Neil Humphreys: Should Class of 92 keep quiet?
Ibrahimovic raises fair points about United old boys' influence
Among Manchester United's old boys, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Roy Keane stand on the outside. They are members of no inner circle, no boys club. They represent just one person.
Ibrahimovic speaks for Ibrahimovic. Keane speaks for Keane. That's it.
They share a near pathological desire to speak what they believe to be the unvarnished truth, whatever the fallout, whatever the risk to their own brand. And they are both united in their scepticism of the United myth.
Keane spoke out against the canonisation of Sir Alex Ferguson and the reluctance of others to challenge the untouchable one.
Earlier this week, Ibrahimovic pretty much did the same, criticising the "Circle of Ferguson" - the Class of 92 - for attacking Ferguson's successors.
"They are not there any more," Ibrahimovic said.
"They are on TV and complaining all the time because they are not active in the club."
But they are there. They have never been more "there", in the United moment, living out every victory and defeat, at the side of the pitch, in a TV studio, online, everywhere.
The Class of 92 are omnipresent, telling anyone associated with the club where they're going right or wrong.
Not surprisingly, Ryan Giggs struggled to mask his irritation when asked for his comments on Ibrahimovic's criticisms.
"Only Nicky Butt is connected with the club now, but when you play over 2,000 games between us, we are going to have an opinion," said Giggs, actually underselling their contributions.
Giggs, Butt, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, David Beckham and Phil Neville played a combined total of 3,450 games for United.
But Giggs knows he's right only in a literal sense. Butt might be the lone representative on the United payroll, but the ghosts of Class of 92 hang over Old Trafford like the Spring sunshine.
In an interview yesterday, Rio Ferdinand, a Class of 92 team-mate, told the United board that they needed to give his friend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the full-time gig and should never again employ anyone who wasn't part of United's "philosophies", i.e. their inner circle.
Ferdinand rarely offered such unconditional support to Jose Mourinho, the most successful manager of his generation. But he's fully endorsed an old pal whose previous, elite coaching experience was getting Cardiff City relegated.
The line between official, paid pundit and unofficial United cheerleader is now so blurred that the line has essentially vanished.
After United prevailed against Paris Saint-Germain, Gary Neville, working for beIN Sports, tried to kiss Solskjaer during their interview, another example of how football TV coverage has adopted social media's obvious tribalism.
Just a day after Paul Scholes ended his 31-day stint as Oldham Athletic coach, Solskjaer reportedly offered him work at United. It was a generous offer, considering Scholes picked up just one win in seven games.
Other coaches might consider themselves more deserving of a call from Solskjaer. But the Class of 92 retains such extraordinary power in the media landscape that it's probably better to have Scholes inside the tent peeing out, than outside the tent peeing in.
Indeed, their combined media might is unsurpassed because of the unique circumstances behind their creation.
They emerged in a perfect storm, as cable TV and the Internet took the English Premier League to the world. They were at the right club at the right time, which makes them ideal ambassadors for two brands - United and the EPL - eager to retain global dominance.
Between the six of them and Ferdinand, their every utterance ensures blanket coverage in a way never seen before in British football.
Wilf McGuinness famously said that succeeding Sir Matt Busby as United manager made his hair fall out overnight. But he took over in 1969 and didn't have to contend with Busby loyalists questioning his every move in YouTube clips and Twitter emojis.
INTERNAL INFLUENCE
Mourinho often alluded to the internal influence of the Class of 92 and one wonders what impact their coverage has on boardroom decisions.
Results will make up Ed Woodward's mind in the end, but the vice-chairman obviously understands the marketing value of having the Class of 92 on side. So their collective insistence on appointing Solskjaer doesn't make his job any easier.
Just imagine their outraged response if Solskjaer doesn't get the gig. That's the kind of psychological clout that Ibrahimovic recognised at United.
And as the tribal state of football coverage gives up any pretence of objectivity, their influence will probably increase.
Woodward doesn't need to employ the Class of 92, but he probably needs to keep the old boys on side nonetheless.
Everyone has an opinion, but their opinion will always be worth more than others around Old Trafford.
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