Maybe a bit too early to talk about City's title defence being over, but it got me thinking about how poor so many sides have been when asked to defend their title. Looking back: [table="width: 500"] [tr] [td]Season[/td] [td]Holder[/td] [td]Outcome[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]11/12[/td] [td]Utd[/td] [td]Lost on GD[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]10/11[/td] [td]Chelsea[/td] [td]Lost by 9 points[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]09/10[/td] [td]Utd[/td] [td]Lost by 1 point[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]08/09[/td] [td]Utd[/td] [td]Retained[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]07/08[/td] [td]Utd[/td] [td]Retained[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]06/07[/td] [td]Chelsea[/td] [td]Lost by 6 points[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]05/06[/td] [td]Chelsea[/td] [td]Retained[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]04/05[/td] [td]Arsenal[/td] [td]Lost by 12 points[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]03/04[/td] [td]Utd[/td] [td]Lost by 15 points[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]02/03[/td] [td]Arsenal[/td] [td]Lost by 5 points[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]01/02[/td] [td]Utd[/td] [td]Lost by 10 points[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]00/01[/td] [td]Utd[/td] [td]Retained[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]99/00[/td] [td]Utd[/td] [td]Retained[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]98/99[/td] [td]Arsenal[/td] [td]Lost by 1 point[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]97/98[/td] [td]Utd[/td] [td]Lost by 1 point[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]96/97[/td] [td]Utd[/td] [td]Retained[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]95/96[/td] [td]Blackburn[/td] [td]Lost by 21 points[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]94/95[/td] [td]Utd[/td] [td]Lost by 1 point[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]93/94[/td] [td]Utd[/td] [td]Retained[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]92/93[/td] [td]Leeds[/td] [td]Lost by 33 points[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]91/92[/td] [td]Arsenal[/td] [td]Lost by 10 points[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]90/91[/td] [td]Liverpool[/td] [td]Lost by 7 points[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]89/90[/td] [td]Arsenal[/td] [td]Lost by 17 points[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]88/89[/td] [td]Liverpool[/td] [td]Lost on GD[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]87/88[/td] [td]Everton[/td] [td]Lost by 20 points[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]86/87[/td] [td]Liverpool[/td] [td]Lost by 9 points[/td] [/tr][tr] [td]85/86[/td] [td]Everton[/td] [td]Lost by 2 points[/td] [/tr][tr] [td]84/85[/td] [td]Liverpool[/td] [td]Lost by 13 points[/td] [/tr][tr] [td]83/84[/td] [td]Liverpool[/td] [td]Retained[/td] [/tr] [/table] Pretty amazing that since Liverpool's dominance ended in the early 80s, so many clubs have failed to retain the title, and failed to even mount a credible attempt to retain it. Outside Utd, only Chelsea have ever retained the title, and only Everton in 85/86, Liverpool in 88/89 and Arsenal in 98/99 have credibly attempted to defend the league. In that same time, Utd have defended the title six times, and mounted credible defences in 94/95, 97/98, 09/10 and 11/12. Of the 12 titles we've won in that time, only two have been surrendered meekly. SAF's ability to defend the titles he has won is definitely one of the most underrated aspects of his record imo. Even Sir Matt only defended the title once, Shankly never successfully defended the title, and Paisley never won three in a row, tho' ***an did retain his last title so Liverpool did win three in a row once. And the achievement of winning three in a row twice seems even more impressive in light of the fact that no manager has ever managed the same, and considering how far so many other clubs have been from even winning two in a row.
Sir Alex is so good at re-motivating the side to defend the title, you can see City this year just don't play with the same desire to win they had last season and unless they find that passion quick its going to be a piss poor attempt at retaining the title.
Can't deny how good SAF is at it, but what strikes me is how so many other managers are so poor. You'd think it wouldn't only be SAF who was able to motivate his players so consistently. Even Mourinho failed to get them up for a crack at number three at Chelsea, and has completely failed to do it at Real this year. It would be more understandable if all managers were able to do it and SAF was simply the best. But he seems to possess the ability to motivate his players to defend the title year after year almost without fail, whilst almost all other managers seem unable to do it even once.
It is a bit of a suprise especially when they lost it by a considerable amount of points, any title wining side should be looking at being in the race down to the last few games. You do have to remember though that for the last 20 odd years or so teams trying to retain the premier league have had to retain it against Sir Alex........ No easy task!
Arsenal defended the league well 02/3 and led for a long time but United hunted them down with a great run-in
Great thread Certainly shows why Sir Alex deserves to be so revered. His motivation to win isn't satisfied by victory, he needs it again and again. Some teams, however, seem to celebrate the solitary victory too much when it comes along and don't focus on the next challenge or lose sight of their ultimate ambition. They become lost in the moment. I know that seems ridiculous, but Freddy Flintoff said it of the Ashes Winning team of 2005 and to me it makes sense. For me Ferguson's greatest strength is his intolerance of failure.
That's exactly the example I would have used, perfect. That side thought they'd made it as soon as they won that series and so got hammered in the return. The learned a good lesson there and it didn't happen again, realising that it was just the start. Mourinho's Chelsea did it but other than that only us have managed it in the premier league and we do it often, and also three on the bounce often. It's the big fear when Fergie goes, no one else anywhere in football can have that magic touch and even if someone good does take over I can't see how that will ever be replaced.
This is true. Any good manager will have the resources and players to do well at Utd, but there is no one around at the moment, and arguably no one in the history of English football, who has ever been able to achieve the same level of domestic dominance as SAF, particularly when facing such a strong degree of competition. Until recently Mourinho would probably have been the best bet after he did it at Chelsea. But given how meekly his Real team have surrendered the league this year you have to question whether he could handle the Utd job for more than a couple of seasons.
Don't know if you guys watched the interview with Sir Alex on the BBC website, but he was asked what would happen if he went 4 years without a trophy. Sir Alex responded with something along the lines of "it wouldn't happen." Comes of as arrogant, but he 100% believes in what he said. Failure only gives him more motivation to win. Our failure across the board last year is why we've done so well this year. Not only does SAF working harder to win, but they while squad does too. I think the real test is when Sir Alex does leave, how many players will maintain that hunger for more and more success? Is that something that can be learned? Or is it just a trait that only he, and he alone possesses?
There must be others who would want to win as much as him Mano but you need that combined with being one of the best managers around, we won't see someone dominate the league like he has again.
Winning is relatively easy. Man city and Blackburn managed it after all.... Retaining though.... good luck with that
