Every great football club has a legacy, a history, a slew of legends in their ranks and a period of total domination. It is the midst of this time that a casual lover of football becomes a fan, then a fanatic & finally it becomes your faith.
But this post isn’t about that, this is about how I and countless others of this generation came to follow a football club called Manchester United located almost 5200 miles away from the aforementioned place.
And that reason has to be Sir Alex Ferguson. The teams he built and the legacy he created. Once I became a United fan and perused through their history I realized that this institution had a long and successful history.
I came across terms like Newton Heath, The Busby babes, Munich Air Disaster, United Trinity…a whole other generation of luster. And Then came Fergie….
26 years and a dizzying array of trophies later, on May 19th 2013 came the day we dreaded. Distances were of little consequence on that day because I felt among those fans who got to see him in action for the last time before his retirement.
In all his rigorous gum chewing-watch checking- consulting with the 4th official-goal celebrating glory. Of course the tears were all dried up from the previous week’s farewell at Old Trafford and that speech but still the throat was choked.
But this is football and like everything else, nothing lasts forever. In came his successor.‘The CHOSEN One’. His reign as United manager was probably the most challenging time as a United fan.
It wasn’t the results that hurt. Or even finishing 7th place and missing out on Europe altogether. The most painful part of those 11 months was to watch a team who were English champions lose without a fight, draw against inferior opposition without even trying for more. No desire, no ambition no fight. Nothing.
Losses and draws are a part of a season, but it’s the manner in which those results come that impact the fans. And worst of all, being a United fan, was seeing Liverpool of all the teams, fighting for the title. And those fans were having fun.
Wayne Rooney was the only player who played with his heart and soul out there on the pitch. But we are used to seeing him do that every single match for all the years he’s been a United player.
David De Gea was a shining beacon that season and his profile increased in a major way, even being voted the club’s player of the year. Yet it was such a struggle for creativity that a hitherto unknown teenager called Adnan Januzaj broke through into the first team and sparked. But David Moyes overplayed him and the poor lad is yet to recover that fabulous form.
Lot of people criticize Sir Alex for Moyes’ debacle. That he was left with a champion team alright but a team that were old, imbalanced & with too many players in the same position. Yet Sir Alex made them English champions. So what does that tell us of his talent or should we indeed hold up that banner the Liverpool fans so gleefully made.
The worst part was that Moyes gave too much credit to the opponents. His infamous post-match remark that United should strive to play like Manchester City was the final nail in his United career coffin (At least in my head). How could a United manager go to such lows to say the team should be like the crosstown rivals (or as Sir Alex famously called the “noisy neighbors”).
Manchester United are a team that’s so used to winning trophies. The fans have been spoilt with glory. And along comes a person who thought it was okay to get a draw and not lose to a team we are so used to defeating. I, for one, was among the happiest when the glorious news came that Moyes was getting sacked. It was a long time coming. Many people said that it was harsh. I thought it was too late.
By the time Ryan Giggs was named interim manager, the season was all but finished. Still we were excited to see our legend take over the reigns and an emotional moment to see the Class of 92 (or at least 4 of them) sit together in the dugout doing the coaching for a change.
But of course, we all knew that fairy tale was too early to come true. United were floundering in the league and only a manager with immense experience and most importantly, an iron fist; could help us get back the lost glory.
Enter Louis van Gaal
His reputation preceded him. Fall-outs with players, bizarre coaching methods and a person from whom we get memorable quotes with almost every interview. But he was unafraid and brazenly confident to handle the pressures of being United manager when the club were in turmoil.
Of course, the first few results didn’t help settle the fans. Staying awake to watch the entire match against MK Dons (which led to me having insomnia for about a week after that fiasco) was the glorious highlight.
150 million bucks and a year later, United finished the season 4th. It took almost 28 games of the season for the team to find its rhythm and play the free flowing attacking football that United are known for.
Previous year’s flop shows like Ashley Young and Marouane Fellaini resurfaced and shined. Old Trafford was roaring again. Sure 4th place is nothing to cheer about. But at least the players are rejuvenated.
There is a will to win and score goals again. The fight back quality is back. The never say die attitude is regained. In short the identity of Manchester United football club has returned.
Looking forward to the 3rd year of this transition period, I can speak for all United supporters that there is light at the end of this tunnel. The Old Trafford ground has been literally refurbished. We have players like the legendary Bastian Schweinsteiger and young live wire Memphis Depay yet to make their Old Trafford debuts.
Now before every United match, the desperation and desolate feeling of 2 years back is no more. Instead, now I feel a nervous hope. The team has by no stretch reached the point where fans get thrills before the match.
But at least it’s better than having to watch a match through the gaps of your fingers covering your face (which is how I watched United lose to Sunderland in the league cup penalty shootout. Geez, how ridiculously painful was that to watch!)
There is hope again. We can again look forward to hearing from our manager with joy rather than cringe with embarrassment. We don’t have to look at our rivals with jealousy. Even if the team loses, there is genuine belief that it will not be without a fight.
It all comes down to this. The team may move forwards or flounder again because the years of transition are by no means over. But at least the fans can believe again. Because if you can’t believe in your faith, then what can you believe in.
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