It's easy to see why Manchester United fans hope Luis Enrique will be the club's next manager. It's also understandable why those at Old Trafford, particularly the suit-clad decision-makers, might harbor the same futile dream of bringing in the Spanish coach at the helm of affairs.
The ultra-talented, intense, anglophile 51-year-old coach embodies much of what United have stood for in England over the past three decades, as well as what they would like to stand for again. They include all of his footballing concepts — the need to win, the chest-out, the hint of danger, the "come and take us on if you think you can" attitude, the furnace-like intensity.
This is what those who pay good money to watch United, and those who like to spoon-feed themselves on money generated by United, yearn to reinstall. The brutal reality is that not only is Luis Enrique not interested in leaving La Roja with a winnable World Cup on the horizon in November, but he's also not the ideal man for Manchester United. They aren't ready for him yet.
Luis Enrique is not suited for the current Man United setup
They're not even close to being receptive enough for him to thrive and impose his coaching ideas. If Luis Enrique decides not to stay with Spain after the 2022 World Cup, he'll be far more likely to thrive by taking over from either Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp.
The only English team to ever win the Treble has been run by suits, bean-counters, and fools for so long that the corrosive effect extends beyond the team's inconsistency. It extends far beyond not looking competitive in the Premier League or Champions League.
When compared to, say, four or five years ago, United's academy coaching and development is gradually improving. However, there is a widespread perception that too many young players, both in the first team and in the academy, have an inbuilt sense of entitlement.
It appears that the once-famous and ruthlessly determined need to win, conquer, and dominate has vanished. It's not just training sessions that lack rigor and discipline.
It also lacks a single controlling, authoritative identity enforced by a feared and recognized captain, but also by a phalanx of equally gritty and dedicated senior footballers.
So, back to Luis Enrique's Manchester United plans. The coach from Asturias, in northwest Spain, isn't one of those who aspires to become a tycoon. This is a man who, by his own admission, was a leader and a warrior as a player, but who didn't see himself as a manager at first.
He realized he was just as obsessed with coaching and winning as he had been with playing and winning. Analyzing his own team's strengths, educating and instructing, taking apart opponents, and conjuring up ways to maximize his team's strengths have all become trademarks of his.
First and foremost, he is a fantastic coach.
United require a successor to Sir Alex Ferguson, and this isn't a simple statement given his trophy haul, outstanding personality, vision, or fierce competitive spirit. When the Scottish coach relocated from Aberdeen to the south, he took over a club with a squad in disarray.
Ferguson wasn't simply a ruthless, dedicated winner; he was also there to follow in the footsteps of Matt Busby. He desired to establish an empire. He was a psychologist, man-manager, and drill sergeant as well as a genuine coach even back then. Don't you see that as just what Manchester United require right now?
While Luis Enrique shares certain intrinsic and learned tendencies with Ferguson, he has a lot more in common with Roy Keane, one of Ferguson's most fierce leaders. Luis Enrique has all of the Pavlovian reactions Keane had as an "Alpha-player," as a leader, as a winner, and now as a TV pundit.
Take it from us that, while the Spaniard has a little more patience than Keane when it comes to man-management, he's just as unforgiving as Keane. Once he's decided that anyone — a teammate, an employee, a staff member, or a squad member — can't or won't follow Luis Enrique's doctrine to the letter, he's as unforgiving.
Two of his coaching staff members have already been fired from Spain. He's always made it clear that any player who doesn't sign up for total evangelical belief in the Luis Enrique modus operandi will be left out in the cold.
Ferguson was a people manager by nature, someone who could see all the moving parts and was used to putting in the time and effort required to develop an empire in all of its forms. Yes, he was a tyrant in his days as manager, but depending on what he wanted in a given situation, he was also willing to offer and take.
Of fact, he had a deep understanding of football and was capable of analyzing matches and opponents. But few who stayed with him throughout his career would refer to him as a "coach" rather than a manager or even a general.
Luis Enrique, on the other hand, is a thoroughbred coach. If you put Luis Enrique in charge of Manchester United right now, you'll end up in a situation similar to when Roy Keane became disillusioned with the Irish FA standards.
The Spaniard wouldn't have the tolerance, forgiveness, or understanding to deal with so many people who have standards that are so drastically different from his own.
Who knows what will happen in the future? It would be a surprise if Luis Enrique isn't still in charge until at least the 2024 European Championships in Germany. Perhaps a little longer.
The decision-makers of the Spanish FA president and director of football are heavily invested in him, with an influx of incredibly talented young players at his disposal.
Football, on the other hand, is a wild, unpredictable sport. If Manchester City or Liverpool determine that Luis Enrique is the appropriate kind of talent to sustain a philosophy and maintain standards, he'd be silly not to be tempted.
Because he'd be fantastic in that situation. Manchester United and their supporters would be wise to look elsewhere. Luis Enrique will eventually arrive at Old Trafford, but he will most likely be in charge of a bitter rival club.