Manchester United: Rediscovering Our Bite

By Jerome Arab, CEO of Underrated Individuals Group

My journey with Manchester United began in an unlikely place - Zimbabwe, where football wasn't just a sport but a family legacy. With uncles who represented the national team and a father devoted to the beautiful game in a social league, football coursed through my veins. Despite having "two left feet" compared to my professional footballer cousins Quincy Antipas and Matthew Rusike , who went on to earn their Zimbabwean caps and play across Europe and Africa, my connection to football remained unbreakable.

Ironically, my path to becoming a Manchester United supporter started with Leeds United . When Alan Smith made his controversial move to Old Trafford, something clicked. United resonated with me in a way I couldn't initially articulate. Now, as a performance coach who's worked with Olympic-level athletes like Ngoni Makusha and headed Prince Edward High's athletics program, now while pursuing my UEFA C Coaching Badges, I understand that magnetic pull more clearly.

The essence of performance can be distilled into a simple equation: potential minus interference. But at the highest levels of football, where raw talent often equalizes, it's the intangible qualities that separate the extraordinary from the ordinary. In the 1980s and early '90s, Manchester United's blueprint was brilliant in its simplicity - identifying players from marginalised backgrounds who played with a hunger that couldn't be taught. They weren't just playing for glory; they were playing for survival.

The late '90s and early 2000s ushered in football's golden age, where increasing financial rewards allowed players to focus purely on their craft. We witnessed the artistry of Ronaldo Phenomenon, Zidane, Ronaldinho, Iniesta, Xavi, etc. But perhaps most significantly, this era gave birth to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi - players who straddled both worlds. They carried the hunger of their humble beginnings while benefiting from modern football's professionalism. They trained alongside legends in an era where pre-match pints were becoming relegated to football folklore.

Today's landscape presents unique challenges. We're seeing talented players hyped beyond reason by the media, only to plateau within three seasons. The superstar mentality often overshadows team dynamics, while some coaches let ego prevent them from shielding their squad from criticism. As discussions about Ruben Amorim's potential at Old Trafford arise, I see an opportunity for transformation.

My approach, shaped by years of performance coaching, would begin with something simple yet profound: sitting down with each player to rediscover their original dreams. Many young players have achieved their initial goals - making it to United, playing professionally, and securing their families' futures. The key now is helping them understand that their potential extends far beyond these accomplished dreams.

What I've always loved about Manchester United is our identity as glorious underdogs. Despite our commercial success, our greatest moments have come from punching above our weight, from believing in the impossible. The current squad doesn't lack talent - they lack the bite that once defined us.

As someone who's dedicated their life to unlocking human potential, I believe Manchester United's next chapter isn't about revolution, but revelation - rediscovering the hunger that made us great. It's about understanding that wearing the United badge isn't the end of the dream, but the beginning of an even greater one.

The bite will return when every player in that dressing room rediscovers what made them fall in love with football in the first place. Just as I found my path from Zimbabwe to performance coaching, United must find its way back to being more than just a football club - but a symbol of what happens when potential meets purpose.