Weekend Football

23 January 2009

by Jerrad Peters

 

Wenger: United given special treatment

 

At his Friday press conference, a sulking Arsene Wenger remarked that the Premier League fixture list is tilted decidedly in Manchester United's favor. United, he complained, are "extremely lucky," and the Premier League, he added, is "unfair competition." All told, it was one of the Arsenal manager's better pouts. Then again, nobody does it better. Except, perhaps, Rafael Benitez.

The Liverpool boss made similar comments two weeks ago, with his side a point clear atop the standings. His players responded to the inspiration by drawing Stoke and Everton in succession. Three days later, United were in first place.

But what of their arguments? It's easy to dismiss the grievances of Wenger and Benitez as childish grumbling. But do they have a point? Are Manchester United actually favored not only by the Premier League, but also by match officials and disciplinary committees?

Of course they are. And for good reason. Sir Alex Ferguson has spent 23 years getting to know the intricacies of English football. In that time, he's made both friends and enemies. Now, it's not as if his friends will manipulate the schedule and rescind red cards to do the Scot a favor. Not at all. In fact, some probably bend over backwards to ensure that United aren't shown any special treatment.

Ferguson, however, knows how to get what he wants. His staff petitions the FA and Premier League about all sorts of things –as does Arsenal's staff, Liverpool's staff and everyone else. What differentiates Ferguson is that he knows when to lobby for certain things, how to lobby and how to quickly whip up a media frenzy when he doesn't get his way. And he doesn't sulk when things go awry. Nobody likes a crybaby.

I like to draw the comparison between Ferguson and Sam Pollock. North American hockey fans will know who I mean. Pollock served as the General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens from 1963 to 1978. In 14 seasons in the job, he won nine Stanley Cups and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame upon his retirement. He received the Order of Canada—akin to a knighthood—in 1985.

Pollock also had a brilliant eye for young talent. And when he uncovered a player he fancied, neither hell nor high water would stop him from getting him.

Throughout the 1970s, rival general managers complained that Pollock exercised an inordinate amount of power in National Hockey League corridors. They accused him of "running the league." He didn't, of course. But he wasn't far off. Pollock was a winner. He was a winner at his club and he was a winner at his job. And he understood that part of his job was creating an atmosphere where the Canadiens could excel.

But there's another, more obvious comparison to be made. The Montreal Canadiens of the 1970s were perennial champions. The same can be said of the recent Manchester United teams. Other than the club's staff and supporters, nobody likes a perennial champion. The more they win things, the more things seem stacked in their favor.

Naturally, the media have a role to play as well. Journalists love a winner. They love dynasties. And whether they write good things or bad, they're bound to write more about the winner than about anyone else. And because the winner is winning things, it's hard to give them poor press. As a result, the media will always favor a champion.

Not coincidentally, Ferguson understands how to manipulate the enormous amount of coverage his club is bound to receive. He doesn't come across as a grumbler, a patronizer or a snob. That's important, because the Premier League and FA will see his face on television more often than they see any other manager's—they'll read his words in the newspapers more often than they read anyone else's.

Remember, leagues and associations act and make judgments according to public opinion. And as Ferguson has more airtime and column space than anyone else in English football—because his club wins things—he'll influence that public opinion more than anyone else. Thus his perceived grapple-hold over referees and league officials.

Wenger and Benitez are bang-on. Unfortunately for them, there's only one way to even out the odds. Start winning things.

 

jerradpeters@gmail.com