When Jose Mourinho fluttered his eyelashes in the direction of Manchester United, coyly suggesting he fancied taking over from Sir Alex Ferguson upon the knight's retirement, the reaction was not what might be expected from a manager who was formerly such an antagonist to the Old Trafford faithful. Many fans were relatively receptive to the idea - although Mourinho's undoubted ability as a manager counted strongly in his favour, another factor may have been the tacit understanding amongst Manchester United fans that they owe a portion of their recent success to the Portuguese boss.
England Needs Manchester City, Just Like It Needed Chelsea
Manchester City could play an important role not just for themselves, but for the whole of the Premier League.
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In the years following their famous treble in 1999, United had coasted somewhat. Arsenal's two titles were not the awakening they might've been - even in their ‘Invincibles' season, they only really ran away with the title in the closing months of the season, and the disbanding of the famous Highbury defence left Arsene Wenger unable to establish a lasting legacy from the victory. It was not until Mourinho arrived on England's shores, bringing 4-3-3, 90-plus point-totals, and a seemingly limitless stream of cold 2-0 wins, that United were truly shown up and their need for improvement was laid bare.
Those years, though lean, would prove to be the genesis of a new United side and another cycle of success for Ferguson. As United underwent a painful metamorphosis into a new team, adopting new principles and tactics, the change was hard, but ultimately worth it, yielding a further four titles and three Champions League finals. And yet, the aftermath of 2008 is reminiscent of 1999 in more ways than one. United, though effective domestically, have been shown up by Barcelona on Europe’s biggest stage. In 2011, it finally came - an admission from Ferguson that United were distinctly second-best.
Although it seems that Ferguson's comparatively limited success in Europe has begun to bother him of late, it's unlikely that Barcelona alone will fuel the need for rebuilding at Old Trafford. In order to be truly pushed, Ferguson will need domestic competition of a level which he has not consistently experienced in recent years. Arsenal's mental weakness and the ever-changing nature of the manager's seat at Chelsea has enabled United to rest on their laurels, and win titles by being the best team out of the 20, rather than a great team in their own right. When United sent Tottenham packing 3-0 at Old Trafford with a near-second-string team, Ferguson will have seen that he has the best-equipped squad in the Premier League. But even in the modern game, only 11 players can be fielded at once - and a great team, rather than squad, will be needed to compete with Barcelona.
Manchester City could change all that. The calibre of their signings, such as Sergio Aguero, and the adaptation to English football of last season's additions, suggests they are not only capable of challenging but also of becoming a fearsome, all-conquering outfit. That sort of domestic competition is needed for Ferguson - and indeed Wenger and Mancini - to step up to the next level and begin to dominate Europe again. No team can improve sufficiently without being pushed, and it will be even more unthinkable for United when the team in question is such a close and bitter rival. Even if the managerial determination is there, the purse-strings of chairmen will always ensure that the temptation to do just enough is alluring.
Nobody would doubt Ferguson’s determination to elevate himself and his team above all others, but even his hand must be forced. In genetics, they call it ‘evolutionary pressure’ - the challenging circumstances that force creatures to adapt and change to fit their surroundings. United, and the Premier League, need the footballing equivalent, and Manchester City could provide it.
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