Erik Ten Hag
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Official publication of the Manchester United Supporters’ Club Malta
editorial team
Clint Camilleri · Braden Galea · Dr. Michael Calleja advertising executive Glenn Lucas
contributors
Dr. Michael Calleja Clint Camilleri Jude Cauchi Braden Galea Robert Mizzi Kevin, Justyn and Wayne Tabone Iain McCartney Silvio Scicluna Kenneth Abela Alex Dudley Julian Tabone Ray Calleja Stefan Attard Joseph Tedesco Matthew Portelli O’Toole Cleo Zarb Daniel Cuschieri
printing Progress Press graphic designer James Trapani patron Sir Alex Ferguson club founder John Calleja club president Joseph Tedesco club committee
Joseph Tedesco President & Match Tickets Coordinator
Robert Muscat Vice-President & Tours Coordinator
Clint Camilleri Secretary. Media & Design Coordinator Kevin Tabone Treasurer & PRO Braden Galea Asst. Secretary & Webmaster & Publishing Coordinator Egidio Sciberras Assistant Treasurer
Robert Mizzi Membership Secretary Marvin Grech Events Manager
Glenn Lucas Advertising Executive & Sports Activities Coordinator Matthew Portelli O’Toole Venue & Facilities Coordinator
Etienne Tabone
Quarries Square Street, Msida MSD 1101 Malta. Telephone: +356 21223531 E‑mail: info@manutd‑malta.com Website: www.manutd‑malta.com
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.
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Archbishop Pietru Pace Street, Victoria, Gozo. E-mail: gozobranch@manutd-malta.com Telephone: +356 99825090 translator Braden Galea
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One normally associates “sagas” with innovative and beautiful works of epic proportions. “Beowulf” springs to mind as does “The Lord of the Rings”. Literary achievements which bedazzle generation upon generation by their sheer capacity to grip readers into an augmented reality of heroic tales and altruistic deeds.
The “Cristiano Ronaldo” saga will certainly go down in history as an exception to the aforementioned. A saga for all the “wrong reasons.” Seemingly “never-ending” , punctuated by the odd appearance off the bench, in an attritional war with his own manager and ostensibly shunned by his fellow team-mates and fans, the Ronaldo fairy tale was destined to become a protracted, nervewracking and exhausting conundrum which would have certainly kept on dividing fans and distracting the manager.
In some ways, thank God it’s over. Finally, we can focus on the football and away from this off field issue which has blighted Erik Ten Hag’s initial months at the helm of the club. The controversial interview with Piers Morgan was undoubtedly machinated to ensure Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United would finally part company. It was unashamedly orchestrated to ensure that Ronaldo was not only away from the club but literally outside of the United Kingdom – ensuring no press scrutiny would befall either him or his family.
For all the pre-interview hype (words such as “explosive” , “earth-shattering” and “bombshell” were bandied prior to the first screening) – nothing genuinely stood out as being out of the ordinary or indeed surprising. That Ronaldo had suffered a personal family tragedy was public knowledge. That he had fallen out with the Manager was obvious – even to non-United fans. That the Glazers “couldn’t care less” was evident to all and sundry since 2005. As soon as the dust settles, the interview will be exposed for what it is. The manifestation of an ego-centric individual, basking in his own self-adulation and reminiscing about the good old-days when he could run past three to four defenders with relative ease.
Unfortunately, it seems not everyone is capable of accepting the fact that his/her time at the very top is over. There’s no riding off into the
sunset. No final hurrah. Just the self realisation that your contribution is certainly not what it was 10-20 years’ ago. Whilst other professionals bow out gracefully, it seems Cristiano wanted to bow out on his own terms and in a manner he sought fit. At least, to his credit, he succeeded in fulfilling his request.
The above panegyric rant shouldn’t detract from the fact that despite a tumultuous couple of months, Erik Ten Hag has managed to steer the ship with great equanimity and professionalism. Results haven’t always been too kind for him. The demolition endured during the Manchester derby coupled by the lacklustre performance at Villa Park certainly saw the press sharpening their knives – and questioning whether the Dutchman was the right man for the job. Yet, if the past ten years have taught United fans one thing – it’s that whoever takes charge must be given time to overhaul the structure, regalvanise the squad and bring the fans back on-side.
There have been moments during the initial part of the season where the team has been truly impressive. A “Ronaldo-less” United triumphed against Liverpool at Old Trafford and completely outwitted and outfought Antonio Conte’s Tottenham at the Theatre of Dreams. Both games demonstrated a tactical nous and game-management awareness that had not been seen in a very long time! That Erik ten Hag needs the club’s backing is imperative. That the wellspoken and mercurial Dutchman needs “time” is undeniable. I have full faith that he will remedy all major problems (and flaws) found within the entire organisation within a couple of seasons.
The win against Fulham brought back memories of a by-gone era – when United genuinely left it very late in the day to grab the crucial (and elusive) three points. Seeing the players collectively kiss, hug and celebrate like one unit was pleasing to witness. What made it extra special was the manner in which the goal was scored. The match had a “draw” written all over it. But in Alejandro Garnacho, it seems the club has unearthed another “diamond” similar in the mould to George Best or Cristiano Ronaldo. His winning goal epitomised all the touches of class and quality that one would associate with a future “star in the making.”
Garnacho has the world at his feet. His intricate footwork and dribbling skills certainly have led many to believe that he can possibly be United’ next superstar. The media
scrutiny and focus (particularly in Britain) can be unrelenting and taxing. However, the club is well-equipped to manage the precocious youngster as the Red Devils have done in the past with players such as Best, Beckham, Giggs and Rooney. United fans live in hope that the talismanic Argentinian will lead the club to future glory and accolades.
On a final note, the club ownership debate took another twist when it was announced that the Glazer family were (finally!) considering options to sell the club. Whilst there is no guarantee that any buyer would be prepared to meet the asking price (which is apparently set an astronomical figure of GBP 8 billion!) demanded by the family –the fact that the Glazers are “exploring” avenues to lay-off Manchester United is comforting to all fans who have had enough of owners who have never contributed any of their personal wealth or assets to improve the infrastructure which is decaying beyond belief.
The controversial take-over back in 2005 (a leveraged buy-out wherein the family basically borrowed money and saddled the club with the debt) has been contentious from the moment the deal was approved all those years’ ago. United fans have never had any form of closure and recent protests and demonstrations have seemingly echoed the “Revolutions of 1848” with fans taking to the streets and breaking into Old Trafford “en masse”. The uprisings have certainly not gone unnoticed by the Glazers, and it is within this backdrop that the potential sale of the club is being mooted to third-parties and other major stakeholders.
In any event, all United fans certainly hope (and pray) that such vicissitudes (which have beset the club for quite a while), will be shortly confined to the annals of history. Enjoy the read and make the most of the 2022 FIFA World Cup!
Wieħed normalment jassoċja is‑ “sagas” ma’ xogħlijiet innovativi u sbieħ ta’ proporzjonijiet epiċi. “Beowulf” kif ukoll “The Lord of the Rings” jiġu f’ moħħna. Huma kisbiet letterarji li għaxxqu ġenerazzjonijiet bil‑kapaċità li jdaħħlu lill‑qarrej f’ augmented reality ta’ stejjer erojki u atti altruisti.
Is‑saga ta’ “Cristiano Ronaldo” titniżżel fl‑istorja bħala eċċezzjoni għal dan li semmejna hawn fuq. Hija saga għal “raġunijiet ħżiena”. Dehret li mhi ħa tispiċċa qatt, b’ pawża rari ta’ dħul minn fuq il‑bank tas‑sostituti, f’ battalja ta’ attrizjoni mal‑maniġer tiegħu u apparentement imwarrab minn sħabu plejers kif ukoll mis‑sapporters, l‑istorja ta’ Ronaldo kienet destinata li tkun imtawwla b’ mod eżawrenti li kienet ċertament tkompli tifred lis‑sapporters u tkun ta’ tfixkil għall‑maniġer.
Sa ċertu punt, nirringrazzjaw ‘l Alla li għaddiet. Finalment nistaw niffukaw fuq il‑futbol u ‘l bogħod minn dil‑kwistjoni barra l‑grawnd li tappnet l‑ewwel ftit xhur tat‑tmun ta’ Erik Ten Hag fil‑klabb. L‑intervista kontroversjali ma’ Piers Morgan kienet bla dubju orkestrata biex sa fl‑aħħar Cristiano Ronaldo u Manchester United imorru fi triqat differenti. Bla mistħija kienet disinjata li toħroġ meta Ronaldo mhux biss ikun ‘il bogħod mill‑klabb iżda ukoll barra mir‑Renju Unit – li tassigura li l‑ebda skrutinju tal‑medja ma jaqa’ fuqu jew fuq familtu.
Minkejja l‑kliem kollu li ntuża biex jattratta lin‑nies qabel toħroġ l‑intervista, xejn ma rajna li kien barra l‑ordinarju jew ta’ sorpriża. Li Ronaldo sofra traġedja familjari kienet diġà fid‑dominju pubbliku. Li kellu xi jgħid mal‑maniġer kienet ovvja, anke għal dawk li ma jżommux mal‑United. Li l‑Glazers ma jimpurtahomx mill‑klabb ilha evidenti għal kulħadd mill‑2005. Kif joqgħod it‑trab, l‑intervista tkun esposta għal dak li hi: manifestazzjoni ta’ persuna ego‑ċentrika, tadura lilha nfisha u tiftakar fi żmien passat meta setgħet tiġri bejn tliet jew erba’ difensuri b’ faċilità liema bħalha.
Sfortunatament mhux kulħadd lest li jaċċetta li żmienu fil‑quċċata għadda u mar. Lanqas realizzazzjoni li l‑kontribut tiegħu m’ għadux dak li kien 10‑20 sena ilu. Fejn professjonisti oħra jitilqu mix‑xena bi grazzja, jidher li Cristiano
ried jitlaq skont it‑termini tiegħu u kif dehrlu hu. Għallinqas, kreditu għalih li rnexxielu.
Minkejja l‑paniġierku t’ hawn fuq, wieħed ma jridx jinsa l‑fatt li minkejja t‑taqlib fl‑aħħar xhur, Erik Ten Hag irnexxielu jidderieġi l‑vapur b’ ekwanimità u professjonaliżmu liema bħalhom. Ir‑riżultati ma kienux dejjem ħenjin miegħu. It‑tkissir li ġarrabna fit‑telfa kontra Manchester City u l‑prestazzjoni ħażina ferm kontra Aston Villa f’ Villa Park ċertament raw lill‑gazzetti Ingliżi jsinnu s‑skieken u jistaqsu jekk Ten Hag kienx l‑aħjar persuna li tkun fit‑tmexxija tal‑klabb. Minkejja dan, l‑aħħar għaxar snin urewna ħaġa – li kull min jingħata t‑tmun, għandu jkollu l‑ħin biex jorganizza l‑istruttura kif irid hu, jiggalvanizza l‑iskwadra u jerbaħ lis‑sapporters.
kella “pareġġ” miktuba fuqha. Imma f’ Alejandro Garnacho, jidher li l‑klabb sab djamant ieħor simili għall‑forma ta’ George Best u Cristiano Ronaldo. Il‑gowl rebbieħ tiegħu epitomizza il‑klassi u kwalità li wieħed normalment jassoċja ma’ stilla futura.
Garnacho għandu d‑dinja f’ saqajh. Il‑kapaċità bis‑saqajn u dribbling ċertament tawna x’ nifhmu li jista’ jkun l‑istilla tal‑United li jmiss. L‑attenzjoni u skrutinju tal‑medja Ingliża jaf ikun bla waqfien. Madankollu il‑klabb għandu dak kollu meħtieġ sabiex jipproteġi u jimmaniġġja lil dan iż‑żagħżugħ b’ talent fenominali kif għamlu fil‑passat bi plejers bħal Best, Beckham, Giggs u Rooney. Is‑sapporters ta’ United jittamaw li l‑Arġentin talismaniku jġorr lill‑klabb għall‑glorja fil‑futur u għal aktar unuri.
Hemm mument fl‑ewwel parti tal‑istaġun fejn it‑tim kien verament impressjonanti. United mingħajr Ronaldo rebħu kontra Liverpool f’ Old Trafford u rebħu l‑konfront mentali u fiżiku kontra it‑Tottenham ta’ Antonio Conte fit‑Teatru tal‑Ħolm. Iż‑żewġ logħbiet urew għarfien tattika u maniġġjar tal‑logħba li konna ilna ma naraw żmien! Li Erik Ten Hag għandu bżonn l‑appoġġ tal‑klabb huwa imperattiv. Li l‑Olandiz merkurjali li jitkellem ferm tajjeb għandu bżonn biżżejjed żmien ma tistax tiċħdu. Għandi fidi totali li jirrimedja l‑problemi maġġuri (u difetti) li hemm fl‑organizzazzjoni kollha fi ftit staġuni.
Ir‑rebħa kontra Fulham ġabet memorji ta’ żmien passat – fejn United ġenwinament ħallew għal tard fil‑logħba sabiex jiksbu tliet punti kruċjali (u elużivi). Li tara l‑plejers kollettivament jitbewwsu, jingħannqu u jiċċelebraw bħala tim wieħed paxxew lil kull min kien qed jara. Dik li għamlitha partikularment speċjali kienet il‑manjiera li biha ġie skurjat il‑gowl. Il‑logħba
Fuq nota finali, id‑dibattitu dwar it‑tmexxija tal‑klabb ħa dimensjoni oħra meta kien imħabbar li l‑Glazers (finalment) kienu qed jikkunsidra li jbiegħu lill‑klabb. Minkejja li m’ hemmx garanzija li xerrej potenzjali hu lest li jilħaq id‑domanda artronomika ta’ prezz ta’ xi GBP 8 biljun li qed jitolbu l‑Glazers – il‑fatt li l‑Glazers qed jesploraw toroq biex ineħħu lil Manchester United mill‑portafoll tagħhom huwa ta’ komfort għal ħafna sapporters li xebgħu b’ sidien li qatt ma daħħlu idejhom fil‑but biex jinvestu fil‑klabb lanqas jitwemmen li l‑infrastruttura tiegħu qed titħalla taqa’ biċċiet.
Ix‑xiri tal‑klabb fl‑2005 (dak li jissejjaħ leveraged buyout fejn il‑familja bażikament issellfet il‑flus sabiex xtrat il‑klabb u tefgħet dan id‑dejn fuq il‑klabb) kien kontroversjali mill‑mument li l‑ftehim kien approvat snin ilu. Il‑fans ta’ United ma kellhomx xi forma ta’ għeluq tal‑kwistjoni u l‑protesti riċenti u dimostrazzjonijiet kienu eku tar‑ “Rivoluzzjonijiet tal‑1848” , hekk kif is‑sapporters ħarġu fit‑toroq u sfurzaw id‑dħul f’ Old Trafford bil‑massa. Il‑protesti ma kienux inosservati mill‑Glazers, u b’ dan fl‑isfond qed jiġi diskuss il‑bejgħ potenzjali tal‑klabb lil terzi u stakeholders maġġuri oħra.
F’ kull eventwalità, il‑fans ċertament jisperaw (u jitolbu) li dawn il‑viċissitudini (li għadda minnhom il‑klabb għal tul ta’ żmien) dalwaqt ikunu mitfugħa fl‑annali tal‑istorja. Ħudu gost aqraw u gawdu l‑FIFA World Cup 2022.
1) Can you tell us something about yourself (your personal life, age, marital status, work/profession)? What are your favourite past‑times apart from football? What was your favourite holiday destination? What are three words that describe you?
I’m Matthew Portelli O’Toole, turning 39 in January, married to Lara and also the proud father of my jewel, Zayden who’s 9 years. I would say that the three phrases that capture all that I am are; loyalty is a very big principle in my life, I’m a person who’s always willing to help those in need and I am someone who loves anything which has a cultural element. The biggest part of my working life has been working for the past 20 years as part of the logistics team with a leading food importer and distributer company.
Apart from football, one of my passions is socializing and meeting new people. Being a committee member of the club, I’m lucky to be in a position to be able to do both. I am also a lover of the local feasts, in fact for the past 18 years I’ve been a member of Attard’s ‘Fratelanza’. I also used to take part in the Good Friday procession.
Exploring other countries is a wonderful thing to do. I’ve been lucky to have visited various countries in the past: Canada, Scotland and just returned from Turkey to name a few. Each country has its own characteristics, but I always say that the trips to England have always been my favourite. The first time I’ve been to this beautiful country was more than 25 years ago and since then I’ve visited so many times. Despite my many trips, when I return home I always think the same about this country – I will always return and visit again. The culture, the people and the places all make the trips to this wonderful country my absolute favourite. Luckily, my favourite team hails from this same country so I’ve got the perfect excuse to visit again and again!
2) How did you start supporting United? What
is your best memory of United? How many times have you visited Old Trafford? Who is your favourite current player and club legend? If there was one thing you could change at United, what would it be? If you were Man Utd manager and had an unlimited budget, which player would you bring to United and why? Which team would you support if Man Utd did not exist?
My father has always supported West Ham United but this was never a team I was attracted to. When I was 11 years old, I was listening to the radio and an astonishing score was announced – Man Utd 9 Ipswich 0. This result captured my imagination and from that day onwards, I started calling myself a Red and never looked back.
The first time I visited Old Trafford was with my friend Darren Cristina in February 2018 for the 2-0 win against Huddersfield Town. I was always mesmerized by our home ground and I will never forget the atmosphere that one experiences from the moment you enter the Theatre of Dreams. The first time is always a special memory and one that I will never forget. Since then, I’ve visited more times and will always cherish each occasion.
My current favourite player is David De Gea, as I always see him as one who truly and proudly plays for the club and does his best for the crest. My all-time favourite will be between Eric Cantona and Roy Keane. It will be very difficult for me to choose between the two but both have something in common – they are both born leaders and won’t ever accept being second best. A non-United favourite player definitely would have been Erling Haaland but this will have to remain a dream as he’s now joined Man City.
If I were to have any influence on the way the club operates, I would definitely change it to be more focused on the footballing matters rather than the commercial aspect. I accept that football nowadays has to have the commercial
element, however I will never accept having the commercial side taking over the football side. There has to be a balance.
I will never imagine myself following another club but I must admit that I have a soft spot for Aston Villa. The reason for this was another remarkable result against our biggest rivals when they won 7-2 a couple of seasons back. Who’s to argue that we weren’t all Villans on that day!
3) What attracted you to join the Supporters’ Club? What made you contest the Committee election? Describe your role in the club. Why would you recommend a United supporter to join the world’s oldest Man Utd supporters’ club?
Both my friends Darren Cristina and Kenneth Portelli used to mention the club very often to me and they always spoke highly about the club. One day, I agreed to meet Darren at the club to go watch a match together and after I joined as a member. At the Club I started meeting new people and showed interest in what was happening at the club. Club President Joseph Tedesco and Committee Member Antoine Portelli had spoken to me and asked whether I would be willing to join the Committee. After making sure that I was able to meet the demands of being a committee member, I accepted and was co-opted. The role given was Venue & Facilities Co-ordinator and I also assisted to organize events. In my role, I do my best to make sure that our club premises are in top condition. During the last couple of years, I am delighted to say that I have been part of the team that has worked very hard to improve the state of our premises and I proudly say that we’ve got the best supporters’ club premises in the island, if not the world!
Knowing how hard the committee works to make sure that the members always get the best from the club, I always say that each Maltese Man Utd supporter should become a member. As we always say between ourselves, we at MUSC Malta lead and others follow! GGMU!
1) Can you tell us something about yourself (your personal life, age, marital status, work/profession)? What are your favourite past times apart from football? What was your favourite holiday destination? What are three words that describe you?
I am 51 years of age, married to Audrey Ann who I have been dating she was 13 and I was 17. We have been married for 24 years now and have 2 kids – Gary David 21 years and Thea 16. Both of them are Manchester United fans. My wife has become a Manchester United fan (she was a Juve fan before she met me) but she still prefers the Italian national football team than the English, unfortunately. I have no other pastimes apart from following: tennis and snooker every now and then and listening to Jon Bon Jovi music. Manchester United is my football religion and MUSC Malta is my other life commitment apart from family and work. I have been a public service officer in all my working career (33 years) and today I focus on the digitalising of public services. I visited a few places around the world, but my favourite holiday destination will always be the beautiful island of Gozo – best place to relax. Three words to describe myself – loyal, honest, and genuinely committed.
2) How did you start supporting United? What is your best memory of United? How many times have you visited Old Trafford? Who is your favourite current player and club legend? If there was one thing you could change at United, what would it be? If you were Man Utd manager and had an unlimited budget, which player would you bring to United and why? Which team would you support if Man Utd did not exist?
My late father was the inspiration for my love towards Manchester United. When I started supporting United, the team was facing relegation year in, year out, so no one can call me a glory hunter for sure. I am lucky enough to have experienced so many wonderful and emotional experiences with Manchester United, but my best memory must be the Champions
League final in 1999 in Barcelona. I have been to Old Trafford many times (stopped counting) and I also had the opportunity to watch my team in some away stadiums in England. I have no favourite player – I am the badge kind of fan but if I had to pick up my favourite legend during my years following United, I have to mention 2 – Bryan Robson and Eric Cantona. If I had the power at Old Trafford, there are a few things that I would change at United at the moment and on top of that list would be the way the Club deals with the Supporters’ Clubs worldwide. The business side of the Club took the limelight away completely from the focus the Club had on Supporters’ Clubs. If I had to bring a player to Old Trafford at the moment it must be a clinical centre forward, hence it must be Haaland however, realistically I can settle for Cody Gakpo. I follow some other clubs from a distance such as Torino, Fiorentina and Borussia Mönchengladbach (just look for their results in the weekend - there is a background for each) but I can never imagine me supporting another football Club if Manchester United did not exist. Probably I will be following a different sport.
3) What attracted you to join the Supporters’ Club? What made you contest the Committee election? Describe your role in the club. Why would you recommend a United supporter to join the world’s oldest Man Utd supporters’ club?
The first time I entered the MUSC Malta premises was way back in late 1989 when the premises was located in St. Lucy Street, Valletta. I had just started to date my wife and her best friend’s dad is one who at the time was one of the stalwarts of our Supporters Club – Paul Tonna. He offered to take me to the Supporters’ Club on a Friday night, and I can still remember that first visit, going up those stairs, as if it was yesterday. I joined as a member on that first day even though on my membership card, for some reason, it shows member since 1991. I won’t complain. The excitement I felt on my way back home after that first visit was maybe the prelude of the following 33 years. I used to attend the Club on opening days – there were no match days at the time. It coincided with the start of Manchester United’s golden era and when the Premier League kicked off, I used to go and watch matches in the venues where the Supporters’ Club members used to meet.
We did not have a Club big enough to accommodate the hundreds of people that used to turn up. My wife seems to be in the centre of all these coincidences and one of her work mates was dating one of the Committee members. We went out for a meal together one night and I was introduced to my friend Charles
Cauchi – a loyal Committee member who served the Supporters Club for 30 continuous years. Charles pushed me towards joining the Committee as a co-opted member and officially I became a Committee member on 1st January 1997. I can never thank Paul and Charles enough for the important roles they both played in my career at the Supporters’ Club. My first committee post was being in charge of the Souvenir Shop. Then I became Secretary, Vice President and in October 2009 I was elected as Club President. My role is basically to oversee all the other Committee roles, making sure that the Club is delivering value to the members, promoting the name of Manchester United and Manchester United Supporters’ Club Malta locally and abroad.
My experience in the many Committees that I have served at MUSC Malta taught me that supporting United and being an active member in the Committee are two separate commitments. I am also the match tickets coordinator, providing tickets to members to go and watch our favourite football team playing at Old Trafford. I have been in this role since my early years in the Committee and have kept that responsibility till date. I can assure you that I have a few stories with tickets but my 100% success rate in that every time a person requesting a ticket from MUSC Malta since I have been in charge has gone to Old Trafford and watched the game is still intact. The Club takes a lot of my time and I thank first and foremost my wife for her understanding and support during all these years and my fellow Committee members for their great commitment. It’s very rare to find a hard-working Committee in a Club but the ones I had to pleasure to work with in this Club have always been the exception of the exception. I thank the Club members who have shown faith in me for so many years. I had a disagreement with a member or two in my 25 years serving the committee and there could be another one or two who felt disgruntled about an action we have taken as a Committee during the past 13 years I have served as Club President. I can safely say that neither myself, nor the Committees I worked with as Club President ever took a decision that was not in the best interest of the Supporters’ Club, and I have no hard feelings towards those very few who for some reason have a different view. I am just very proud to be part of all this and we try to extend the family environment we have within the Committee to the Club members. Nowadays the Committee has many members who are very active helping and assisting the Committee on voluntary basis. It’s amazing! When one understands the mission, the commitment, the agenda and the passion we have at MUSC Malta, then becoming a member becomes a formality.
It is fair to say it was only just the few of us, if anybody at all, who were expecting Casemiro to be a United player by the end of last Summer’s transfer window. And yet, as what’s become quite a characteristic of United lately, you have to expect the unexpected with this club. Especially when the comforting signs of long-term planning have invariably proved to be false dawns.
Whatever the case, Casemiro has been a positive and an important signing and indeed, he has made us play in a different way. He is after all one of the best midfielders in the world. He has won 5 Champions Leagues and countless other titles.
His play is very simple in the sense that he does not try to complicate things. He sits in front of the defence and does the covering for his team mates. He may not be glamorous and he is not the best dribbler you may see. He is not the quickest either while surging forwards but he brings a bit of defensive stability which we badly needed. He is a work-horse and is arguably way better than any holding midfield player we have tried in recent years.
He’s not young anymore, but I’d like to think he has still got a good three to four years left in him.
He works hard. He is quite robust but it seems he is adjusting quite well in the Premier League and crucially he also seems to be a fit in in Ten Hag’s plans.
And this has always been my main concern, ever since we first heard we were being linked with him last August. Was he in Ten Hag’s plans? It is now – following the latest revelations - no secret that Ronaldo, for instance, was not in Solskjaer’s plans. Could Casemiro have been the same?
I admit my initial reaction to the news that he was signing was that he would be joining just for
the money. He was after all, doubling his wages.
Personally, it was quite a surprise and it’s quite evident he was never part of the plan. If he had been in our plans, we would have got him in May or June and he would have cost much less.
The way things turned out in mid-August, with the talk of the club potentially being for sale and all that, the signing of Casemiro smacked of real desperation. I mean, we were being linked with him on Wednesday, and on Friday – less than 48 hours later – he was announced. After the season was already 2 weeks old, after weeks of speculation around Frankie De Jong and then Rabiot and then even Arnautovic, the club finally remembered they had the cash needed. Just like they did with
Jadon Sancho, in the summer of 2021. It was not convincing. It was basically, in my view, the Glazers’ battle for survival.
Very rarely though, at least in the past 10-12 years, have United signed a player of such calibre with so little fanfare. But that is what happened with Casemiro. Whilst nobody objected to the signing, nobody was going to get carried away this time.
Not getting De Jong in the end meant getting Casemiro and most of us accepted that.
18 games and 1 (important) goal later, I am even more convinced that Casemiro should have signed for United… 3 years ago. His infectious play, his tenacity, his aggressiveness and his experience has precisely underlined what we have been missing. He indeed represents a significant upgrade to our current midfield set up. His stoppage time equaliser in Stamford Bridge and the celebrations that ensued encapsulate his total commitment and that is something that United fans appreciate.
For some reason, Brazilian players have not always excelled in a United shirt. Casemiro joins the likes of Rafael & Fabio Da Silva, Anderson, Fred, Andreas Pereira, Kleberson, Rodrigo Possebon and Alex Telles. A few days following his signature, Antony also joined. The fact that no other Brazilian has so far really won our hearts does not mean that Casemiro cannot necessarily make it.
We hope he can now lift the team but clearly he won’t be able to do it all on his own. In the past years, he’s been working in a winning set-up with the likes of Kroos and Modric. At United, he hasn’t really got that.
It has been the story at our club for the past few years, really.
We solve one area and we forget about the rest. Quite clearly, a weak strategy with little long term planning. We have been crying out for a defensive midfield player for the past couple of transfer windows. Now that we have found one, we badly need a striker and more.
It is clear we need to bring in 2 new strikers in the January transfer market. We needed replacement for Cavani in the Summer and we didn’t do that and now Ronaldo’s gone and we need a replacement for him as well.
Of course, in the mean-time, it has also been revealed the club is officially up for sale. That spells more uncertainty for me, at least until the issue is sorted once and for all.
Meanwhile, it is hoped Casemiro can carry on marshalling the midfield and protecting our defence until the team is properly strengthened. It is still too early to judge Casemiro in the United shirt, of course. But based on what we have seen so far, whether he was in the club’s plans or not, the omens are quite positive.
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By the time you will be reading this, I presume that the World Cup is over, and we will all be itching to get back to our beloved Premier League competition. As things stand on the day of writing, England has a good chance to qualify from the group after winning the first game against Iran in an emphatic fashion and then playing an anti-climax draw against USA, but have not impressed enough to make anyone think they can go one step better than 4 years ago. Who knows…Brazil and France seem to be the favorites so far and in my pools at work, I wrote Brazil to win! This is a Man Utd focused magazine, hence I won’t take too much of my space to scribble about the adjudication of a World Cup to a country with no football culture, all sorts of smell of corruption and human abuse, first ever month long interruption of all major football leagues all around the globe because of a football competition, etc. One cannot deny that whatever the background, this competition brings excitement but this time I am afraid it will also bring subsequent negative repercussions on players and respective football clubs due to its blasphemous timing.
Since my last article in the July edition, Man Utd football team has evolved and there are very positive, encouraging signs of improvement. Erik Ten Hag has put his money where his mouth is since he took over and in the words
of someone very close to him, he is ‘a nice bloke but also has the side of don’t mess with me...I’m the boss’. That is the exact description of what I was hoping for when the media were drawing the initial profile of him. He has made some great signings in the likes of Casemiro, Eriksen, Martinez, Malacia and Antony. This surely must be the best summer transfer market we have had since Sir Alex and David Gill left. He has also cleared some of the deadwood and brought back to life the likes of Dalot, Shaw and Rashford. Even Martial seemed to get back in form during pre-season but has not been lucky with injuries, again. The first 2 games left everyone shell-shocked but since then we won 8 games (including Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham), drew 2 (including the only game where we failed to score since the resurrection) and lost 2 (including a thrashing against the noisy neighbours), cementing 5th place in the Premier League table.
We have also comfortably qualified for the Europa League knock-out stage with 5 wins and 1 loss, now with a mouthwatering clash against Barcelona in the next stage. That will be a test! We have also qualified to the next round of the League Cup,
so we still have a trophy in sight. The most important factor in all this is that the new manager has brought back discipline and confidence in players, instilled an identity back in our team, is not afraid in taking decisions and introduced an effective playing system on the pitch. We still get off-days (which I think is normal), but we grind results which is all that matters. There is no doubt the manager is still at the outset of his learning curve in the most competitive club level football league in the world, but he recreated a platform onto which this football team can grow. His attention to detail will help our younger players such as the talented Garnacho to develop and will be the key for Man Utd to start taking control of games once again.
Just imagine…you have a wife and you both have been loyal to each other for a very long time. You got to know her since she was young, love at first sight scenario and she grew up with you, being the best wife ever, in good and bad times. Suddenly, one fine day you return home and out of the blues find her in bed with another man! That feeling is exactly the same
feeling I had when I got to know about the details of that damned, orchestrated, interview Cristiano Ronaldo gave to Piers Morgan. Never in my wildest dream did I ever think that the football player I adored so much, to the extent that he nearly convinced me to introduce the first tattoo on my body in drawing his initials on my shoulder, would get to this low of the lowest level just to be able to negotiate this mutual consent agreement for his departure from the Club he has failed to carry during the turbulent months that followed his return. The truth can never be denied. He has been the best football player I have seen in a Man Utd shirt in my lifetime, and he gave me and the 1.1 billion supporters all over the world some great unforgettable moments.
However, if he stated that he felt betrayed, we, the fans, are the ones who felt betrayed by the player we loved so much, to go on such a dirty stage like the one manned by a rat like Morgan and spit out all those vile statements against colleagues and ex-colleagues and the football club which were paying him half a million pounds a week and gave him the platform he required to grow and shine. If he criticized the infrastructure, that is not new for us. The fans have been beckoning on this topic with
His job is to play football. There is not one single positive thing that came out from that interview. The only thing that is now sure is that the name of Cristiano Ronaldo will never get legendary status at Old Trafford like Charlton, Best, Law, Robson and Cantona. The name of Cristiano Ronaldo will last a few more years and will start to disappear because a new star will emerge, but the name of Man Utd will live
now on will be used to try and prove any of the nonsense he uttered in that evil dialogue which exposed who the real Cristiano Ronaldo is.
The mutual agreement coincided with the news that the Glazer family will listen to options about selling the Club. In true and actual fact, the Glazers have been in this process for quite a while but for some reason they decided to make this public coincidentally on the same date Cristiano left the Club. There is a lot of speculation in the air: Sir Jim Ratcliffe, investors from Arab world and the USA and the tech giants Apple. Surely if an investor was thinking about bidding for taking over the FA Cup and League Cup double winners of last season will now have a rethink. The proposition of Man Utd, no matter how hated we are, remains the greatest football proposition in terms of a business opportunity. And that is what worries the fans who are devoted to the badge, like me. I have never been in favour of the way the Glazers manage this Club, but I just hope that we do not fall from the frying pan into the fire if a takeover eventually takes place. This is a very delicate moment, and it is the time for all the different Man Utd fan groups to come together and set up one united front to ensure that this takeover is the right one. We can’t fail again with a takeover given the projects the club has in the pipeline and the situation on the pitch which is finally showing glimpses of resurgence. We hope
I take the opportunity to wish you and all your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a Happy
With the January 2023 transfer window coming up, it is worth having a look at recent expenditure by Manchester United. According to the CIES Football Observatory, Manchester United head the rankings among the big-5 league clubs of having paid the most inflated prices to acquire players since July 2012. The study compares players’ values prior to transfer, estimated according to the exclusive CIES Football Observatory’s statistical model, and the fees actually paid by the respective club.
The CIES Football Observatory is a research group within the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) and it specialises in the statistical analysis of football. It concluded that Manchester United’s total investment for the 33 fee paying transfers assessed in the study was a staggering €238M greater than the estimated value of players concerned:
Outcoming
Arsenal FC 16
€1.59 vs €1.36 billion (+18%). United are followed by Juventus (€233 M, +29%) and Paris St-Germain (€162M, +19%) complete the overspending table’s podium. Only three English Premier League teams (Brighton, Tottenham and Wolves) figure among the 36 clubs that invested less money than expected to conclude the fee-paying deals assessed.
Unfortunately, this reaffirms the general perception that the big clubs play a key role in driving up inflation on the transfer market in European and world football.
In this study deals concluded by triggering buyout or option-to-buy clauses were not included in the sample analysed. Only 86 current big-5 league clubs figure in the rankings, since one of the conditions of the report was that the analysts had to assess at least ten fee-paying transfers per club.
by Ray CallejaThere are various factors that are deemed to influence the ultimate price paid by recruiting clubs when it comes to big player transfers. These include the existing contract length of the player, as well as his age and experience. So, if a player has a contract duration of two years or longer it will have an impact of a higher fee to be paid by the recruiting club. Similarly, one year less in the age of the player would also have a positive impact on the price. For example, the estimated price for Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer of 2018 would have reached €89.3m (actual estimate being €79.6m) if the Portuguese had been a year younger than his 33 and a half years he was at the time of the transfer.
Other important factors that come to play when it comes to determine a player’s transfer value include the economic power of the recruiting club. This is where the club’s ability
−1.9 −10.2% 23 +2.6 +8.7%
Chelsea FC 18 +9.3 +36.9% 29 −7.2 −16.2%
Liverpool FC 23 −2.9 −13.7% 26 −0.2 −0.8%
Manchester City 16 −2.8 −15.3% 23 −3.0 −7.4%
Manchester United 24 −0.6 −3.8% 20 +3.7 +7.4%
Tottenham Hotspur 31 +2.6 +20.0% 24 −1.4 −6.0%
to generate different sources of revenue come into the equation. Ticket revenues, sponsorship deals, sale of merchandise, television rights and many more all contribute to the financial clout of a club and its ability to generate sufficient funds to go out and buy the best players there are. The 2022 most valuable club list shows how the English Premier League is dominating European clubs in terms of revenue, too. Eleven of the top twenty richest clubs are from England, with Manchester United (with club’s total value at €4.37 billion) in third place behind Real Madrid and Barcelona (both valued at €4.84 billion), ranked first and second respectively. United’s total revenue for the 2021/22 season was at €580.4 million, the highest in England. The Premier League generated a total of €10.3 billion worth of revenue in the 2021/22 period, which was around €1.1 billion more than the previous year, thus showing remarkable recovery after the COVID pandemic.
Back to the CIES report on player transfers, which included the assessment of transfer
performance of the six wealthiest English Premier League clubs in the period 2012 to 2021. This is reflected in the table below, which shows the average gaps between actual and estimated fees among the six clubs, for incoming and outcoming transfers. When it comes to signing new players Manchester United and Arsenal paid in total about 10% more than the expected amount. In contrast, Chelsea have been particularly skilled in their negotiations when signing players as can be seen from a negative 16% average. The same can be said of them when selling players. Their average is a positive 37% while Manchester City are at the other end with a negative 15%, while United had a negative 3.8% average.
The same report was able to identify up to 20 footballers with an estimated value of more than €100 million, as at 1 December 2021. In this elite group of players, only Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes was over 25 years
old at the time. The average age of these 20 players was around 22 years old. One notable feature was the fact that all of them had at least two and a half years of contract remaining with their present club. Sixteen of them also had a contract valid for at least three and a half years.
Clearly the amount of money spent in the football players’ transfer market continues to increase, particularly in the five major European leagues (England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France). The spend in these leagues increased by 61% in 2022 compared to 2020 and 28% compared to 2021. The English Premier League continues to dominate with its strong global marketing position, where the share of transfer fees paid by English clubs reached 48.5% in 2022 out of the total big-5 league clubs’ investments. Manchester United continue to feature negatively in these statistics with a net transfer deficit of €1.27 billion in the last ten years contributing significantly to the Premier League’s cumulated transfer deficit of almost €9.5 billion.
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The signs are there! The elder member of the Tabone clan came back from a recent visit to watch United play live and he couldn’t stop mentioning how impressed he was with the way the team was playing under the new gaffer. Let the process progress further, say the whole Tabone team!
Mention the 2 best things which Eric Ten Hag has brought to Manchester United.
Wayne: Erik ten Hag brought a totally new mentality to Manchester United. He showed what needs to be done to be a winner. We are playing better than we have seen these last 9 years. Never giving up even when going a goal down and the team is showing good spirit to try and turn defeat to victory. The Dutch manager has also brought some top quality players that have the same mentality as him. Some he’s known them from the time they’ve played under him at Ajax whilst the others have proven with their former clubs how strong a character they have.
Justyn: One of the best things Erik Ten Hag has brought to the club has been an identity to Manchester United. More often than not, the Manchester United players have been playing in a certain way and in a way that the manager wants them to play. Erik Ten Hag has turned Manchester United to a team that keeps a high defensive line, presses from the front when possible and plays progressive football. It is evident that forward play has been an integral part of the Dutch Manager’s training routines as certain passages of play could be seen more than once throughout a game.
Another dimension that has been brought to the club by Ten Hag is a certain level of authority over the players. It is clear that over
the years, there has been a lack of respect towards the manager. Players seemed to have too much power and could turn on the manager whenever they wanted to. However, we have seen so far that this has not been the case. The manager was not tolerating the lack of running in the beginning of the season especially against Brentford. Consequences followed after that showing. Moreover, when Ronaldo did not follow orders, Ten Hag took crucial decisions, even though we all know the influence the Portuguese had on the squad.
Kevin: An evident improvement is the way the team is playing tactically. Although I was sceptical about Casemiro’s transfer, I have to say that he truly is the cement between the
stones. He ably manages to keep the team in shape and this is a very important factor in today’s fast paced game. Another would be discipline. He comes across as someone who you will not mess about with. I love watching his weekly press conferences, being direct, upfront and blunt with some of the uncomfortable questions he is asked.
Following recent reactions, what do you think the future of Cristiano Ronaldo will be at Manchester United?
Wayne: Cristiano Ronaldo has reacted very poorly recently but that is the way he is, he wants to be the best, starts every game and does not even want to be subbed off for a
second. But this is no excuse. He has to be a team player not just one that wants himself only to succeed. The first priority must be the team and not the individual. On the other hand in recent performances he has shown that he is willing to work hard to win back his place in the starting 11. I think he has to realise that he is no longer a definite starter anymore and that his time is nearing the end. Having said this, he will definitely always be remembered as one of the greats but this doesn’t mean he’s guaranteed to start every single game.
Justyn: I think we as Manchester United supporters can all agree that we are disappointed with how this has been handled. I think that it was inevitable that this would have been an issue as the season went on. It was clear that Ronaldo did not want to continue being at the club after failing to qualify for the Champions League. The Glazers did not want to sell him as they seem to see him as a way to make money off him, to lure fans in and buy the tops with his name on the back. However, it is clear that there have been disruptions in the squad because of the situation. The club should have found a solution for him and sold him to another club. Moreover, he is not the type of striker the manager wants. In my opinion, Anthony Martial, when fit has done a better job of playing the striker role in the way Ten Hag wants his striker to play in his system. In my opinion, we may have already seen his last appearance for the club, and it is quite sad how his story is ending.
Kevin: I would say that we’re seeing the end of a truly one in a lifetime magnificent player. I hope he proves me wrong, but age is getting the better of him I’m afraid. Don’t get me wrong, for a 37-year old he’s in fantastic shape but in the Premier League stage, a matter of split seconds make a hell of a lot of difference. He used to be well ahead of everyone else and that is what made him the brilliant player he was. I’m afraid that today his body wants to but can’t let him do what he used to do before. Defenders catching up with him, not having the same spring in his jump – all signs that his time as the ultimate footballer is up.
Do you think Manchester United will dip in the January transfer window? Explain why and if yes who you think could be the ideal target/s.
Wayne: I think that Manchester United will participate in the January transfer window but I do not think we will splash the cash as much as we need to. I think we will buy a decent player with potential rather than one who’s already established. Having said this, I still think that this player will still impact the team positively. The player I’m talking about is Cody Gakpo. The Dutch winger has proved himself in the Eredivisie and his stats are out of this world. I think he will be a great addition to the team, considering that we need another winger to add to current compliment.
Justyn: In my opinion, Ronaldo will leave the club in January. Therefore, it is obvious that
we need a striker if this is the case. The ideal striker for an Erik Ten Hag team needs to be a forward that can hold the ball well, press from the front and obviously be a good goal scorer. A player that fits this profile is Ivan Toney. In my opinion he is one of the most underrated strikers in the league. Currently, he is the third top scorer in the league in a Brentford side that isn’t considered to be one of the best teams in the league for sure. However, this might not be too popular with the board as he is not such a big name. Another striker the club could go for is Jonathan David from Lille. The Canadian is set to go to Qatar and alongside Alphonso Davies he will be the focal point of the team. I believe that he will have a
good campaign and many clubs will be looking at him to be their number 9. The young striker has had good goalscoring records since joining the French side. He is also good at linking the play and likes to drop deeper into the space to create space for others to run in behind. He is also capable of producing the latter as he is quite fast himself and also possesses great anticipation in the box.
Kevin: What a difficult question to answer in a season which is so unique. In any other season, I would say yes, especially considering the amount of matches we will be playing straight after the World Cup and knowing how thin our options are in the striker department. But there are a couple of factors which make me think that the January transfer window will be a slow one for us. The first one is the fact that there’s the World Cup in the middle of the season. This will be a complete unknown for a lot of the teams and I feel that most would like to stick to their playing squad, especially knowing that the season will continue straight after an international tournament. The second reason is purely financial. Whether we like it or not, Manchester United do not have the same financial muscle as some of the other top teams anymore. Man City, Newcastle and Chelsea are not only competing with the players we target but beating us to them. I would say, that unless we sell or manage to release from our current playing staff, we won’t get any inward transfers.
As I start to write this article, three days after domestic football started a six week break to accommodate the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, it seems like the perfect time to take a step back and reflect on the first part of what has been a pretty eventful first part of the season for Manchester United. Fifth position in the league is not a bad place to be in after that disastrous start to the season when things looked very bleak and ominous on that utterly forgettable afternoon in Brentford. Through to the knockout phase in the Europa League where the mighty Barcelona await in February and also through to the next round in the Carabao Cup, one can justifiably say that it has been a decent start for Erik ten Hag’s United.
And, apart from the four defeats in the league which unfortunately have nearly all been by large scorelines (four at Brentford, six at City and three at Villa), the defensive aspect of the team seems to have gone from strength to strength, helped in no small measure by the steady improvement and sheer determination of Lisandro Martinez in defence and the calming influence of Casemiro in midfield. But one glaring flaw in this current United side is the lack of goals in the team. To have a goal difference of 0 when already 14 matches have been played is a worrying statistic. Granted, those aforementioned heavy defeats have not helped but scoring just 20 goals is concerning. And in nearly all the matches played, the consistent trend is that our strikers are just not being clinical enough in front of goal. The stats will tell you that many chances are being created but we have consistently just not been ruthless enough in finishing off those goalscoring opportunities. Our forwards have only scored a total of 13 goals between them in the league so far.
I must admit that when the editor suggested the title for this article, I had in mind to highlight potential strikers that Manchester United could target, but not necessarily in January. After all, almost everybody agrees that it is notoriously difficult to buy the best players in the winter transfer window. But, as I write, the now infamous Cristiano Ronaldo exclusive interview with Piers Morgan is making the headlines worldwide and the upshot from all that will surely mean that CR7 has surely played his last game for United. There cannot be a way back for him at the club. He has burnt his bridges with Ten Hag and the owners and he has to go. One suspects that this is ultimately why he did the interview in
the first place, to engineer the move away from United that he has been angling for since the summer. And one can argue that it could actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise for United. Because, let’s face it, he’s way past his best and in reality he was holding us back with his lack of pressing and in general being out of sync with ten Hag’s footballing principles. He was, in reality, a spare part in our forward line, and a faulty one at that. He was not contributing. So, if the original plan had been to keep Ronaldo in the hope that he might step up and start scoring in the second half of the season (and by default only look to replace him with a new striker in the summer) this has now surely changed. Manchester United must look to buy a new forward in January, or at least try.
Many potential strikers are being mentioned, some more realistic and attainable than others. But it all depends on what ten Hag wants. It might well be that he has already targeted one particular centre forward and most likely such a move will only be doable in the summer. If that is the case I wouldn’t be surprised if he continues with the attacking players that we already have on our books (Rashford, Martial, Elanga, Garnacho, Sancho and Antony) and hope that they will be more prolific as the season progresses. But if not, and he decides to do something about the lack of goals sooner rather than later, then who might be the best strikers to target in January? The following are some of the potential ones:
The bookies’ favourite it seems. He shares an agent with ten Hag, is reportedly willing to make the step up to a bigger club and PSV would be willing sellers. Although not an outright centre forward and prefers mainly to play off the left like Rashford, his physique means he could easily play as a no.9 and his goal ratio is impressive. One to watch.
Possibly the last remaining of that small group of emerging strikers (Haaland, Vlahovic and Darwin Nunez were the others) that is still to make a move. Apparently he is a self-confessed United fan and would surely be willing to make the move at some point. Whether Napoli would be willing to let him go as they chase glory in Italy and the CL is another matter. He would probably command a record transfer fee so this one could be difficult.
The former United forward has lost his way in Spain. He is definitely not in the manager’s plans and according to multiple reports he’s looking for a move in January. His contract is up in the summer so Barcelona could allow him to move for a modest fee this winter. Some say he has unfinished business and more than a point to prove at Old Trafford. And being Dutch would mean he could integrate seamlessly with ten Hag’s philosophies. A win-win situation all round.
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On 2nd October, MUSC Malta started filming the promo video of our Supporters’ Club. The Committee has chosen Tribe to take care of the shooting and editing of this promotional video. The filming was done on two Saturdays respectively in different locations around Malta. Hopefully, it will be ready before the end of this year.
MUSC Malta would also like to thank Visit Malta for sponsoring part of the cost of this promotional video, which will give us great exposure locally and internationally. Stay Tuned!
During the Europa League Matchday 1 against Real Sociedad on the 8th September, Wes Brown visited our Supporters’ Club. Wes was in Malta filming a promo about the Maltese Islands as a part of the Visit Malta deal with Manchester United. The video was also shared on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/ manutdmalta
Between the 21 st and 26 th of September, 16 people travelled to Helsinki, Finland, to open the Helsinki Red Room and the Legends’ Match. The Helsinki Red Room is a private collection of thousands of Manchester United memorabilia owned by Jere Virtanen. For this occasion, ex-players of Manchester United were also present, including Bryan Robson, Wes Brown, Danny Simpson, David May and many more. The Helsinki Red Room also has memorabilia from our Supporters’ Club, which makes us honoured.
The Legends’ match played against ex-Finnish players was won by the ex-Manchester United Legends by the score of 1-0.
If you want to know more about The Helsinki Red Room, please look at https://www. helsinkiredroom.com
On 22nd October, Roy Carroll, ex-Manchester United goalkeeper, visited our club. Roy was in Malta representing Ireland as an academy coach. While at the club, Roy Carroll took some photos with our members present and watched the Chelsea vs Manchester United match.
Three days later, on the 25th October, MUSC Malta had its dream come true when the long-
awaited stairlift was installed. Thanks to our members’ donations, we have purchased and installed it. The committee would like to thank everyone who helped make this dream a reality.
The All Souls’ Day mass at our Supporters’ Club has become a yearly regular. This year, on the 6th of November, the mass was celebrated by club chaplain Fr. Dunstan Xuereb at 10 am.
by Clint Camilleri Wes Brown visiting our Supporters’ Club. Roy Carroll visiting our Supporters’ Club.
On 19 th November, the MUSC Malta Youth Committee organised the MUSC Malta 5-a-side tournament. This tournament was played at the Swieqi FC football pitch. We want to thank all the teams who took part and Swieqi FC, which provided us with all the equipment that helped make this tournament a success.
Another tournament has begun. This time the MUSC Malta 8-Ball Tournament was organised by committee member Glenn Lucas. On the 26th of November, the first phase (Group Stage) took place. A total of 16 players have taken part in this successful tournament.
The All Souls’ Day mass.
Members during blood donation event.
MUSC Malta 5-a-side tournament.
hen researching a player’s career in order to add him to the ever-growing list of players who have passed away, both in recent and past times, you just never know what is going to materialise. Some of those, whose biographies you put down on paper are familiar and you can often write them without having to do any real work. Others can prove a bit of a task, but all worthwhile as you just never know what you will discover, in particular about a player that most will know nothing about.
Take for instance Jason Scott-Lee. Who I hear you ask?
As well as having him on my database for the ‘Graves Society’, I featured him recently in my ‘United Collectors Club’ newsletter, under the heading - STRICTLY COME DANCING AND UNITED.
Living in Malta, you will probably be unaware of popular UK television programmes such as ‘Bake Off, ‘Master Chef’, or ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, but they are all very popular with a vast majority of viewers. I don’t include myself amongst that number though. Anyway, what on earth do they have to do with United, I hear you mumble! No surprise there actually, as it
by Iain McCartneyreally has nothing to do with this article, as I simply liked the heading. But then again, in a diverse way it all fits together, at least one of the programmes does, so bear with me.
I can also hear you ask, who the hell is Jason Scott-Lee? To be honest, I don’t blame you, as I doubt if anyone would know, but all, or at least what I know, will be revealed here.
Born in Rhyl in 1921, Jason Scott-Lee was of Chinese descent and made seven appearances for Manchester United, his debut coming against Wrexham on December 6th 1941, a 10-3 victory. Somewhat ironically, he was the only forward not to find his name on the score sheet.
A Liverpool University student, of Chinese descent, he had a successful trial with Everton prior to the 1942-43 season, whilst still on United’s books, something that prevented the Goodison side from signing him.
Leaving United towards the end of the Second World War, he signed for Tranmere Rovers and was something of a regular in their side during the 1944-45 season.
As a footballer, he was never to hit the
headlines, but his footwork, however, did stand him in good stead, as he became a noted ballroom dancer and married his partner, a former Miss Rhyl!
He is buried in Maeshyfryd Cemetery, Rhyl –Section 18, Grave 7236.
The best thing about doing research for the ‘Graves Society’ is finding the actual resting place of a player or official. It matters little if he played one game or two hundred and one, if he was a director or manager, he is still a part of the history of Manchester United.
There is, however, a downside and that is when the details of an individual is found, his grave visited, only to discover that there is no headstone. Believe me, there are many.
Ideally, I would like to see each grave where there is no headstone have a small marker stone, giving the players name, the ‘Grave Society’ logo and the dates he played for the club. Unfortunately, there is so much red tape
that prevents this from being done. I have spoken to the club about the ‘Graves Society’ and details have been passed down the line, so hopefully, in the future, something can be done.
One important individual, who lies in an unmarked grave is Alf Albut.
Fredrick Attock, a supervisor at the Carriage and Wagon works of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was the president of the fledgling Newton Heath Football Club, but if there was one man responsible for the emergence of the football club and indeed its survival in those often-dark distant days, then that man was Alfred Hubert Albut.
Born in Bromsgrove in 1850, he progressed favourably through Bromsgrove National School, but when it came to sports, it was as a cricketer that he excelled, as a member of Pickwick C.C. and Bromsgrove C.C. as a player and also as a committee member. But by the late 1880s, he had also become involved with Aston Villa Football Club, with the ‘Birmingham Daily Post’ mentioning him as a committee member when the club became a limited company in 1889, two years after they lifted the F.A. Cup for the first time.
But Albut was much more than a mere committee member, as he often negotiated transfers, bringing the likes of James Cowan to the club, whilst also being employed away from football as a confectionary salesman.
Despite overseeing success in the Midlands with Aston Villa, helping them obtain a strong foothold within the game, the ‘Empire news and The Umpire’ of March 20th 1892 reported: “Mr A. H. Albut, a member of the Aston Villa club committee, has been appointed secretary of the Newton heath F.C. If knowledge of the game, coupled with good business capacity, can do good to a club, then Mr Albut is the right man in the right place.”
He was certainly the right man in the right place, as no sooner had he got through the
door than he was one of the main forces behind the Heathens becoming a limited company, with ‘The Umpire’ of May 8th writing: “With an energetic secretary like Mr Albut, and a good team, Newton Heath should attain higher honours in the football world than even second place in the Alliance.”
A week later, ‘The Empire News’ of May 15th 1892 reported that Newton Heath had been “turned off their old ground” at North Road by the railway company but Mr Albut and his committee had found pastures new at Ten Acre Lane. But it was a ground that they never played on due to its owners, the Dean and Canons of Manchester deciding that charging admission was ‘not on’, so Albut had to return to the railway company, cap in hand, and negotiate terms to return to North Road.
Albut himself had also made a move, not overly happy with his office at the Shears Hotel headquarters, he at first leased a cottage at 33 Oldham Road, before taking larger premises at the Institute, Silver Street, Miles Platting, which was soon to become the social centre of the football club.
Although heavily involved in all things Newton Heath, Albut still found time for cricket and was expected to turn out once again for Bromsgrove in the summer of 1896, but whilst playing at Irlam, having scored thirty-one and looking for eight more runs to tie the match, fell as he
attempted to make a short run having ruptured the small arteries at the back of his leg and was run out and forced to rest for three weeks.
Albut, however, wasn’t just the club secretary, as he could be considered their first manager, the man responsible for the day to day running of the club, which also included the ninety minutes on a Saturday afternoon. He certainly had his work cut out on countless occasions, with directors’ meetings conducted by candlelight when the gas supply was cut off. The story goes that Albut used the Corporations court summons to his advantage, approaching a neighbouring club with summons on blue paper and waving it in front of their directors in the pretence that it was from a player of that club who had not been paid wages in recent weeks and if he didn’t get them, the summons would be served. Not wishing to go to court and unable to pay the amount due, they agreed to release the player without actually checking the blue paper. Having signed the player, who was apparently a well-known individual, the gate money the following Saturday showed an increase of £10.
Much more could be written about A. H. Albut and his Newton Heath days, but this is not a biography, just a mere pen picture and the man who did so much for the club in its early days, tendered his resignation to his board in May 1900 and all he received was a vote of thanks at the club AGM the following month.
Albut subsequently returned to the Midlands, where he passed away in December 1916 at the age of sixty-seven.
He is buried in Yardley Cemetery, Section 11, Grave No. 18961.
Unfortunately, as the photograph shows, there is no headstone at the grave.
‘Argentina!’ was the cry from the Stretford End during United’s home game versus West Ham United. Leaving no doubt that Martinez is the new leader at the back and those around him feed on his insatiable appetite never to be beaten.
Gary Neville agreed. “Harry Maguire has to get used to playing on the right side of Manchester United’s defence because there is no way he’s going to get his spot on the left side. Lisandro Martínez has made that position his own.”
Born on the 18th January 1998, the left-footed Argentinean linked up with Manchester United in July 2022 from Ajax. Martínez had made 74 league appearances in total at Ajax, scoring six goals and providing five assists.
When he first arrived in England, eyebrows were raised. Martinez himself was ridiculed in some quarters for his height as a centreback. At 5ft 9in, the Argentine is the smallest centre-back in the Premier League and some fans expected him to be used at left-back or in defensive midfield due to the Premier League’s physicality. However the former Ajax defender is emerging as one of the standout performers
and as one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League this season. He reads the game well and is blessed with enough strength and pace to thwart attackers. His aggression and passion also gives him an edge over United’s other centre-backs. Both whoscored.com and sofascore.com agree on Lisandro’s strengths being his tackling, ball control, aerial duels, passing and ball interceptions. Both are of the view that he has no weaknesses!
Another of his strengths is his ability to calm down those around him. In the West Ham game -another game in which Martinez produced another immaculate display - at various times during the match, when United fans and even Erik ten Hag began to appear agitated, it was Martinez who diffused and calmed down the situation.
When he had joined Ajax from Argentine side Defensa y Justicia, Martinez had then admitted that he had had a lot to learn to adapt to European football. But he was able to do so quickly. Martinez perfected his game, helping Ajax finish first in the league three times, and winning the Player of the Year award last season. United have certainly signed a
gem. To date he has started and played in every Premier League game, helping the team to keep five clean sheets in the process.
Ian Wright believes Lisandro Martinez has added quality Man Utd have not had in a while “Not only his positioning but he passes the ball through the lines. He’s exactly what they’ve needed.
Someone that doesn’t mess about, there’s no thrills with him it’s just bang, good challenges. He’s been a really, really good signing. I didn’t think he was going to be as good as he’s been.”
Former United midfielder, Owen Hargreaves agreed, “He’s added so much to the team. He’s given them so much. His performance in the game versus West Ham United had a big impact on Harry Maguire as well. There were so many positives for United that day but defensively Martinez was fantastic. Erik ten Hag will be really pleased.”
Martinez was in the limelight again in the following match at Villa Park, with United losing 3 - 1, two of the goals easily blamed on poor defending. On the day, Lisandro showed that
by Kenneth Abelabeing aggressive is not always good, being involved in a contentious incident alongside Villa star Bailey in the 63rd minute. With the Argentine attempting to shield the ball out of play, he put his body in the way and seemingly drove his elbow into the midriff of the Jamaican forward. The former Ajax man then repeated the trick as he drove his arm towards Bailey’s stomach. The Villa man was left clutching his torso after the incident. Fortunately for United, neither the referee nor VAR were particularly interested as Martinez escaped serious punishment. This left Villa fans fuming on social media. However, Martinez was still voted as United’s outstanding player on the day, and practically one of the few Reds who could hold his head high after the shocking defeat. The Argentine recovered well after a few early mishaps and his marshalling of Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailly as well as his valuable overall contributions and clearances helping to keep the score respectable. He even won 100% of his contests in the air, had 102 touches of the ball and a pass accuracy of 89% . Thus his technical brilliance was on show again in the Villa defeat.
Martinez only played the last few minutes in the League Cup victory over Villa but the cheers and applause from the Old Trafford faithful when he came on only goes to show how quickly he has endeared himself to the club’s supporters.
United will have to play without Martinez when the Reds resume their Europa League adventure next year against Barcelona. This since Martinez’s bad fortune in matches against Real Sociedad continued when United played the return match in Spain last November. Following United’s loss when unjustly Martinez had been judged to have intentionally handled the ball, he will now be suspended, as his harsh yellow card in Spain marked his third yellow card in the competition this season, resulting in a one-match ban. The Argentine had been booked during the return clash with Sociedad at Old Trafford in September, as well as in the 3-2 win over Omonia Nicosia in October in Cyprus.
Liverpool’s Van Dijk is another admirer of the Argentine. He joked that he didn’t want Martinez helping his new club pip the Anfield side to trophies. “I have respect for what he’s achieved so far, and I hope he does well at United.”
Lisandro is on his way to the World Cup with Argentina, forming part of coach’s Lionel Scaloni’s 26-man group for the big tournament in Qatar. Before that, it was another great performance in the victory against Fulham. He had endured a difficult start to life in the Premier League, not least when he was hooked off at half-time in United’s humbling defeat at Brentford in August. But the Manchester United defender has turned things around to help his team climb the table. He is already a firm favourite at Old Trafford, being named
United’s Player of the Month in August, winning a record 84 per cent of the vote. If his goodthe group standings would immediately qualify for the round of 16, with the eight runners-up facing off against team dropping into the competition from the Champions League. But, which teams managed to prolong their European advantage, and which teams were sent home during the group stages?
Abusy first half to the club season due to the World Cup meant that the Europa League group stage fixtures were played across a two month period. It was an unrelenting schedule in the Europa League this season, but the two teams from each group that would be progressing were determined.
However, only the team that finished top of
It was a very dominant showing by Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal in Group A of the Europa League, as the Gunners managed to top a pretty tricky-looking group on paper. However, their job appeared to have been done from an early stage, and even defeat against PSV away from home couldn’t stop the Gunners from taking top spot.
The Dutch side, managed by United legend Ruud van Nistelrooy, finished second in the standings after winning four of their six group stage games. However, PSV face a difficult challenge to reach the round of 16, as they
by Alex Dudleywere drawn against Europa League specialists Sevilla in the playoff round.
Group B was one of the more open looking groups from the outset, but eventually it was Turkish giants Fenerbahce that progressed as group winners. The Turkish side managed to go unbeaten throughout their Group B campaign, winning four of their six fixtures to finish two points clear of Rennes.
The French side will need to navigate the playoff round, as they come up against Shakhtar Donetsk, who finished third in Real Madrid’s Champions League group. AEK Larnaca finished third in the group and will play in the Europa Conference League after Christmas.
There certainly feels as though there will be a strong charge from the Spanish clubs in the Europa League this term given how many there are in the competition. However, few have looked as solid as Real Betis. Manuel Pellegrini’s side topped Group C, winning five of their six games.
Jose Mourinho will need to do things the hard way with AS Roma if they are to achieve further European success this season, as they finished second to set up a playoff tie against Red Bull Salzburg. Ludogorets Razgrad finished third in the group, and will enter the Europa Conference League.
There was an interesting three way fight for the top two places in Group D, but it was ultimately the surprise package of Union Saint-Gilloise from Belgium that topped the group. They managed to win four of their six games during Group D. Union Berlin has been one of the stories of the season in Germany this term, and their fairytale run in Europe will continue in the playoff round, as they will come up against Dutch giants Ajax.
Braga finished just two points behind Union Berlin, as they were demoted to the Europa Conference League, despite picking up ten points in the group stage.
Manchester United needed to settle for second spot in their Europa League group, as a 1-0 defeat against Real Sociedad at Old Trafford would eventually prove costly. The Red Devils did well to round off the group with a decent 1-0 away win against Sociedad, but a testing showdown against Spanish giants Barcelona awaits in the playoff round.
Sociedad were ultimately deserving of their place at the top of the standings, as they conceded just two goals in six games. Sheriff will continue their European advantage in the Europa Conference League after picking up wins home and away against Omonia.
One of the biggest stories in the group stages came in Group F, as Italian giants Lazio were
knocked out. The Serie A side will be playing in the Europa Conference League in the second half of the season, despite finishing on the same number of points as the three remaining sides in Group F. Feyenoord topped the group and will advance straight through to the round of 16 courtesy of them scoring more goals than Midtjylland.
Therefore, the Danish side will need to navigate a playoff tie to make it through. They will come up against one of the more unfortunate sides to have been eliminated from the Champions League, as Sporting Lisbon led the way in Group D for a long time.
Freiburg have looked like one of the most impressive teams in the Europa League to this point, as they sailed through Group G with an unbeaten record. The German side won four of their six games, scoring 13 goals in the process. They managed to finish five points clear of Ligue 1 side Nantes, which will need to navigate a playoff round to reach the next round of the competition.
The French side will come up against Italian giants Juventus in February to earn that spot, and that already looks to be a tall order. Meanwhile, Qarabag managed to record two victories and two draws to finish third in the standings, and they will drop into the Europa Conference League.
Group
Ferencvaros were the shock winners of Group
H, as they managed to finish above Monaco courtesy of a superior head to head record. The 1-0 win recorded by the Hungarian side in the French principality would eventually prove crucial, as the former Champions League runners-up will now need to navigate a playoff round to reach the round of 16.
It should be a thrilling playoff tie in prospect, as Monaco will come up against Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen in February. Trabzonspor managed to finish Group H in third place, just a point behind Monaco.
The Europa League will resume in February, as the knockout round playoffs get underway. The first legs will be played on Thursday, February 16th , with the return fixtures taking place the following week. United will travel to the Nou Camp to take on Barcelona in the first leg, before the return fixture is played at Old Trafford seven days later.
I have absolutely no doubt that all of you readers would have heard the news by the time you read this that our beloved club could potentially have new owners in the coming months (I am being optimistic on this one!).
It is probably safe to assume that this is indeed welcome news for the Manchester United fans across the world, the vast majority of whom would be pleased to see the end of the Glazers era. During their 17-year ownership, there have been regular fan protests over the years, also because the results of the pitch got worse, and it is now 10 years since United won the English Premier League.
Granted that no club has a divine right to win, and we had been spoilt over two decades, but the lack of trophies is only part of the problem that the Glazers have dug us into.
I believe that us supporters got increasingly frustrated as we saw the wiping out of the ethos of Manchester United, and this was accompanied by lack of investment needed to keep the pace with the top clubs in the world in terms of management and infrastructure. To cap it all, last season ended with United accumulating the fewest points in our Premier League-era history ending the season in sixth place.
Forbes magazine estimated Manchester United to be worth $4.6 billion, making it the third-
most valuable football club in the world, and although the Glazers’ initial statement is no guarantee the club will be sold (or that the family will accept any outside investment), it is an invitation to interested buyers. Something that we had not witnessed since the Glazers took over.
Despite the recent years of underperformance, Manchester United is still considered a top asset in the footballing world and there will presumably be plenty of interested buyers despite the club being not exactly cheap!
In the days following the announcement on Sky News, which first reported the news, speculation was rife with potential buyers being mentioned on social media and news portals on a regular basis. The big question, of course, is who can afford to buy Manchester United.
Here are a few of the options being bandied about on news portals:
It seems that United have appointed The Raine Group, which advised on the sale of Chelsea earlier this year, as exclusive financial adviser for the process. The choice of the New Yorkheadquartered group could be a suggestion that United still see America as a key market for potential buyers. Personally, after the experience with the Glazers, this option sends shivers down my spine!
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, worth $13 billion, has made no secret of his love for United. He is a lifelong fan, and in October he told the Financial Times he had met the Glazer family and was quoted as saying “I have met Joel and Avram. They are the nicest people, I have to say, proper gentlemen. They don’t want to sell it (the club).” Make of that quote what you want!
Ratcliffe, and other rich individuals, may be reluctant to make such a purchase on their own. Even for a billionaire, a price tag of $5 billion (or higher) is steep. Logic suggests that Ratcliffe is unlikely to be the only billionaire interested in taking control of United and perhaps some sort of consortium could be seem as a more feasible solution at this stage.
European clubs owned by funds linked to sovereign nations include Manchester City (Abu Dhabi United Group), Newcastle United (PIF, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund) and Paris Saint-Germain (Qatar Sports Investments).
Although it may seem unlikely those nations would want to buy another club (although you never really know do you, especially when there seems to be a bottomless pit!), neighboring Gulf nations may be interested. There were previously rumors the sovereign wealth fund of Dubai would consider United. Other oil-rich
states, like Bahrain or Kuwait, might also be tempted to get into European football!
There is little doubt that the tens, or hundreds, of billions in sovereign funds makes nation states a potential buyer for a club the size of United. The other side of the coin with this option could be that it could leave fans (and I am one of them) in an uncomfortable moral position.
The romantic option, which I would absolutely prefer, but realistically the least likely to happen. A fan takeover of a club the size of United is virtually impossible (or is it?). As football has grown in popularity, the valuations of clubs has rocketed making this a utopian dream.
Perhaps the best we as fans can hope for is a new owner who properly engages with us supporters, listens, and provides some genuine fan representation on the club’s board. Even better, an owner who does all that and brings some on field success back to Old Trafford.
So, are the options above the only possible solution? Maybe, or maybe not.
According to the Financial Times, David Beckham is “open to holding talks with potential bidders for Manchester United”, aware that his
backing “could lend credibility”. Granted that Beckham’s personal wealth is nothing like what you’d need to be meaningfully financially involved in a bid, with current estimates of United’s worth ricocheting cheerily between just under £5bn to upwards of £7bn, few would argue against the idea that Beckham’s sense that he would make a worthy figurehead or heritage fan appeaser for someone else’s bid is intriguing.
Other potential bidders? Apart from the already mentioned Ineos tycoon Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is a lifelong United fan and already involved in sports ownership, the Daily Star seems to think Apple is interested, while the Times mentions Amazon and Meta.
As for the U.S. investors, there are the obligatory pair of Americans, in the form of Stephen Pagliuca and Larry Tanenbaum, who may still be keen on investing in the EPL after the disappointment of failing to buy Chelsea.
Closer to home, there’s Jim O’Neill, a lifelong United fan who was part of a group of fans named ‘The Red Knights’, who had tried to take over the club in 2010.
Also in the news was the Zara magnate Amancio Ortega. Since stepping down from active operations at Inditex, Ortega has focused on real estate, creating the largest portfolio of any European billionaire. This includes an office
block in London’s Mayfair, Madrid’s tallest building - the Torre Picasso - and multiples buildings across Spain and the USA.
Arguably the one to watch is Dubai International Capital. Back in September, UK newspapers had identified Dubai’s Sovereign Wealth Fund (mentioned above) as a potential bidder for Man Utd if the club became available.
As can be seen, there is no shortage of interest from potential buyers. Media speculation could of course be making up stories - no surprise there. As a lifelong United supporter, I have seen my beloved club falling behind other clubs and this is not a coincidence. The Glazers’ lack of investment (or bad investments especially in team matters) have led us where we are today. I am certainly looking forward to the day our beloved club has new owners.
The last word is for the title - Viridi et Aurum. Those who know me well know that I have been a supporter of the Green and Gold campaign from the very beginning. I was told over and over again that there is nothing we could do about it, but like many others, fueled by the damaged being inflicted on my beloved club, I persisted in believing that only when the club is sold we can start the long and winding road to recovery. Maybe, just maybe, this could be the turn of a friendly card!!
Numquam Moribimur…
by Jude Cauchi
If there is a player that will always be remembered in the world of football for his sheer talent and brilliance, it is certainly the Portuguese star by the name of Cristiano Ronaldo. Yet, despite this, he still divides opinions from football fans and the latest outrage on the media with Piers Morgan is likely to have broken the relationship with Manchester United and the club’s supporters. What a painful way to end his strong legacy with the club following his return to the club in August 2021.
Whilst his performances have regressed since that opening second debut vs Newcastle, the number 7 did make several key contributions for the Red Devils. In fact, since his return to the club, the international footballer has made a total of 54 appearances, scoring 27 goals, and providing 5 assists in the process. Moreover, Ronaldo also managed to score a
hattrick versus Spurs at Old Trafford which was a contender for goal of the season, coupled with his rescue acts that saved the team in the Champions’ League group stages last year. One must not forget that without his contributions, the club would have suffered a lot more embarrassing results in the 2021/22 season. Certainty, for a player of his age, that is an impressive return, but it does not provide that United are a better team with him on the pitch. Recent stats provided by Sky Sports UK suggest that Manchester United have a higher win percentage as well as better other indicators such as goals and distance covered without him on the pitch.
Beyond stats and performances on the pitch, during 2021/22, Manchester United have had three different managers and naturally, all three did come to the club to present their different philosophies and ways of working. In spite of the way the managers think though, I am a firm believer that the manager should be the most important person at the club and this needs to be reflected in the support he gets from the club. In the summer of 2022, Erik Ten Hag was brought to Manchester United to change the fortunes of the club and all decisions taken in the interest of the team should be backed by the stakeholders associated with the club. The early signs on the Dutchman suggest that he is improving the culture and might be on the early stages of developing something special at Manchester United and given all the managers
who have failed at United in the recent past, the club cannot afford to fail again this time.
Switching the focus back to Ronaldo, despite never doubting his professionalism as a football athlete and his utmost determination to still be the best player on the planet, his behaviour during the pre-season, start of the season as well the latest interview claiming to have been betrayed by the club disappointed a lot of United fans. In fact, whilst one would realistically understand that for someone with five Ballons d’Or under his name and all the success he has experienced in his career, the frustration of having to give up Champions League football must have been a bitter pill to swallow, disrespecting the club, the manager and the supporters certainly does not excuse his antics. In fact, despite spending all summer attempting to force a move away from the club, departing the stadium early versus Rayo Vallecano and refusing to come on as a sub versus Tottenham Hotspur, the manager still made him captain in his last appearance in the Premier League versus Aston Villa and was also consistently in the starting line-up in the last matches before the stop for the World Cup. From a personal perspective though, the team look better and more threating without him on the pitch. Given that the Qatar FIFA World Cup is approaching, from a United perspective, it will be interesting to analyse how the Portugal International captain performs during the tournament and following
the recent episodes, there is no doubt that the man will be motivated to perform at the highest level on the world’s biggest stage.
In terms of going forward, there is already a lot of speculation on Ronaldo’s future, and the likelihood is that the employment relationship will be terminated by both parties. Despite this, the club will analyse whether it has a case to take disciplinary action against the Portuguese and all the legal repercussions resulting from taking such a stance. To date,
it seems that the club seems to have grounds to terminate Ronaldo’s contract without suffering any penalties. No matter how one approaches the issue though, there seems to be an agreement that Ronaldo does not have a future anymore at the club and probably this is the best solution for both player and the club. Despite this though, the current United squad is not big in terms of centre forwards, and should the Portuguese leave the club without being replaced, it will be a big risk which could gradually deteriorate United’s
season and the chances of playing in Europe’s elite competition. Hence, moments like this require the people representing the club to negotiate wisely and deliver a win-win solution.
In terms of Ronaldo’s status as a United legend, the recent episodes have tarnished his reputation at United and the removing of a giant mural at Old Trafford are a demonstration and a taste of the consequences of his actions. On the other hand, a fair analysis requires to also consider all the good that the number seven achieved whilst playing for United. After all, the nicest thing about history is that it can never be erased for better or worse. From a personal perspective, the 2007/08 season will never be forgotten and Cristiano Ronaldo was arguably the best United player during that season helping the club to win both the Premier League and the Champions League. Additionally, the Portuguese was also influential in helping the club to topple Liverpool as the England’s most decorated club domestically. Hence, whilst United fans have witnessed an anti-climax as an end to Ronaldo’s love story with the club, all humans make mistakes and hopefully soon, in addition to proudly speaking about his achievements in football, Ronaldo one day will admit that what was spoken during that interview lacked class and respect. In any case, the time has come to close the chapter and start writing a different story.
It is impossible to ignore Arsenal’s meteoric rise to the top of the Premier League. The Londoners have been busy bulldozing and blitzing their way past most teams with a pizazz and swagger not seen since the Wenger years.
Mikel Arteta’s new found confidence in his team has paid dividends – particularly after enduring a rather difficult 2021/22 season. With the Aubameyang issue finally settled, the club has recruited wisely and in Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko, Arsenal have made sure that two players with a “winning mentality” have joined their ranks.
Breathing down their necks are Pep’s welldrilled and well-oiled Manchester City. Still everyone’s favourites, in Erling Haaland, United’s inter-city rivals boast the world most promising and lethal striker. The mercurial and imposing Norwegian has already scored a multitude of hat-tricks – and will certainly end up winning the 2022-23 Golden Boot award.
Italian Serie A
Inasmuch as Arsenal have taken the Premier League by storm, so to have Napoli pulverised practically all opponents in Serie A. In Khvicha Kvaratskehlia, the Southerners boast a prolific dribbler – whose devastating runs and intricate footwork have powered Napoli to the top of the standings. The “Diego Maradona Stadium” is fast becoming a cauldron and intimidating atmosphere for any opposing team and in Luciano Spalletti, “Gli Azzurri” have a shrewd and experienced manager who knows what it takes to win matches.
Their impressive form has also transcended the European stage with a 6-1 hammering of Ajax in Amsterdam certainly grabbing all the headlines. This isn’t just a team reliant on one individual to win them crucial matches. Apart from the talismanic Georgian, Di Lorenzo, Simeone and Raspadori are also contributing immensely. Spalletti’s men have certainly placed themselves in pole position to capture their first Serie A title since 1990. The only question is whether they can retain that equanimity and mental strength that has so often been attributed to the bigger powerhouses of Juventus, Internazionale and AC Milan. It’s proving to be an exciting and compelling Serie A campaign.
Spanish Primera Liga Spanish football has been blighted by recent events related to financial sustainability and over-spending. Yet, within the perennial chaos of declaring war on UEFA through the creation of the Super League, against all odds, Real Madrid managed to win the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League. Despite investing heavily in refurbishing the Santiago Bernabeu, “Los Merengues” are still the team to beat, although Barcelona (boasting Robert Lewandowski in attack) are currently leading the table by two points. The surprise package have certainly been Real Sociedad who sit pretty on 26 points with Athletic Bilbao and Atletico Madrid hot on their heels.
The team from Basque-country also beat the Red Devils and won their Europa League group and are certainly a tough nut to crack. Real Betis are also enjoying a good run of form – no doubt still basking on the back of the 2022 Copa del Rey victory against Valencia. However, it is undeniable that the league title will once again either end up being paraded in the Bernabeu or showcased at the Camp Nou in 2023.
Traditional powerhouses Borussia Dortmund have endured a difficult start to the league season – losing six matches which has all-but knocked them out of the title race. The surprise package has certainly been Union Berlin. Not even the biggest club in the capital itself, the 2022-23 season is Union’s fourth season in the top flight. Shrewdly led by Urs Fischer, considering the resources and expectations they are certainly punching above their weight. Unsurprisingly, Bayern Munich occupy the top spot and with the strongest squad in the league – will certainly notch another Bundesliga title barring some collapse of monumental proportions. Last year’s Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt will seek to break into the top four after a disappointing league campaign in 2021-22. RB Leipzig will hope to cement their Champions League status whilst “sleeping giants” Schalke O4 seem destined to return to the 2. Bundesliga in what is proving to be a very challenging campaign for one of Germany’s most supported and popular teams.
Despite Paris Saint Germain being the overwhelming favourites to win the League, the quality of French football is steadily increasing. Marseille’s European endeavours have been fruitful and noteworthy – despite suffering an agonising elimination against Tottenham Hotspur. RC Lens have certainly been the surprise package – as they currently occupy second place in the league standings. The men from Northern France ended up in 7th place during the 2021-22 season and will certainly be seeking to break into the Champions League spots. Stade Rennais remain a strong side particularly at home whilst AS Monaco will be seeking to improve after suffering a damaging defeat at home to Lens (1-4). All the eyes of the world will still be on PSG – as the men
On the 12th May of 2013, Sir Alex Ferguson delivered his last speech as Manchester United manager. As he thanked everyone who was involved in this amazing journey, most fans felt that we were facing an end of an era and that tough times were ahead. That squad was still competitive as shown by them winning the league title. However it was evident that most of its stars were now old and that a painful transition period was ahead.
Nearly a decade had passed since then. Manchester City had since become a national league powerhouse. Sure they have won less Champions leagues titles then Steaua București, Hamburg, Feyenoord and PSV but their record at the local pond is unfortunately undeniable. Meanwhile Liverpool had since won the league title for enough times (i.e. once) for their fans and legends to label them the best English Premier League team ever. Regrettably a football juggernaut had gone missing in what is felt as a lost decade. That juggernaut is our beloved club Manchester United.
Every fan has his own theory of what went wrong at Manchester United. Some might blame the Glazers, others the managers, some would blame the fans for not showing enough patience while others are quick to point their finger towards the players. In my opinion the answer is quite complex to answer.
Before attempting to answer this question
one need to understand the genius behind Sir Alex Ferguson. When Sir Alex Ferguson won his first European silverware with Aberdeen, Roma won the league title under Nils Liedholm while Hamburg won the Champions League beating (guess what?) Juventus. Throughout the decades, managers would rise and fall from Sacchi to Capello, from Van Gaal to Wenger right to Lippi. Yet there was one constant in football who kept on winning and that was Sir Alex Ferguson.
That came with a price though as Manchester United became more and more dependent on their genius thus refusing to entertain any changes to a proven formula. Meanwhile the football industry was evolving with new specialists entering the scene such as sporting directors and recruiting directors. These people were able to take key aspects of what was once considered within the football management domain and specialize in them. Such specialization led to efficiency, something United is often criticized upon especially around transfers. When Sir Alex retired we ended up having to push managers in Sir Alex Ferguson’s boots despite them lacking the much needed experience to cover the role in its entirety. No wonder why so many mistakes were made and why every manager we had looked so much out of depth.
Which leads us to the Glazers. There is no doubt that lack of investment on the football infrastructure (Carrington, Old Trafford) coupled
by Cleo Zarbby their insistence to stick to a non-football person such as Woodward as CEO have hurt us badly. However its undeniable that during this dark era, United had spent big both in terms of salary and fees while getting little in return. United had tried every option in the book. They shifted from the English Premier League proven option in David Moyes to the European football’s don option in Louis Van Gaal. We opted for a serial winner option in Mourinho and then the former football legend option in Ole. Each manager came with a different style of football which was often already outdated by the time they took the job with us. That led to a huge change in personnel not to forget the hundreds of millions spent in salaries and fees for a team that brought little to no success.
Manchester United had since acknowledged that buying their way out of trouble is not working. Woodward had since resigned but not before he supervised the process of filling key roles at United’s board level. Woodward’s former fixer John Murtough was made Director of Football (DOF) with Darren Fletcher being fast
tracked from U16 coach (October 2020) to first team coach (January 2021) right to technical director (March 2021).
Their reign had since been a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, we had seen a drastic change in strategy with United bringing new people in with fresh ideas such as data analysts, sport scientists and most importantly Erik Ten Hag. On the other hand, we were unable to remove enough deadwood to generate significant money to boost the summer transfer, we had failed to bring the manager’s main targets (De Jong and Timber) and we had overspent on most transfers made.
Which leads us to Erik Ten Hag (ETH). This appointment is a clear departure from the ‘tried and tested’ strategy we had adopted in the past decade or so. In fact, he is more of a gamble to what a young Sir Alex Ferguson was when we got him from Aberdeen. While such comparisons are indeed odious, they will unfortunately keep popping again and again as there is a lot in common between the two managers.
In the past, we had managers who went from one extent to another, from insisting on playing players who were clearly off form, right to publicly humiliating them in front of the media. Erik Ten Hag seems to prefer a more sober approach where players play according to merit and where criticism is objective without any added malice. The way ETH has handled the Ronaldo affair is top notch. He wasn’t intimidated by Ronaldo’s legacy which probably shook the Portuguese himself as he was treated just like any other player, playing him when he was fit while putting him on the bench when others were performing better than him. That led to the infamous interview with Piers Morgan, which I strongly believe spells the end of Ronaldo and the club, but also the consolidation of ETH’s authority inside Carrington.
Tactically, Erik Ten Hag’s game combines elements of gegenpressing and tika taka. It’s less ball possession hungry than tika taka is but it feels more organized and less gung-ho than gegenpressing is. Let’s say that I can’t see United delivering asthma inhalers to
their players like sweets anytime soon. Such combination between the two methodologies led to an effective and entertaining style of football built around hard work and pace.
Ball possession is important in Erik Ten Hag’s team with players being expected to pass the ball accurately and intelligently to one another. A high line defense is utilized to keep the ball as much as possible in midfield thus pushing opponents in their own half. Wingers under the Dutch gaffer are key to the game as they are expected to have that necessary intelligence and flair to know when to stretch defenses or go inside, thus creating spaces for the full backs to hit in a role which was traditionally done by wingers. That led to an overloading in the opponents’ half with players entering and exiting the penalty area, thus creating the nightmare scenario for any defense.
ETH expects the team to defend in the same way they are expected to defend, i.e. as a team. Just as defenders are expected to go forward and cause havoc, forwards are expected to be able to drop deep, defend and to win ball possession. That require a team of hardworking and intelligent players with ample fuel in their tank who can cover multiple roles in different scenarios.
Some of our players will actually thrive under ETH. Players such as Dalot, Varane, Rashford, Elanga and Garnacho will do very well under ETH and I expected other players to join the fray like for example Zidane Iqbal, Hannibal and McNeill. Unfortunately for many others, the only way is out. Some simply lack the legs to play such a demanding game, while others are more suited to the counter attacking football which was characterized during the Mourinho’s and Ole’s era.
Which leads us back to the start. Do the Glazers have the finances and the will to lead such needed changes within the club? Is our Director of Football experienced and well connected enough to be able to manage a high turnover with a horde of players leaving the club, new players joining in while concurrently making sure that we’re not being taken to the cleaners with every single transfer made? Can Manchester United afford not to pounce at the likes of Michael Edwards whose brilliance had led to Liverpool’s revival especially since he is now a free agent? These are key questions which are, in my opinion, key to United’s return to the levels it belongs to.
Of all the baffling recruitments by Manchester United over the last 10 years, squandering £50million on a right-back a year after they had signed a right-back takes some beating. The fact that Diogo Dalot has started all the games and is the only outfield player to have lined up in all the fixtures this season (with the exception of the Fulham game due to suspension) marks a remarkable turnaround.
Under the previous permanent regime, Timothy Fosu-Mensah was playing second fiddle to Aaron Wan Bissaka ahead of Dalot. It has taken the best part of four years, but Dalot is now living up to Jose Mourinho’s billing as United’s right-back for the next 10 years. At £19 million, Dalot is one of a handful of logical long-term investments made by Manchester United in the post-Ferguson era. Mourinho was in charge when United signed Dalot in 2018 and on the day he arrived, he labelled the 19-year-old as “the best full-back in Europe in his age group.” It seemed a remarkable tag for a player who had only made seven senior appearances for Porto.
by Stefan Attardin the Netherlands
RKC Waalwijk, as “the best Portuguese goalkeeper of the next generation.” Despite not being always right, he can certainly afford himself a smile at what Diogo Dalot is doing at Old Trafford this season.
A meniscus injury delayed his introduction to United supporters until he lined up against Young Boys in the Champions League. In an otherwise vibrant debut, Dalot erred in the first half with his manager within earshot. Moments later, Dalot dutifully approached the dugout for a drink, anticipating a pointer or two. Mourinho respectfully stayed mum. When asked about Dalot at his post-match debrief Mourinho diplomatically demurred, extolling Luke Shaw first before lauding his compatriot. “First match for the club after knee surgery, I think very good, solid performance, I think everybody could see the potential and everybody could see that he is a 19-year-old player who has more than 10 years to play for Manchester United.” At various points, that quote has been dredged up to deride Mourinho’s judgement. Dalot started once in the Premier League in his second season and his third was spent on loan with AC Milan.
After two injury laden first seasons, Dalot has been injury-free for over two years, coinciding with his work placement in Italy. Despite several stories saying that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer never rated Dalot, Solskjaer did
remain in regular contact during his time in Milan and when the Serie A side tried to sign him permanently in the summer of 2021, their interest was knocked back. Solskjaer was always an admirer of Dalot’s ability as an attacking full-back but did have doubts about his reliability defensively. The Norwegian noticed an improvement following his return from San Siro, something Dalot put down to the influence of Italian football. “If I’m a better defender, I owe it to Milan,” he said. “Italian football is different from the Premier League and I had to adapt in just one year and playing in Serie A has helped me a lot.”
So far this season, only Casemiro (25) has made more tackles in a United shirt than Dalot (20); only Martinez (46) and Varane (39) have made more clearances than his 21. Only Fernandes (111) has won more duals than Dalot’s 91 (statistics correct as at 31 st October). The game against West Ham highlighted Dalot’s defending ability and was perhaps man-of-the-match worthy but for David de Gea’s heroics. Dalot and Kieran Trippier - coveted by Solskjaer last year - have been the standout Premier League right-backs in the first three months of the season. The trust Erik ten Hag has in Dalot is shared by the United media staff, for whom Dalot has become the dependable voice of the dressing room in mixed zones.
On the pitch, Dalot communicates in Portuguese, Spanish and English with teammates and is fluent in Italian from his
Jose Mourinho once hailed former Manchester United goalkeeper Joel Pereira, now playing withyear in Lombardy. The polyglot Mourinho would approve of the quadrilingual protege he considered re-signing at Roma last year. Ten Hag has favoured the Portuguese to play at the full-back position and Dalot has embraced defending as ardently as Lisandro Martinez as well as powering down the wing with his overlaps in attack.
Ten Hag has benefitted from Dalot being more certain of his defensive duties but has also pushed him to embrace his natural attacking instincts, something that has seen him usurp Wan-Bissaka, who can be limited going forward, in the first XI. Ten Hag has also asked Dalot to become an auxiliary central midfielder during different phases of the game, allowing him to see more of the ball.
“He likes offensive full-backs,” Dalot said of the former Ajax boss. “He likes proactive full-backs, so we have to always think a little bit ahead of what the game is asking, not be like feeling the game when the ball is on the other side.”
When asked about Diogo’s impressive form this season the manager had many positive things to say. “I think he’s developing quite well from the start,” Ten Hag said of Dalot. “You could see he has the power, the physical strength, power that he can bring in his attacking game, but I think he is progressing game from game in the defending part as
well, and finding his position, anticipation, cooperation with the back four, cooperation with his winger. So he is making really good progress and I am happy with that.”
as a substitute against Real Sociedad in September yet took his seat in the directors’ box as kick-off loomed. It is easy to forget Wan-Bissaka actually played for United this season (the last four minutes against Liverpool) yet he has not started since April. United’s enquiry about the Barcelona rightback Sergino Dest in the summer can only mean that Aaron’s United career is over. WanBissaka was given an advance notice that he was surplus to requirements even before the end of last season. Eventually, United will have to find a way to cut their losses on the most expensive footballer never to play for England.
Into the final 12 months of his current agreement, United do hold the option to extend the Portugal international’s deal by an additional year, however, such is his form, improved terms have been suggested to reflect his vastly improved status within the squad.
Despite Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s return to training, he is still absent from matchday squads, with Ten Hag opting to list two goalkeepers on the bench. He was listed
Barcelona are firm admirers of Dalot, who has also beeped on the radars of the likes of Juventus, Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid. Milan were keen on retaining the Portuguese and it is churlish of United to delay a decision on extending Dalot’s contract. It is a matter of time until United exercise their plus-one option and that strategy buys them time to negotiate a completely new renewal. It would certainly be a shrewd investment.
Igrew up adoring the Great Dane, who was a monster in goal. Over the years, Manchester United have had fantastic goalkeepers which have had a ripple effect throughout the team. When Peter Schmeichel left after the Champions League win in 1999 and was replaced by Mark Bosnich, the void left was massive and the uncertainty was felt at the back. The only plus side was that at that time, goals were throughout the team, where I felt that once a goal was conceded the team would come back to hammer the opposition.
This continued also with the arrival of Fabien Barthez who was an improvement on the big part on goalkeepers that were brought in, but deep down he was not a keeper whereby his presence or impact was that of Schmeichel, who brought calmness to the back four, quite the contrary when he went on the dribbling missions. He was a decent goalkeeper but I feel that United really settled when they signed Edwin Van de Sar. I cannot understand how he wasn’t signed from Juventus and was let to be signed by Fulham. Especially when during that time, they opted for Mark Bosnich.
Once Edwin retired, Sir Alex signed a shot stopping masterclass. During his first games, he was being outmuscled and a target for opponents to use as the weakest link. As he grew in stature, his talent was displayed and over the years, with quite the fragile back line and midfield, David De Gea was literally superman and winning the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year for consecutive seasons and being in the Premiership team of the year shows that his rise to being a dominant goalkeeper was recognised not only by the club but also by the English footballing public. De
Gea has clocked over 500 games for the club and soon will be entitled to his own testimonial match, and that amount of games for the same team, a team which has suffered since Sir Alex retired deserves an accolade in itself. I thank the faulty fax machine for the late submission of the transfer to Real Madrid.
De Gea has had games whereby saves counted as goals, two games that come to mind are saves against Everton and Arsenal, he was like a god in goal. His reflexes especially with his legs have been really impressive, together with his unorthodox way of saving. But one must not only appreciate his talent but also his loyalty.
This trait is rare in the modern footballer, and
David has adapted and made the No 1 shirt his. A couple of seasons ago, Henderson was given a run in the team but after a run back in the game, David reclaimed his place. In all fairness, the back-up keepers have United had over the years weren’t at the level that De Gea was at.
To his name, De Gea has a number of trophies which include the Premier League and the Europa League. Should he have left United, he would have gathered more trophies, but thankfully he stayed and has become an integral part of the club and its history.
Being number one doesn’t necessarily mean being a goalkeeper, it also refers to the attitude, application and approach towards
the club. Recently as we are all aware the ‘No 1’ carried out an interview with Piers Morgan, and while I understand the motive behind it and also the undeniable desire to remain at the top of the record board, and continue contributing to winning trophies, Ronaldo in my opinion knows that time is against him and that whatever records he needs to break or maintain cannot be done playing second fiddle to the current players in the United squad. I, for starters remember the way he left the first time to which I hated his departure due to the fact that he was one of the best players in the world and we didn’t replace that talent with something close. With all due respect to Antonio Valencia, they weren’t the same type of player on any level. People will get on Ronaldo’s back for him manufacturing a way to get the club to terminate his contract by mutual consent. One would have appreciated him wrestling the club back to a decent position and for once put the club before himself. But that is not the beast that Ronaldo is, it’s all about him and him breaking records and individual honours. We have been lucky to witness him in a United shirt when his powers were on the rise, but unfortunately when he hit top gear he ran to Madrid where he won everything for numerous times. He returned to the club when his powers where on the wane and the club opened their arms to him based on his past and his marketing ability. During his return, he did save United a couple of times, but I am not sure if it hindered what was already being built and putting him into the team made the team have to again restyle its play like it was and has been doing over a number of years due to the continuous chop and changing of managers.
United managed to get three decent seasons
out of Ronaldo, which were the seasons commencing from 2007 onwards, which if Sir Alex didn’t step in, it would have been two. The ambition Ronaldo has is one that only the few that can share similar traits will understand that winning must be done at all costs, and nothing will get into their way. I understand his departure in 2009, to go to Madrid and not because it was his dream, but for the duel with Messi in La Liga but also for the continuous opportunity to go for every trophy. He knew that at United, this couldn’t be achieved and it has been seen recently due to lack of being competitive in major tournaments. This is not being critical of United or of Ronaldo but just an eye opener that both beasts couldn’t please each other and that is why he has decided to leave again. The experts will says he wasn’t loyal to the club, but I think Ronaldo was being loyal to himself as he knows he is putting in
his last fight to keep his records until Messi takes them off him, or to continue to play until Messi retires.
While you may be saying I am contradicting myself in this article, I am not. I would prefer having De Gea in my team, knowing he has the back of the team, rather than Ronaldo who would play in the team only if he knew it would benefit him. I believe De Gea will be recognised as the best goalkeeper United had and who thinks differently must recognise the level of players David has had to contend with, whereas his predecessors have had rock solid defenders and a midfielders made of steel. I will continue to enjoy David in goal for United and some fans will be sad with the departure of Ronaldo.
My question to them is who is their No 1?
#ENDCHILDFOODPOVERTY
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