This season, Manchester United fans have had to endure more
ridicule and heart break than they could ever have imagined. It has been such a
painful adjustment to life after Ferguson, Moyes’ proclamation that he has not
given the fans nearly enough to cheer is such an understatement. Time and
again, United fans have been crashed as Old Trafford has been turned into a theater
where visiting “also runs” have celebrated dream success and dropped heads of
Moyes’ charges have become a familiar sight.
As in the past couple of decades, United has continued to
grab headlines, but this season they have all been negative and predictions
have been of nothing but gloom. As every dark cloud has a silver lining, here
are five reasons for Manchester United fans keep smiling and enjoy the rest of
the season:
1. Manchester United without dispute boasts
the best fans in the game!
Earlier in the season when Wayne Rooney was
probably considering agitating for a move, hearing cheers when he may have
expected to be booed by United fans probably settled him to deliver one of his
most influential seasons.
Despite the disappointing run start to
Moyes’ era, United fans continue to travel in large numbers to away grounds and
many times out sing their host fans. Nowhere else will fans continue to sing
the manager’s name and encourage their troops after a record breaking run of
disappointing results.
2. Consider it a great compliment that so many
rivals are celebrating United’s re-adjusting pain.
If you were on the other side of a team
that had won nearly forty major trophies in twenty-three years, you probably
would celebrate as wildly as the opposition are.
That the falling records stood as long as
they did is a measure of how great the club is. Keep track of how long the
record stood and remember every record is bound to come to an end at some point
any way.
3. Constant press criticism goes to show that United
is the standard of English football.
Last season when Manchester United comfortably
won the league with a double digit point’s lead, they were the worst United team
of Ferguson’s era. Between 2007 and 2009 when United won three successive
league titles and made it to consecutive Champions League finals, they were not
as good as the 1999 treble winners.
The press will always be critical of
Manchester United so this season’s criticism should not be unsettling to fans –
it only goes to show that United are the true standard of English football.
4. Celebrate even the small successes.
In a season where United players have connived
to grasp defeat from the jaws of victory, success should not be taken for
granted. Celebrate every victory like a cup final, progression to Champions League
knockout stages like a semi-final appearance, and if United can snatch the
fourth and final Champions League place, celebrate like Wenger has done over
the last few seasons.
For a team that carries the average talent
of Cleverly and Buttner, celebrate the signing of world class talent (Mata) and
the unearthing of exciting young talent (Januzaj) like the re-birth of Cantona
and Best.
5. No team will be close enough to threaten
United’s record league titles at season end.
As long as Liverpool are not surprise
winners of this season’s title, none of the title contenders will get close
enough to threaten Manchester United’s record twenty league titles.
Based on current league standings, Arsenal
only has thirteen, Manchester City three and Chelsea has four. Liverpool
success would leave them only one short of United’s record haul of league
titles.
Although United fans
had become accustomed to celebrating much more, these are just a few reasons
for fans to hold their heads up, wear their jerseys, keep their smile and enjoy
the rest of the season.
