Should Legends Be Trusted?

Author : Nathaniel Hyatt

When Sir Alex Ferguson met with Pep Guardiola, United were looking to boost their midfield. Instead of Josep taking up defensive midfield duties at Old Trafford, it was Juan Sebastian Veron instead who was added to the Red Devils squad.

Since then, Pep has had a distant love affair with the idea of Manchester United. The history, the trophies, the glory, the stadium, and the opportunity to add his name to all of it has enticed the managing sensation since his playing days. It’s also noted that on a visit to watch United beat Schalke 4-1 at Old Trafford in May 2011 he noted his impressions of the stadium and that he could “see himself coaching here” one day (Pep: Confidential).

Since then, Guardiola quit Barcelona in the height of their dominance he led them to, took a year sabbatical, met with Sir Alex Ferguson twice before his retirement, and then accepted the opening at Bayern Munich in spite of many offers from teams around the world, including Manchester City. His legendary status as a Barcelona player and manager continues to grow. Real Madrid are jealous, as usual.

Seemingly, especially as of late, Madrid has sought to find their own Pep Guardiola story, and the glory to go with it. They have followed through by promoting club legend Zinadine Zidane to be the new manager of the senior squad. The White’s legend has been coaching the reserves and although he hasn’t produced sensational results, Florentino Perez pulled the trigger to give him a chance to lead the team he played for to more glory, a la Pep.

Manchester United will no doubt be watching this development quite closely. Depending on which reports you believe, Ryan Giggs will be the next manager of Manchester United (not Jose Mourinho or Pep himself). Louis Van Gaal should have been shown the door in December, but is somehow still in charge of United. Giggs is still his #2 being groomed to manage the club in which he helped bring so many trophies and so much glory.

United fans are torn on Giggs becoming manager. Many see him as not ready, that he should manage somewhere else first, and then if he is successful, be hired as the manager of Manchester United.

This is where Pep Guardiola comes back in. Whether or not he himself will be the next manager at Manchester United (the best possible scenario), he will have influenced the decision making in the United boardroom greatly, just as he has at the Bernabeu in Madrid. Legendary clubs play to their fans bases. Their fan bases love their playing legends. When playing legends turn to managers there is a hope planets could align and they could continue their historic displays from the manager’s seat.

Guardiola did not have it so easy, as many claim, when he joined Barcelona. Controversially, he got rid of some of the clubs biggest players. He proceeded to draw and then lose in his first 2 matches. He told everyone to trust that his system would work when it seemed the opposite. The rest is history.

United does possess a piece that could draw him to Old Trafford: Ander Herrera. The sparky attacking midfielder is exactly the player Pep wants to build a team around. United fans would have no objections. Herrera has been tied down under Van Gaal’s restrictive system. It is in the freedom to create that Herrera has his love affair with football. Seeing the Spanish midfielder with the freedom he would receive under Guardiola’s system is a dream United fans harbor. It is also why Guardiola wants Herrera at City, if that is indeed where he will manage next as seems to be so, apparently, obvious.

No matter what, playing legends will have the opportunity to prove that trusting in a them to lead after their playing days is the right move. Guardiola has already proven that to heights no one quite dreamed of. Zidane now steps into the spotlight with much to prove but with the faith and trust of the Real Madrid nation. Giggs waits for his time, believing he can replicate what Guardiola seemed, so easily, to accomplish with his high flying Barcelona side.

Only time will tell whether Zidane could be to Real Madrid what Pep was to Barcelona. And only time will tell whether Giggs is given the reigns, or if United decide to fight for and bring in the best coach on the planet, Pep Guardiola. But one thing is certain, their will be no more romantic stories than that of club playing legends becoming club managing legends – and no bigger names than Zinadine Zidane and Ryan Giggs.