Echoes from Old Trafford - December 2018 by Manchester United Supporters' Club Malta

NEWSPAPER POST

Volume 46- Issue 2, December 2018

“I knew I had to take the free-kick because of the venue, and the importance of the game. It is one of my best free-kicks” Juan Mata after beating Juventus in Turin

Manchester United Supporters’ Club-Malta Founded 1959, is officially recognized by the Manchester United Football Club.

In this issue 1  EDITORIAL ENGLISH................................................................................. 3  EDITORIAL MALTESE................................................................................ 5  CLUB NEWS..............................................................................................7  TEDDY’S CORNER..................................................................................... 8  JUAN MATA............................................................................................ 10  LEICESTER CITY.................................................................................... 12  RYAN GIGGS MANAGERIAL CAREER SO FAR........................................... 15

Official publication of the Manchester United Supporters’ Club Malta

 CONTENTS................................................................................................

 OCCUPATION PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL COACH THE IDEAL TIME TO STEP DOWN!.........................................................

16  Y&Z PERSPECTIVES.............................................................................. 18  JOLLY GOOD CHRISTMAS OR THE GRINCH............................................20  THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MAN UTD AND MAN CITY BUSINESS MODELS..............................................................................

21  CAN MAN UTD AFFORD LOSING DAVID DE GEA?................................... 23  BELOW PAR........................................................................................... 27  THE SCOURGE.......................................................................................29  THE ROLE OF MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY IN FOOTBALL.........................30  WILL THE REAL POGBA PLEASE SHOW UP............................................ 33  CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NIGHTS............................................................... 35  TOP PERFORMERS IN THIS DIFFICULT PERIOD......................................36  UNITED CAPTAINCY.............................................................................. 37  POSITIONS TO STRENGTHEN IN JANUARY TRANSFER WINDOW...........39  RISING FROM THE WRECKAGE..............................................................40  MIXED MANCUNIAN PLATTER............................................................... 43  MAJOR LEAGUE’S ROUND UP................................................................46  STATISTICS.......................................................................................... 48

editorial team Clint Camilleri · Braden Galea · Michael Calleja advertising executive Antoine Portelli contributors Michael Calleja Robert Muscat Joseph Tedesco Jude Cauchi Stefan Attard Roderick Psaila Braden Galea Kevin Tabone Wayne Tabone Justyn Tabone Antoine Dalli Alan Abela-Wadge Julian Tabone Daniel Cushcieri Fr. Anthony Ferrante Silvio Scicluna Robert Mizzi Martin Calleja Urry Kenneth Abela Alex Dudely Iain McCartney Karm Galea

printing Progress Press patron Sir Alex Ferguson club founder John Calleja club committee Joseph Tedesco

President, Match Tickets Coordinator

Joe Catania

Vice President, Souvenir Shop Manager

Robert J. Muscat

Secretary, Tours Coordinator

Kevin Tabone

Treasurer, PRO

Braden Galea

Assistant Secretary

Egidio Sciberras

Assistant Treasurer

Charles Cauchi

Membership Secretary, Fund Raising Coordinator

Antoine Portelli Advertising Executive, Venue & Facilities Coordinator Clint Camilleri

Media & Publishing Coordinator

James Handyside

ICT Manager

Matthew Portelli O’Toole

Social Activities Coordinator Gozo representative Joe Xerri

MALTA MALTA

translator Tiziana Caruana

FOUNDED 1959

Quarries Square Street, Msida MSD 1101 Malta. Telephone: +356 21223531 E‑mail: info@manutd‑malta.com Website: www.manutd‑malta.com

club chaplain Fr. Anthony C. Ferrante (Carmelite) business partners

Based in Msida, Malta, we are a non‑profit organization designed to bring the Manchester United experience to United fans here in Malta. We are the only Official Manchester United Supporters’ Club on the Maltese Islands. We are also the oldest Manchester United Supporters’ Club in the World.

THE VIEWS IN THIS MAGAZINE ARE NOT NECESSARILY SHARED BY THE CLUB. VOL 46 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2018

The Echoes Editorial Board & the Committee of the Manchester United Supportersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Club Malta would like to wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.

VOL 46 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2018

Editorial TRIUMPH IN TURIN OVERSHADOWS POOR LEAGUE FORM D

espite Manchester United’s all but abysmal performance in the League campaign, fans certainly enjoyed the Red Devils’ oh-so-sweet triumph against the ‘Old Lady’ in Turin. Indeed the win was one to savour as it immediately brought back memories from the golden years when titanic tussles against Juventus were always a guaranteed fixture. After the match, Mourinho seemed to echo most fans’ praise by stating: ‘“The game was a very good game. It was top. We performed at a high level. We had about five minutes after that goal to wake up again but the team was there until the last. I am really proud of my boys because they did everything.’’ Let’s be honest, the boys played well on the night and deserved their win simply on the basis that they did not give up or throw in the towel. The last ten minutes was vintage United once again. We all smiled and cheered when Mourinho raced onto the centre circle and basked in the jeers and boos from the Juventus fans. Sir Alex Ferguson himself would have surely opened a bottle of red wine to toast this momentous occasion.

unfortunately comprehensively outgunned, outpaced and outmatched by Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. The 3-1 deficit was in some ways kind on Mourinho’s men as at no point in time did we realistically seem like scoring [despite winning and converting a penalty]. The gulf in class between both sides is still very visible albeit the Portuguese tactician was once again left bemoaning a tough fixture ‘congestion’. Bearing in mind that United had just played against Bournemouth and Juventus away

The win was not only important because it gave United fans a genuine sense of belonging [back in the big league in Europe] but also proved that the recent well merited 2-2 draw vs Chelsea was no fluke. And in a day and age where results and points matter, this win was not only sweet but inadvertently crucial. So much so that the Manager himself ascertained that: “We have one final to play at home against Young Boys. If my mathematics is right then we qualify [only if Valencia don’t beat Juventus] so I think now I leave it to the Old Trafford people’.

from home, Mourinho immediately vented his frustrations, declaring that: ‘“It’s a heavy result for the effort of a team that had three away matches in the same week, with a super difficult match of a high, demanding level in Juventus against a team that had two friendly matches at home against Southampton and Shakhtar [Donetsk]. The physical fatigue and the mental fatigue leads to mistakes. They were tired physically and mentally. You need to be in football or another high-level sport to know what that is. The concentration of the big matches, they dry you. You are dry inside. To be ready again for another big match is not easy.”

Unfortunately, the positive result in Turin was quickly forgotten as the Red Devils were

At the time of writing, the gap between both sides is a massive twelve points with the

title challenge realistically all but over. As we have been accustomed to throughout the past couple of seasons, United have no option but to ensure they break into the top four and ensure regular Champions League football. The current predicament is well rooted in the summer debacle when the Manager publicly expressed his frustration with the club’s lack of signings and defensive cover. In fact, most of United’s goals conceded have genuinely been careless and easily avoidable goals and one wonders what type of season would have panned out had those priceless two world-class centre backs been secured. The root causes of the problem will never be fully unveiled but fans are not blind enough to assume that all is right at Old Trafford. Some form of trouble seems to be brewing at the club with reports of a player ‘mutiny’ also being leaked in the tabloids. To what extent such a ‘mutiny’ can be classified as plausible is genuinely debatable but one cannot help but conclude that the current team is by no means the ‘finished product’. Many tweaks [both in terms of personnel and systems] are needed before José Mourinho can finally build a welloiled machine capable of mounting a serious assault on both the UEFA Champions League and Premier League. Finally, may we take this opportunity to wish all our readers the very best for the festive period! There is a saying that New Season means new hopes and new resolutions. May the year 2019 also provide fans with greater excitement, renewed zest and energy and a much improved that can finally start to deliver the results we all crave and yearn for. Oh and 2019 marks 20-years since the epic 1999 Treble season! Who knows, perhaps the writing’s on the wall for Manchester United to write history once again  Enjoy the read and all the best!

VOL 46 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2018

Il-Bord Editorjali ta’ The Echoes flimkien mal-Kumitat tal-Manchester United Supporters’ Club Malta jixtiequ jawguraw lilek u lill-familja tieghek il-Milied it-Tajjeb u xewqat sbieh ghas-Sena l-Gdida. VOL 46 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2018

Editorjal

IR-REBĦA F’TURIN ITTAFFI MILL-FORMA FQIRA FIL-KAMPJONAT

inkejja prestazzjoni mill‑agħar ta’ Manchester United fl‑istaġun tal‑League, il‑partitarji żgur tpaxxew bir‑rebħa ħelwa tar‑Red Devils kontra ‘La Vecchia Signora’ f ’Turin. Bla dubju, din ir‑rebħa kienet waħda li ta’ min wieħed igawdiha għaliex qanqlet immedjatament memorji tas‑snin glorjużi meta logħbiet missielta kontra Juventus kienu dejjem garantiti fil‑kalendarju. Wara dik il‑logħba, Mourinhio donnu rrifletta ħafna mill‑kummenti sbieħ tal‑partitarji billi qal: “Il‑logħba kienet waħda tajba ħafna. Kienet eċċellenti. Tajna prestazzjoni ta’ livell għoli ħafna. Ħadna madwar ħames minuti biex irreaġixxejna għal dak il‑goal iżda t‑tim baqa’ hemm sal‑aħħar. Inħossni verament kburi bil‑players tiegħi għax għamlu minn kollox.’’ Ejjew inkunu sinċieri. It‑tim lagħab tajjeb dakinhar u r‑rebħa kienet mistħoqqa fuq il‑bażi tal‑fatt li l‑players ma qatgħux qalbhom jew baxxew rashom. L‑aħħar għaxar minuti kienu għal darb’oħra, il‑United storiku. Kollha dħaqna u ċċelebrajna meta Mourinhio ġera lejn in‑nofs tal‑pitch u biex jiċċelebra fost l‑għajat u l‑insulti tal‑partitarji Juventini fil‑konfront tiegħu. Ċertament, kieku kien Sir Alex Ferguson kien jiftaħ flixkun inbid aħmar biex jiċċelebra din l‑okkażjoni unika. Ir‑rebħa ma kinitx biss importanti biex tagħti lill‑partitarji ta’ United sens ġenwin ta’ integrazzjoni [lura fil‑kampjonat il‑kbir tal‑Ewropa] iżda wriet ukoll li d‑draw ta’ 2‑2 meritat kontra Chelsea ma ġiex b’kumbinazzjoni. Aktar minn hekk, iż‑żminijiet li fihom ir‑riżultati u l‑punti jgħoddu, din ir‑rebħa ma kinitx biss ħelwa iżda aċċidentalment kruċjali. Tant hu hekk, illi l‑Manager stess stabbilixxa li: “Għandna finali waħda x’nilagħbu home kontra Young Boys. Jekk is‑somom tiegħi huma tajbin, allura, nikkwalifikaw [biss jekk Valencia ma jirbħux lill‑Juventus]. Għalhekk naħseb inħalli f ’idejn in‑nies ta’ Old Trafford issa’’.

Sfortunatament, ir‑riżultat pożittiv f ’Turin intesa malajr hekk kif Manchester City ta’ Pep Guardiola sfortunatment ġrew, issorpassaw u kienu ferm superjuri fuq ir‑Red Devils. Ir‑riżultat finali ta’ 3‑1 kien sa ċertu punt ħanin mal‑players ta’ Mourinhio minħabba li fl‑ebda mument ma rsaqna viċin li niskurjaw fir‑realtà [minkejja li rbaħna u għamilna penalty]. Id‑differenza fil‑livell ta’ klassi bejn iż‑żewġ naħat għadha tinħass ħafna, avolja l‑Portugiż tattiku tħalla għal darb’oħra diżappuntat quddiem il‑‘konġestjoni’ ta’ logħob iebes. B’United kien għadu kemm lagħab kontra Bournemouth u Juventus barra minn daru, Mourinhio esprima immedjatament

il‑frustrazzjonijiet tiegħu, billi qal: “Dan huwa riżultat iebes għall‑isforzi ta’ tim li kellu tliet logħbiet away fl‑istess ġimgħa, b’logħba ferm diffiċli ta’ livell għoli u impenjattiv min‑naħa ta’ Juventus kontra tim li kien għadu jilgħab żewġ logħbiet ta’ ħbiberija f ’daru kontra Southampton u Shakhtar [Donetsk]. L‑għeja fiżika u dik mentali jwasslu għall‑iżbalji. Il‑players kienu għajjenin fiżikament u mentalment. Trid tkun fil‑football jew f ’livell għoli ta’ sport ieħor biex tkun taf xi jfisser dan kollu. Il‑konċentrazzjoni għal‑logħbiet il‑kbar tixorbok. Tixorbok minn ġewwa. Biex tlesti ruħek għal logħba kbira oħra mhux faċli.” Waqt li kien qed jinkiteb dan l‑artiklu d‑differenza bejn iż‑żewġ naħat hija ta’ tnax‑il punt bl‑isfida

għat‑titlu għadha realistikament ħajja. Kif drajna matul dawn l‑aħħar staġuni, il‑United m’għandux għażla ħlief li jassigura li jagħmilha mal‑ewwel erbgħa u jilgħab football regolari fiċ‑Champions League. Il‑problema ta’ bħalissa tmur lura għall‑fjask tas‑sajf meta l‑Manager esprima l‑frustrazzjoni tiegħu għall‑fatt li l‑club qagħad lura milli jiffirma players ġodda u jaħseb biex isaħħaħ id‑difiża. Fil‑fatt, ħafna mill‑goals li qala’ il‑United kienu ġenwinament riżultat ta’ aljenazzjoni u setgħu kienu evitati u wieħed jaħseb dwar x’tip ta’ staġun kien ikun kieku dawk iż‑żewġ difensuri ċentrali prezzjużi ġew iffirmati mat‑tim. Il‑kawża prinċipali tal‑problema qatt mhu se nkunu nafuha iżda l‑partitarji mhumiex aljenati biżżejjed biex jaċċettaw li kollox sejjer tajjeb f ’Old Trafford. Jidher li se jqumu xi forma ta’ problemi għall‑club wara rapporti dwar ‘ribelljoni’ ta’ player li waslu għand il‑mezzi tax‑xandir. Sa liema estrem ‘ribelljoni’ titqies bħala aċċettabbli hija xi ħaġa li hi ġenwinament dibattibbli iżda wieħed ma jistax ma jikkonkludix li t‑tim attwali huwa bl‑ebda mod ‘il‑prodott finali’. Ħafna arranġamenti [kemm f ’termini ta’ personnel u sistemi] huma bżonnjużi qabel ma Jose Mourinhio jkun jista’ jibni arma tajba li kapaċi toħloq serje ta’ attakki fil‑UEFA Champions League u fil‑Premier Leaugue. Fl‑aħħar, nieħdu din l‑opportunità biex nawguraw lill‑qarrejja kollha tagħna l‑isbaħ xewqat għaż‑żmien ta’ festi! Hemm proverbju li jgħid Staġun Ġdid ifisser tamiet ġodda u riżoluzzjonijiet ġodda. Nittamaw li s‑sena 2019 tipprovdi wkoll lill‑partitarji eċitament ikbar, entużjażmu, enerġija mġedda u dak it‑titjib tant mistenni biex jibda jġib ir‑riżultati li tant għandna għatx għalihom. Bilħaqq, l‑2019 se timmarka l‑20 sena mill‑istaġun epiku tat‑Treble tal‑1999! Min jaf, forsi id‑destin diġà miktub għal Manchester United biex jagħmel l‑istorja għal darb’oħra  Gawdu din is‑silta u xewqat sbieħ!

2,000,000 MALTA

FOUNDED 1959

Thank you VOL 46 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2018

CLUBNEWS Following the busy weeks prior to the visit in September by Manchester United explayers, the committee’s focus turned on the organization of the traditional Christmas Activities at the club and on the January Tour for the Burnley match, which will include the first ever official dinner organized in Manchester by the club. Squeezed in between these major events for the club, we had the All Souls Mass on 4th November, another annual event in the club calendar. Year after year the committee tries to improve what is offered to our members, or change what did not work. This year, the Christmas party for our junior members promises to be one of the best, not only as regards entertainment, but also as regards the numbers poised to attend, and the gifts the children receive from Father Christmas. We must always keep in mind that all this is possible only thanks to the continuous support of our sponsors. This year we also plan to host around 40 children from Santa Rita of Hal Tarxien and Ursuline Creche.

events cooking, notably the Europa League Trophy in Malta and a dinner in Malta later in the year. Stay tuned for more information in the weeks to come. As always I urge you to renew your memberships

by Robert Muscat

and also encourage people you know support Manchester United to join our club. Finally I take the opportunity to wish you all a joyous Christmas and a prosperous and healthy 2019.

All Souls Day Mass.

This year also sees us hosting our members for the much awaited Christmas party on a Friday evening rather than a Sunday morning. Once again we shall be presenting a memento to those members who have been members for 25 years and those who have been members for 50 years. The number of course increases every year. This year I am dubbing it the year of the notaries of the club as 3 notaries will be receiving a memento for their 25 years membership of the club. Notary Joseph Darmanin, Notary Patrick Critien and yours truly. A request to increase the club’s expenditure for this year’s memento was not approved !! Joking apart, when I saw my name on the list I must say I was somewhat taken aback because 25 years is …well 25 years. The ground work necessary in organizing a dinner in Manchester is considerable and meetings are held regularly in order to ensure that all will be up to the expected standard come the night. The tour from Malta is fully booked and practically all the guests from Manchester and the environs whom we have in mind to attend the dinner, have almost all confirmed. Therefore we are guaranteed a full house and a night to be remembered by all those present. Work on a brand new website for the club has also started and we hope to launch in time for our 60th Anniversary. Certainly exciting times ahead also in this regards. The committee’s back burner also has more

VOL 46 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2018

TEDDY’S corner Dear All It is 24th November. I am waiting for our game vs Crystal Palace to kick off, finally a home fixture after 3 consecutive away matches against Bournemouth, Juve and City, in that order. We are currently 12 points below City, having scored 16 goals less and conceded

16 goals more than them, got a decent football lesson by Guardiola’s team in our last outing…things not looking well. In the opening paragraph of my article in the last Echoes edition, my prediction was that this is going to be a long season for Manchester United…probably it will be longer than I thought.

have your say on info@manutd‑malta.com

We have since played Juve home and away, Chelsea away and City away. At Stamford Bridge, United were denied 3 points by a very late equaliser. For me, personally, that was the best game we played this season so far. United were offensive, good on the break, took their goal scoring chances, organised in midfield and quite solid at the back. Chelsea were on a very good run, high in confidence, one of our bogey teams and very hard to beat at the Bridge. We went one goal down but our players showed courage and character, and like they did many times this season, they turned around the result, following a very good reaction. I believe that if the Manager and the players adopt this same approach in all other games, fans will be much happier and the team could be in a very much better position. Juventus showed superior quality in both games but on aggregate United are now on top thanks to a very unexpected but ever so sweet victory in Turin in the dying seconds, our third in a row against Juve in Italy. The game was won thanks to Juve’s lack of good finishing in front of goal but also thanks to a very detailed and disciplined plan conjured by Mourinho, in his own style. Notwithstanding the elated satisfaction, it was still not convincing. Fans were now expecting a result at the Etihad stadium. However, the result, but above all the performance, against a City side deprived of Kevin de Bruyne with Gabriel Jesus and Sane on the bench, brought everyone back down to earth, realising that in reality we are actually years behind the ones we used to call the noisy neighbours. During these years, however, some kind of complete overhaul needs to take place. City spent decades in the shadows of United, ridiculed and humiliated. They will never match the greatness of the name, that’s for sure, but they have surely turned things around in terms of ridicule and humiliation. They seem to have some issues with the fair play rules... there must be something wrong with a Club paying all those wages but at the same time not able to fill their 55,000 seater stadium, not even for Champions League games. However, whatever the sanctions due to be imposed, this does not impinge on my very high opinion about their current football quality.

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With City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and to a certain extent Tottenham, doing so well this season, there will be a daunting challenge even to penetrate the top 4 come next May. Fans and critics are looking at the January transfer window as a potential source of some kind of solution for the various problems José is facing with quality. I have never looked at this window as an opportunity for the elite teams. Those challenging for the top honours would have done their homework in the summer. I strongly believe the type of players United must attract to start the rebuilding process will not be available in January even though one from either Maguire, Alderweireld or Škriniar would help bring some much needed stability to the back 4. Talking about defenders, I have to admit (believe me, I love these admissions) that my recent terrible assessment of Victor Lindelof has been shattered by a consistent number of subsequent manof-the-match performances. The Swedish central defender has certainly moved up a gear and is surely the best central defender we have at the moment. I wish I could say the same about Bailly, Pogba, Lukaku and Sánchez but on day of writing, I am not in a position.

all together…Liverpool has won, in polite words, absolutely nothing. The only solace about the superiority of Manchester City at the moment is that at least there is someone who can keep the scousers away from their holy grail. Not the mentality we have been used to during the past two and a half decades, but the reality of today. Hopefully we can turn the corner one day, not in the too distant future.

May I take the opportunity to wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Keep that red flag flying high always. Yours United Teddy

Herrera, Mata, Valencia, Jones, Smalling, Darmian, Martial, De Gea, Wilson, Pereira and Young. What do all these have in common? We are 2 months away from the January transfer deadline and these players all have their contracts due to terminate in 2019. All but Herrera, Mata and Young have an option to extend one additional year. Some of you would say good riddance to some, but from a management and financial point of view, this is not looking well at all from the outside. Speculation on both De Gea and Martial, especially with his current form, is growing from everywhere. It will be interesting to see how the Glazers and Mr. Woodward shall be dealing with this situation in the coming weeks/ months. To finish my last article for 2018, I wanted to share with you in words one very good picture I have seen on Facebook which as always brings hope, a cruel smile and a big sigh of relief…since leaving Liverpool, Suarez, Sterling and Coutinho won 16 trophies

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Luke Shaw

by Jude Cauchi

ack in 2014 when Manchester United signed Luke Shaw, I was very surprised in view that the English International is a Chelsea fan and therefore it seemed only a matter of time before he joined José Mourinho at Chelsea. In spite of this, there was an anti-climax and as it turned out, Shaw signed for Manchester United which made a lot of the supporters dream that the club had just signed one of the best left backs in the Premier League. Unfortunately in his early days at the club, the player failed to establish himself as a regular starter especially when considering the amount of constant injuries which he was suffering every season. To add insult to injury, the majority of the fans at the club were beginning to doubt whether the player was actually a right fit for the club. In fact, when José Mourinho took over the reins at Manchester United, the player struggled more than ever and was constantly being criticised in public by the Portuguese manager and also by other sections of the media for not being physically fit and up to the standard required. Luckily enough, in life this is what distinguishes winners from losers and rather than seeking an exit from the club, the left back worked very hard to prove his critics wrong and finally the Manchester United fans are witnessing the best of Luke Shaw this season. In fact, if the player stays clear of injuries, the expectations are that he can continue to play at the highest level for many more years to come. In terms of his youth career, Luke Shaw played for Hersham and Molesey Juniors before joining the Southampton academy in 2003 at the age of eight where he made a name for himself. Consequently, by the age of sixteen apart from having made his debut for the club in the FA Cup, he was already

attracting interest from various Premier League clubs which included Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal. Southampton responded to such interest by offering the boy his first professional contract which was a sign that the player was in the club’s long term plans. In fact, he made his Premier League debut the following season in November 2012 against Swansea City and he never looked back from there as the English international became a key player in the Saints’ squad. Unfortunately for the club however, despite signing a five year deal, when Manchester United showed concrete interest in the left back, the temptations of joining the biggest club in the world and becoming the world’s most expensive teenager proved to be too hard to turn down. In total, Luke Shaw registered a total of sixty appearances for Southampton.

In terms of his playing style, Luke Shaw is renowned for his ability to go forward combined with some very good defensive skills. In fact, having the ability to both attack and defend is part and parcel of what makes an effective full back. On the other hand, although the full-back did manage to score his first Manchester United goal in the opening game of this season, there is room for improvement when it comes to finishing as we have witnessed in the away match against Bournemouth, but this is something that can be attributed to the majority of the Manchester United team.

It is fair to say that in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, although Manchester United were very active in the transfer market, the return on investment left a lot to be desired. Hence, although Luke Shaw had a very tough start to his United career, it is very encouraging to see a player which has now settled well and is passionate for the club especially in view that passion seems to have become a secondary issue in today’s world football where players are more interested in their image rather than the image of the club which they represent on a daily basis.

With reference to the International career of the young boy, so far he managed a total of nineteen appearances for the England under 16s, 17 and 21s while a total of eight appearances were registered for the England senior national team. Moreover, representing your country in a major tournament should be something that every player aspires to do in his career and although so far the left back has not had this opportunity, the signs look very positive for the future especially as he has now established himself as England’s main left back ahead of the likes of Leighton Baines. Furthermore, after years of major disappointments for the English national team, Gareth Southgate seems to have found the right formula to take this England team forward and hence such positive environment should help players like Luke Shaw to develop their careers even further and maybe also win something big on the international stage.

Playing for Manchester United is something that each player has to appreciate and can never be taken for granted. In fact, when a Manchester United player works his socks out on the pitch will never go unnoticed by the supporters at the club even though they might not necessarily be the best players in the world. In Luke Shaw’s case, the expectations are that with the right combination of the quality that he possesses plus the right attitude that he is showing both on and off the pitch, he can have a similar impact as former Reds player Patrice Evra.

To conclude, after a very difficult start to the season, the team seems to have finally made improvements on the pitch. In fact, Manchester United managed to register positive results after being behind against the likes of Newcastle, Chelsea, Bournemouth and Italian giants Juventus. In spite of this, it is vital that both the Reds and the player keep their feet on the ground as football teaches us that through pure dedication and hard work, miracles can be achieved. So congratulations to Luke Shaw for the massive improvement he has made and long may this continue.

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Leicester City - How Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha transformed the club into Champions by Stefan Attard

hen Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha completed his takeover of Leicester in 2010, he was asked why he had bought the club in a very rare interview that he gave. He claimed that it was because Leicester had the same colours as his company, King Power Duty Free. But there was more behind the Thai billionaire and this purchase. Vichai was a quiet, humble and generous man who fell in love with the community of Leicester and the people within it. Supporters were initially sceptical about him, but he was true to his word and was not a foreign owner running the club from afar. He was a frequent visitor to the King Power Stadium and, when he was unable to get to a match, his son Aiyawatt was there. They were very much at the heart of the football club despite having huge business interests elsewhere. Leicester confirm chairman’s death On the 27th October the Leicester owner was in helicopter accident after having watched his team drawing against West Ham. A couple of days later, Leicester City confirmed what all fans were fearing - their chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha was one of five people

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Leicester were fairy-tale Premier League winners in 2016. on board the helicopter that crashed outside the King Power Stadium. After buying a then-Championship Leicester for £39m from Milan Mandaric, Vichai immediately wrote off £103m in loans the club had incurred and effectively made them debt free.

Since then, there has been a steady flow of money into the club, improving the playing squad as well as the overall infrastructure, with planning permission granted for a brand new training ground that will cost upwards of £100m. But more than just investing his own personal

wealth, he engaged with supporters. He gave fans free bus travel to away games, he gave out free beer and cake when it was his birthday as well as free scarves - it was small gestures like these, rather than big-name signings, that won the hearts of the Leicester fans. ‘No Premier League title without him’ Beyond the world of football, Vichai realised the value of community. He gave two separate instalments of £1m to Leicester Royal Infirmary, just as a benevolent gesture to try and help the people of Leicester. It had absolutely nothing to do with football - he genuinely felt he could change the community for the better and wanted to be a part of it. Vichai was also very close to his staff and had a strong relationship with senior players at the club, of ten seeking their account and opinion on certain matters.

It immediately assured his place in Leicester folklore and the endearing image of him and Aiyawatt holding the Premier League trophy aloft will always be remembered. Leicester fans have already called for a statue to be built of him - when was the last time supporters were calling for a statue of an owner? That honour is normally reserved for hero players at a club. However, in the case of Vichai, it would be more than fitting for a man that was more than just a football owner. Following his father’s death, Vichai’s son Aiyawatt has vowed to uphold his legacy at Leicester City. Having been Leicester’s vice chairman, Aiyawatt promised to carry out his father’s “big vision and dreams” following his passing.

built is supporting each other through a time of such sadness. My dad had a way of teaching me about life and work without making it seem like a lesson. He was my mentor and role model. Today, he has left me with a legacy to continue and I will do everything I can to carry on his big vision and dreams. My family and I would like to thank each and every one of you for your sincere kindness and good intentions during the most difficult time for us. “I miss you dad, with all of my heart”. Aiyawatt said in a statement published on the club’s website.

When they secured that unlikely Premier League titles in 2016, he rewarded the playing squad with sports cars and all-expenses-paid holidays. There were, of course, those crazy nights when he would take the entire squad out and pay for everything, whether that be trips to casinos or top restaurants. Nothing was too expensive or too much trouble for him. But when it came to running the club and taking the big decisions, he took them on. He never shirked tough calls or passed them onto people that ran the club on a more day-to-day basis. It was very much his club and run in his image. Not all of his decisions were popular though. The sackings of Nigel Pearson, Claudio Ranieri and Craig Shakespeare were considered unpopular, but he continued to ask the supporters to trust him and, to a large extent, they did. While football fans don’t always agree with their owners, Vichai was always very conscious to explain himself to Leicester supporters and always assured them he had their best interests at heart. The way he was around the club and the community, it is safe to say they have been utterly convinced by that. His lasting legacy, however, will always be that he delivered the most famous Premier League title in the history of the competition.

“I would like to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for this overwhelming support. Thank you, also, to Leicestershire Police and the Emergency Services. Their fast response on Saturday kept a lot of people safe. Their professionalism and sensitivity since then have made the last few days as bearable as they could be.

Leicester City have opened a book of condolences at the King Power Stadium for fans to pay their respects to owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.

What happened made me realise how important my dad was to many people all over the world and I’m touched by how many people kept him close to their hearts.

The entire Leicester City squad joined the owner’s family in paying their respects after observing the vast amount of floral tributes and messages outside the stadium.

I’m extremely proud to have such an extraordinary father. From him, I have received a very big mission and legacy to pass on and I intend to do just that.

His son, and Leicester vice-chairman, Aiyawatt, led a procession of around 30 people as they made their way to the front of the shrine to lay down a wreath on Monday.

For a long time, my father taught me to be strong and to take care of my family. He loved his family. He made Leicester City into a family. And nothing would make him prouder than to see how the Leicester City family that he

A Leicester City statement on Monday evening read: “The club would like to thank supporters for their overwhelming support and kind wishes since the tragic events of Saturday evening.”

Supporters were also able to leave a message in an online book of condolence via the club’s website.

VOL 46 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2018

Ryan Giggs’ Managerial Career So Far

by Roderick Psaila

n 1st July 2013, David Moyes was officially unveiled as the first post-Ferguson Manchester United manager. His muchcriticised reign would however last less than 10 months, as on 22nd April 2014, United announced that Moyes had left the Club and Ryan Giggs would be given the responsibility as Manchester United player-manager for the last four matches of the season. Giggs had spent that season as player-coach under Moyes, and rumours had it that he did not see eye to eye with the Manager in footballing terms.

with a challenge at club level that would see him taking over the reigns at Old Trafford in due time. I look at Steven ‘slippery’ Gerrard and Frank Lampard taking managerial responsibilities this year in less prominent clubs and arguably getting ready for bigger challenges in the Premier League, when the opportunity comes. Ryan could have done this but surprisingly, he opted to continue his managerial education by taking over the helm of the Welsh national team in January 2018, after previous coach Chris Coleman had joined Sunderland.

In truth, 2018 has not been the best start to Ryan’s managerial career with Wales, judging by the results. Fair play to him, Ryan is building a new team with Wales, with several young faces being introduced and if given time, I am confident that Ryan will bring success to the national team. His real test will be the qualification matches for the European Nations Cup Finals and nothing less than finishing in one of the top two places in their group and qualifying for the final stage will be acceptable. The draws for the group stage will be held on 2nd December.

With the club languishing in 7 th place and surely out of contention for a Champions League spot the following season, I can still remember Ryan stepping out on the Old Trafford pitch as United manager for his first match in charge against Norwich City, which United won comfortably 4-0, Rooney and Mata scoring twice each. United lost the following match at home to Sunderland, won the next against Hull – with Giggs giving full debuts to James Wilson and Tom Lawrence in that match – and drew the last match of the season away to Southampton. The Southampton match brought to an end Giggs’s managerial career at club level, till this day at least.

As Wales Manager, Ryan took a team which had failed to make it to the World Cup Finals. This was a huge disappointment for the whole nation, following a highly successful experience two years before at the European Nations Cup in France, where the Welsh team made it to the semi-finals and lost to eventual winners Portugal. The introduction of Ryan as Wales Manager was seen as the return of the prodigal son by the f ans and there was significant enthusiasm around the appointment.

Only time will tell whether Ryan can emulate his glorious playing career in management. Surely no easy task, but given his tactical nous and his experience at international level with United during his playing days, who could bet against him going on to become a legend as Wales manager and perhaps use that as a springboard for successful club management? We certainly wish him luck!

Although a significant portion of the United fans – more through heart than mind – wanted Ryan to remain and manage the team full time, at forty years of age and without any managerial experience prior to the four match stint with United, Ryan was deemed too inexperienced to take full responsibility to manage a club as big as United by the Board. The latter appointed Louis Van Gaal as Manager, with Giggs being appointed as Assistant Manager full time. This move was meant to continue Ryan’s education in management and Van Gaal was arguably one of the top managers in the World from whom to learn. Van Gaal lasted two years at the helm and was sacked soon after winning the FA Cup in May 2016. Giggs had on a number of occasions been sponsored as a future United manager by Van Gaal himself during the previous two years and he was certainly in the reckoning to take over from LVG in the summer of 2016. The owners and the Board however felt that after three years of barren runs, a club which was used to winning the Premier League at least every other year could not take risks and appointed Jose Mourinho as Manager. This meant that Ryan was denied the Manager’s role when natural succession seemed likely. From June 2016 till January 2018, Ryan spent 18 months assessing and mulling over offers for managerial positions. Personally, I am still perplexed how he never felt that he was being offered a proper managerial role which satisfied his ambitions and provided him

In the nine matches in charge, Wales have won three, drew one and lost the other five matches. The most disappointing of those losses was probably the defeat suffered in the last competitive match played, a 2-1 setback against Denmark in the Millennium Stadium. Wales needed to win by a three-goal margin to win their group in the Nations League but could not manage to turn their superiority into a win, as they missed several goalscoring oppor tunities and were made to pay by their more experienced adversaries. Ryan went for a young adventurous line up in his attempt to unsettle the Danes but it did not work out the way he planned. The disappointment against the Danes was followed by an embarrassing friendly defeat in Albania, against a team ranked several places below in the FIFA rankings. Ryan fielded an experimental side and included two debutants in a very young team. Despite this fact, he did not look for any excuses related to the inexperience of his team in his after-match interview.

VOL 46 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2018

Occupation: Professional Football Coach... the ideal time to step down! by Antoine Dalli

success which takes precedence to long-term planning.

From a purely financial point of view, professional football coaches are considered a privileged breed. Coaches are handsomely paid for their work although in most cases they receive pay packages which are a fraction of those received by the players they themselves train, manage and are ultimately responsible for.

It has become pretty customary for senior members of the dressing room to speak directly with the club owners or Board Members with a view to undermine their coach’s authority. Few examples come to mind... a number of Chelsea senior players were rumoured to be the masterminds behind the sacking of André Villas-Boas in 2012 and José Mourinho in 2015. Same with Claudio Ranieri in February 2017 when he was sacked by Leicester less than a year from leading them to their first title in the club’s 132 year history. In similar vein Carlo Ancelotti was shown the backdoor by Bayern Munich a year ago. It is often rumoured that senior members of the Real Madrid dressing room are consulted before club president Florentino Pérez appoints a new coach.

n recent months there was a debate whether European Football Leagues should introduce a managerial transfer widow to regularise when they can replace their own coaches. The debate is still on going and so wide ranging that it deserves to be tackled in an article on its own.

For instance, Massimiliano Allegri is on a EUR7.5 million per year contract with defending champions Juventus. Although the former Milan trainer may be the highest paid coach in the Italian Serie A, Allegri’s financial package is modest when compared to the Serie A’s highest paid player – Cristiano Ronaldo, who reportedly earns EUR30 million per year from Juve. The reason is that players are the consummate entertainers of the game. To rub insult to injury, football coaches are usually held responsible for their team’s failures because for football club owners it is far cheaper and more convenient to make the coach the scapegoat for the side’s frailties rather than to overhaul the squad they would (in most of the cases) have assembled themselves. Two other factors which professional football coaches have to contend with these days are player power and the clubs’ pursuit of instant

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Nowadays, clubs are after instant success and so gone are the days when a coach is given ample time to build something of his own. Coaches are handsomely paid to obtain instant success. Nothing short of that will mean automatic sacking in most cases. One thing is for sure... football coaches should be shrewd enough to know when to step down. Take the case of Zinedine Zidane, who quit Real Madrid only days after leading them to their 13th European Cup success – the third in a row. The 1998 Golden Ball winner sensed that Los Blancos had reached their peak and it was next to impossible to keep on winning. In similar vein, José Mourinho sensationally stepped down from the position of Inter coach

in May 2010 almost immediately leading them to an unprecedented treble including their first Champions League triumph since 1964/65. Mourinho’s move could not have been better timed as the Nerazzurri have since changed more presidents than lifted silverware. In 2006, Marcello Lippi handed in his resignation as Italy’s Commissario Tecnico only days after leading the Azzurri to their fourth world cup triumph – their first since 1982. The former Juventus and Inter mentor knew that with the players he had at his disposal it was impossible to challenge for EURO 2008. It was even more surprising when Lippi sensationally replaced Roberto Donadoni after Italy’s dismal performances in EURO 2008. Lippi’s return coincided with Italy’s worst performance in the world cup finals in many decades as the defending champions fell at the first hurdle by finishing bottom of Group F in a spineless defence of their World Cup crown in the 2010 World cup finals in South Africa. Using the above reasoning, Arsène Wenger should have quit Arsenal soon after their domestic double of 1997/98. But then, it would have been impossible for Arsenal to complete yet another double at the end of 2001/02 or be crowned champions of England without suffering a single defeat in season 2003/04 – an accomplishment last achieved by Preston North End 115 years before. But from then onwards, on the field of play, Arsenal were never the force they used to be before as following their 2004/05 FA Cup triumph at the expense of Man United after a penalty shoot-out, Arsenal went through nine

trophy-less seasons before lifting their 11th FA Cup at the expense of unfancied Hull (after extra time) after coming from two goals down. Off the field of play, it is widely accepted that the former Monaco trainer transformed Arsenal’s fortunes. The financing of the Emirates Stadium, which cost in the region of €466 million, came at the expense of the team’s successes on the field of play as Wenger offloaded several members of his ‘Invincible’ team to partly finance this enormous capital project. Eventually, Wenger’s 22 year stint with Arsenal came last summer. On a positive note, Wenger will for sure be remembered for leading Arsenal to two domestic doubles in 1998 and 2002; for the season of the ‘Invincibles’ in 2003/04; for overseeing Arsenal’s relocation to the Emirates Stadium from Highbury, which had been Arsenal’s home ground since 6 September 1913. However, apart from the six finals he lost at the helm of Arsenal, due to his ill-timed departure from the North London club Wenger will also be remembered for Arsenal’s nine trophy-less seasons between 2005 and 2014, and for leaving the team out of UEFA’s premier club competition – the Champions League. The same cannot be said for Sir Alex Ferguson. The Scotsman, who had been in charge of Man United since November 1986, did not

taste any success with the Red Devils before lifting the FA Cup at the expense of Crystal Palace in May 1990 after a replay. But from then onwards it was constant success for Man United with the highlights coming at the end of season 1998/99 after the Red Devils grabbed an unprecedented treble consisting of the English Premier League, the FA Cup and the Champions League; and in 2007/08 when they secured their 17th English Premier League title, their third Champions League (the second one under Ferguson) and their first ever FIFA Club World Cup. Sir Alex had been planning to retire in 2002 and Sven Goran Eriksson, then England national team coach, was touted to be his successor. However, Ferguson made a U-turn and pursued his winning streak until he stepped down in May 2013, in the aftermath of Man United’s 13th English Premier League title (overall their 20th). Contrary to Wenger, Sir Alex is often credited with building five distinct league-winning squads which ensured Man United continued winning regularly under his leadership. Pep Guardiola won all six competitions in his maiden season with mighty Barcelona in 2008/09, including amongst others the Spanish La Liga, the Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup. Guardiola was tempted to step down from his role late in 2009 in the aftermath of

Barcelona’s triumph over Estudiantes of Argentina (2-1 a.e.t.) in the FIFA Club World Cup final in Abu Dhabi, but Barcelona were still at their peak. In fact Guardiola’s decision to stay put until season 2011/12 was vindicated as Barcelona lifted two more La Liga titles before bowing out to José Mourinho’s Real Madrid at the end of season 2011/12; and another Champions League (again at the expense of Sir Alex Ferguson’s Man United like in 2008/09). In general, professional football coaches should step down when they are on a high. The only exception could be when the coach reckons that the players at his disposal are still in their peak, loyal to him and as such further successes are on the horizon. Such an advice was not heeded by Claudio Ranieri after leading Leicester to their first ever English Premier League title at the end of season 2015/16 despite them being rated 5,000-1 shots at the start of the campaign. Instead of stepping down in the aftermath of such a remarkable success, the former Roma, Inter and Monaco coach extended his contract with the Foxes by four years... only to be sacked nine months later at a time when Leicester were just one point clear of the relegation zone with 13 games to go (with the spectre of becoming the first defending champions to be relegated since Man City in 1938).

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VOL 46 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2018

Y & Z United Perspectives by Kevin, Justyn & Wayne Tabone

nd on to the second edition of an article which is fast becoming a hot discussion amongst the Tabone family! One generation thinks that Pogba is our star player whilst another thinks he doesn’t work hard enough. One thinks that United’s position shouldn’t be where it is and a change is needed, whilst another thinks that the club is heading in the right direction under the management of Mourinho. And the list goes on and on... Since José took away the captain’s armband from Paul Pogba, we have seen a different Pogba on the pitch. Do you think such move had some kind of positive impact on the Frenchman? Wayne: In the last few games, Pogba is playing way better than when he was the captain. He is playing more with his teammates and is now moving up and down the pitch. He is being more aggressive and not walking but defending and he is being more confident with the ball and helping his team mates when they are in a bad situation. I don’t think José Mourinho took the captain armband for nothing as he is playing better than he was playing. Justyn: Even though Paul Pogba has been playing well since Mourinho removed him from vice-captain, I don’t think it had an impact on him. I think that his positive performances on the pitch are more to do with

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him understanding what Mourinho wants from him. In the previous seasons he had been playing a more defensive position which he does not normally play. This season Pogba had been getting forward more and his offensive abilities are being seen more consistently. Kevin: Giving a player the captain’s armband or stripping him of it should not change, better or worsen, a football player. The characteristics of a player are built over a number of years and will not change over a decision of captaincy. The speculation over the differences between Mourinho and Pogba has been on the back pages for quite a while. When the manager decided to give Paul the captaincy, there were a number of players who rank higher in the captaincy order that were missing. As has become custom with Pogba, during the matches he was captaining the side, there were moments of brilliance but there were also moments of utter madness, with risky dribbles or fancy flicks in areas where Mourinho would surely not want his players to do, let alone his captain. So no, I don’t think that neither decision, giving or taking away the captaincy, had any effect on Pogba’s performances. Do you think Manchester United tap the January transfer market resources to this squad? If you choose one player who would

should to add had to it be?

Wayne: As I think the squad is always getting better slowly, I still think we need a better centre-back. This is because Bailly is almost always injured so when he’s fit, himself and Lindelof could alternate. Jones and Smalling are not good enough and I think Manchester United should replace them. I think if we buy a young experienced Premier League player, it would be best. I think Rudiger would be the best or maybe one of the best. Rudiger is very good at defending and also with his feet, and he is also tall. Justyn: I think that United should buy two players in the January transfer window. I think Manchester United need a centre back and a back-up striker to Lukaku. I think that a central defender is more important as this season, Mourinho is opting for a more attacking style of play. By buying a top class defender, United would not be scared as much of conceding and could attack with more confidence. If I had to choose one player to buy I would choose Varane as he is strong, quick and reads the game very well. He has been a vital part of the success he has had both with his club and country by winning both the Champions League and the World Cup in the same season. Kevin: Back in the successful Fergie era, Sir Alex always used to prioritize having a solid central defensive unit. In my eyes, one

At this stage of the season should Manchester United give up all hopes of challenging for the title and be happy to finish in top four? Wayne: As we are in seventh place I think we should still go for first place but it is best to target the top four and aim for the Champions League as we have a bigger chance to win this trophy. As Manchester United, we have not won this trophy for ten years so this would be a game changer for our club if we were to win it. Justyn: With the way things have gone up till now I don’t think Manchester United can be considered as title contenders. Although I don’t think that Manchester United should give up. They should still want to become title contenders. There is still a long way to go and considering the latest results United seem to have found a rhythm to their play. I think if United keep winning games against clubs outside of the top six and get some positive results against the top clubs, United will get into the top four and, who knows, maybe challenge for the title.

used to be a robust, hard tackling defender whilst his partner a bit better technically and having good feet when on the ball. Think of Bruce & Pallister, Stam & Johnsen and Ferdinand & Vidic. During last summer’s transfer market it was the manager himself who replied to media questions confirming that he wanted central defenders. There were also post-match interviews in which he complained about the lack of defenders with technical ability at his disposal. So to address this issue I would break the bank and buy a proven world-class central

defender. I say proven, because we need experienced ready-made players in this position to solve this problem immediately. I cannot think of a better player than Real Madrid’s Raphaël Varane. He’s a World Cup winner, played at the highest level, technically gif ted and also fits the bill commercially, an aspect which seems to be overly-important for the big-wigs running the club. The only area which I find lacking is the goal scoring threat he offers from set pieces but then again there should be other players assuming this responsibility.

Kevin: We’re not yet half way through the season, but it is evident that we don’t have the high level squads that other clubs have. As much as it hurts to say, I’ve got to be honest with myself and admit that Man City is a class above everyone else. Although I don’t think that the gap of the first XI is as big as many seem to make it out to be, the same can’t be said about the whole squad. In my eyes, the real race for the season is the other five clubs finishing in the Champions League places. From what we have seen so far, the red Merseyside club is the best of the lot although I’m sure that there will be loads of highs and lows for all the teams. So, considering how the season has gone so far, and although my expectation for this season at the beginning of the campaign was to finish the season as title winners, I will be pleased to achieve Champions League qualification. If we do manage this, it would mean that we would have qualified for the Champions League in each of the campaigns that Mourinho has managed our club. And this consistency is the perfect ingredient to have and to achieve greater things in the years to come.

C/O Attrans, Mdina Road, Żebbuġ. Malta. Email: gymstarsmalta@gmail.com Tel: +356 21461444 +356 77153025 +356 99164245

VOL 46 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2018

Jolly Good Christmas or the Grinch? by Braden Galea

t pains to watch the divide between the football played by arch-rival neighbours Manchester City and our beloved team. However, removing the red blinkers and looking at facts objectively, one cannot but admire what Guardiola has done to transform the Citizens into a modern mainstay of the Premier League top spot. Many of the supporters would rather see City up there, or just about any other team really, other than facing the dreadful thought of it being finally Liverpool’s year after 28 years and counting. It would be a romantic twist to a mixed reign of Mourinho had the sensational fight back against Newcastle proved to be reminiscent of Ferguson’s career-saving win against Nottingham Forest. When all the papers were saying he would definitely be given the boot no matter the result, the team goes 2-0 down after just 10 minutes against a team that had not won a single match and cameras are zooming on Woodward to read his body language or even his lips, Mourinho staged a historic comeback that culminated in Sanchez, out of all people, scoring a 90-minute winner. This was followed by an unfortunate 2-2 away draw against Chelsea when the Blues scored in the 6th minute of injury time and a home loss to Juventus to bring us crashing back down to earth. Winning against Everton and winning in Fergie time against Bournemouth, followed by an all-too-sweet revenge victory over a certain Italian Old Lady on their own turf raised hopes once again and literally silenced their vocal supporters. Unfortunately, a crash back to earth followed with a 3-1 loss away to City, where as stated above, the divide was too evident to be missed even by the most staunch supporter, and a bore 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace. Luckily, a 1-0 Fellaini goal in the dying minutes against Young Boys gave us something to cheer about that we will see United back in the Champions League in 2019.

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Really and truly, after 13 matches played in the Premier League, United have a bigger chance in the UEFA Champions League if they give it their all, where contests are decided over two direct encounters, rather than in the domestic league where they would have to rely not only on actually winning matches, but also teams ranking above them dropping valuable points. As things stand in the league table by the 13th matchday, United are closer to the relegation zone (13 points) than they are to the top of the table, where City lead with 35 points, 14 more than United’s 21 points obtained from just 6 wins and 4 draws. Moreover, they have the lowest goal difference (minus one) from all the top ten teams in the league. And had it not been for the best goalkeeper in the world currently in his last contractual year at our club (with an option for a one-year extension), things could have been much worse. The Christmas period is an important stage where seasons are shaped. And this year, at least on paper, Manchester United has a pretty easy one. Whether that turns out to be a good thing is another matter, as such teams have nothing to lose and, like Crystal Palace, can frustrate us with draws or even surprise losses. After travelling to Liverpool for the crunch clash on the 16th December, where all of us will have fingers crossed that we put a dent into any hopes that Liverpool might have of catching up with City, we face Cardiff City (away) on the 22nd, Huddersfield Town (home) on Boxing Day, Bournemouth on the 30th and we start the New Year against Newcastle up north. The more points we collect, the closer we might get to actually qualifying for next season’s top European competition. The more points we lose, the more complicated and perhaps impossible this basic task might get. To a large extent, this depends on how Mourinho prepares his team for the

challenge. As papers were reporting him to be on the way out and replaced by his former Director of Football from his days at Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane, Mourinho has held onto the seat at Old Trafford. One can argue forever as to whether Zidane would have done a better job and placed United on a more promising path for the future. But speculation is speculation, while facts are facts, and the fact at the moment is that Mourinho has a contract and he has no intention of walking away, and even if things spiral and it eventually gets to that, no intention to leave without a golden handshake of around £12 million. Players in the meantime must put up or shut up. One might not agree with Mourinho being at the helm or with his methods, but it is also a fact that he was successful elsewhere and he managed to complete our puzzle of competitions with the famous Europa League triumph. So in that sense, the future largely depends on whether Mourinho turns out to be Santa that comes bearing gifts over the Christmas period or the Grinch that will steal our joy over this festive period. With his antics on the sideline and his controversial statements in press conferences, some fans are far from impressed while others elate at his passion and frankness. Failures in the transfer market cannot be attributed to him but rather further up the food chain. His managerial ability is unquestioned while his methods are a magnet for media attention. Yet what ultimately will decide whether this will be the last Christmas of Mourinho at the helm or the start of a journey where we hope to finally start bridging the gap between us and City will be the results and performance of the team led by the Portuguese tactician over the Christmas period that set the tone for the upcoming year 2019. Grinch or Santa, which will he turn out to be?

The Difference between Man Utd and Man City Business Models

by Alan Abela-Wadge

s we all know there’s quite a difference at how things are done between Man Utd and Man City. Both financially and sadly even more so footballing wise. In regards to football we can all see that modus operandi adopted by Pep Guardiola is slightly different than that of United’s, in fact the last two seasons where a stark example of this. However today I’m going to focus and talk purely on business. How does United and City operate as a company and how do they defer? Let’s talk about our noisy neighbours first. Football has already been transformed by big money – but the businessmen behind Man City are trying to build a global corporation that will change the game for ever. While United are raking in the money and focusing on attracting the best sponsorship deals in order to increase their revenue and pay good, handsome money to their shareholders, City are working global. Let’s discuss prime example. Even diehard football fans would struggle to identify and recognize Yangel Herrera. Yet if Manchester City’s billionaire owners are correct, the Venezuelan midfielder could be the first proof that its global business model is paying off. The 19-year-old plays for sister club New York City, a US team founded four years ago as part of the City Football Group, an umbrella organisation stretching from Australia to Japan, Spain, Uruguay, the UK and US. It is a franchise model dubbed by some as the “Disneyfication” of football and which its Arab owners believe is the future of the world’s most popular sport. Mr Herrera’s place in that plan is yet to come to fruition. While he will not play in the Premier League anytime soon, he is one of an estimated 1,000 players CFG clubs can draw on — a reservoir of talent that stretches from academies to the first team. Signed in June 2017 from Atlético Venezuela in Caracas for an undisclosed fee, Mr Herrera was identified using the group’s database of

300,000 players. Manchester City immediately loaned him to New York City where they were searching for a dynamic player to add to their Major League Soccer side. If it goes to plan for him he may well end up playing in the Premier League one fine day. If that doesn’t he will be moved on to either a different CFG club or else sold for profit somewhere around the world. The brain behind City’s revolutionary plan is non other than Ferran Soriano. Soriano was the brainchild behind Barcelona’s world dominant team earlier this century where he recruited Pep Guardiola and gave him enough tools to win every single footballing competition within a very short period of time. Soriano also published a book in 2009 called “Goal: The Ball Doesn’t Go In By Chance: Management Ideas from the World of Football”. In this book he outlined his ideas on footballing global domination. Unfor tunately, he found it difficult to implement this idea at Barcelona because Barcelona is a club owned by supporters and it’s difficult to convince the supporters to go global because their sole inclination is to love and support Barcelona. When he moved on from Barcelona he knocked on the doors of City’s owners and sold them his idea. Few years down the line City owns clubs all over the world and they are raking in more money then they can spend (and they spend a lot!) while nurturing the world’s best talent in one of their many teams Soriano also ensured that his favourite manager comes to work for him and due to this he convinced Guardiola that he is a key player of his master plan and that’s one of the many reasons as to why Guardiola is now with City, who are managed in their day to day operations by the same guys (Soriano) that oversaw his world dominant team at Barcelona earlier in his career. Now enough about City. Let’s talk about what is more important to us Manchester United fans – simply MAN UTD! The business model that United adapted, if seen from the eyes

of the businessman, can’t really be faulted. United got commercial partners for every thing you can imagine. That generates a lot of money form all over the world. It also helps that United are one of the most famous (if not the most) clubs in the world thus people tend to buy all the things that have a Man Utd badge on it. This generates more revenue. Thanks to this, even during one of United’s poorest periods in the last 30 years, they still remain one of the richest clubs in the world. In regards to the footballing business plan United suffered a few major setbacks. Since United doesn’t operate with a Director of Football each time we had a change of manager we saw a new methodology adapted in the transfer market. Due to this we saw a lot of poor players joining the club only to be shipped out for much less once the manager changes. This is in contrast to what happened at City since they work with a Director of Football. Each time a new manager walks in, he will work with the players he got and the new transfers are done with the same plan. The difference between United and City at the moment is quite stark. On one hand United are focusing on generating revenue for the shareholders and they’re doing a great job at that. While on the other hand City are working on building a Footballing Dynasty that have clubs all over the world and can generate its own revenue through the movement of players which will ultimately result in the very best players ending up at Manchester City. They can do this because their owner isn’t interested in making money now, he got enough of that, however he’s mainly interested in building a legacy. This is the difference between both clubs at the moment. As a supporter we’re mostly interested in what happens in the pitch and sadly, we know what’s going on at the moment! Is it time that United changes how things are done in the top echelons of the club? Gary Neville and Paul Scholes surely thinks that it is and I tend to agree too!

VOL 46 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2018

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Can Man Utd afford losing David De Gea?

by Julian Tabone

hen 20 year-old David De Gea signed for Manchester United in June 2011 for £18.9m from Atletico Madrid, eyebrows were raised. Here was a skinny lad with very little experience about to take over the mantle left behind by a Manchester United legend. He was earmarked as a replacement for Van Der Sar who had retired following the Champions League Final earlier that year. When he was unveiled ad a Manchester United player, Sir Alex Ferguson had said, “We were looking for the same type of qualities as Edwin, because the one great quality Edwin always had was his composure and organisational ability.” Yet, when De Gea made his debut – in the Community Shield against Manchester City – those attributes weren’t exactly on display and the young Spaniard was battered by the unforgiving press. He started settling in slowly slowly but the rest of the season was not exactly what he or we would have liked it to be. I remember the home match against Blackburn, played on New Year’s Eve. De Gea was bullied inside his own penalty area by a young Grant Hanley and United suffered an embarrasing defeat. That season – without the need to go into details - did not end well. Fast-for ward 8 years and we are now talking about arguably the best goalkeeper in the world. Since that difficult debut season in 2011-12, he has made it a point to silence his critics. And boy, he did.

He has made 333 appearances for the club – and managed 123 clean sheets.

His point-blank saves, his reflexes, his agility and his composure are uncomparable.

He is a fixture in the team-sheet and his contribution is priceless.

Really, it is pointless carrying on harping about his qualities. Throughout the years, he has exceeded all superlatives.

He has won the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award on four occasions, more than any other player in United’s history and he was also chosen as the club’s Player’s Player of the Year award three times. He has won a Premier League title, an FA Cup, a League Cup, three Community Shields and the UEFA Europa League. That list should probably be longer, but perhaps without his contribution, it could have been shorter. He is now 28 – and nearing the peak of his career - but it is quite clear he has still got a lot more to offer. He could easily play at the top for a further 7-8 more years. Noone knows whether he will still be a Man Utd player throughout that period of time - in this current day it is hard to imagine players staying that long in one club. But he is already in his 8th season with the club and whilst it is great news that the club has opted to trigger the one-year option in his contract, we need to secure his long term future sooner, rather than later.

He is in now in the same league as Stepney, Schmeicel and Van Der Sar. He may not yet possess the same medal haul as his illustrious predecessors do, but he has certainly won our hearts. Quite simply, the team does not afford to lose a player of De Gea’s calibre. Equally important, it is to have a solid back four in front of him that inspires confidence. Mourinho summed it up perfectly following our recent win against Swiss champions Young Boys which confirmed our qualification to the next phase of the CL: “He’s a worldclass player, he’s the best goalkeeper in the world and if our ambitions are to be a big club, to be a winning club, you need the best goalkeeper in the world and you need also some other players who are the best in the world,”

De Gea is special. He is special because his best saves come at crucial times in games. There have been many instances in matches where he would had been reduced to a mere spectator, only then to be swiftly called into action.

The team, the circumstances since De Gea’s debut in 2011 have changed. Back then, De Gea was just a young player trying to establish himself. Now he is one of the few leaders left in the squad. If things are to come good again, we need De Gea to stay and to nurture Manchester United’s next generation of players. Just like others did before him.

Picking De Gea’s most important save is tha same as trying to beat him is – very hard.

Losing him – at such a critical junction – should not be an option.

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ecently we have seen an influx of major spending since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, the amount exceeding 700 million sterling. Players have been signed for large fees, some being justified, some being spent for the sake of it in my opinion. The changing of the managers has not helped matters even though most of the players purchased have been retained. In my opinion the lack of success, has driven the transfer fees up and also wages expectancy, and the room for success is very tight, and non - qualification for the champions league would put the club in a serious situation in every aspect being commercially, playing staff and also financially. The lack of success has made the club rely on certain commercial players or “big” player, whatever way one would like to refer to them, which will be good for merchandising to the global market. This strategy puts the club in a position whereby player power is in play and such players are not bought for the benefit of the club, but to ‘sell’ the club. We have seen these players pass comments to the media and show no loyalty to the club or put in performances that justify playing for one of the biggest club in world football. Such comments are not made by players, who dream of playing for such a club nor by players are that playing badly but seek to get back to playing well. These are players that are selfish and think that they are bigger than the football club. The change in personalities of the players also has also raised challenges for the manager

in the industry, since they will dictate their demands to their agents. Up till a some seasons ago, players would have done anything to play for the club, however the recent instability has not been positive for the club and also the media circulating stories about in house problems have not aided the cause. This negativity has led to turbulence within the club and the club has experienced a very slow start to the season. It is very easy to blame the manager, but in reality there are instances where is he really to blame? At time of writing this, I read an article that the club’s captain during the Everton match was at bar, knocking back wine and champagne with a number of women. If this is true or not, I cannot say but if it is… that should not be the behaviour of our club captain. A lot of these rumours have effects behind the scenes and I believe authoritarian methodology of management is the strongest method which will be success in the long term as individuals must respect their superiors, even if they do not agree with them. If they are to challenge the methods, they must bring something to the table assist management in changing strategy rather than bring the club in dispute and into a media circus. Arsenal was such a club up till a few months ago, however the new manager came in and it seems they are getting stronger. People saying that the club has spending close to a billion and should be next to the top, must remember the club pays a premium to get any player that they are interested in. Stating that United have spent a vast amount of money

by Daniel Cuschieri

is right but players bought where a handful. The club is not in dire straits as some tend to point out, just the bench mark that Sir Alex put the club on, is a high one and that is was what individuals are comparing the current to the past. This means the club is below par, and I agree, based on the fact that we were previously competing with the elite of europe for european titles and players and now we are a team that competes for the top four and pays lavish amounts of money to attract certain players to the club. Stakeholders and various Fan cam channel have laid into the manager for the players’ performances, which some is justified and some isn’t, similar case was referred to Sir Alex when he was close to the sack and turned everything around and what he did with the club. Mourinho inherited a club, with issues and the issues are still there, player power has to be reversed. Part of the issues is that succession planning hasn’t been in place and papering over the cracks has been carried due to the pressure to succeed is immense. Recent comments by Gary Neville, whereby his criticism is constructive and structured that the internal problems are started to effect the players and it appears in the team’s play as there is a lack of confidence and fear in the players’ decision making. If this rot continues the club runs risk of becoming a Liverpool whereby success at that club is hasn’t been one would cheer about and have resorted to bragging rights related to history.

VOL 46 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2018

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THE SCOURGE by Fr. Anthony C. Ferrante

roblems in the world abound. We all know that. Believing that one ideology or way of thinking is the cause of all the problems in the world would be tantamount to trying to find a way to fit the whole world into a narrow category. People seem to bury their heads in the sand refusing to look around. Yet they do have an opinion. It is so easy and convenient to explain the world’s problems by harping on one thing. Most probably, such individuals would point to that particular item declaring it to be the biggest problem on the planet. They often do this without offering any alternatives and specifics. People are often contorting themselves as well as their arguments in order to justify bigotry. Yet, countless are the problems that should be eliminated so that the world can thrive much better. Disease, famine, greed, corruption, capitalism, unemployment and tolerance are only just a few of the problems, each of which may be labeled as “a scourge of humanity”! Scourge? A scourge is a whip or lash or anything else used for the infliction of punishment or torture. It has become a term to describe a person who harasses, punishes or causes destruction and administers severe criticism. The cause of affliction or calamity is also referred to as a scourge. One of the foremost problems that have always engulfed humanity is racism. The term “racism” does not easily fall under a single definition. It usually starts off in the unreasonable belief that one race is intrinsically superior to other races. It results in discrimination and prejudice towards people based on their race or ethnicity. Institutional racism may become the order of the day. Evident historical examples are the Holocaust, Apartheid and Slavery. Racist ideology does become manifest in many aspects of social

life. Incidentally and regretfully at that, racism has reared its ugly head even in sports. A recent example: Mesul Ozil faced criticism after posing for a photo with the Turkish president in May. This led him to want to quit the National Team because of racism! In another case, Manchester City were involved in a racism storm after a youth scout referred to black players as “BBQs” - big, black and quick!

The UN did express themselves declaring that “superiority based on racial differentiation is scientifically false, morally condemnable, socially unjust and dangerous, and there is no justification for racial discrimination, anywhere, in theory or in practice.” Nobody can rightly argue against all that, but it is the usual underestimated query: What about practical solutions to this as well as to all the other “scourges” that afflict the whole world? To anybody that has ears to hear and listen and understand, an interesting statement by Dr Chuba Ukadigbo proposes what must be considered as the basic solution...“If you are

emotionally attached to your tribe, religion or political leaning to the point that truth and justice become secondary considerations, your education is useless. If you cannot reason beyond petty sentiments, you are a liability to mankind.” He knew what it was all about. Dr. Chuba Wilberforce Okadigbo (December 17, 1941 – September 25, 2003) was President of the Senate of Nigeria. He was a philosopher, academic, political scientist and writer. He had graduated from The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. with a Masters in Political Science, later on acquiring two doctorate degrees in Philosophy and Political Science. In 1979, at the age of 37, he was appointed as the Political Advisor and Strategist to then president, Shehu Shagari. But again, do people and governing authorities really care? It sadly seems to be the case of - “It’s Okay When We Do It. Bigotry for Thee, Justice for Me!” Way back in time, William Shakespeare aptly paints racism in its true colours. In his Merchant of Venice, Shylock, a Jew, confronts two taunting Christians who ask whether Shylock seriously intended to take a pound of their friend’s flesh. Given his indignities at the hands of Christians, Shylock retorts: “I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, heal’d by the same means, warm’d and cool’d by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, do we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that.”

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The Role of Media and Technology in Football by Silvio Scicluna

hen I was growing up, my passion for football and especially for my beloved Manchester United was such that I constantly wanted to keep up to date with all things football. But back then in the seventies and eighties, mass media and technology were a world apart from what they are today. I clearly remember tuning in to the BBC World Service on primitive radio sets hoping for no interference on the airwaves so that I could listen to the Saturday Special show and Paddy Feeney updating listeners with the football scores. This would also be the ritual when there were midweek fixtures, the difference being Sports Roundup in the late evenings instead. If that failed you would have to wait until the next morning and buy the local newspapers or listen to the national radio station for the football results. Then, there would also be the buying of weekly magazines for more details on line-ups and related articles. As for watching the team on television, the only glimpse we would get was a weekly highlights show of the previous weekendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s matches on the national TV station a week late, if the reel

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arrived from England in time! All in glorious black and white! What a difference from nowadays! The internet, rolling 24-hour sports shows on TV and radio, smartphones, tablets, apps, you name it. All the communication tools at your fingertips for real-time updates on the move. The advances in technology have helped mass media come on in leaps and bounds but like with all good things in this world, every upside has its downside. Essentially, all forms of media are there to help human beings interact with

each other better. But if such tools are used incorrectly or abused, then there will always be collateral damage. With time, the world of football has gradually embraced, rightly or wrongly, most forms of media and technology. For the purpose of this article Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to focus on three aspects of media and technology in football, namely: a) social media and its use thereof; b) goal line technology/VAR; and c) the pressure of the media/press on football managers and players.

Social Media I’m sure most of you followed the saga (or farce) of the recent filmed incident at Carrington between Paul Pogba and José Mourinho when the latter asked whether that Instagram post showing Pogba in the stands seemingly in cheerful mode whilst United were playing (and eventually losing to) Derby in the Carabao Cup, had been posted whilst United were losing or, worse still, after being eliminated. Now I’m not going to go into who was right and who was wrong in that incident, but the use (or overuse) of social media by footballers may cause unnecessary internal issues and misunderstandings. Like this incident, there have been many more elsewhere in the past. Social media, if used correctly, can serve as a platform for sports people to interact with their fanbase but the perils of misuse are there. Unfortunately, it can also be a platform for so-called fans abusing players and there have been many a case when a player has had to shut down a social media account. Goal line technology/VAR For as long as I can remember, football has always been a sport that creates controversy during matches. Whether it is a disallowed goal, was it offside or not, did it cross the line, was it a penalty, was it case of a sending off or just a yellow card, the list is endless. And maybe that is why we love the game and what

makes it the most popular sport on the planet. Probably the resistance from the powers that be to introduce forms of technology when the calls for their inclusion was becoming louder was because many love the game as it is, warts and all. But you cannot halt progress and the advances in technology made it impossible to ignore the improvements that were available. Many will agree that the introduction of goal line technology has been a resounding success with its millimetric precision being very impressive. As for VAR (video assistant referee) the jury is still out. When first introduced in trial tournaments and some foreign leagues the initial reaction was that referees were taking too long to come to conclusions and much time was being wasted. Players were standing still on the pitch unsure what was going to happen and fans on the turnstiles oblivious to proceedings. Gradually, as everyone got more used to it we have seen marked improvements and correct decisions being made in shorter timespans. It was used successfully in the last World Cup and in time all the major leagues around the world will adopt it.

United were struggling big time, there were the media pressures of today in place. Don’t get me wrong, the written press was harsh in its words back then too and some pressure was mounting on Sir Alex, no doubt. But, by and large in those times and before, pressure on managers was restricted mostly to the odd headline in the tabloids or a banner unfurling in the stands (who can forget that infamous ‘3 years of excuses and it’s still crap – Ta Ra Fergie’ banner?). If things got really bad for a manager, a mass protest by fans outside the ground was not unheard of. Nowadays with those tricky weekly press conferences featuring headline-hungry journalists, the rolling 24-hour sports stations eager to break news stories, analysis/debate shows with each match being dissected tactically by the pundits on those touch screens, blogs, social media frenzies and such phenomena, football managers and players around the world are literally sitting ducks and they have my utmost sympathy. They surely have to develop a thick skin to try to go about their daily business.

The pressures of the media/press on football managers and players I have long held the opinion that if Sir Alex Ferguson was managing United in today’s times, history as we know it would not have happened. Imagine if way back in 1989, when

So when I sometimes stop myself to think just how much the face of football has changed since my early years listening intently to that old radio and flipping through those magazines, you do realise that most of it is down to the influence of media and technology.

VOL 46 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2018

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Will the real Pogba please show up?

s all United supporters surely know, Paul Pogba was signed back from Juventus in 2016 for a then record fee of 105 million Euro. The fee in itself was enough to raise the expectations of all United fans but to that one can also add the fact that Pogba had just spent 4 successful years at Juventus where he matured as a player playing alongside great players and in a team with a winning mentality. He had left United as a player with huge potential and returned as an accomplished player. Surely, a great buy for United – right? If we had to take stock of what Paul Pogba has in fact delivered so far at United, many would argue that he has found it hard to live up to his reputation. There is little doubt that Pogba is a talented footballer but the million-dollar question that we keep asking ourselves is – is he really world class? After watching him closely since his return to United from Juventus, my personal opinion is that he is nowhere near the likes of Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar and I will explain why. Pogba’s rise to fame with Juventus was mainly due to finding himself at a team which was already successful. When he arrived at Turin, Juventus were a winning machine under Antonio Conte and basically Pogba was just another cog in a well oiled and fully functional machine. I know a lot of my friends supporting Italian teams will hate me for saying this, but we also have to admit that Juventus have been dominating the Italian Serie A for the last decade mainly because there is very little competition. Juventus seem to be the only consistent side with all the others trying hard to catch up but failing miserably as Juventus, at the time of writing, are steadily marching towards their eighth successive Campionato. Heaven for the Juventini, of course, but that says quite a lot about the remaining teams. When at Juventus, Pogba had one luxury that he simply does not have now that he has returned to the EPL – time on the ball. It is a known fact that with Juventus, Pogba did not have the intense pressure he has with United when in possession. The Italian league is nowhere as intense as the EPL and most of the matches are played at a lower tempo – the ideal scenario for Paul Pogba to flourish. He was also playing alongside some exceptionally talented footballers at Juventus. Playing alongside the likes of Pirlo and Vidal and backed up by defenders like Chiellini, Bonucci and Barzagli surely increases your chances of being a success! When he moved back to United, the scenario changed completely. He should have known this, as he had already experienced the pace of the EPL and maybe he (or his agent) was convinced that after his successful stint at Juventus, the EPL opponents will stand back in awe and allow him to dictate. He should also have known that United in 2016 were not even close to Juventus in terms of quality of football. United were (and alas, still are) a club in transition following the retirement of the greatest manager of all time and suffering from some poor decision making as a club. There were evident cracks at

Manchester United and Pogba was being asked to basically be the new leader and if necessary, carry the club on his shoulders. In other words, the days of being just another cog in a well-oiled machine were over. He was being asked to drive forward a stuttering club and lead it to back to the top. His brief had changed. Fast forward 2 years and my opinion is that Paul Pogba has not lived up to his reputation. Some may argue that it is not necessarily his fault and that Mourinho’s tactics are not ideal for Pogba to flourish. There may of course be some truth in that argument but when you analyse the individual performances, and more importantly, the attitude, blaming Mourinho is simply taking the easy route. He has had a few good games, granted, but continues to struggle to find his form and his evident difficulty in dealing with opposing players who press him as soon as he gets the ball is there for all to see. Anyone who has played football will argue that no one player can do it all alone and Pogba needs the help of his team mates to be able to show his true potential. I am not going to argue with that of course, because we all know that some of the acquisitions made in recent years were not really up to the United standards of the past. I will argue though, that even his individual technique is also somewhat questionable. As the legendary Johan Cruyff once said, “technique is not being able to juggle a ball 1000 times. Anyone can do that by practicing. Then you can work in the circus. Technique is passing the ball with one touch, with the right speed, at the right foot of your team mate”. Sadly, I have only seen Pogba do that rarely on a football pitch since he was signed from Juventus. Most United supporters also expected him to be the new leader on the pitch, to lead by example, never giving up for the United cause. Some players have the ability to make everything look much easier on the pitch than it really is. Michael Carrick was a player who always seemed to have a lot of time on the ball, even in high intensity matches. Pogba has been played in various positions across the United midfield, but inevitably he seems to be closed down too easily and his decision making very often lets him down. This is usually followed by frustration and at times, antics, but rarely with working harder on the pitch, tracking back and making amends for the previous errors. This is where the United supporters start getting nervous and yet another reason why he has failed to conquer the hearts of the United faithful. I personally think that Pogba has the ability to be a success at United despite all I have written above. I doubt however, he has the humbleness necessary to do so. He needs to get down to working hard on the training ground and improving his fitness levels. Being a big guy does not necessarily help in football, especially when you are surrounded by smaller, faster opponents all willing to close you down before you even have time to bring the ball under control. He needs to accept that he needs to move and think quicker

by Robert Mizzi

on the pitch and improve his decision making when he has the ball. The flicks and fancy touches are fine when you are 3-0 up, but not at 0-0 or even worse when your team is chasing a result. He also needs to shed off this primadonna attitude that he has built around himself and start assuming his responsibilities as a Manchester United player. No one player is bigger than the club but at times it seems that Paul Pogba thinks he is doing Manchester United a favour when going on the pitch. Will he do that? I really doubt it, also because he is tied to possibly the most squalid football agent around at the moment. He will want him to continue with his current approach as this will make him more popular on social media and that, in turn, can also help guarantee another big move in Pogba’s career. This will lend the agent a few more millions and possibly an even higher salary for Pogba himself. I do not have a magic mirror and cannot possibly predict the future but here is what I am anticipating can possibly happen. In my opinion, Mourinho is done at United and whatever happens, he will not be at OT next season. So, unless Pogba decides for a January move and leaves United while Mourinho is still around (if, Mourinho is still around during the January transfer window, that is!), he will have a massive decision to make at the end of this miserable season. If he is willing to stay at United, he will have the opportunity to play under a new manager and basically, give himself the chance to show his mettle and silence his critics. If on the other hand, Raiola is already orchestrating his next move and he has had enough of the EPL, Paul Pogba will move on to another league where football is played with less intensity and where he can show his true potential, whatever that is! My opinion is that Pogba is a very good player but not a world class player. There are many very good midfielders playing with top clubs at the moment who are at the same level (or even better) but do not have the hype and publicity around them as Pogba does. His antics, on and off the pitch do not go do down well with a lot of United fans including myself. He has his admirers, of course, who will defend him and say that this is the reality of modern-day footballers. I am at an age now where I can classify myself as ‘old school’ and prefer professional footballers to focus on their football and spend more time on the training ground than at the hairdresser or on social media. My closing comment is an answer to a fellow United supporter who defends Pogba no matter what and told me that he cannot be too bad if he has just won the World Cup with France. The fact that Pogba is a World Cup winner is undeniable but why is it that he was able to keep a very low profile and play a very disciplined role for France but he always wants to be the centre of attraction at United? And before I forget, even Kleberson was a World Cup winner...Numquam Moribimur.

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Champions League Nights The Red Devils curb the Viking wrath by Michael Calleja

n the 14th of September 1994, Manchester United faced IFK Goteborg in Group A of the UEFA Champions League. This was certainly a novel format for the recently re-branded competition. A plethora of fresh changes were made to the format of the tournament, due to a recently expired contract that bound UEFA to the EBU for the transmission of the final. This in turn allowed for a general review of the competition’s format. In this connection, the competition now included four groups of four teams each in the group stage and this was also the first year in which eight teams advanced to the knockout stage and the first of three years in which the champions of smaller nations entered the UEFA Cup instead of the Champions League. Within this context, as reigning English Champions, Manchester United were pitted in the very daunting Group A along with: FC Barcelona, IFK Goteborg and Galatasaray. Despite boasting a formidable squad [featuring the likes of Cantona, Schmeichel, Keane, Kanchelskis and Giggs], United were severely hampered by the then-ludicrous ‘three foreigner rule’ [where clubs could only field three foreigners in their match-day lineups and two ‘assimilated’ players that came through the club’s youth academy]. What compounded this unfair law was the fact that England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were regarded as separate countries by UEFA and so United faced the insurmountable and daunting challenge of trying to field eight ‘English’ players and pick the three best foreigners to win the game. Given the circumstances, United’s starting

eleven were: Peter Schmeichel (Foreigner), David May, Denis Irwin (Foreigner), Steve Bruce, Lee Sharpe, Gary Pallister, Andrei Kanchelskis (Foreigner), Paul Ince, Nicky Butt, Mark Hughes (Assimilated) & Ryan Giggs (Assimilated). Their opponents IFK Goteborg were by no means an ‘easy side’. The bulk of the squad was composed of the famous Swedish team that finished 3rd in the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the side was marshaled by the enigmatic goalkeeper Thomas Ravelli and future United star Jesper Blomqvist. Fans certainly had every reason to be fearful when they saw the huge Swedes warming up before the game and this was certainly a Scandinavian side built on pace, aggressiveness and sheer will-power. Stefan Pettersson opened the scoring on 26’ minutes when a cross was not met by the United defence and the Swede managed to quickly make contact with the ball. However, the lead didn’t last long as a mere seven minutes later, Ryan Giggs managed to level the score with a powerful shot from inside the box. With the game firmly in the balance, United sensed that they could get the upper hand if they managed to grab that crucial second goal. Thankfully, Andrei Kanchelskis delivered on 48’ minutes with a low and powerful drive past the hapless Ravelli. At 2-1, most fans must have thought that the Red Devils firmly had the game under their control but a mere minute later a free kick was deflected off Stefan Rehn and the score was pegged back to 2-2. United however, unfazed and as ever determined, pressed forward in search of that elusive third goal. Thankfully, after a ferocious shot by Paul Ince which rattled the crossbar,

Ryan Giggs managed to score from the rebound to make it 3-2! Five minutes later, Lee Sharpe buried the Swedes when he latched onto a pass by the Ukrainian Andrei Kanchelskis. It was sheer bedlam in the stands and on the bench as United certainly got off to the perfect start in their Champions League campaign! At the end of the day, there was to be no silverlining for Alex Ferguson’s men. Two damaging defeats [Away to Barcelona and Away to Goteborg] would see the Red Devils eliminated from the group stages. In fairness, Goteborg would certainly prove their credentials by being eliminated only by the cruel away-goals rule (2-2 vs Bayern Munich) in the Quarter-Finals of the Competition! To note that the 1994-95 UEFA Champions League season would be dominated by Ajax Amsterdam managed by a certain Louis Van Gaal – (who himself would manage United from 2014-2016). What is most noteworthy is that clubs like IFK Goteborg, Benfica, Ajax Amsterdam & Hajduk Split [all participants in that season’s competition] would see their powers greatly wane [especially with the great upheaval caused by the Bosman Ruling across Europe] after UEFA quickly changed the foreignerlimitation. This would in the long-run help clubs like Manchester United who certainly benefitted by fielding more foreign players in their line-ups. Without entering into merits of the Bosman Ruling, the enhanced competition format would certainly aid the Red Devils as lucrative imports would allow for a more competitive and ferocious Manchester United squad which would finally see Alex Ferguson’s men raise the much-coveted trophy in 1999!

MANCHESTER UNITED SUPPORTERS’ CLUB MEMBERSHIP CARD IS NOW ALSO A DISCOUNT CARD When presenting your Membership Card to these outlets:

Montaldo Insurance Agency Ltd 10% Discount (terms and conditions apply)

10% Discount on all Insurances to club members

10% Discount on direct bookings only.

10% Discount except public holidays

These offers are not to be benefited from in conjunction with any other that the shop may have from time to time. Therefore if a particular establishment has an offer on already on a particular product or service, the Discount Scheme shall not apply to that product or service. VOL 46 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2018

Top Performers in This Difficult Period A

fter an uninspiring pre-season marred by Mourinho’s media battles and the aftermath of the World Cup, United’s first quarter has proven to be a rollercoaster ride with some major malfunctions. In all competitions, United have won 8, drawn 4 and lost 5 – a mediocre tally for a club of our stature. Mourinho certainly does deserve a portion of the blame, but there’s little he can do if his players aren’t performing. Many of our so-called megastars have consistently gone missing, and rumours that we’re looking to splash the cash in January reek of desperation. Our experienced and supposedly reliable players like Lukaku, Sánchez, Smalling and Matić have underperformed, and others like Rashford, Herrera and Fred have been erratic. On the other side of the coin, a few players have fought tooth and nail to keep their spots in the team, and their efforts have not gone unnoticed. The first name on the team sheet lately has to be Anthony Martial, our current top-scorer with 7 goals. Overlooked and played out of position by Mourinho in the past, the man of the moment has earned the special one’s respect, repaying the favour with gamechanging performances versus the likes of Chelsea, Newcastle and Bournemouth. His electric mixture of pace, trickery and clinical finishing makes him practically unplayable at times, and his rise to the first team is perhaps the only silver lining in the dark cloud that currently looms over United. Moving onto the midfield, Pogba has bagged 5 goals and registered 4 assists, despite coming under heavy scrutiny for a few of his performances. As our defeat to arch-rivals City showed us, nobody can quite step into his shoes, and we looked incredibly weak in attack without the World Cup winner. The current gap between the two teams is monumental, while City have a dozen or more players firing on all cylinders, United are forced to rely on one or two individuals to produce a magical moment.

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While most of Pogba’s goals came from the spot, his sheer number of assists, shots on target and successful forward passes mean that he’s usually the one pulling the strings behind everything positive. Even without playing at his best so far, his presence on the pitch makes a massive difference to the team, particularly in the final third. The over analysis of his every movement shows how much we expect from him, and hopefully by the time 2019 rolls around, Pogba will have moved up a gear. Further down the pitch, Shaw has stood head and shoulders above his fellow defenders, his dramatic ascension to the first team made all the more impressive considering he almost lost his leg in 2015. During a sparkling run of form which included bagging the winning goal against Leicester in August, the young Englishman has played almost every single game for United barring ties against Watford and Derby. His recent, if albeit short-lived success at United is proof that Mourinho will give a chance to players he once rejected completely. Having signed a new contract to keep him at United until 2023, we can rest easy knowing our left-back spot should be covered for a while. Fringe players like Mata and Fellaini have been invaluable in their ability to change the game in only a matter of minutes. Although Mourinho rarely lets either of them start, they’ve both come off the bench to score crucial goals, most notably, against Juventus. The Spaniard beat Szczęsny with a cleverly placed free-kick while Fellaini’s late introduction caused mayhem in the box that lead to a clumsy own goal Earlier on in the season, Mata came off the bench to score another scintillating free-kick against Newcastle, triggering a magnificent comeback at Old Trafford. Meanwhile, super-sub Fellaini scored a 95 th minute header against Derby in the Carabao Cup to take the game into extra time, but United

by Michael Calleja Urry

embarrassingly bowed out on penalties. With less than a handful of our outfield players hitting a rich vein of form, the task has once again been up to De Gea to negate the selfinflicted damage done by our leaky defence. Awarded the prestigious title of Player of the Year a record 4 years in a row, he hasn’t quite reached the heights of previous seasons yet – but maintaining such a high standard is no mean feat. We can only hope the hierarchy at United is able to fend-off incoming offers for De Gea. Real Madrid have stopped chasing the Spaniard, but other elite clubs will surely come knocking soon enough. At this rate, De Gea may grow frustrated with his colleagues unable to perform at the same level that he has been for so many years. An honourable mention goes to Victor Lindelöf, who has been showing some promise of late. Incredibly slow to get his United career up and running, the Swede, who just won Swedish Player of the Year, has finally stepped up to the plate, but is still prone to make a mistake or two. Mourinho keeps begging for another centre-back, so we might see him paired with a more commanding partner at the heart of our defence in the near future, as the likes of Smalling, Jones and Rojo are slowly phased out. Sadly, it would be easier to write a dozen articles about who isn’t playing well. Players with positive ratings game after game are unfortunately, few and far between. We have grinded out a few decent results so far, and maybe one or two signings in January will reinvigorate the Red Devils. If not, we’ll be hard pressed to qualify for the Champions League, and Mourinho may well be on the way out. If our heavy hitters like Sánchez, Lukaku and Lingard can string a few decent games together, perhaps we can turn things around. While Mourinho is well within his rights to chop and change as he sees fit, it also wouldn’t hurt to reward a player’s good performance with a starting berth in the next game.

Captaincy Contenders by Kenneth Abela

an Utd vs Club America was the start of pre-season for José Mourinho and he was asked if he had chosen Michael Carrick’s successor.”The captain was Valencia last season, I think he’s going to be the captain,” Mourinho said. “And when he doesn’t play we have to make decisions.’’ The end of the 2017/18 season saw Manchester United club captain and legend Michael Carrick hang up his boots. He had called time on a remarkable career that included five Premier League titles. Carrick now has a coaching role at the club and is seen on the bench advising Mourinhio during United’s games. Michael had been United’s 8th captain of the Premier League era. Michael Carrick had been a calm and composed midfield maestro but United had to thus seek a suitable replacement.

Champions League tie against Valencia and is still recovering from a knee problem at the time of writing. There had been doubts over Valencia being the permanent captain as his English is still surprisingly poor despite living in the country for 12 years. But it appears his leadership, experience and character have trumped any language barrier. Hard to believe that he is the longest-serving player at the club, already 10 seasons since his transfer from Wigan Athletic. He had captained the side for the majority of the season in the absence of Carrick. He initially joined the club as a winger and has undergone the transition from tricky winger to one of the best right-backs in the world and once again won the Players’ Player of the Year award last season.

The Captain is generally expected to be an experienced player. But with senior players such as Zlatan Ibrahimović and Wayne Rooney no longer at the club, experienced players are few. Choosing the right captain is key to deciding how far United progress this season. So, who are the leading contenders for the rest of the season and maybe next season?

Valencia is not all that vocal but Mourinho sees him as a role model who “leads” through his performances, consistently putting in hard work. He was lauded by his coach for playing through pain and injury at times. He was recently described by his manager as “the best right back I can have”. His high work rate and vast experience make him the obvious favourite.

Paul Pogba Back in December 2017, José Mourinho was quoted as saying that Paul Pogba had the qualities needed to be a future captain of Manchester United. Paul had been handed the armband against Leicester City. At that time Michael Carrick was still working his way back into contention and Antonio Valencia was injured. Pogba donned the armband as United lost the lead late on. Speaking about his captain pick at the post-match press conference, Mourinho explained: ‘The decision is that in the Champions League we made him captain a couple of times when Valencia was not playing and people like Zlatan and Smalling were not playing. Today we felt that could be an extra motivation for him and that’s it. No special decision.’

David De Gea Though goalkeepers are rarely chosen as captain, it is not entirely uncommon with Hugo Lloris, Lev Yashin, Peter Shilton and Gianluigi Buffon being notable examples. De Gea briefly wore the armband in the latter stages against Bournmouth last season for the Red Devils.

Fast-forward to September 2017. The hours leading up to kick-off of United’s EFL Cup Game versus Derby County were dominated by news that Pogba would no longer captain Mourinho’s side, following his criticism of United’s playing style. (The Independent 25/09/18). So that looks like ruling Paul out of the equation, unless the Boss has another change of heart.

One potential stumbling block in handing De Gea the captancy role however would be if speculation was to return regarding a move away from Old Trafford. With Real Madrid still dreaming of enticing David away from Old Trafford, United plan on handing him a longterm contract that would make him the bestpaid goalkeeper in the world.

Antonio Valencia The captain for the Ecuadorian national team and the firm favourite. However Valencia has not played since the 2nd October

Nemanja Matić The Serbian is also a regular starter, following the 29 year old’s £40m acquisition from rivals Chelsea. The midfield general has

The 28 year old Spaniard has gone on to become one of the best goalkeepers in the world since his transfer to United in 2011. He has undoubtedly been United’s best player during the post-Ferguson era. Having been a part of over 330 games, with clean sheets in more than a third of those, De Gea has won three club Player of the Year awards in the process.

the aura of calmness, demands instant respect from his team-mates and is very highly thought of by manager José Mourinho. His taking over the captaincy would surely be welcomed by United fans. Chris Smalling An experienced ca m p a i g n e r, t h e 28-year-old central defender has been at the club since 2010 and has featured in over 200 games. At 6 ft 4 in, he is a dominating presence in the air and is by far the most experienced centre-back in the team. Though slightly rash at times, Smalling has been captain quite a few times in the past. If Mourinho decides on a centre-back as captain, “Mike” is the obvious choice! Ander Herrera Many considered Ander as a top contender for captain for this season; however Herrera has not been a first choice midfielder this season. He is popular among fans for his strong passion for the team and is often seen barking out instructions. A willing warrior who can carry tactical instructions with ease, he is also blessed with a great presence of mind. His leadership ability was seen during the Europa League final last season where he overruled tactical instructions to switch places with Henrikh Mkhitaryan, which led to the latter’s decisive goal. Should he decide to stay, Mourinho could be tempted to make him captain. Ashley Young Finally, no list can be complete without g i vi n g A s hl e y a mention. Although few pundits consider him as captain material, he has worn the captain’s armband on many an occasion, most recently against Juventus in that magical away Champions League win. Ashley Young joined United from Aston Villa in 2011 and is one of the most versatile options in the squad. He has pace and a cool head in highpressure situations gained him many plaudits. Nowadays, he is one of the most senior members of the first-team squad, owing to his vast experience, and he remains one of the most popular figures in the dressing room, as well as embracing his role as someone who the new boys can look towards for advice.

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Positions to Strengthen in January Transfer Window by Alex Dudely

t is pretty safe to say that nobody saw this opening period of the season going as badly as it has done. It has been as low as anything us fans has ever seen, the games against Brighton & Hove Albion and West Ham United are quick to spring to mind when thinking about the worst. There would be few complaints had United been picking up wins in these fixtures and challenging for the title, but the clear issue is that we aren’t. It hurts but it seems as if we are a lifetime away from where City are at the moment. The derby recently just indicated that. If there was ever a game in which the divide between the sides was on show, it was that fateful afternoon at the Etihad on the 11th November. City’s decisive and clear transfer policy was right in front of our eyes, while the lack of United’s was also clear to see. The argument whether United would be in a different position under Pep Guardiola is always going to be discussed but that isn’t even the issue. Pep inherited a solid squad which were easy to work with, Mourinho’s was not. José found a squad that had no clear style of play; positions were devoid of options while other areas were overflowing with the same types of players. If there was any take away from the summer window, it was that José knew where the main weakness was in the side: the defence. That weakness has been violated time and time again so far this season. There is no clear partnership there, while certain defenders are left in the cold with no way back. Marcos Rojo was stripped of his number five shirt in the hope that United could sign Harry Maguire, somebody that would surely sort this defensive mess out. Rojo won’t be a United player by this time next year, whether he is sold in January or the summer. Others could easily follow as there is still a massive case that dead-wood needs to be removed, the same wood that has been there since the Louis Van Gaal era. Phil Jones and Chris Smalling could easily follow through the exit door. Eric Bailly is a strange case. The Ivorian is beloved by the fans and his potential is unrivalled. But again Jose seems to want him out. This could potentially be another Gerard Pique situation, in which the Reds are selling a fantastic defender. A defender is guaranteed to come in however, but who could potentially be on the move mid-season?

Harry Maguire will yet again be mentioned as a possible arrival; he enjoyed a brilliant World Cup and has gone on to be talked about as one of the best defenders in the league and rightly so. Maguire would be a great signing for the Red Devils but his fee will again be the big stumbling block. Leicester won t accept anything under the £60 million that they were asking for in August. He would present a great valued signing considering his age, his potential and the amount he would improve United. Defenders win silverware, that s the bottom line. The United board seem to be obsessed with sell on prices , Maguire would generate a higher priced sell-on fee than somebody of the age of Toby Alderweireld. Alderweireld himself looks to be settled at Spurs again following the summer of talks linking him to Old Trafford. The Spurs ace signed a new contract at the Lane, meaning United missed their chance on him. It could potentially be a disastrous ending, the Belgium international is among the best in the league and United really should have done everything to get him through the door when they had the chance. If United were to miss out or not make a move with Maguire, another potential signing which has been spoken about in the media is Andreas Granqvist. The Sweden captain had a brilliant World Cup and led his country to the quarter finals. There is no doubting that he potentially could do well at United, and the relationship between himself and Victor Lindelof is already there, meaning it would be a smart move. It is clearly not a long-term plan as the defender is 33 years old; it would be short term and yet again papering over the cracks. Financially it would be an easy move to make happen with the Swede entering his last year of his contract at Helsingborg IF, no doubting

he would jump at the chance to play at the biggest club in the world for a few years. It would represent a smart idea for United to aim for the Swedish captain as a sixmonth plan to ensure that qualification is made for next seasons Champions League, because if United don’t achieve that, then the calibre of players that are needed will be harder to acquire. Away from defensive reinforcements, United may also look to sign a new right sided midfielder, something that José again mentioned that he wanted in the summer. The chances of getting Croatian Ivan Perisic seem to have disappeared. The Inter Milan wide man is admired by Mourinho, explaining why United made moves for the 29-year old in the 2017 and 2018 summer windows. United are overwhelmed with left sided players, but Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Alexis Sanchez are all more influential on the left, being able to cut in on their right foot. All have been tested on the right but none has made it work. Meaning that Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard have been deployed there, it is clear that it isn’t ideal. Is there a right sided midfielder out there who could fit the void for United? Ousmane Dembele has been touted, as has Malcom. Both players are unsettled at Barcelona but it remains unlikely that United would be willing to make a move for either. One player that could potentially make the move is Marko Arnautovic. The Austrian has been deployed as an emergency striker for West Ham this season but his rightful position is out wide. There have been rumblings of Arnautovic wanting to make ‘the next step.’ Rumours circulated over the summer that United were interested but never persuaded. Maybe this window will be the chance. The Austrian would also be free to play in the latter rounds of the Champions League which would entice United even more, as the Champions League is one of the Reds’ only hopes of silverware this season - albeit very unlikely. January will be key, not just for United but for José also. Anything less than perfect recruitment could see the Red Devils miss out on the Champions League spots, which would surely spell the end of the Mourinho tenure. Let’s hope the club gets it right and we enjoy a fruitful end to this inconsistent season.

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RISING FROM THE WRECKAGE SEASON 1958‑59 by Iain McCartney Part 2

t wasn’t until the morning of August 30th, that the outcome was finally known, when amongst the mail on that particular morning the United management received a letter from the Football Association Consultative Committee, and it was not good news. The letter read: “The Consultative Committee of the Football Association has considered an application by Manchester United F.C., under F.A. rule 18b, for consent to take part in the European Champion Clubs competition during the season 1958-59. “The committee is of the opinion that as by its name, this is a competition of champion clubs, Manchester United F. C. does not qualify to take part in this season’s competition. Consent is therefore refused.” This was a dramatic reversal of opinion by the Football Association, who had at first been sympathetic to United’s cause and backed their inclusion, as did the Appeals Board of the League which consisted of three F. A. councillors, but they had now turned their back on the club and surprisingly jumped into bed with the Football League. Despite being stunned by the outcome and the club’s “no comment” stance, there was no possibility of an appeal, as the Consultative Committee had the powers to act on behalf of the full F.A. Council. There was now nothing that United could do, the decision had been made. A major reason behind United’s decision to simply let the matter rest was that they felt they would receive little support from some of their First Division stable mates, with jealousy being mentioned as a major factor behind this. Three days after United’s path into the European Cup was blocked, the United board held their weekly meeting and following this, they issued a statement which read: “Manchester United, whilst accepting the decision of the Football Association Consultative Committee, feel they must in justification of their attitude and actions state the following facts :“The F.A., in their letter of July 5th, stated that they had no objection to Manchester United entering the European Cup this season.

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“The Football League wrote to the club that they could not give their consent to the club to enter. The club appealed to the League’s Board of Appeal and this appeal was upheld. “The decision of the Board of Appeal is, by the rules of the Football League FINAL. “Therefore, the club were allowed by the F. A. to enter the competition. By the decision of the board of Appeal, which is FINAL, the Football League were prevented from interfering with our entry. “In these circumstances there was no reason why the dates we submitted to the Football Association should not be approved, nor why the F.A. should depart from the terms of their letter of July 5th in which they stated as before mentioned – ‘The Football Association have no objection to your taking part’. The actions of both the Football League and the Football Association were certainly hard-hearted and despite the support from the continent, there were some within the domestic game, that even in those distant days, had little loving for Manchester United.

that the two fixtures could still go ahead as friendlies, with the Swiss side being given a bye into the next round of the competition. At the club AGM on September 4th, Chairman Harold Hardman added fuel to the fire as he addressed the shareholders. “A grave injustice has been done by the F.A’s failure to indicate that they didn’t oppose when the invitation was given and the Football League had no right to interfere. There is nothing in the rules of either the F. A. or the Football League to deal with the matter. Personally I think they are in the wrong.” Matt Busby told the shareholders at the same meeting that “United would be top of the tree again. The future of the club is rosy, although it will take time to fill the gaps.” Having failed to make an appearance during the opening four games of the season, Colin Webster decided that despite having held down a regular first team place following the disaster, his days at Old Trafford were numbered and subsequently handed in a transfer request.

Strangely, the truth of why the Football Association went back on their word has never been revealed, but it was suggested at the time that Mr. Joe Richards, the President of the Football League threatened that the whole of the League Management Committee would resign if the Football Association did not back them in their stand against United taking part. David Meek, the United correspondent of the ‘Manchester Evening News’ even went as far as to suggest that the club should call for a court of enquiry, in an effort to reveal the facts behind the decision. The matter, however, was allowed to drop. The draw for the first round of the competition, however, had already been made, with Manchester United included, their name coming out of the hat along with that of Young Boys of Berne. At that time, as far as United were concerned, they were in the competition and the initial arrangements to play the ties had been confirmed by both clubs. When the news broke that United had been refused permission to take part, it was requested

Jackie Blanchflower

He had returned to first team duty, replacing Alex Dawson, scoring a goal in the 6-1 thrashing of Blackburn Rovers on September 6th and although playing wide on the right, he kept his place. But a month later, in what was something of a bruising, physical encounter, he was sent off ten minutes from time in the friendly against Berne Young Boys at Old Trafford for kicking an opponent. Webster had already earned something of a bad-boy image, following an incident in a Swedish nightclub during the Welsh World Cup campaign, but his grit and determination made him a favourite with Jimmy Murphy. However, it came as no surprise when the player, having lost his place against Preston North End, having played in the previous seven games and scoring five goals, found himself ‘surplus to requirements’ and was transferred to Swansea Town for £7,500 a few weeks later. So with some uncertainty surrounding one or two of the established names, the need for reinforcements to help bolster the ranks took on even more importance, with the press, as it had done in the aftermath of Munich, quick to throw countless names into the hat. Tom Finney of Preston North End was one unlikely candidate touted for a move to Old Trafford, while two United officials were spotted at a Middlesbrough fixture, with Centre forward Brian Clough the reported target.

decision to retire will have to be considered by the board.” As previously mentioned, transfer speculation in the late 1950’s, certainly where Manchester United were concerned, was little different to that of the present day and taking into account Matt Busby’s plans for rebuilding his raw and inexperienced team, any possible transfer target was back page news. Mid-September thrust the name of Albert Quixall onto those back pages, hinting at the possibility of a move across the Pennines from Second Division Sheffield Wednesday. The inside forward had certainly not asked for a move from his home-town club, but told reporters, “If I leave Sheffield Wednesday there is one club above all I would like to join. That is Manchester United.

Albert Quixall

“The hardest thing has been these months of trying to make up my mind since February I have been secretly hoping I would be able to play professional football again” said the dejected Blanchflower, “but I feel a lot better now that I have finally decided. “I don’t know what I am going to do by way of another job, but at least I have got over the first hurdle deciding that it cannot be soccer. I have to find myself a future. I don’t even have an idea what I can expect compensation wise, but now I suppose they will be able to do something.” Up until now, Blanchflower had been on full wages and lived in a club house, so there was much to consider. United secretary Les Olive said: “We shall do anything we can to help. His

Busby, however, bit the bullet, the cheque was signed and the player moved to Manchester. Quixall, a dyed in the wool Sheffield Wednesday supporter, had won his first of his five England caps against Wales in 1954, but the following year had lost his England place as his beloved Wednesday were relegated to the Second Division. Although they managed to immediately bounce back to the top flight, there was to be no return to the international set up for one of the golden boys of the English game. With the 1958-59 season still in its infancy, rumours circulated that there would soon be a parting of the ways between player and club, with Wednesday coming forward with acquisitions that illegal approaches had indeed been made to Quixall, but they failed to back up their pleas with any concrete evidence. Soon afterwards, Quixall was a Manchester United player!

With the season only a matter of weeks old, Matt Busby, whilst considering his options for the home fixture against Tottenham Hotspur, received the news that one name that he had kept pencilled in as a future possibility for one of his line up’s could now be erased for good, with Jackie Blanchflower finally conceding defeat in his six month battle to regain fitness and resume playing. Having suffered a fractured right arm, six broken ribs and a pelvic injury at Munich, it was the latter which had been causing the Irishman most concern. Despite the six week stay in hospital and continued treatment and specialist examinations, he still found walking difficult and limped badly. He had also still to regain full use of his broken arm.

were keeping an eye on the situation. The United manager quickly made the short journey across the Pennines and signed the twentyfive year old for what was a British record fee of £45,000, or £48,000 as reported in some sources. It was a fee, it must be added, that almost saw the transfer failing to go though, as Busby was rather wary about dipping into the Manchester United coffers and thought the figure required by Wednesday was too much, even when it came to rebuilding his shattered side.

“There is another thing which makes any chance of going to Old Trafford so attractive. I might get permission to keep my house in Sheffield. This is my native city.” Perhaps Quixall had not requested a transfer, but his statement certainly alerted United, and other clubs for that matter, letting them know that he would indeed consider a move, pushing the ball firmly into Matt Busby’s court. The United manager, however, was quick to defuse any possible transfer talk, a wise move as this would supply Wednesday with enough fuel to complain that their player had been subject to an illegal approach. “He is not on the transfer list” the United manager replied. “When he is, we would be very interested.” This “interest” soon became much more, when Quixall handed in a transfer request and on Thursday September 18th, forcing Matt Busby to pounce as it soon became clear that a number of clubs, including neighbours City,

The signing of Quixall came as something of surprise to many, as inside forward was not considered as a ‘priority’ position when looking at the re-building of the team. Centreforward, half back and full back were thought to be the major areas that Busby would be looking to strengthen. The manager, at the end of the day decided that Quixall was worth the record £45,000 fee and that he was “a player I have always admired on the number of occasions that I have seen him and a player of Quixall’s undoubted class is invaluable to us in strengthening our inside forward department.” Busby, however, was quick to extinguish any thoughts that he was going to attempt to buy success, stressing that there were still a number of promising youngsters in the Central League and junior sides. Quixall, who had captained Sheffield Wednesday in that dramatic first game after Munich, had been with the Yorkshire club for ten years and was quick to emphasise that his reasons for moving were simply in order to further his playing career: “I didn’t have a row with anybody, or anything like that. It was a big pull leaving after ten years, but I had to make the break to better myself. “I reckon I have got about eleven years of soccer left in me. It was a big disappointment not going to Sweden for the World Cup. Who knows – if I had been with United then I might have made it. (To be continued in the next issue)

VOL 46 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2018

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On a Manchester United fan and his pin badges Hugh Mortimer first started collecting Manchester United pin badges in the treble winning season of 1998/99 and has since amassed a massive 58,000 pin badges. He is not stopping there but aims to expand his collection to pay tribute to those who died in the Munich Air Disaster. Hugh, who has left everything behind him to move to Manchester and be closer to Old Trafford has travelled all over the world following United. He has never regretted what he did and explained that he first got in to collecting the badges nearly 20 years ago. When he arrived in Manchester he got a job on a stall outside the ground and he would be paid in badges instead of cash. It was a deal that worked well for him and the guy who owned the stall until it lasted. He then moved on to sell badges in Sam Platts for 20 years. The former civil engineer, who now spends his days basking, counted 200 badges on a United scarf before displaying it in his Stretford home. He has got scarves lined up all around the house and the rest are bagged up under his bed. He has other United memorabilia, mugs, pictures and all sorts of things United. The badges are of every United game for the past 20 years and also cover every squad player and when a badge does not exist, Mortimer would sort the situation himself. Some players did not have a badge so to put matters right he would design and have batches of badges made up. His favourite badge is of Joe Jordan, who was his favourite player as Jordan was a battler and gave his all for United. Fans from around the world contributed to his collection and he has invested in some limited edition badges which he is considering putting in a box at his home. But despite already owning a collection which is larger than the current world record of 30,105 for badges set in 2008, the 57-year-old is not stopping there and wants to continue collecting until he has 62,958 badges to reflect the anniversary of the Munich Air Disaster - 6.2.1958.

by a radio station. The leg breaking exercise which took place during a reserve game in 1996 between Liverpool and United, was because, as stated by Ruddock, Andy Cole annoyed him. No doubt Ruddock was annoyed because Andy Cole was running circles around him with the ball and this lumbering oaf could not stop him. On Nesta Burgess and the United tea cups In 2010, the Manchester Evening News reported that Nesta Burgess had died aged 92. Nesta was an extremely popular lady at Old Trafford and became a very sought after figure in the lounge after she started in 1951, serving tea and doing the laundry, in those days, earning three pence (3d) for every sock she darned. She served the traditional English brew to players and staff for more than 50 years. Among her customers were the likes of Rooney, Ronaldo and Giggs as well as Busby, Law, Best, Charlton and Duncan Edwards. She also used to lodge new young players when they first joined the club. Though she insisted she had no players favourites, Denis Law had a special place in her heart.

‘Hatchet man’, with all his butchering tactics, was no great presence on the field of play, having won only one England cap and one domestic trophy during his ‘career’, a League Cup win with Liverpool. On the other hand, Andy Cole played 15 times for England, is the Premier League third highest scorer behind Shearer and Rooney and has won all the major honours in domestic football with Manchester United, as well as the Champions League title. By breaking his legs, Ruddock had not prevented Andy Cole from contributing towards pushing Liverpool off their effing perch.

The pinnacle of her career was when UEFA made history by awarding her a trophy in recognition of her services to football. The trophy was displayed in the United museum. Nesta’s terraced home was in the shadow of United’s stadium before she finally retired and moved to North Wales. Though no longer on the United staff, Nesta was invited to every home game. United players wore black armbands as a mark of respect in their game following her death. Ferguson and some of the players took time out of their training schedule to attend to her funeral. She was very much a part of the Manchester United family. Her greatest moments at United were the winning of the European/Champions League Cups and her worst was the Munich air disaster in 1958. On Andy Cole and his broken legs Defender Neil Ruddock, a specimen of the wild west who ‘played’ for the Anfield outfit admitted, in an interview conducted in 2010, that he had deliberately targeted Andy Cole to break his legs. This interview resurfaced recently as part of a Halloween retrospective

On United players and their chef-at-home In 2014, the Mirror reported that teenage sensations like Luke Shaw and Adnan Januzaj were reportedly being taught how to use their kitchens properly for healthy eating. Then manager van Gaal ensured his players did not pig out over Christmas by sending an expert

VOL 46 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2018

chef round to their homes to teach them how to eat properly and to give their fridges the once-over, what needed throwing out, what’s healthy and what’s not. Top kitchen tips were dished out to all of United players on a regular basis, as the club strove to give their players advice on diet and food preparation. Most United players’ homes had £30,000 designer kitchen which wouldn’t be out of place in posh restaurants but some could barely use the microwave let alone the oven. Van Gaal even gave his United players a rare Christmas Day off, meaning they had extra time to brush up on their cooking masterclass by preparing the turkey dinner.

Gary roomed with David Beckham and when he had his house in Bolton, David would stay when Victoria was away. Beckham would make food for him all the time. Stir-fries with noodles and vegetable and pasta dishes with sauces. Lots of pasta. His food routine was strictly replicated whether a match was in Manchester or Moscow. The day before a game it was cereal and orange juice at 8am; fish, potato and veg at noon; cereal and toast at 3.30pm; pasta with soup at 7pm; strictly no prawns and shellfish; lights out at 9,15pm. Day of game - cereal and orange juice at 8am; then spaghetti with sauce, yoghurt and Ribena at the ground at noon and potentially mashed potatoes. Gary says playing mates liked to tease him as he travelled with his own bowl, spoon and Weetabix. He didn’t eat Weetabix as a child as he didn’t really like any cereals, but as a professional footballer, eating Weetabix and Jaffa cakes was important because of their low fat content. Phil Nev couldn’t do anything in the kitchen as he takes after their dad. Gary’s wife, Emma, grew up with her dad, who spoiled her and cooking was always his chore, so when Gary was away, dad would come round and cooked for her.

On Gary Neville, his food intake and other things Gary recalls that at the age of four he had persuaded his dad to take him to Old Trafford, so at match days they would leave home at Bury at around 11am, then have pie and chips at a cafe near the ground. They would be in K-Stand around 1 pm, for a 3pm kickoff. His dad would be off having pints with his mates but Gary enjoyed sitting on his own waiting for his dad to come back. Twenty years of eating bacon hotpot and pea and ham soup left an indelible mark on his memory. That was his grandmother’s fare every Monday and Thursday for 20 years. Such was the impact on Gary, that he wanted a broth on the menu at his and Giggs’ Cafe Football in Westfield Stratford City, London, but he got overruled. For most of his teens, Neville was going to chippies four or five times a week at his Bury home town. At home he would have his tea at 4:30pm but got hungry again by 7pm … so chips and gravy was the solace. He remembers having chicken, mash and beans for his pre-match meal, but that was before nutritionist Trevor moved in and everything changed overnight as all food intake was scientifically monitored - what was eaten, at what time, how much was eaten and how it was eaten - chewing 15 to 20 times.

Gary continues that as a United player he had to stay in shape but now he is out of shape. At home now, he lives in the kitchen. He sits at the breakfast bar all the time and never moves unless the kids want something. He will look in the fridge 10 or more times a day, and in the food cupboards and it’s disappointing when nothing is in there. It’s become an obsession, he says.

Group Property Services and what’s in a name? They are the ones who repair, replace, redo and re-anything you can think of that might go wrong at Old Trafford. They are the ones who un-snag snags and get things right again. They are regarded as heroes and magicians at Old Trafford. They are The Manchester United Maintenance Team, though they fall under the mundane name of Group Property Services. They are called upon to deal with everything, from changing a footballer’s vacuum cleaner bag to helping a blind man abandoned inside the stadium. Most top footballers are divorced from the reality of day-to-day living and for foreign players going to England more help will be necessary. The lads at Maintenance have been called out to cut lawns, feed cats and even save a sooty crow that had managed to get

its way down one player’s chimney. These people are believed to have great patience and ‘understanding’. One player had rang up to say his vacuum cleaner was not working. When a man was sent round he found that the vacuum bag was full, hence the machine had stopped. Another player had bought an antique table and rang up the maintenance team to send somebody to saw a leg off it as it wouldn’t fit where he wanted it. Yet another player had the maintenance team feed his two cats while he was on holiday. When one went down to comply he discovered that every cat in the neighbourhood has found its way in through the cat flap and had to spend a couple of hours ferreting them out of their various hiding places. Some might call this extreme pampering but United wants its players focused on winning football matches, and if that means taking off their minds off the chores of the day that occupy us mere mortals, so be it. The club has a strong philosophy, especially with regards to foreign players. It is difficult enough settling into a new and a new culture, so if they and their families could be made happy, then they play better. The club helps them find the right property, to move in, to furnish the house, fix them up with gardeners and cleaners. Everything from the sublime to the ridiculous, it has been said. As an example, when Veron arrived, he wanted Argentinean television. It was explained to him that it was impossible (at that time), even by satellite, because of the curvature of the earth. Italian TV was installed instead and he was happy with that. As well as supporting players, the maintenance team is also responsible for the upkeep of the Club’s property, which includes Old Trafford, the ticket office, the Trafford Training Centre, Carrington, Littleton Road and five club houses. The fact that 67,000 people flood into the stadium on a regular basis, these people are forever facing new challenges and new situations. They had women fighting and breaking things in the executive boxes at the 1996 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool (what do you expect?) and Aston Villa. There was one guy at a rugby match at OT who was so drunk that he lost his children, not once but twice. When United played Bradford a few years back, one of the United staff walked into a storeroom in the stadium and found that some Bradford Muslim fans had found their way inside, helped themselves to carpet tiles and were busy praying their way to Mecca. There was this blind guy whom they had to keep for one night. He had come to the stadium with a sighted friend, the two had an argument and his ‘friend’ cleared off and left him. The stewards had found him still sitting alone in his seat when the rest of the crowd had gone. As well as being blind, he had never been to OT before, so he had a logistics problem and it had to be sorted out for him and to make sure he got home okay.

VOL 46 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2018

Round‑up of the Major European Leagues… No particular surprises except for Bayern Munich’s indifferent start which puts Borussia Dortmund in pole position by Antoine Dalli

• Liverpool likely to be the only Premier League team capable of offering a serious title challenge to reigning champions Man City. Similar scenario exists in La Liga as only Sevilla and Atletico Madrid can deny Barcelona their second straight Spanish title. • Juventus and Paris SG are still by far the best teams in the Italian Serie A and the French Ligue 1 respectively, thus they are both expected to retain their respective crowns. • Borussia Dortmund seem capable of interrupting Bayern Munich’s defiant dominance in the German Bundesliga.

Up to this stage, Man City and Liverpool have been playing the most dazzling and pleasing to the eye football in the entire division and their respective comprehensive away wins vs. West Ham (0-4) and vs. Watford (0-3) on the 13th league day underline the fact that these two sides are a cut above the rest. Moreover, these two sides possess the best defensive record (just five goals conceded each) and are the only ones still unbeaten in the glamorous English Premier League this season. Defending champions City have scored no fewer than 40 goals compared to Liverpool’s 26. Apart from the slender, though important, two point lead, Man City have the advantage of playing the return game vs. Liverpool in their own Etihad Stadium on 3 January 2019.

Inter seem equipped enough to make a top-four finish but are not to be considered at par with Massimiliano Allegri’s Juventus. For the last remaining European cup spot, there are a host of teams that seem strong enough to compete and outsmart Roma this season. One may easily bracket in this category Lazio, Milan, Fiorentina and Atalanta. The Giallorossi, who lost the services of three key players last summer in the shape of goalkeeper Alisson Becker (Liverpool) and midfielders Kevin Strootman (Marseille) and Radja Nainggolan (Inter), have already lost four games out of their first 13 outings.

At the wrong side of the table, things are increasingly looking complicated for Huddersfield, Fulham, Cardiff City, Southampton, Burnley, Crystal Palace and Newcastle United. On the other hand, West Ham have slightly recovered from a disastrous start to the season.

t the time of writing this article, Pep Guardiola’s finely assembled Man City had 35 points from 13 games and were two points ahead of Liverpool, five clear of third-placed Tottenham and seven better off than Chelsea. The indications are that this time around, last season’s Champions League runners-up Liverpool may give Man City a good run for their money as Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal (fifth with 27 points) and perhaps erratic Man United (seventh with 21 points) are expected to battle it out for the remaining two Champions League berths.

46 VOL 46 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2018

A seemingly assuring eight point lead separate Juventus from nearest pursuers Napoli. The only points dropped by Juventus so far came as a result of an unexpected 1-1 home draw with unfancied Genoa on October 20. The Bianconeri have already soundly beaten Napoli 3-1 in the clash of the titans on September 29. Napoli and

In the German Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund, who finished fourth last season, are the early pace setters and are vying for their ninth Bundesliga title – the first since season 2011/12. The 2013 Champions League runners-up, who have collected 30 points from their first 12 games of the season, are the only unbeaten side in the German top division. On November 10, Lucien Favre’s Borussia Dortmund twice came from behind to beat Bayern Munich 3-2 in their Signal Iduna Park to make a bold statement of intent that they are genuine title contenders. Bayern Munich sit in a disappointing fifth place with only 21 points to show from their first 12 outings. Bayern Munich, who have been crowned German champions in all of the last six seasons, are now under the charge of Niko Kovač, himself

a Bayern Munich player between 2001-03. There have been talks that the ex-Croatia national team coach could be on his way out with former Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane, former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger and former Paris SG boss Laurent Blanc being three of the names reportedly on Bayern’s radar. Bayern Munich’s woes may not be resolved even if Kovač is replaced. Perhaps it is high time that Bayern Munich rejuvenate their ailing and aging squad with younger and hungrier players after several title and cup successes under different coaches.

In the French Ligue 1, Paris SG have made it 14 wins out of 14 and in so doing they

have broken Tottenham Hotspur’s 58-year European record for most consecutive wins at the start of a top-flight season. Tottenham’s now former record came during the 1960/61 season when managed by the legendar y Bill Nicholson. Paris SG’s eighth French title seems to be a mere formality albeit to assess their real strength one should refer to their progress in the Champions League. Despite spending big, the French giants have never left their mark on UEFA’s premier club competition.

In the Spanish La Liga, Real Madrid, winners of the last three Champions League

competitions, are surprisingly sixth and have already suffered five defeats in their first 13 outings. Los Blancos, as Real Madrid are popularly known, have struggled ever since they were crowned European champions for the 13th time after defeating Liverpool 3-1 in last May’s Champions League final in Kiev. First, Zidane stepped down. So did talisman Cristiano Ronaldo who signed for Juventus. Real lost 2-4 a.e.t. against city neighbours Atletico Madrid in last summer’s UEFA Super Cup in Tallinn and have endured a terrible start this season culminated by their 1-5 away defeat at the hands of bitter rivals Barcelona in a one-sided El Clásico which caused the sacking of coach Julen Lopetegui, then replaced by Santiago Solari. On the 13 th day, Seville profited from Barcelona’s 1-1 away draw with Atletico Madrid to go top, one point clear of defending champions Barcelona and two above current Europa League holders Atletico Madrid. Deportivo Alaves are fourth with 23 points. So far, all teams have had their highs and lows in the Spanish La Liga, so it is still premature to really tell who are the real favourites, albeit that Barcelona seem to have that something extra compared to the rest.

VOL 46 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2018

SEASON SUMMARY PLD

------------------ GAMES -----------------W D L

GOALS F

ATTENDANCES TOTAL AVERAGE

PREMIER LEAGUE

H A TOTAL

6 7 13

3 3 6

2 1 3

1 3 4

8 12 20

8 13 21

446888 235421 682309

74481 33632 52485

PREMIER LEAGUE

FA CUP

H A N TOTAL

0 0 0 0

n/a n/a n/a n/a

FA CUP

LEAGUE CUP

H A N TOTAL

1 0 0 1

0 0 0 0

1 0 0 1

0 0 0 0

2 0 0 2

55227 0 0 55227

55227 n/a n/a 55227

LEAGUE CUP

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

H A N TOTAL

3 2 0 5

1 2 0 3

1 0 0 1

1 5 0 6

1 1 0 2

220391 72590 0 292981

73464 36295 n/a 58596

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

OTHER MATCHES

H A N TOTAL

0 0 0 0

n/a n/a n/a n/a

OTHER MATCHES

TOTAL

H A N TOTAL

10 9 0 19

4 5 0 9

4 1 0 5

2 3 0 5

11 17 0 28

11 14 0 25

722506 308011 0 1030517

72251 34223 N/A 54238

TOTAL L

PLAYER’S APPEARANCES 2018-2019 De Gea

TOTAL APPEARANCES 18

Pogba

4 (1)

16 (1)

Matic

Shaw

Smalling

Lindelof

11 (1)

14 (1)

Lukaku

9 (3)

3 (1)

13 (4)

Martial

8 (2)

4 (1)

13 (3)

5 (5)

4 (1)

9 (6)

Lingard

6 (3)

9 (3)

Mata

6 (4)

1 (3)

8 (7)

Fred

6 (1)

0 (1)

8 (2)

Fellaini

5 (5)

0 (1)

2 (2)

7 (8)

Sánchez

5 (5)

7 (5)

NAME

PREMIERSHIP

Young Rashford

Valencia

FA CUP

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

LEAGUE CUP

OTHER MATCHES

GOALS 0

Bailly

3 (2)

5 (2)

Herrera

2 (4)

4 (4)

Pereira A

2 (2)

0 (1)

2 (3)

McTominay

2 (2)

Darmian

Romero

Grant

0 (1)

Jones

Dalot

48 VOL 46 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2018

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POST NEWSPAPER

POST

Volume 45- Issue 3, March 2018

Volume 45Issue December 2017 2, Issue Volume 45October 2017

a kid that I’d “I always said as d and like to play for Unite Alex Ferguson I once spoke to Sir for around about it. We chatted him that told 20 minutes. And I come here my dream was to d.” to Manchester Unite

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Alexis Sánchez

Nemanja Mat ić

Andy Cole

Supporters’ Club-Malta Manchester United by the officially recognized Founded 1959, is Football Club. Manchester United alta ters’ Club-M United Suppor zed by the Manchester is officially recogni l Club. Founded 1959, United Footbal Manchester

Manchester United Suppor Founded 1959, ters’ Club-M alta is officially recogni Manchester United Footbal zed by the l Club.

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“To work with José Mourinho, so who has won many trophies in his time as an is h, a coac opportunity not to be missed.”

Fred

“I knew I had to tak e the free-kick be cause of the venue, and the importance of the game. It is one of my best free-kick s” Juan Mata afte r beating Juventus

in Turin

Thank You Michael Carrick ta Supporters’ Club-Malthe d by Manchester United is officially recognize Club. Founded 1959, Football Manchester United

Manchester United Supporters’ Club-Malta Founded 1959, is officially recognized by the Manchester United Football Club.

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