vent ▁his ▁game , ▁and ▁transform ▁himself ▁with ▁a ▁vers at ility ▁that ▁enabled ▁him ▁to ▁play ▁utility ▁roles ▁in ▁the ▁side , ▁thus ▁helping ▁him ▁sh ake ▁off ▁a ▁nick name ▁he ▁was ▁initially ▁given ▁by ▁the ▁Spanish ▁press , ▁" El ▁Carter o " ▁(" the ▁post man "), ▁suggesting ▁that ▁his ▁delivery ▁was ▁un predict able . ▁It ▁was ▁widely ▁regarded ▁as ▁a ▁credit ▁to ▁Mc Man aman ▁that ▁he ▁managed ▁to ▁constantly ▁rein vent ▁himself ▁to ▁be ▁effective ▁and ▁useful ▁in ▁a ▁squad ▁that ▁was ▁widely ▁regarded ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁as ▁the ▁" best ▁team ▁in ▁the ▁world " ▁under ▁the ▁Gal áct icos ▁policy . ▁ ▁Yet ▁the ▁policy ▁had ▁its ▁det ract ors , ▁and ▁according ▁to ▁certain ▁critics ▁in ▁the ▁Spanish ▁press , ▁Mc Man aman ▁and ▁several ▁other ▁players ▁became ▁" v ict ims " ▁as ▁the ▁policy ▁was ▁based ▁more ▁on ▁market ing ▁and ▁re venue ▁generation , ▁and ▁sometimes ▁meant ▁players ▁were ▁picked ▁not ▁according ▁to ▁form , ▁but ▁because ▁of ▁their ▁money - making ▁potential ▁off ▁the ▁pitch . ▁Mc Man aman ▁never ▁spoke ▁ill ▁of ▁the ▁Gal áct ico ▁policy ' s ▁effects ▁on ▁him ▁during ▁his ▁ten ure , ▁only ▁crit iqu ing ▁the ▁policy ▁and ▁ultimately ▁describing ▁it ▁in ▁his ▁aut obi ography ▁El ▁Mac ca ▁( a ▁work ▁that ▁was ▁short list ed ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁Sunday ▁Times ▁Books ▁of ▁the ▁Year ▁and ▁William ▁Hill ▁Sports ▁Book ▁of ▁the ▁Year ), ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4