Diego Forlan writes a weekly column for The National, appearing each Friday. The former Manchester United, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid striker has been the top scorer in Europe twice and won the Golden Boot at the 2010 World Cup. Forlan’s column will be written with the assistance of European football correspondent Andy Mitten.
When I joined Manchester United in 2002, the rumour was that Alex Ferguson was retiring at the end of the season.
I was quickly told that he did indeed intend to retire and that the club were looking at other managers. They later accepted that they had considered Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Had Ferguson retired, I would have been his last signing. Except his wife talked him out of it and the fans sang “Every single one of us, loves Cathy Ferguson”, which made me laugh.
That was one of my first away games in England, at Charlton Athletic, and I loved the humour of the English fans. The manager liked that one, too.
But even before he announced that he was staying, my attitude was that I’d rather have five months being coached by a legend of football management at a great club than nothing.
United had been a great club at times before Ferguson, but he had made them great again and was such a huge part of the club.
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I would have been disappointed had he left but the players who had been there far longer would have been more affected. He made the right decision to stay – for another 11 years.
Uncertainty over a manager is not really a big deal for individual players. Manchester City’s players know that my old boss Manuel Pellegrini will be replaced by Pep Guardiola in the summer.
Ask 25 players and they will all have a slightly different view on it. One or two who are not getting in the team might even be happy.
Others will be very disappointed because Pellegrini brought them to the club, because they like him and know that he is a good manager.
Not just “think” he is a good manager, but know it. Because he is. He understands football and has a very sharp analytical mind, he communicates well, he works hard, he has got 12 years experience in Europe at some huge clubs and, most importantly, he gets results.
Pellegrini is a good man, a gentleman. In private, he might be hurt at what is happening at City because nobody likes to lose their job, but in public he is really professional.
He knows he will have other opportunities because his reputation is so good. So he does not need to say anything and get angry because he knows how football works.
If he starts thinking that football is not fair then he may as well leave it altogether. When Pellegrini accepted the Real Madrid job, he knew that nothing would be fair.
But it is Real Madrid, you cannot turn them down. You say ‘yes’ to them with your heart and then think about the decision later in your head.
But football provides some wonderful opportunities for revenge. It would not surprise me if Pellegrini is in charge of another Uefa Champions League club next season, where he will be drawn against City and beat them.
Most of the City players will think about themselves. Maybe they have called a players’ meeting. Players do that just to be clear with each other what they are going to do and how they are going to react. The captain can set the mood and make sure they keep focused.
They have the security of a contract, usually more security than a manager has, and they will try to impress Guardiola. Many will be excited to work with him because he is seen as the best. It will work out for some, not for others.
Again, that is football. But it is not the end of the world for any player. They are at City, they have reached a very high level, they will have lots of other options.
All they can do is keep giving 100 per cent until then. I know City’s results have been mixed recently, but to do give anything less is unprofessional.
If anything, they need to finish the season as strongly as they can because they will know that Guardiola is already watching all of their games and making judgements.
I am still a player but I want to be a manager. I learnt a lot from people like Pellegrini, and one of the things was to accept change – that players come and go and that coaches do, too.
I was his top scorer but he was relaxed when I left Villarreal because he knows what football is like. Players and managers move to bigger clubs on better contracts.
As a young player, especially a single one, you only really have yourself to think about. That changes as you get older.
Managers have families and moves become much trickier. Yes, the money is good. But it is not an occupation which gives you great stability because if you stay at a club for two years then this is considered a long time.
I have thought about that more in the last week since becoming a father for the first time myself. My wife Paz gave birth to our son Martin last Thursday in our home city of Montevideo.
It is the middle of the football season and I had just got back from a long trip to Peru. We are delighted and he received his first Penarol shirt. He can be a striker for Penarol in the future and then move to Manchester United.
But seriously, I now have a family to think of. If I am to be a coach then I might have to travel the world, as I have dones as a player.
My family will come with me and when you start moving children around schools, that adds a lot of responsibility. But as a coach, that is what you know you are getting into.
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