Mind games. What are they exactly? The dictionary defines them as "a sequence of acts of calculated psychological manipulation". Whatever the precise definition, apparently Alex Ferguson is a master at them. What Derren Brown is to mind games, Alex Ferguson is to, um, eh, mind games. The way some people talk about Sir Alex you'd swear he has a couple of PhD's in psychology and has memorised The Art of War by Sun Tzu. His mind game prowess has become the stuff of legends, with his psychological victory over Keegan over a decade ago held up as a triumph for cunning and intellect.
Sir Alex Ferguson is the best manager around today, there's no question about that. But his "mind games" are nothing more than undignified swipes at inferior rivals. There's no "psychological manipulation" to them; nothing intellectual or cunning. Nothing to make you go "Alex Ferguson is inside my head! I can't get him out! These mind games are confusing me! Heeeeeelp!" and then proceed to jump out of the nearest window, or perhaps just lose the title race.
Consider his latest pyschological masterstroke. About a week ago he said concerning Liverpool that "There's no doubt that in the second half of the season they will get nervous". Regarding his own team, he said "With the experience we've got, having won a couple of titles in the past couple of years especially, it helps you. There's no doubt about that", finishing off with "They're [Liverpool] going into the unknown, and if you make mistakes, then you are punished."
In other words, Ferguson said that Liverpool probably won't be able to deal with the pressure at the top. So what? Has this completely changed all of the Liverpool players' mentality? Have they suddenly gone from being title contenders to title bottlers in the space of a week? All Ferguson did was poke fun at Liverpool in a childlike manner. It was akin to a street kid saying "My dad is bigger than your dad", except replace the word dad with squad and the word bigger with more experienced. Undignified insult of a bully? Check. Calculated psychological manipulation? Certainly not.
The biggest shame in all of this lands on large portions of the media, who praise Ferguson's childish insults, thus encouraging him and others to act in such a tasteless fashion. Could you imagine Ferguson's reaction if instead of reading about his mind game virtuosity, he read in the papers the headline "Ferguson produces another childish display indecency"? Surely the BBC should be able to take this hard line approach, what with Ferguson not talking to them anyway.
Liverpool will most likely not go on to win the title, but their failure will have little to do with Fergie's jibes, and a lot to do with Lucas Leiva, Yossi Benayoun Dirk Kuyt starting all too regulary. People may point to Sir Alex's mind games and Benitez's over the top reaction when identifying the moment that Liverpool let it all slip away, but in such an instance Ferguson will be receiving due praise for the wrong reasons while Benitez will be receiving due criticism for the wrong reasons. Ferguson should be praised for winning a crucial game with Park, Flechcer and Giggs making up three quarters of his midfield, and Benitez should be criticised for drawing a crucial game because Leiva and Benayoun made up half of his. Whether Benitez's rant was ill-timed or not is irrelevant. What's relevant is that he makes ill-advised personnel changes, and that he has absolutely no suitable cover for Xabi Alonso.
The destination of the title will not hinge on the words of a bully or the words of a "disturbed" man. It will hinge, as it always does, on quality. United possess more of it than their rivals. All Ferguson's "mind games" do is actually undermine the good work that he continues to accomplish.
Sir Alex Ferguson is the best manager around today, there's no question about that. But his "mind games" are nothing more than undignified swipes at inferior rivals. There's no "psychological manipulation" to them; nothing intellectual or cunning. Nothing to make you go "Alex Ferguson is inside my head! I can't get him out! These mind games are confusing me! Heeeeeelp!" and then proceed to jump out of the nearest window, or perhaps just lose the title race.
Consider his latest pyschological masterstroke. About a week ago he said concerning Liverpool that "There's no doubt that in the second half of the season they will get nervous". Regarding his own team, he said "With the experience we've got, having won a couple of titles in the past couple of years especially, it helps you. There's no doubt about that", finishing off with "They're [Liverpool] going into the unknown, and if you make mistakes, then you are punished."
In other words, Ferguson said that Liverpool probably won't be able to deal with the pressure at the top. So what? Has this completely changed all of the Liverpool players' mentality? Have they suddenly gone from being title contenders to title bottlers in the space of a week? All Ferguson did was poke fun at Liverpool in a childlike manner. It was akin to a street kid saying "My dad is bigger than your dad", except replace the word dad with squad and the word bigger with more experienced. Undignified insult of a bully? Check. Calculated psychological manipulation? Certainly not.
The biggest shame in all of this lands on large portions of the media, who praise Ferguson's childish insults, thus encouraging him and others to act in such a tasteless fashion. Could you imagine Ferguson's reaction if instead of reading about his mind game virtuosity, he read in the papers the headline "Ferguson produces another childish display indecency"? Surely the BBC should be able to take this hard line approach, what with Ferguson not talking to them anyway.
Liverpool will most likely not go on to win the title, but their failure will have little to do with Fergie's jibes, and a lot to do with Lucas Leiva, Yossi Benayoun Dirk Kuyt starting all too regulary. People may point to Sir Alex's mind games and Benitez's over the top reaction when identifying the moment that Liverpool let it all slip away, but in such an instance Ferguson will be receiving due praise for the wrong reasons while Benitez will be receiving due criticism for the wrong reasons. Ferguson should be praised for winning a crucial game with Park, Flechcer and Giggs making up three quarters of his midfield, and Benitez should be criticised for drawing a crucial game because Leiva and Benayoun made up half of his. Whether Benitez's rant was ill-timed or not is irrelevant. What's relevant is that he makes ill-advised personnel changes, and that he has absolutely no suitable cover for Xabi Alonso.
The destination of the title will not hinge on the words of a bully or the words of a "disturbed" man. It will hinge, as it always does, on quality. United possess more of it than their rivals. All Ferguson's "mind games" do is actually undermine the good work that he continues to accomplish.
4 comments:
I agree with you to a certain extent in that anytime ferguson comments on the oposition these days its deemed ''mind games'' but I think if you contextualise the title win in 96 and what he said to make Keegan react like that I think it was genius.
I may be wrong, but weren't United already ahead of Newcastle at that stage, with Albert and Peacock looking disastrous in central defense? I think that was more like kicking a man while he was down rather than causing his demise.
Declan if you're going to steal opinions off another I suggest you at least have the decency to use inverted commas.
OK then, Sean Ingle may be wrong, but etc etc.
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