章 2: Chapter 2: Meeting The Bane of Managers...
I spent my first day as interim Manchester United manager, learning as much as possible from the footballing library. I already knew the club inside and out because I worked there for several years. I already had professional working relationships with most of the players and staff at the club, so I didn't feel the need to head to Carrington to get a feel for the club.
Instead, I felt that a much better use of my time would be learning as much as possible, as quickly as possible, about footballing management, not tactics or management, but rather how to deal with the press. I had decent tactical awareness as someone who had completed my football coaching badges. Having worked under some of the most legendary managers in history, I had a basic foundation regarding football management's more popular and well-known areas.
One area where I felt that I needed to improve was dealing with the press. As a manager, this is an essential skill that can often make or break your career. The English press, in particular, can be very callous and unforgiving, and even managers as great as Benitez have crumbled under the immense pressure of the media. Therefore, I needed to learn as much as possible about press management before facing the media during my press release. I knew that a misstep or inappropriate comment could easily be blown out of proportion and damage my reputation, so I needed to be well-prepared and learn how to handle even the most challenging questions with poise and confidence.
I immersed myself in the football library and learned about some of the greatest managers in the sport's history. Two names stood out in particular—Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho. Their tactics for handling the press were intriguing. They seemed to have a way of manipulating the media to pressure their rivals and motivate their players.
Upon reading about their thoughts and feelings towards the media, I learned that the key to success was to hold your cards close to your chest. This meant being careful about what you say and how you say it, especially when dealing with the press. Additionally, they suggested that spinning the press's questions back at them was an effective strategy. By doing so, they could avoid being bullied by the media and make them favor their team.
These managers were masters of their craft, both on and off the field. They had a keen understanding of football's power dynamics and knew how to leverage them. After all, the media needed entertainment, and the more entertaining a manager was, the more valuable they were to the press.
The experience of facing an upcoming public interview can be pretty daunting for anyone, especially for someone relatively new to it. However, I was determined to make the most of it. I had a strategy in mind that I intended to use to my advantage. You see, my inexperience could have been a weakness that others could exploit, but as I have learned from the footballing world, the most commonly recurring factor is to turn weaknesses into strengths. And that's precisely what I aimed to do.
As I prepared for the interview, I realized that the expectations for my performance were relatively low. However, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It meant that any victories I could achieve would be seen as an overachievement, and any losses would be viewed as expected. This allowed me to present myself positively, regardless of the interview's outcome.
Moreover, I was also aware of the media's tendency to ask complex and potentially revealing questions. Therefore, I decided to present myself as a manager just standing in for a more permanent figure. This allowed me to avoid answering uncomfortable questions and justify my lack of experience as a temporary situation. I felt confident that my strategy would help me make the most of my public interview, even with my limited experience.
After being ushered into the press conference, I was given a few minutes to settle my thoughts as the rest of the journalists began to flood in. Normally, I'd have been given a private one-on-one interview with a member of the MUTV staff; however, unlike Erik Ten Hag or Jose Mourinho, I was just an interim and not a household name, so instead, I was thrown straight into the deep end.
The head of the MUTV staff and press conference organizer stood before the media. It gave an opening statement: "We are thrilled to announce the welcoming of our new interim manager, Matt Smith, to Old Trafford. Matt, would you like to give any opening words?" His voice's dullness spoke volumes of my appointment's lackluster nature.
As I sat before the media, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the sharp, condescending gazes that bore into me. Despite this, I put on a fake smile and forced my voice to sound enthusiastic, even though I didn't feel it. "It's a pleasure to meet you all," I said, trying to sound confident. "As some of you may know, I've been a part of this great club for many years now, and I'm confident that I can help restore some of the high standards and expectations built at this club over the last two decades. Being a United fan all my life and having come through the academy here, I'm delighted to have the opportunity to fulfill my dream of managing this club, even if it's only temporarily."
As I spoke, I couldn't help but notice the smirks on the faces of the media personnel around me. Their smiles seemed to grow sharper by the second, and I could almost smell their overwhelming arrogance.
With my initial statement over with, it was time for the questioning.
"As you say, you've been working for the club for many years and were part of the management staff that helped prepare for yesterday's Crystal Palace game. What are your first thoughts on what you're taking on, and what areas do you think you can improve on that your predecessors couldn't?"
That question was incredibly loaded. On the one hand, it partially blamed me for the team's loss to the palace and baited me into looking arrogant by asking where previous managers went wrong.
So once again, wearing a fake smile, I responded, "What United is lacking at the moment is identity; we go into every game not knowing what we're going to get, and this often means that the players end up having to be reactionary towards the game state. My first goal will be to help create an identity from which we can work." I looked around the room, and seeing the floundered look on the press's face made me smile.
"Football has become far more tactical now than it has ever been, and it is more important than ever that teams have a style of play that is consistent throughout the entire club from the youth level to the first team; you see this at City and Liverpool who see great success due to this."
I took a deep breath and swig of water before continuing. "By helping to recreate a footballing culture lost over the past decade, we can work towards great success and restoration of Manchester United."
The press appeared to wait to see if I would continue but, after a minute, attempted to take back control of the press conference.
"Are you confident that you are the man to help turn the club around? After all, more experienced managers than yourself have tried and failed."
"Football is unpredictable. Sometimes, you don't need better, just different. You say my experience is a weakness. That means I have far more to lose if I fail." I kept my voice as close as possible to hide the nerve I was feeling, but I thought I had made a good showing of myself.
"There is much to be done regarding performance, but have you considered changing the atmosphere?"
"In every club, we think about what is in the club, what is in the club's spirit, and that is what we all want to know. Manchester United has a rich history that is deeply rooted in exciting attacking football. The fans expect that, and the players do as well; you don't come to United to watch them sit back, so I believe the key to bringing back the atmosphere of old is to bring back the football of old."
"It's been nine years since United last won the Premier League title. Realistically how long will it take to be challenging again?"
"We all say, you know, United are five years of City, but at the end of the day, football is an ever-spinning wheel players rise and fall like seasons. A player can be world-class one minute and terrible the next. It's the nature of the game. We just need to focus on ourselves rather than others and take it one step at the time rather than looking up at our rivals and measuring ourselves against them, we know were far of that so rather than sulking about it we have to gather ourselves and work on improvement."
"Will you speak with the players this week?"
"I have a good professional relationship with a few of the players, having worked with them previously, but at the moment, I think resting to recover from what has been a disappointing season is probably for the best."
"What support do you need from the club?"
"At the end of the day, the reality is that I'm an interim and thus can't expect to be backed as if I were a permanent manager; I expect there will be a budget, and we will have to work within what will probably be a limited parameter."
"How do you react to van Gaal's comments about Manchester United being a commercial club?"
"I respect Louis and have worked under him and do believe he was treated quite harshly by the club and think that perhaps that has molded his view a little bit because at the end of the day, whether a club is commercial or not success is still a requirement and that is what's really important."
Before any of the press could ask any more questions, the MUTV organizer stood to close the press conference, and it took all my strength not to let my relief show as I made my way out of the conference room feeling a million times lighter and more confident.
Perhaps, just maybe, I could really turn things around...
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