On Saturday, as Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola went up to Wembley to collect his FA Cup medal for his team’s 2-1 victory against Manchester United in the final, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was there to welcome him. The scoreline of 2-1 does not explain how City never had to push past their second gear against Manchester United.
The two most accomplished coaches in the annals of athletics history hugged one another and shook hands. Even while Ferguson appeared to be genuinely happy for the Spaniard, there was probably more going on behind the scenes. One may also speculate on the conversation that took place between the two parties. More than a simple act of courtesy?
During his 26 years with Manchester United, during which he won several trophies, Ferguson was able to gain expertise in all aspect of a management career. The Scotsman, on the other hand, may not have anticipated how the situation in English football was going to develop once he departed in 2013 after winning an appropriate league triumph.
Ever since Sir Alex Ferguson stood down from his position as manager of Manchester United and became one of the club’s directors and ambassadors, they have not been able to get their hands on the league trophy. Their woes have been compounded by the fact that their “noisy neighbors” City have gone on to establish themselves as a domestic powerhouse, with to the financial backing that has been provided by Abu Dhabi since the purchase in 2008 and the following adoption of their sports model. Ferguson himself gave the term “noisy neighbors” to City.
In addition, Pep Guardiola’s hiring as Manchester City manager in 2016 has proven to be a game-changer for the red side of Manchester, whilst Sir Alex Ferguson’s former team, the Red Devils, have been unable to establish a consistent playing style despite employing a number of different coaches who have used a variety of approaches since Ferguson’s retirement.
When asked whether Manchester United will ever be considered an underdog again, Sir Alex Ferguson famously said, “Not in my lifetime,” prior to a Manchester derby in 2009. It could look as though City, which has won the league five times in the last six years, gave Ferguson, who is now 81 years old, another slice of humble pie to eat.
United, one of the seven teams and the only English side to achieve a European treble, had the opportunity to play spoilsport to City’s treble dreams; but, they were not up to the challenge when it came to invalidating the inferior tag. United’s performance was not good enough to invalidate the inferior tag.
However, Guardiola should be aware that in order to close the gap in terms of club status with United, all roads now go to Istanbul, which is where the forthcoming final of the Champions League will take place.
When you win the FA Cup, you experience feelings that are very unique. At the final whistle, Guardiola announced that it was the first time he could talk about winning the treble.
“One more to come, one more to go, and we feel that we are in a position that we probably will never be again,” said the speaker. “One more to come, one more to go.”
We have had some fantastic seasons in the past… “but we need to win the Champions League to be recognized how the team deserves to be recognized,” Guardiola said after becoming the third manager in history, along with Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, to accomplish the feat of winning both the FA Cup and the league more than once.