"So, when they fired their manager Ruben Amorim earlier this month -- without a replacement lined up -- where were they sitting in the table? It must've been 16th, right? Or, maybe 12th? A tiny bit of progress, but not enough progress for the fourth-richest club in the world, right? When Manchester United fired Ruben Amorim, they were tied for fifth place."
"If that seems foolish, then wait until you hear what one of the only clubs richer than Manchester United did last week. Real Madrid fired their manager, Xabi Alonso, after a cup-final loss to Barcelona. Real Madrid also didn't have a replacement lined up, but that's one of those bone-deep, generational rivalries like Michigan-Ohio State where a loss might even outweigh a championship."
"Except, this wasn't the Champions League final or even the Copa Del Rey. No, it was the Spanish Super Cup: the fifth-most important competition either team will play in this season, at best, and a tournament whose final rounds are now played in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia -- in 80-plus-degree weather, in the middle of the season, while Spain is just entering winter."
Manchester United produced inconsistent league finishes in recent seasons and recorded a net-zero or worse goal differential in three of the past four campaigns. The club dismissed Ruben Amorim while tied for fifth place. Real Madrid dismissed Xabi Alonso after losing the Spanish Super Cup final to Barcelona despite being four points off first in LaLiga, holding the best expected-goal differential in Spain, and being on pace for a Champions League first-round bye. The Spanish Super Cup is a relatively minor, midseason tournament staged in Jeddah. Both clubs' actions reflect elite impatience and high performance expectations.
Read at ESPN.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]