Time 'want away' stars acknowledged their role in failure

The willingness to be responsible for success but not for failure is evident in much of business and politics, so we should not be surprised when it appears in football. It is nonetheless irksome, perhaps especially in football’s case because while the sport is not, in the end, as important as business or politics, it means more to most than either.

The latest manifestation comes after Manchester United’s Easter drubbing at Everton. The Reds lost 4-0 and were very poor indeed. After the game, the players knocked out the required apologies and soundbites about needing to respect the shirt. But stories also surfaced about a number of players needing to “consider their futures” if their team finished outside the top four in the Premier League.