There was once a time when defiance was Jose Mourinho’s biggest strength. Today, that very trait is a sign of how far he is from reality and evolution.
In neurobiology, balance is referred to as the state of perfect equilibrium between alertness, anxiety and inhibition. Once the brain is exposed to enough of anything, the sensory nervous system is attuned to have a static response to similar activities. In modern parlance, we call it getting used to. You do it long enough, it becomes second nature.
After Sir Alex Ferguson left the touchline for the velvet seats of the directors’ box, Manchester United’s stature as a domestic and continental powerhouse has plummeted to levels not known by an entire generation of football fans. Over the last five years, many of the 6 million worldwide Mancs have gotten used to mediocrity on the pitch and tables alike.
So why did the Round of 16 exit at Sevilla’s hands cause such grief to the United faithful? Even if they had made it past the evidently more courageous and enterprising Spaniards, would they, in their current state, survive a Madrid, a Barcelona, a Juventus?