native joined an exclusive club of swimmers – Michael Phelps, Mark Spitz, Ian Thorpe and the East German icon Kristin Otto, who bagged at least six gold medals at the Olympics or the World Championships.

Franklin’s record breaking spree can be considered as the beginning of a new dawn in the sport as she has plenty of time left to break many such records. After all she is still in her teens, and if she can take care of herself and keep working on her fitness, she will reign the pool in the next two editions of the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and in 2020.

According to the experts just like Michael Phelps, Missy has got a perfect body for a swimmer. The reality is that she has too many similarities with Phelps to be ignored – like the 18 time Gold medal winner who appeared to be an Atlantic Sailfish cruising like a tornado towards its prey, Franklin has a rocket start to her races as well.

Furthermore, Phelps stood at 193cm tall, boasted a wingspan of 200cm and the size of his feet was 14, on the other hand Missy’s is 185cm tall, has a wingspan of 193cm and moves in the pool with the help of her feet that are sized 13. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that her natural body frame seems to have been developed by engineers on the request of the USA Swimming Instructors.

The way she is going about her business in the pool, it won’t be long before she would be in the reckoning of being crowned the greatest Female Swimmer of All Time – after all, she has already picked up four gold medals in the British capital and has just equalized the celebrated Aussie Libby Trickett’s record to be the most decorated swimmer at the World Aquatics Meet and is well on course to emerge as the ‘Undisputed Empress of the Pool’ or the ‘Water Fairy’  in three years time in Brazil.

David Moyes: The Beginning of a New Dawn

‘The Sorcerer and the apprentice’ – whether he likes it or not, as the manager of Manchester United David Moyes’s biggest task won’t be winning his maiden trophy with this championship winning side at Old Trafford, on the contrary the Scot’s biggest challenge will be earning the trust of the club’s huge army of fans.

The Sorcerer and his apprentice. (Courtesy Action Images)

While most of the educated supporters of the club understand the appointment of the former Everton chief, the pressure of being the United manager will still be unlike anything Moyes has ever felt before. As daunting as a task it is of managing perhaps the biggest club in the world, it still pales in comparison to what it means for him to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson. For years when we speculated on the enormity of the task of replacing arguably the greatest ever manager in world football, one of the more obvious parts of the assignment was always thought to be the ability of the potential candidate to persevere through all the scrutiny that every move of his will come under.

Moyes’s Everton was a team that was full of heart, spirit and passion and those are the kind of characteristics that depict the kind of man that David is, or at least that is what is perceived of him. Sticking to these values will be of immense importance to the Scot, as it is that strength and belief that will inspire him to continue doing his job well in the face of fan criticism, of which there will be plenty.  The 50 year-old must understand that he will never be able to keep all the fans happy, at the same time he cannot ignore even the most fickle of supporters.

For Moyes to flourish at United, he may well overlook certain demands of the fans, but where he must put in effort is to try and connect with them. Empathy they say is a virtue, and it is a virtue that David will need in abundance as he takes charge. He must appreciate the fact that these are very unnerving times for both the United faithful and the players.

Moyes's tough stance on Rooney is admirable. (Courtesy PA)

After clinching the title against Aston Villa, Ryan Giggs in an interview to Sky Sports said "He (Sir Alex) is the club". That four word sentence encapsulated just what the gaffer was for the players and the fans. For we do not know a way, that is not the Ferguson way.

It is this aspect of his relationship with the fans that the Scot will need to get a grip of. Having already let go off Mike Phelan, Eric Steele and Renee Meulensteen, Moyes has stirred up some further anxiety. Also, his failure to lure Thiago Alcantara and possibly Cesc Fabregas too, hasn’t exactly got the fans singing. To add to his problems even further, perhaps the most watched pre-season in Manchester United history has seen us win just two out of five matches. Although most fans wouldn't dig too deep into the pre-season ‘friendlies’, it has given some impetus to those sporadic doubts about the 50 year-old.

However, where the new United boss is winning a few supporters is the manner in which he has tried to show Wayne Rooney his place. Looked upon as a talismanic figure at the club for almost nine years now, Rooney has dared to submit a second transfer request in under three years. Even though, Moyes has said time and again that the 27 year-old is not for sale, his very public announcement that he may need Rooney may play second fiddle to Van Persie, has made the club’s stance on the player very clear. The Scot has also been backed by new CEO Ed Woodward who claims that Rooney will not be offered a new contract as he already has two years left on his current deal.   

The message was just the one that loyal supporters were looking for - ‘Its Manchester United first and then the RVPs and Rooneys of this world’. And it is here, where we see the wily old fox’s final trick as United manager. Sir Alex had recognized the kind of man that Moyes is, and that it is his work ethic that separates him from the rest. It is perhaps for this reason that the former Everton manager is already starting to understand what the club is all about.

Moyes already knows what wearing a United shirt means (Courtesy PA)

Personalities such as Jose Mourinho’s are incongruous with clubs as big as United or for that matter even Real Madrid. Despite his obvious achievements, the Portuguese’s overwhelming views can sometimes undermine some of the most sacred traditions at any club, and that was something just as overwhelming looking the carnage he left at the Bernabeu. Moreover, Mou’s ‘popular’ appointment would have probably denied Sir Alex from having any form of influence any more. Despite their friendship, the former Chelsea manager’s ego would have most definitely come in the way of him actually seeking any advice from the 71 year-old legendary manager.

On the flip-side, Moyes seems to be someone who is more than willing to go deep into the soul of United. Much like his predecessor, he seems like someone who is determined to devote his life to this club. Someone, who already has a grasp of what it means wear that famed jersey. Someone, who will instil the right values in his players. Someone, who was hand-picked by the sorcerer himself.