Tag Archives: manchester

Euphoria

Even if attempts to salvage something from this season via Europa success ultimately end in failure, we’ll always have Lyon at home. We’ve been fortunate enough to witness many trophies won over the years but I’d argue moments like that Maguire winner are a much rarer, more precious thing in the life of a football supporter. As an approximate guess I’ve probably celebrated, I dunno, getting on for 2000 goals at United games. That one was right up there as one of the greatest ever. Just for the sheer improbability of what had just occurred.

I can probably count on two hands occasions at the match where I’ve reached that level of headloss previously. It’s a feeling that defies a rational explanation and even if you tried, it wouldn’t sound credible to anyone who hadn’t experienced the same thing themselves. Such scenes tend to be described as ‘limbs’ these days by social media try-hards, with most examples shared tending to be contrived and merely performative. That Maguire goal was more than just limbs, it was one of those moments where you blackout completely and come round 30-40 seconds later thinking ‘what the fuck just happened?’

The feeling it evokes is something close to genuine elation. People try to seek it out through religion, sex, drugs or music but I dunno… as sad as it may sound, to my mind nothing on earth comes close to an injury time winner in absurd circumstances like that. I really should have grown out of this by now. I’m 51 years old and have had many great days watching United but clearly, they still possess the ability to stun me on occasion. What a night. What a feeling. Football man.

As Napoli edge ahead in the race for this year’s Scudetto, the man of the moment is Scott McTominay who’s been tearing things up since his move to Italy. Regular MOTM performances, plenty of goals and rave reviews every week – good for him. Whilst I’m pleased that the move has worked out for the lad, I still can’t get my head around the chorus of social media wailing that follows his every performance now. McTominay is doing well at Napoli but that doesn’t mean that United weren’t entirely correct to sell him when they did.

During his 7 years as a first team player with over 250 appearances, I can barely recall a single occasion when he dominated the midfield. I know he chipped in with a few goals, particularly during his last season, but for the most part he was a passenger in an underperforming team. His attitude was good but his range of passing was poor and he’d routinely concede possession. Even more crucially, he’d regularly go missing when we were crying out for someone to show for the ball. This isn’t singling him out for criticism as his midfield colleagues were equally at fault more often than not.

The fact he’s doing well in Serie A is great for him personally and I hope he continues to enjoy himself there. But let’s put this in some perspective given that he’s back playing alongside Romalu Lukaku. Christ, Darmian and Mkhitaryan are still turning out for Inter Milan at the combined age of 71. I know Italian football is highly technical and can be just as wildly entertaining as it was in its fabled 90s heyday, but it’s just not comparable with the insane physical level of the Premier League. You receive the ball in Italy and have 3-4 seconds to think about what’s next as opposed to having 3 players closing you down in an instant. McTominay is thriving there because the game is played at a slower pace and it suits him better.

I don’t wish to come across as a know-it-all but I told you last month that Bilbao was definitely happening and it looks like it definitely is. I refuse to entertain intrusive thoughts of impending disaster in the home leg so as far as I’m concerned we’ve already qualified for the final. And no, I’m not feeling smug at all about booking direct return flights from MCR last July whilst everyone else is now scrambling round for ways to get there via Timbuktu.

The recent visit for the semi-final provided another memorable day and showcased what an incredible place it is. It’s a cheap drink, the food is world class and the hosts are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. The centre was buzzing all day with locals out on the streets bedecked in red and white stripes. I’m not just talking groups of lads – I mean entire families, pensioners, kids and family pets. All very friendly, not a hint of malice anywhere, all wanting to shake hands and welcome us to their city.

As we got closer to the ground an hour or so before kick off I couldn’t quite believe the scene there. There were thousands packed into the streets surrounding the stadium and there was a full-on carnival taking place. Fireworks, smoke bombs going off, music pumping out of bars – they were having a proper party. I asked a local kid if this was because it was a big game and he just shrugged and said “a few more people because of the bank holiday… but no, it’s always like this”. Personally I’d never seen anything like it. What a gaff.

If we do meet Spurs as is looking likely then I’m sure it’ll be fine for the most part. They are seasoned travellers like us and I expect the vast majority will be wanting a peaceful trip without any mither. With a 15,000 allocation everyone who merits a ticket should get one easily enough, and that’s including members with credits who’re ineligible to apply as things stand. Once people start looking at the logistics of getting there and the lack of accommodation I expect many will swerve it in the end – so there should be plenty of spares floating about for anyone struggling. (Remember this was the case for Stockholm in 2017.)

Fingers crossed then, after what’s been an utter shitshow for the most part, 2024-25 might well end on a high. At times it felt like the club had been cursed this season but perhaps not, eh? Good luck steering clear of the Irish bar divs in Bilbao, enjoy the summer break and I’ll see you in August.

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Dizzy Heights

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Even in this (putting it mildly) testing season, we’re still fortunate enough to experience days that many other football clubs would dine out on for decades. Another trip to San Sebastián was guaranteed to provide some respite from our domestic travails, only tempered by the suspicion it might turn out to be the final European trip for a good while. A couple of days of wine and pinchos bookending a moderately important game of football would be a more than satisfactory way to bow out if this was to be our last hurrah.

As it was, any fears were unfounded as the team came away with a credible draw – lucky perhaps to have encountered a Sociedad side who looked even more toothless than United. The tie was then settled at OT a week later where for the first time, we got a glimpse of what Amorim ball might look like in the future. I remarked to a mate as we walked out of the ground how weird it was to see the entire crowd smiling and happy. We’ve been so bad at home for so long that such occasions now feel like rarities.

Assuming relegation is successfully avoided, the entire season now rests on the Europa League and I can’t help believing that we’re gonna win it now. I know this flies in the face of common sense, but it just strikes me as a very United way of concluding what has been the worst campaign in decades. We’ll beat Lyon in a couple of weeks and then providing we get at least a draw in Bilbao we’ll do them at OT, no problem. Then it’ll be back to Bilbao for the final where we’ll face perennial bottlers, Spurs. I’m telling you, it’s happening.

The slight upturn in form that preceded the international break signalled the moment for the club to finally send ST renewal emails. A general 5% increase is probably lower than most were expecting given the rumours that had suggested a hike of 20% or more. Nevertheless, the pattern is now set for year on year rises until we’re paying the kind of prices billionaire Sir Jim probably sees as fair and reasonable. Freezing prices for under-16s was a blatant attempt to manipulate the narrative but the continued erosion of the OAP discount signals exactly what the club’s long term intentions are.

It wouldn’t surprise me if the rumours suggesting hefty price increases were started with the intention of making a 5% rise more palatable. Credit to the FAB for engaging with the club and arguing vociferously against any rises at all – but they’re ultimately fighting a losing battle when the club’s entire operating strategy is based on generating as much revenue as possible from any source they can think of. Long-term ST holders are an inconvenience blocking the club’s ability to welcome further hoards of free-spending day trippers. It’s the same story at virtually all PL clubs now.

Obviously, we’re being manipulated in the same way we have been for years. The laughable explanation that the rises are necessary due the club’s financial woes could almost be described as gaslighting. So we’re supposed to believe that we’re in this mess because we’ve not been paying enough at the turnstiles? Do me a favour. The club is financially screwed because the Glazers saddled it with unsustainable debts that have grown exponentially despite a cumulative income of around £8.5 billion since 2005. They’ve pocketed £166M in dividend payments whilst employing utter buffoons to oversee what’s basically been a managed decline over the last couple of decades.

Prior the price rise reveal we were treated to our first look at ‘New Trafford’, with the proposed plans for the new stadium being thrust into the media spotlight. Some would describe the design choice as ‘bold’, others might use the word ‘ridiculous’. It just left me shaking my head as it looks even more deranged than anticipated. I mean, of course they’ve come up with a concept featuring 3 massive towers visible from Liverpool. I mean, what billion pound in debt already-business wouldn’t think of that as an entirely sensible proposal? Honestly, what a club.

Tellingly, once again there was zero information provided on how the club intends to fund this monstrosity. Which, as you may recall, was the most glaring omission from the plans presented at the OT Regeneration public meetings held back in December. With the continued absence of such crucial detail, speculation is only going to intensify as to exactly what their plan entails. JP O’Neill, the esteemed former editor of Red Issue published a Substack piece that provided some insight on a potential worst-case scenario.

Given their reluctance to entertain the prospect of renovating the existing ground, it’s looking increasingly possible that any new stadium could ultimately be owned by a 3rd party entertainment behemoth with the club merely holding a long term lease. Meanwhile, all current assets will be demolished with the land sold off to property developers – which would explain precisely why Gary Neville has been involved from the start. In short, a potential sale and leaseback that would mean another insane payday for the Glazers and leave the club as tenants in the shiny new OT megadome.

It’s a vomit inducing prospect, but a very real one. Although nothing is confirmed, I don’t see how else this project becomes viable without such a doomsday scenario being presented as a fait accompli. The e-reds won’t mind in the slightest as most don’t have the attention span to understand the implications of the club surrendering their core assets and signing off on a rental home. That would be quite some legacy for an alleged ‘life-long red’ to leave behind. If this is just scaremongering and doesn’t reflect Ratcliffe and the Glazers’ intentions, then let’s hear some denials.

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Two Steps Back

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The January window passed off without major incident but again cast the spotlight on the precarious state of the club’s finances. The fact we brought in Patrick Dorgu was a minor surprise given the focus (rightly) was on trimming the wage bill to avoid future PSR breaches. Clearly, we’re in dodgy position right now. I’m sure Marcus Rashford didn’t expect to end up in Birmingham when Milan and Barcelona had been touted as potential destinations, but I guess we all have to make certain sacrifices during times of austerity, right?

I’ve been very critical of Rashford, but I hope this gives him a wake-up call and the motivation to kick on and resurrect his career. Ditto Antony, who now finds himself in Seville where I expect he’ll encounter a more forgiving environment in which to practice his pirouettes and ponder using his right foot one day. Sacrificing this pair and not even making a loan signing did appear to be a gamble though, one that backfired almost immediately now Amad has been ruled out for the rest of the season. I’m not sure what the plan is if Garnacho is unavailable for any length of time.

It’s long been suspected that the training levels aren’t what they should be at Carrington. You only have to look at the pre-match warm up routines to confirm that most players are simply going through the motions and there’s a noticeable lack of intensity. I suspect Amorim has clocked this and set about fixing things but he might need to re-adjust his methods. 9 days in-between games to spend on the training ground pre- Spurs resulted in 4 fresh injuries – and that’s coming off the back of the news that Martinez has undergone surgery and is likely out until Christmas. I strongly suspect the club could genuinely be cursed.

With Rashford and Antony joining Sancho out on loan, that now makes around £200M worth of wingers plying their trade elsewhere whilst remaining on the books. The silver lining in Sancho’s case is that at least he was shipped out with a clause obligating Chelsea to stump up a transfer fee in the summer. This move being a rare example of United doing something right with regard to player dealings – you’d be hard pressed to recall many other instances of the club doing something sensible in the transfer market in recent years.

The fact that both Rashford and Antony will be back in June is probably helping fuel speculation that both Garnacho and Mainoo might be sold in the summer. It’s a grim prospect that would have been inconceivable in previous years, but indicative of the gravity of the situation in which the club finds itself. Nobody wants to see our brightest prospects sold, but I suppose this is the natural consequence of years of ridiculous spending and kamikaze financial management. If it needs to happen to get the club back on a secure footing then so be it.

A lack of signings meant the e-reds had a difficult month, especially now the penny has dropped that Sancho is delivering the same turgid performance level at Chelsea as he did during his time at United. Amusingly, they’ve now pivoted from demanding his immediate recall to another familiar face, our old friend Paul Pogba! Yes, such unparalleled lunacy is alive and well on the internet. I mean, can you imagine being that thick you’d actually think that re-signing that clown would be a smart move at this point? Unsurprisingly, Rio Ferdinand was touting the same idea too.

Sad news came last month via the announcement of Denis Law’s passing – the original King of The Stretford End and my Dad’s favourite player of all time. I was fortunate enough to meet the man a couple of times and what a lovely, down-to-earth bloke he was. It was a pity then, that the ceremony held prior to the Fulham game days later was ragged mess in comparison to how the club have managed similar events in the past. The TRA drowning out the lone piper followed by Alan Keegan’s foghorn-voiced reading of a tribute poem brought little subtlety or solemnity to proceedings. It’s a shame because United used to get these things spot on.

In such circumstances, less can mean more. The contrast to the scenes inside the ground in January 1994 prior to the Everton game following Sir Matt’s death was stark. Back then there was a simple minute’s silence after a piper had led both teams out. There was no need for anyone on the mic giving a running commentary and to this day, the scene stands out as one of the most moving things I’ve ever witnessed in life. The club needs to reassess how these occasions are handled in future to ensure they don’t become some ill-conceived form of pre-match entertainment.

We went from Scotland’s finest to the absolute dregs in the space of a few days, as Rangers rocked up at OT for one of those “invasions” that occur every time a side from Glasgow ventures south of Newcastle. I managed to avoid them pre-match and wondered if the rumours about the numbers travelling were accurate, but then it was hard to miss them once they’d equalised. It all made for a highly entertaining last 10 minutes with skirmishes occurring all over the ground. I’ve no problem with any away fan getting in the home end as I’ve done it often enough. The rule as always is if you loudly make yourself known, be prepared for some potential consequences.

It didn’t take long for United to activate damage limitation mode, predictably blaming ST holders for selling on tickets rather than admitting that scores of hospitality seats had (also predictably) been snapped up by the Scots. The club used similarly disingenuous tactics after Galatasaray at home last season, another high-demand game that saw large numbers of away fans infiltrating home sections. Rather than learn any lessons from what happened that night and limiting the sale of hospitality seats for a potentially volatile fixture, they’ve just doubled down on attempts to pin the blame on regular ST holders.

After allegedly reviewing CCTV footage from the night, the club have contacted dozens of fans threatening to revoke their tickets unless they can prove their attendance at the game. The fact the club sees the value in targeting individuals and demanding photo ID to prove they were sat in their seats rather than acknowledging Rangers fans were freely allowed to congregate next to the away section is extraordinarily deceitful even by their own standards. Just own it and admit that despite the obvious risks, you allowed the sale of hundreds of home end tickets to away supporters. It’s that simple no matter how much they try to shift the blame onto United fans.

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