Long-time Duke University soccer coach John Rennie once went over a number of criteria you needed to have to win the NCAA National Championship, and the one he added at the top of the list was 'needing a bit of luck'.
My initial reaction was that acknowledging 'luck' into our team winning was knocking the strength of our team - his feeling was that no matter how good a team you have, to be successful in a tournament or cup-type format, you need to have a number of things go your way. Included in that was having your players healthy, playing well, and getting to play at home.
I thought it was ironic that in today's Sky Sports, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was able to acknowledge some of those same items in forecasting his team's chances at winning the fabled quintuple. The Red Devils have already won the FIFA Club World Cup and the Carling Cup, while the Premier League champions hold a four-point lead in the defence of their crown.
United are also in the FA Cup semi-finals and the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, making glory on five fronts a possibility.
United are also in the FA Cup semi-finals and the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, making glory on five fronts a possibility.
He told the New Statesman: "The thing about cup football is you need to be the best but you also need a lot of luck and I think it's asking too much for all the games to go your way."
"The one thing I will say is, this squad is the best I have ever had. Every game we play, I feel confident."
"At the moment, every attack fears our defence and every defence fears our midfield and attack. That gives you confidence but it is too tough a call."
I would hate to leave winning a cup to chance or 'luck', but in both Coach Rennie and Ferguson's examples, 'luck' was not the key to the equation. I'm a firm believer that each team creates their own luck...and that the harder you work and better you play, the better the chance of creating 'good luck'...
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