Impressions do count

As I understand it, phrenology is – or was – the scientific (medical) theory which has held sway to differing degrees at various times in history to the effect that the shape or look of someone’s head somehow signifies their personality traits and/or character.

Flitting around the internet, as I do most days, I’ve come across several features – often in the gossip and/or women’s sections – that may go some way to help explain the current crisis at Manchester United.

Few Rust readers, even among those completely disinterested in football, can have failed to notice the travails of United’s head coach José Mourinho.

Over the past eighteen months he has seemingly been in a downward spiral of inability to inspire his playing troops and surly bouts of recrimination at every poor/disappointing result (and there have been not a few), whilst blaming everyone in sight but himself for his failure to emulate arch rival Pep Guardiola who presides with seemingly effortless majesty at neighbours Manchester City.

Let me expand upon my theory and reasons.

I shall begin by citing my references for my conclusion:

Firstly, the recent report given a high degree of currency across the media upon the results of a new research study demonstrating that apparently women can tell how rich as man is just by looking at his face.

Yes, it sounds loopy to me too, but then – when it comes to females – there’s not a lot about their thinking processes that can surprise any man!

Here’s a link to a representative piece on the phenomenon by Jonathan Leake, science editor, that appears upon the website of – THE TIMES

[Sorry for not being able to provide the full version of the article because of The Times’s ‘firewall/pay-per-view’ requirement to which I refuse to submit]

Secondly, here’s a link to a piece on the situation at Manchester United by Mike Keegan as appears today upon the website of the – DAILY MAIL

And thirdly, here’s a link to an article by Jamie Jackson that appears today upon the website of – THE GUARDIAN

And what is the thrust – or point – of my intervention today?

Simply this. Take a look at the photograph of Ed Woodward and José Mourinho that accompanies the Jamie Jackson piece.

What does it say to you? For me, it states bluntly that Ed Woodward is not the sort of man who should ever have been chosen to be at the centre of running one of the biggest football clubs on the planet.

Why?

Simply because he looks more like a jumped-up, ‘wet behind the ears’, junior administrative clerk than the sort of dynamic mover-and-shaker or dealer-maker who would naturally be a dominating influence in any walk of life, still less the cut-throat world of business.

We all know that looks aren’t everything – none of us should be so shallow, etc. – but come on, admit it: you know my point is valid!