SENTINELCELTS

Back in the land of Football Will Eat Itself,I think it is fair to say that most of us were surprised by the rise to prominence this season of perennial strugglers West Ham United as they closed in on an unlikely Champions League place. And particularly so,since they are managed by David Moyes,whose ratings have gone through the floor since his elevation to “the top job in football” by Alex Ferguson.

Taking over from Ferguson was always likely to be a poisoned chalice,especially since it could be argued that his finest achievement in over fifty years in the game was to get that team over the line and win the title in 2013. Few if any of that team then would have got near the team that,for instance,won the Champions League in 2002. The few that could were over a decade older!

Moyes had his work cut out to rebuild a shattered team,so the club graciously permitted him to sign one of his former players,Fellaini,for £28m. A lot of money,granted. Still left him with a gutted team,either old or useless. Things proceeded in the obvious manner,Moyes was replaced by increasingly high-profile managers-who were given increasingly high amounts of money!-but failure was still pretty much the result.

To paraphrase,they Arsenaled it,and if they are not careful,well,they could take a look at where Arsenal are now. Even with Arsenal’s lovely stadium-been there,it really is a beaut!-there is no reason why Man Utd can’t do an Arsenal.

Equally,there is no reason why David Moyes can’t do a Lazarus! That is what he has already done at West Ham. It isn’t uncommon on the continent for managers to return,nor in Scotland tbh, He was effectively run out of the club on a rail,then asked back-and has transformed their fortunes!

Personally,I’m really delighted for him. I thought that what he did at Preston and then Everton was a remarkable achievement. I thought he was a bloody idiot to take the Man U job,but if he had refused it he would have been accused of being a coward. Hiding to nothing. One occasion when Fergie got it wrong,I think it might have been better to make the offer easier to refuse. As in,if-would you? Not,as it transpired-sign here!

So speaking of sign here,Man U and WHU,Moyes signed Jesse Lingard on loan from his old club. A forgotten man who has lit up the whole title race since his arrival in January. Admittedly he has a number of England caps,not a lot,but this is a player who has been crying out for a home for his entire career. He turns up at WHU,expectations rather low-!-and WOW

Yep,it all kicks off. The perfect fit in the jigsaw. OK,he’s a winger,it won’t happen every week,we get that. But he has his mojo back,he might even be back in the England squad. Moyes is delighted too,as his form has kept the team fighting well above their weight.

And Lingard has shown his gratitude by offering himself to the club via a full contract,presumably in recognition of the part they have played in rebuilding his career and reputation.

But only if he gets £100k a week!

Fuxake,a year ago he couldnae get a shift at McDonalds!

Yes,I get that it is a short career. But how much money do you need? Go back to sit in the stands at Man U because taking a £20k wage cut at WHU-where you are adored-is beneath you?

Football must be about more than money,and even players who have more money than sense can still play for the jersey-a conceit that Lingard clearly knows f… all about. I’m far from a fan of Ramos,I think he has had less red cards than his record total deserves,but…

“Sergio Ramos gets Real Madrid. On Sunday night, as Real strove for a late equaliser against Sevilla, Ramos was leading his troops into battle: screaming, fists pumping, heading every ball, crunching into every tackle. The fact that he was injured and watching from the stands was but a minor inconvenience: what Ramos gets above all is that even if you are not wearing the uniform, when you are a Madrid player you are never anything else”.

There’s a big problem in football,and the suggestion of a European Super League a month ago exposed it. But the real problem is greed. Not just of those clubs,but of journeymen like Lingard who think they are worth in a week what most of us would take four or five years to earn.

Like I’ve said for years,football will eat itself. Lingard is but another example. There’s a couple nearer to home too.

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Above article by BMCUWP