By TTT Subscriber Mark Cohen (Maradoo).

“Expectations were like fine pottery. The harder you held them, the more likely they were to crack.” Brandon Sanderson, TheHYPERLINK “http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/8134945” Way of Kings

I believe that, for the first time in a long while, we are under-rated, with lowered expectations due to a few mid-table finishes, whilst I will make a case that all of our main rivals are suffering from heightened expectations or lack of belief this season. With heightened expectations there are two results: performance and non-performance. If you do well – no problem, but if you are perceived to be doing badly then the pressure quickly mounts.

A review of our rivals

Manchester United’s selection policy for their new manager was a mistake. They seemingly had three or four guys in charge of the most difficult replacement selection in the history of football. They had the ‘auld’ manager, Sir Alex helping with the decision, they had a director of football named Mr Ferguson who also gave input, a board director named Mr Alex Ferguson who, too, offered insight and finally, this all had to be cleared with the King of Old Trafford, an overbearing man in his 70’s who had built the club in his own image over the last quarter of a century. His name is Sir Alex Ferguson.

This lack of due diligence has resulted in Manchester United choosing a defensively-minded manager for the most attacking-minded football team in the land over the last 20 years. This might work out, but it seems clear that it is not the best possible fit for the club.

Let me pose just two questions about this anointment (rather than appointment): firstly, would Moyes have so easily got the job had he not been Scottish, and secondly, would Chelsea have come beating down Moyes’ door if United had chosen Mourinho instead?

The expectation of the United fan-base, however, has not been watered down. It is for the title or at the very least a ‘proper’ tilt for it.

Here is where the pressures come in.  Manchester United are where we were in 1990 – on top of the world essentially, with an all-conquering brand of football and decades of winning behind them. They start next season off the back of an eleven point saunter to the title. Their fans’ expectation to be Champions of England is fair. Why shouldn’t they?

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