Echoes From Old Trafford - March 2020

NEWSPAPER POST

Volume 47- Issue 3, March 2020

“I think any player who joins Manchester United wants to win everything” Bruno Fernandes

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

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In this issue  EDITORIAL ENGLISH................................................................................

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 EDITORJAL BIL-MALTI..............................................................................

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 CLUB NEWS.............................................................................................

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 TEDDY’S CORNER.................................................................................

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 BRUNO FERNANDES.............................................................................

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 ELIAS MIZZI - A TRIBUTE OF APPRECIATION........................................

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 ASHLEY YOUNG.....................................................................................

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 Y&Z PERSPECTIVES..............................................................................

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 OF POLITICS AND FOOTBALL...AND FINANCES...................................

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 DO OR DIE.............................................................................................

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 HARRY MAGUIRE.................................................................................

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 SHOULD UNITED RETAIN PAUL POGBA?.............................................

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 JESSE LINGARD....................................................................................

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 LUKAKU, SMALLING AND SANCHEZ IN SERIE A...................................

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 THE 62ND ANNIVERSARY OF MUNICH AIR DISASTER............................

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 MY FIRST VISIT TO OLD TRAFFORD......................................................  TAKE A CARD.......................................................................................

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 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NIGHTS...............................................................  ECHOES FROM ACROSS THE CHANNEL................................................

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Official publication of the Manchester United Supporters’ Club Malta editorial team Clint Camilleri · Braden Galea · Michael Calleja advertising executive Glenn Lucas contributors Dr. Michael Calleja Clint Camilleri Joseph Tedesco Jude Cauchi Joseph Glanville Fr. Anthony C. Ferrante Robert Mizzi Kevin, Justyn and Wayne Tabone Alan Abela Wadge Silvio Scicluna Kenneth Abela Martin Calleja Urry Alex Dudley Daniel Cuschieri Iain McCartney Stefan Attard

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

President, Match Tickets Coordinator Vice President, Souvenir Shop Manager

Clint Camilleri

Secretary, Media Coordinator

Braden Galea

Assistant Secretary, Publishing Coordinator

Kevin Tabone

Treasurer, Public Relations Officer

Egidio Sciberras

Assistant Treasurer

Robert Mizzi

Membership Secretary

Matthew Portelli O’Toole Club Manager, Social Activities Coordinator Glenn Lucas

Advertising Executive

Robert Muscat

MALTA MALTA

FOUNDED 1959

MALTA MALTA

FOUNDED 1959

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.

Tours Coordinator

United Club Gozo Archbishop Pietru Pace Street, Victoria, Gozo.

E‑mail: gozobranch@manutd‑malta.com Telephone: +356 99825090 translator Tiziana Caruana club chaplain Fr. Anthony C. Ferrante (Carmelite) business partners

THE VIEWS IN THIS MAGAZINE ARE NOT NECESSARILY SHARED BY THE CLUB. VOL 47 - ISSUE 3 - MARCH 2020

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Editorial “OBRIGADO BRUNO!”.

Rams’ attack…none other than Wayne Rooney.

‘Wazza’ will certainly be looking forward to the tie as both clubs will be seeking a lucrative place in the Quarter‑Finals. Considering what’s at stake, a good run of form in the FA Cup is imperative to re‑establish United’s credentials in the domestic scene. Perhaps a good cup‑run might just bring about a ray of positivity which has been lacking throughout the campaign.

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es, ‘Obrigado’ Bruno! Thank you for finally joining United after a year‑long saga. Thank you for adding some much needed midfield steel in an otherwise lethargic engine room.

Thank you for bossing our set‑pieces and playing as if you’ve been threading over the hallowed Old Trafford pitch for centuries. Your exuberance and confidence are the exact qualities and traits we were looking for.

A nightmare January month (compounded by a disastrous Old Trafford showing against Manchester City and an equally disappointing experience against Liverpool) highlighted one main factor...that the squad was in desperate need of major reinforcements. Fans certainly had their eyebrows raised when Bruno Fernandes finally put pen to paper and Odion Ighalo joined the club on loan from Shanghai Greenland Shenhua as cover for the injured Marcus Rashford. At last, some much needed signings to bolster what was surely an ailing and disheartened squad.

Despite the prevalent disappointment in the league, the FA Cup did offer some much needed reprieve with wins against Wolves and Tranmere Rovers, securing a 5th Round tie against Derby County. A familiar face will be leading the

Whether or not United have genuinely started a fresh page or not remains to be seen. However, since Fernandes’ debut against Wolves, the club has registered two consecutive wins against Chelsea and Watford – ensuring that the Red Devils are now well in contention to grab that elusive fourth place and a promise of prospective Champions League football for 2020/21. With Fernandes now marshalling the midfield and Scott McTominay back from injury, the Red Devils are well primed to mount a serious assault on the European places [especially considering some very tough teams would lie in our wait should United keep on progressing throughout the latter stages of the UEFA Europa League]. The win at Stamford Bridge would have certainly re‑instilled much needed confidence and belief in the group.

This editorial cannot proceed without paying tribute to Manchester United legend Harry Gregg who passed away at the ripe old age of 87. An accomplished goalkeeper, whose exploits off the pitch are as equally impressive and legendary as his achievements on it, Gregg

will forever be associated with the Munich Air disaster (6th February 1958) in which 23 people were killed, including seven players in the fantastic Manchester United team known as the ‘Busby Babes’.

Gregg achieved heroic status after rescuing a 20‑month‑old baby and her badly injured pregnant mother from the wreckage. The Northern Ireland goalkeeper, soft spoken yet erudite in all things football, would go on to suffer from ‘survivor’s guilt’ throughout his entire life though is now surely in the awe‑inspiring presence of his team mates – whom he so loved and adored.

The great Sir Alex Ferguson himself paid a stunning tribute mentioning that “Harry was a man of great character and a true legend at our club. I remember that he was always very excited and proud to host our youth team at his boarding house for the Milk Cup every summer, so he could recount the tales of his playing days.”

The same sentiments were echoed by club legend Sir Bobby Charlton noting in particular that: “It’s incredible to think that Harry went on to play in a match against Sheffield Wednesday just 13 days after that tragic night. A shining light both on and off the pitch. For so many reasons, he deserves to be remembered as one of the greatest names in Manchester United’s history.”

During Manchester United’s darkest hour, Harry Gregg stood head and shoulders above everyone else. He not only guided the young players coming through but assumed a fatherly‑figure throughout the club – and his ebullient and optimistic attitude during those tumultuous days certainly kept the Red Devils going. Gregg’s traits of fortitude and determination have become synonymous with the ‘aura’ that is Manchester United and a grateful club will be forever in his debt.

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Kif toqgħod kwarantina d-dar Ibqa’ d-dar – tmurx għax-xogħol, skola jew postijiet pubbliċi Tistidinx nies id-dar Żomm id-distanza minn membri oħrajn tal-familja li mhumiex taħt kwarantina d-dar Prattika iġjene tajba Żomm id-dar tiegħek ventilata tajjeb Jekk għandek kamra tal-banju waħda, kun l-aħħar wieħed li tużaha Itlob lil xi ħadd biex iġiblek provvisti jew inkella ordna online Iċċekkja t-temperatura tad-deni darbtejn kuljum Ċempel immedjatament fuq 21 324 086 jekk ikollok sintomi ta’ deni, sogħla jew qtugħ ta’ nifs

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Editorjal

OBRIGADO BRUNO! qed ifittxu li jakkwistaw post importanti fil‑Kwarti tal‑Finali. Meta wieħed jikkunsidra x’riskju hemm, forma tajba fl‑FA Cup hija imperattiva sabiex ikunu stabbiliti mill‑ġdid il‑kredenzjali tal‑United fix‑xena domestika. Forsi rebħa oħra ta’ din it‑tazza taf iġġib raġġ ta’ pożitività li kien nieqes tul l‑istaġun.

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va, ‘Obrigado’ Bruno! Grazzi talli fl‑aħħar ingħaqadt mal‑United wara saga għaddejja sena. Grazzi talli żidt dik il‑forza tant meħtieġa fil‑magna daqstant letarġika tal‑midfield. Grazzi talli ħadt f ’idejk is‑set pieces u talli qiegħed tilgħab bħallikieku ilek issewwi n‑nuqqasijiet fil‑pitch ta’ Old Trafford għal sekli sħaħ. L‑eżuberanza u l‑kunfidenza tiegħek huma eżatt il‑kwalitajiet u l‑arranġamenti li konna qed infittxu.

Ix‑xahar ikrah ta’ Jannar (imtappan minn prestazzjoni disażtruża f’Old Trafford kontra Manchester City u minn esperjenza diżappuntanti kontra Liverpool) ikkaratterizza fattur ewlieni... illi t‑tim kellu verament bżonn tisħiħ kbir. Ċertament, il‑partitarji kienu sorpriżi meta finalment Bruno Fernandes iffirma iswed fuq l‑abjad u Odion Ighalo ingħaqad mal‑club b’self minn Shangai Greenland Shenhua bħala rimedju għal Marcus Rashford, li weġġa’. Fl‑aħħar, kellna akkwisti tant bżonnjużi biex iqajmu tim li bla dubju kien iddgħajjef u bla ħeġġa.

Minkejja d‑diżappunt kbir fil‑kampjonat, l‑FA Cup pattiet daqsxejn b’rebħiet meħtieġa kontra Wolves u Tranmere Rovers, li b’hekk ġiet assigurata sfida fil‑5 Round kontra Derby County. Wiċċ familjari se jkun qiegħed imexxi l‑attakk tar‑Rams...ħadd ħlief Wayne Rooney.

‘Wazza’ żgur se jkun qiegħed iħares ’il quddiem għal din l‑isfida, hekk kif iż‑żewġ clubs se jkunu

Wieħed għad irid jara jekk il‑United irnexxielhomx jew le jibdew ġenwinament paġna ġdida. Madankollu, minn dakinhar tad‑debutt ta’ Fernandes kontra Wolves, il‑club irreġistra żewġ rebħiet konsekuttivi kontra Chelsea u Watford – b’hekk ġie assigurat li r‑Red Devils issa jinsabu f ’pożizzjoni tajba biex jakkwistaw ir‑raba’ post u l‑parteċipazzjoni prospettiva fiċ‑Champions League 2020/21. B’Fernandes imexxi fis‑sod il‑midfield u Scott McTominay, li rkupra mill‑injury, ir‑Red Devils jinsabu armati sew biex jiġġeldu b’mod serju għall‑postijiet fl‑Ewropa [speċjalment meta wieħed jikkunsidra li hemm daqsxejn ta’ timijiet b’saħħithom jistennewna f ’kas li nkomplu ngħaddu mill‑aħħar stadji tal‑UEFA Champions League]. Ir‑rebħa fi Stamford Bridge żgur kienet tgħin biex inġibu lura l‑kunfidenza u l‑kredibilità fil‑grupp.

Dan l‑editorjal ma jistax ma jkomplix mingħajr ma jitfakkar il‑leġġenda ta’ Manchester United, Harry Gregg, li miet fl‑età ta’ 87 sena. Goalkeeper komplut, li l‑kritika li rċieva barra l‑pitch hija ugwalment impressjonanti u leġġendarja daqs

il‑kisbiet li għamel fih, Gregg jibqa’ assoċjat għal dejjem mad‑diżastru ta’ Munich Air (6 ta’ Frar 1958). Fih kienu mietu 23 persuna, inkluż 7 players tat‑tim fantastiku ta’ Manchester United magħruf bħala ‘Busby Babes’.

Gregg kien irċieva l‑istatus ta’ eroj wara li salva tarbija ta’ 20 xahar, flimkien m’ommha tqila, li kienet weġġgħet gravi f ’dan id‑diżastru.

Il‑goalkeeper mill‑Irlanda ta’ Fuq, li kellu vuċi ġentili iżda opposta totalment f ’dak li kellu x’jaqsam ma’ football, kellu jgħix b’survivor’s guilt tul ħajtu kollha. Dan, minkejja li llum il‑ġurnata, il‑preżenza ta’ ispirazzjoni tiegħu għadha tinħass b’mod qawwi fost il‑players li lagħbu miegħu – li hu tant ħabb u rrispetta.

Il‑kbir Sir Alex Ferguson stess fakkar il‑memorja tiegħu billi qal “Harry kien raġel kbir u leġġenda vera fil‑club tagħna. Niftakar kemm dejjem kien ikun eċitat u kburi meta jilqa’ lit‑tim taż‑żgħar fil‑boarding house tiegħu għall‑Milk Cup kull sajf, biex b’hekk kien ikun jista’ joqgħod jirrakkonta l‑istejjer ta’ meta kien jilgħab.”

L‑istess sentimenti kienu espressi mil‑leġġenda tal‑club, Sir Bobby Charlton, billi nnota b’mod partikolari li: “Huwa inkredibbli meta wieħed jiftakar li Harry kien lagħab kontra Sheffield l‑Erbgħa, 13‑il ġurnata biss wara seħħ il‑lejl traġiku. Hu kien dawl jibbrilla kemm barra u ġewwa l‑pitch. Għal ħafna raġunijiet, hu jixraqlu jkun imfakkar bħala wieħed mill‑akbar ismijiet fl‑istorja ta’ Manchester United.”

Fil‑mumenti koroh ta’ Manchester United, Harry Gregg baqa’ b’rasu mgħollija fuq kulħadd. Hu ma kienx biss ta’ gwida għall‑players iż‑żgħar iżda ħa rwol ta’ missier fil‑club – u l‑attitudni ferriħija u ottimista tiegħu tul dawk iż‑żminijiet turbolenti ppermettew biex ir‑Red Devils ikomplu jimxu ’l quddiem. Il‑marki li ħalla warajh Gregg, ta’ kuraġġ u determinazzjoni, saru sinonimi mal‑‘aura’ ta’ Manchester United u l‑club jibqa’ għal dejjem grat lejh.

2,000,000 MALTA

FOUNDED 1959

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CLUBNEWS

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uring the Christmas period, we organised the annual Children’s and Members’ Parties on the 13 th and 20 th December respectively. Once again, for the 2nd year, we hosted the Members’ Christmas party on Friday. Another huge success, thanks to our members.

The committee would like to thank all our sponsors, suppliers, and all those who were involved in the organisation of both parties.

We want to congratulate all the winners of the lottery tickets and thank all the members who contributed.

Here are the winners: • 1st Prize ‑ Clive Spiteri • 2nd Prize ‑ Joe Bugeja • 3rd Prize ‑ Laurabelle Portelli • 4th Prize ‑ C. Baldacchino The committee would also like to thank all the members who reached the 25‑year & 50‑year consecutive membership milestone.

The 2019 Children’s Party.

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by Clint Camilleri

On Sunday 2nd February 2020, for the very first time, the MUSC Malta Gozo Branch held the Munich Remembrance Mass in Gozo at the United Club. Following the mass, we also held the first Gozo Branch Annual General Meeting. The committee would like to thank all those who attended both events and also Silvio Rapa, the owner of the Grand Hotel in Gozo for the fabulous lunch afterwards.

The following Sunday, 9 th February, our Supporters’ Club in Malta, organised the Munich Remembrance Mass. Once again, we would like to thank all those who attended the mass.

On the 62nd anniversary of the Munich air crash, once again MUSC Malta was present in Munich Germany. Our club represented by MUSC Malta President Joseph Tedesco and ex‑president Joe Glanville presented a lovely flower bouquet on the memorial in Munich.

The Munich Remembrance Mass in Malta.

MUSC Malta in Munich.

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25 Year Consecutive Members.

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50 Year Consecutive Member.

Door Lottery Winners.

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TEDDY’S corner

have your say on info@manutd‑malta.com

Harry Gregg OBE

Dear All Rollercoaster! Couldn’t find a better word to describe this season. Less than 3 months before the end of the season and you never know what this United team will come up with next. They get a draw against relegation‑threatened Aston Villa with a lackluster performance, then all of a sudden, in the space of a week, they win 3 in a row beating Spurs at home and City away convincingly and scoring 4 past AZ in Europa League. Fans would think this is the time for a good run, time to turn the corner. Then all of a sudden, all those hopes fade away with another tame performance against struggling Everton at home resulting in a 1‑1 draw. I cannot count how many times this season the teams we were chasing, hovering above us in the table, failed and our team unexpectedly flops and miss the opportunity to bridge the gap.

January was typical! The first week was a nightmare. Losing to Arsenal away, feeling as if our players just did not turn up. Subsequently we failed to give a shot on target in ninety minutes against Wolves away in the FA Cup and then suffered a humiliation against Man City at home in the League Cup. The first 45 minutes of that game merit the same level of disgust we all felt when Everton last year gave us that trashing towards the end of the season. When

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all was looking so gloom and doom, we scored 4 past Norwich and broke the duck against Wolves in the FA Cup, one of those teams who reached the status of ‘boogie’ for us…our first win against them since March 2012! The positive fans got filled with hope that we could go to Anfield and give them Scousers their first defeat of the season. Even though they beat us, that game showed how much this indomitable team, which Jurgen Klopp has successfully managed to create for Liverpool FC, still dreads playing Man Utd. At times they outplayed us but notwithstanding the current difference in quality and confidence, we still instill that fear in them. If only Pereira and Martial could hit the target! Notwithstanding defeat spirits were still high for some, somehow. We know this will be their year after 30 years of dreams.

Then, all of a sudden, defeat against Burnley at home, the team which failed to give a shot on target when we played them at Turf Moor in late December. Disaster! Pressures were mounting high on Ole. The FA Cup game at Tranmere was seen as the potential giant killer which would write the script for the Norwegian. A convincing 6‑0

win playing on a dodgy surface followed by our second victory of the season and sweet revenge (though in vain) against the FIFA Fair Play rule breakers on the pitch of their counsel house, reinstated faith in Ole once again. Everyone was expecting a win against Wolves at home next, especially with our new acquisition Bruno Fernandes featuring in the starting line up but at the end we had to settle for a disappointing 0‑0 draw. This result meant that United had failed to score a goal in the Premier League for the past 4 hours and 45 minutes. Just so frustrating! By the time, February crept in and the Chelsea game at Stamford Bridge was now a 6‑pointer for that coveted 4th place.

2 great headers from Martial and Maguire sealed our third win against the pensioners this season in all

competitions. Once again, believing our players’ confidence is now high, the performance (and to be honest the line‑up chosen by the manager) against Club Brugge away in the Europa league Last 16 did not earn Ole any points with the fans. A tricky return game at Old Trafford now awaits. At the time of writing we are hoping again for wins against Watford and Brugge at home. By the time you will be reading this I hope that the wave in our oscilloscope is still going up. We never die!

Even though I am one of Ed Woodward’s critics about his capability to deal in the football world, I could never agree with violence and fully condemn the atrocities carried out by some stupid so‑called fans at his residential home on the eve of signing Bruno Fernandes.

Manchester United have been chasing the Portuguese for quite a long time and there was

no doubt the negotiations were going to be tough. The fact that a transfer saga took so long to get the deal done and dragged to the last day of the transfer window reminds me of the Ferdinand, Rooney and Berbatov deals. We used to stay awake all night to see the news flashing that the transfer has been sealed. So from the aspect that the transfer was sealed on deadline day, I have no complaints. With Bruno there is no doubt we have signed a football star which will take our game to a different level. I am not sure about the Ighalo loan deal though. At first, it looked like a bit of a panic deal to me. However, he scored 16 goals for Nigeria in 35 appearances and 26 goals for Watford in 90 appearances.

The Premier League experience is surely on his side but we have to wait and see how he adapts in a Man Utd shirt. From what we read so far, he has mingled very well in the dressing room. Fingers crossed.

The game against Everton on 15th December was the 4,000th game in succession where Manchester United had an Academy player in the squad. This world‑famous Academy

produced the Busby Babes, George Best and the Class of ‘92 amongst other fantastic individuals. The run began on 30th October 1937 in a second division game at Fulham with Tom Manley and Jackie Wassall in the team that lost 1‑0. During the next eight decades till date we are proud to say as fans of this football club that our squad, for every game till today, has featured an academy product and that keeps showing what this football club is all about.

Long may it continue.

My final thought goes to the legendary Harry Gregg and his family. What a man! The younger ones may not know much about this great personality who was the goalkeeper for Manchester United in 1958 when the fatal Munich tragedy struck. I urge you to read about his story. There are plenty of reviews around following his sad demise on 17th February 2020.

Harry was on that flight and in the burning flames of that wreckage, he jumped in twice to save people from death. Among the people he saved, there was a pregnant woman and her daughter. After 87 years on this planet, Harry went to meet the Busby Babes he lost on that fatal day but he has left us all an immense heritage in our Man Utd memories for life. RIP. My motto as a Man United fan is always ‘For the love, not for the glory’. Amen!

Yours United, Teddy

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Bruno Fernandes

by Jude Cauchi

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he January transfer window of this year, in contrast to the previous seasons seems to have brought some hope for Manchester United supporters. As a matter of fact, the club managed to conclude deals for the long awaited Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes as well as Nigerian striker Ighalo.

Whilst the stakeholders associated with Manchester United hope that both signings turn out to be a success, there are much higher expectations with the former and hopefully Bruno can help the team to continue the rebuilding process.

Throughout the years, Manchester United have always had dominant midfield players within their ranks, these come in the names of Duncan Edwards, George Best, Brian Robson, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Michael Carrick and

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So far in 2020, the results have not been positive for Manchester United with defeats against Arsenal, Liverpool and Burnley as well having exited the Carabao Cup with some fans feeling that was the only chance to lift silverware this season. On the other hand, despite positive results against Norwich, Manchester City plus Wolves and Tranmere Rovers in the FA Cup, many will point out that some of the current players in the team are not good enough to play for Manchester United and therefore it is imperative that players with the quality of Bruno Fernandes are secured for the present and the future.

Darren Fletcher amongst other legends who served the club so well in the past. In fact, such glorious and prestigious history means that no matter which player comes to play for the club in those positions, he will always be compared to such giants and therefore makes it very challenging to cope with the pressure of playing for the biggest club in the world.

Hence, it is not surprising that during the last seasons, so many players have come to try and fill the void in that area but most of these players failed to live up to their expectations.

In life, there are always lessons which one can learn, and hopefully this new recruitment strategy at United will help players to settle more quickly. Recently, Jamie Redknapp claimed that Manchester United have a recent record of turning good players into bad ones and in spite of his Liverpool links, the pundit has a point here especially when one analyses the careers at Old Trafford of Angel Di Maria, Radamel Falcao, Memphis Depay, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez. More recently this season though, although there is still much room for improvement, the new signings in the summer have had a positive start to their careers and long may that continue.

In consistency with such an approach, the latest signing had a positive debut in the Premier League match against Wolves, and most supporters felt that he produced a man of the match performance with his touches, passing and shooting, and on another day, he could have also registered a goal. Additionally, one needs to look at things holistically and see how the player would perform with more quality besides him especially given the current injuries of Marcus Rashford, Scott McTominay and the controversial figure Paul Pogba who looks certain to leave Old Trafford in the summer.

Moreover, a positive aspect that should make supporters feel confident is the fact that Sporting Lisbon players have tended to do well for Manchester United throughout the years.

A quick look at the Portuguese roots, the player was born on the 8th September 1994 in Porto. Despite his Portuguese origins and spending his youth days playing for Boavista FC, the player commenced his professional career in Italy where he represented Novara Calcio in Serie B and helped them to fight for promotion.

The following year in 2013 the player made another significant step in his career by joining Serie A club Udinese where he scored in two consecutive matches against Napoli. In total he made 95 appearances for the Italian club scoring 11 goals in the process. Moreover, he also moved on loan to Sampdoria in the summer of 2016 and in total he registered 5 goals in 35 appearances for the club.

Despite the importance of this experience in Fernandes’ career, his return to Portuguese football in 2017 cannot be underestimated.

As a matter of fact, after joining Sporting Lisbon in June 2017, the midfielder’s career took a turn for the better since Fernandes played a vital role in the team which helped him not only to win the Player of the year on a couple of occasions (including the 2017‑18 Europa League Squad of the Season) but also to become an important player in the Portugal national team and be included in the UEFA Nations League Finals Team of the Tournament in 2019. In addition to this, the player has already gained some valuable experience in international football tournaments such as the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

In terms of club’s honours, the player has already had a taste of what winning feels as he lifted the Portuguese domestic trophy (Taca de Portugal) as well as the Super Cup (Taca da Liga) in successive seasons. Moreover, the midfielder also lifted the UEFA Nations League with his Portuguese national team so hopefully such experiences will help him to become a successful player for Manchester United.

At the time of writing, the club is heading towards the business end of the season and unfortunately for Manchester United once again, there is not much to fight for apart from an improbable top 4 finish, the FA Cup as well at the Europa League which many feel is the only path towards qualifying for next year’s Champions League. Despite this, however, one hopes that with the new players being recruited as well as the departures of players who are not fit enough to represent Manchester United, the good times will come again in the future.

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by Joseph Glanville I remember well the enormous amount of work he did when we took over our second club premises in Valletta back in the early eighties.

At that time, our club funds were limited, but he made it a point to do all the redecoration of the then new premises during his spare time for free. He was happy with a few pints of beer as a ‘thank you’ from our Committee.

It is worth mentioning also that Elias was the mastermind in bringing various trophies to Malta. In fact, leaving the Rotterdam Stadium in persistent rain following United’s triumph in the Cup Winners’ Cup, he came up with the idea of bringing the trophy to Malta. My reply was: “You must be out of your mind.”

He insisted on his proposal and the trophy did make it to Malta. As far as I know, it was the first time a trophy left the British Isles.

Through his initiative, a long list of trophies visited Malta in the following years.

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couple of months back, our Club lost one of its most loyal members – Elias Mizzi, a founder member of the club. Elias served for many, many years on the Committee of our Supporters’ Club. Without any doubt, he definitely proved to be one of the pillars in the history of our local organisation, also serving for a couple of years as Chairman. Between the seventies up to the nineties, Elias was the point of reference within our organisation.

I met Elias in the early sixties through our Club and I am proud to say our friendship throughout these past years has been a symbol of comradeship, a treasure which today is so hard to find. An ordinary man who dedicated his life to the benefit of our club members. A gentleman who would walk a million miles to do you a favour. His work knew no limit and he definitely proved an exemplary figure to all Committee members.

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I would never finish my long list of initiatives and work this great friend of mine made for our Supporters’ Club – all for the benefit of past, present and future members of this organisation. His honesty, integrity, respect and loyal support were a shining example of his character.

Me and many others are very honoured to say that Elias was one of our best friends – a friendship which cemented itself – all through our support for Manchester United.

His legacy with our club is bound to continue through his son, Robert, who today forms part of our

Committee. If Robert manages to dedicate at least half the time and effort his father rendered our Club, I am sure his father would be so proud of him.

I join our President, Committee, all club members and friends in conveying our condolences to Elias’ wife Rita, and his children, Robert (named for Bobby Charlton), Doreen and Brian (named for Brian Greenhoff).

You will always be close to us.

Rest in peace, my friend.

Joe Glanville

Ashley Young His Career At United

by Alex Dudley

A

shley Young was very much a love/hate kind of figure during his career at Manchester United. Many fans who were at a younger age would have used him as a scapegoat at he was deployed as a left or right wing‑back in his final years at the club, but in his prime, he was much better than that and even filled a void that United desperately needed filling.

Young signed from Aston Villa in the summer of 2011 for a reported sum of £17 million. He joined United as an energetic winger who had helped Villa reach consecutive sixth‑place finishes under Martin O’Neill. Sir Alex Ferguson had brought in Young hoping that he could fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo, and while he wasn’t able to do that, he did fulfil a lot during his time at Old Trafford.

Young’s Success At United Young enjoyed a stellar nine years at United, which was littered with trophies. He enjoyed the final couple of seasons under the tenure of Ferguson, which saw him collect the Premier League title. His goals during that period became his trademark, as he was renowned for curling efforts into the top corners of the opposition’s net. He scored two of those efforts in the famous 8‑2 success against Arsenal. He made that left‑wing his own during his early days at United and was instrumental in his first season at the club.

His longevity was mainly down to the fact that he never picked up a long‑term injury during his career. The only serious injury that he picked up for United came in that first season, but he returned back stronger and scored on his return against Basel in the Champions League. Young was unfortunate not to have won the league in his first season with the club, as United narrowly missed out on the title on the final day of the season. However, that was vindicated in the following season following the arrival of Robin van Persie. Young was again a vital player in that team and played in 19 games.

Post‑Ferguson Young became a more important player for United in the years after Ferguson left United.

Louis van Gaal made Young an essential player in his tenure at the club, as he deployed him as a left‑wing back. He quickly took to the new role and made it his own, but his versatility was a trait that many managers took advantage of. His ability to seamlessly play at left‑back, right‑back or on the wings made him a hit with Jose Mourinho and later Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

He made 30 appearances in the first season under van Gaal and was an instrumental player in the club’s success in the FA Cup. When Mourinho arrived in that summer, many believed that he would be one of the players that would be shipped off at the first opportunity, but Mourinho defied those odds and gave him another chance at United and he became an essential player in the new‑look team. He became a crucial member of the Mourinho regime at United as he was played in both full‑back positions during that time.

His most successful season for United came in that first season under Mourinho as he won the League Cup and Europa League. However, he only played in the Europa League Final in that season, as he missed out on the League Cup Final through injury. He made the left‑back position his own throughout the Mourinho seasons in charge, as Luke Shaw struggled to find the form to compete. Despite becoming the constant point of blame for United fans during that period, he was putting in consistent performances in that position and that made him virtually undroppable at that period.

Young’s United Legacy Many United fans felt that Young should have left the club long before he actually did, but what he gave to the club was unquestionable.

Fans demand that players who play for the club

understand what playing for Manchester United is about, and Young did. He loved the club, and despite the fact he was the immediate source of blame, he never put a foot wrong. He gave 100% every time he stepped on the field for United and that should be applauded. Players that have joined post‑Ferguson have done a lot less and gotten away with it, which makes the fact that Young gave everything to the club and got slated staggering.

Ultimately, his desire was there, but he was always a player that was shoehorned in to make sure that a void was filled. He was never really a left‑back or a right‑back, and he saved the club spending money because he could play in that position. The arrival of Aaron Wan‑Bissaka was the final straw, while Luke Shaw’s return to full fitness and the emergence of Brandon Williams made him third preference in the left‑back position. Nobody could doubt his desire for the club and he understood exactly what it meant to play for the greatest team in the world.

However, Young wanted to play football in the final years of his career, and nobody could dispute that. When the offer came in from Inter Milan, the only thing that United could do was to accept. That was what they owed the player. If he wasn’t a regular member of the team going forward, then he should have the chance to excel somewhere else and that is precisely what he will do at Inter.

Some may still blame Young for the poor results on the field, but he was always a player that gave everything. Young was an exemplary servant to the club, and fans should show gratitude to the way he respected the club throughout his tenure. He may not be a legend of United, but he is certainly a role model that players coming to the club should aspire to be like. There is no doubt he will be excellent in Italy and we can all hope that our paths will cross again in the future.

VOL 47 - ISSUE 3 - MARCH 2020

15

Y & Z United Perspectives

by Kevin, Justyn & Wayne Tabone

W

ith 2020 well underway, the Tabone clan is looking forward to going to their second home together for the first time this season.

Win, lose or draw the Theatre of Dreams is our football heaven! For Wayne’s sake (try and guess why!), let’s hope for a United win this time! He’s witnessed too many drubbings for any United supporter’s liking!

Did the Manchester United activity in the January transfer window meet your expectations?

Wayne: I think that Manchester United made a great move by purchasing Bruno Fernandes and by getting Ighalo on loan although I think that we could have bought Ighalo and not just got him on loan. Maybe the club or Ighalo have their reasons. I think that we could also have bought a more defensive midfielder like Torreira or Neves. These are the sort of players that let no one past them, are also playmakers that move the ball from one end of the pitch to the other and are great leaders.

Justyn: I expected Manchester United to sign one player at the very minimum, which of course did happen. The addition of Bruno Fernandes to our midfield could be a very vital component in the midfield. Not only does he bring creativity which we definitely lacked since the absence of Paul Pogba in the squad but he seems to bring

16 VOL 47 - ISSUE 3 - MARCH 2020

third. Hopefully, Ighalo will turn out to be a shrewd signing which forces our hand to sign him on a longer term deal.

Do you think a Director of Football appointment at Manchester United could help improve the player negotiations department?

Wayne: I think that we need a Director of Football because Ed Woodward doesn’t know much about football. Despite this he still decides who to buy and how much money is spent. I still agree that he continues managing the financial part, but I think that the club needs a person that knows a lot about football.

Justyn: In today’s world of football a director of football is almost imperative for football clubs. To me it is unheard of for a club the size of Manchester United not have such a director. With the likes of Brighton and Bournemouth having directors of football, I don’t know how Manchester United haven’t yet appointed one. The Ighalo signing for me explains why Manchester United need one desperately. Everyone knew that Manchester United were desperate for a striker. Obviously for Manchester United to sign this striker they had to pay a premium since teams afforded to raise their prices. All of this considered, Manchester United waited until the last day of the window to sign a striker and it wasn’t a purchase, it was only a loan deal. The board saw that it was not worth the fees to buy some of the players they were looking at, such as Joshua King. Manchester United left it too late for other clubs to find quick replacements for the players they wanted, which led to just being happy with a loan deal for Ighalo.

a sense of leadership to the team. If he can give these qualities to our squad I’m sure he will be a very successful player at the club. Ighalo was the other signing which may have raised a few eyebrows. He’s definitely not your typical Manchester United player in terms of quality however he can still be a decent enough signing for the next six months. He brings a different dynamic up front. From his days at Watford we know that he is quite a physical striker who is able to hold up the ball and knows where the back of the net is. Not only that but he also brings a level of experience with him. Being 30 years old, he can definitely help the likes of Greenwood to further develop their game and become better footballers.

Kevin: The January window actually exceeded my expectations as I didn’t anticipate any signings. January has never been an easy month to finalize transfer dealings for any team, never mind Manchester United. Both first team acquisitions are definitely ones which are needed: Fernandes, one for the current and long term, and Ighalo for the short term. Both are in areas which we have struggled so much in this season. Especially when playing against opposition with low block units, we seem to have difficulty in the final

Kevin: Call the role what you wish, what I know is that unless there are football (on the pitch) decisions taken by football people, we will not return to the glory days. In my eyes, the part David Gill played with Sir Alex to bring and maintain success on and off the field is hugely undermined. We were lucky that we had a CEO who understood what Manchester United was about but also had a business brain. Having an imbalance between the two is a catastrophe

that we’ve witnessed during the past 6 years.

Hopefully this is rectified soon before more damage is done.

If we do not win any trophy this season and we fail to qualify for Champions League football next season, do you think the Club should stick with Ole as manager next season?

Wayne: I think if we stay on changing managers, we can’t return to challenge for the titles. Also the team can’t get used to all the new tactics.

On the contrary if we keep the same manager for some time we can improve and maybe win trophies. However, if by the end of next season we don’t win a major trophy I think that Ole’s place as a manager at Manchester United would have to come to an end.

Justyn: I think I would still give him another season and see how that one goes. In my opinion we should have gone for another manager in the first place, someone a bit more proven in the world of football. However, now that he’s here I think we should give him at least until the end of next season. I think it is not a smart idea to sack a manager midway through the year. I also think if the board back him even more, we could be looking at a young team that can achieve decent finishes in the league and do well in cups as well.

Kevin: 100%! We cannot continue changing

managers every 2 years just because we expect that we deserve to win trophies. I always felt that the weight of the United shirt on a first team player is heavy, but ever since The Boss retired it looks as if the load has tripled. The more changes there are, the more the pressure grows on both the manager and the team.

Another point is that every manager has his own style, wants to bring his own players and

sell the ones he doesn’t want to keep. With the transfer windows open for short periods of time, this process takes time and one cannot expect that a manager has a team playing his style after 1 year. To this day, we are still carrying players bought by Ole’s predecessors who do not fit in Ole’s style. Let’s hope we afford Ole time, not to win trophies, but to bring back the stability we once had.

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VOL 47 - ISSUE 3 - MARCH 2020

17

Of politics and football… and finances

by Robert Mizzi

T

he non‑Maltese readers of this contribution may have already realised this, especially if they have visited Malta in the past. The rather humorous, if not tragic, notion is that us Maltese can only discuss politics, football and saints, and nothing else!

This article is not intended to go into the details of my introduction above. It will, however, bring politics into the realm of the beautiful game and how our beloved team should, in my opinion, react to the changes that are happening in the European political scene in the coming months. I am sure that even the most apolitical of Man Utd supporters would have heard of Brexit. If not, I’ve got news for you – the United Kingdom has left the European Union on the 31st January 2020.

Well, not exactly, and in any case, what has this got to do with football, I hear you ask?

In the first week of February 2020, the Premier League announced that the deadline for the summer transfer window would revert to a more traditional date in 2020, to bring it in line with other major European leagues. In one of my other contributions to Echoes, I had lamented the fact that the UK transfer window closed before the start of the season, whereas other countries had another 3 weeks to basically acquire players from the Premier League or other divisions, leaving the English clubs with a potential gap as they would not be in a position to fill the gaps in their squad.

Essentially, we are going back to square one to avoid a scenario where Premier League players could still be ‘unsettled’ and clubs are prevented from bringing in replacements when players do leave. In our team’s case, we had Lukaku moving permanently to Inter and Sanchez and Smalling both leaving on

18 VOL 47 - ISSUE 3 - MARCH 2020

loan without the possibility to replace them.

This will not happen again as the transfer window will now close on the same day as other European countries. Is this a good thing?

Well, yes and no ‑ as we all know this leads to speculations galore (especially in our club’s case!) and potential loss of focus by the players themselves. The UK’s departure from the European Union has been mentioned as one of the potential factors affecting this decision.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Brexit process, the UK is currently in the transition period, which means that the full impact of Brexit will not be felt until the start of 2021.

This also extends to football. The freedom of movement principle (remember the Bosman Ruling?) means that Premier League clubs can continue to invest in European talent (some call it poaching!) without the need to consider the Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) requirements as at the moment, the UK has still got one foot in the EU! This is expected to change from the beginning of next year, as by that time, the UK will be officially out of the EU.

This means that Premier League clubs will have one final ‘window’ of opportunity to exploit this key facet of EU membership. So, as things stand at the moment, as from the next January transfer window, all players approached by English clubs playing in the EU will be treated exactly the same as non‑EU players – they would need a work permit from the GBE! To put things into perspective, Bruno Fernandes would potentially still be waiting for his work permit had he signed in January 2021 rather than January 2020. Three guesses who the losers will be in such situations!!

Turning to the acquisition of young talent from Europe. Premier League clubs have reportedly been assured by FIFA that the key and commonly used exception to the general prohibition on international transfers of players aged under 18 will continue to apply for the rest of 2020. The prohibition, outlined in Article 19 of FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP), does not apply where the relevant player transfers from one EU/EEA country to another, or is an EU/EEA national himself (who might be transferring from a non‑EU/EAA country). As we all know, this exception has been regularly exploited by Premier League clubs to reel in the best young European talent and exploit their ability to offer professional contracts to players aged 17 (in contrast to other European countries where players must wait until they turn 18).

Thanks to Brexit, the opportunity to use this exception is now time‑restricted. From the start of 2021, barring any intervention by FIFA (including revising its exceptions to the Article 19 prohibition), Premier League clubs will need to be more creative in how they facilitate transfers of overseas players aged

under 18. Other European national leagues will of course benefit from such a situation as despite the glamour of the EPL, English clubs will undoubtedly find it harder to bring in talented EU nationals in future transfer windows. The English phrase ‘shooting oneself in the foot’ keeps popping up in my mind – I wonder why!

Moving on to another, albeit related topic, the news that our noisy neighbours have been banned from the Champions League for two seasons has technically opened a window of opportunity for our beloved team. I will not delve in to the merits of the suspension in this article, but even in the scenario where the Court of Arbitration for Sport (colloquially known as CAS) decides to reduce the ban for one year, this would still mean that the team finishing 5th in the EPL this season will play in the Champions League next season. Recent results have seen our team move up to 5th place as I write this article. If we are able to maintain this position, and it is a big IF, we will play in the preliminary round of the Champions league next season. Given the circumstances, that would be an achievement and also a great opportunity. No, I am not suffering from delusions of grandeur and do not think that we can possibly make a huge impact in the Champions league even before qualifying.

But qualification would open an opportunity to attract players of higher calibre than if your team is playing in the Europa League.

This potential scenario ties in nicely with my final point for this article. I have already written about the need for Manchester United

to appoint a Director of Football. I was hoping that this would happen last summer, but it didn’t. I may be wrong, but I believe that had Ole been working with a football person as Director of Football, his life would have been made a wee bit easier and our team would be in a better place. Be that as it may, in a few months’ time, the management will have another

opportunity. It is going to be interesting to see if Ole keeps his place, if Ed Woodward keeps his position, and if a Director of Football will be appointed. In my personal opinion, the first person that needs to relinquish his place is definitely Ed Woodward. As Gary Neville right pointed out, he has had many transfer window opportunities to get it right, but we all know the results so far. Some may argue that the last two windows have been successful, but I would point out that we still paid over and above for every player we got and this is mainly due to poor negotiating techniques. I would also point to the signing of Ighalo and say that it was a panic buy after everything else failed. Again, this is my personal opinion and would gladly eat humble pie if Ighalo goes on to score a few important goals and leads us into the qualifying round of the Champions League next season.

What is not my personal opinion, however, is the position our beloved club is currently holding in the 2020 edition of the Football Finance 100.

As the table for the top 20 below shows, we have fallen to the 16th position from 8th position in the 2019 index.

I can recall Ed Woodward saying that the results of the team do not affect the financial performance of the club. Think again Ed! Numquam Moribimur.

FOOTBALL FINANCE 100 ( € MILLIONS) #

CLUB

COUNTRY

FFI SCORE

PLAYERS VALUE

TANGIBLE ASSETS

CASH IN OWNER POTENTIAL BANK INVESTMENT

NET DEBT

01

PSG

FRA

5.318

1050.0

99.9

138.0

1,003

‑34.1

02

MANCHESTER CITY

ENG

5.192

1280.0

464.2

31.5

647

173.2

03

BAYERN MUNICH

GER

3.888

882.7

257.7

220.8

416

6.9

04

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

ENG

3.447

984.0

1101.1

113.7

162

898.0

05

REAL MADRID

ESP

3.336

1190.0

341.2

190.1

0

243.7

06

ARSENAL

ENG

3.150

683.8

480.1

261.5

291

271.6

07

CHELSEA

ENG

2.893

807.0

199.8

35.8

36.5

184.4

08

LIVERPOOL

ENG

2.616

1070.0

199.4

11.7

80

294.6

09

JUVENTUS

ITA

2.195

864.0

162.4

15.3

313

539.4

10

BORUSSIA DORTMUND

GER

2.154

640.5

195.5

54.9

63

‑19.8

11

ATLÉTICO DE MADRID

ESP

2.049

872.5

379.4

23.0

62

537.9

12

BARCELONA

ESP

2.036

1180.0

156.6

40.3

0

652.1

13

RB LEIPZIG

GER

1.949

544.6

14.7

2.7

373

149.8

14

HOFFENHEIM

GER

1.922

234.8

76.9

49.2

410

‑107.0

15

GUANGZHOU EVERGRANDE TAOBAO

CHN

1.853

76.3

112.0

8.4

611

NA

16

MANCHESTER UNITED

ENG

1.743

753.3

277.3

273.5

164

799.8

17

NAPOLI

ITA

1.670

625.8

0.3

118.7

18

5.0

18

LOS ANGELES F.C.

USA

1.657

38.5

NA

NA

661

NA

19

BAYERN LEVERKUSEN

GER

1.551

415.3

84.4

NA

190

25.1

20

MONACO

FRA

1.443

354.3

7.8

17.3

134

142.8

VOL 47 - ISSUE 3 - MARCH 2020

19

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VOL 47 - ISSUE 3 - MARCH 2020

23

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NEW

DO or DIE

by Fr. Anthony C. Ferrante

I

t was one of those quite recent, nail‑biting matches of recurring inconsistency! The visitors to Old Trafford were outplaying the home team, and eventually going back home with three points. To rub salt into the wound, the visitors had not registered any wins against Manchester United since a long way back in time. The expectancy among the Red Devil support had been high. Yet, disillusion and frustration were reigning at the hallowed Theatre of Dreams. It was developing into a bitter pill to swallow.

Vitriolic chants were the run of the mill. It looked like a surge of defiance born out of years of alleged negligence and shameful ineptitude. In the closing stages of the game, only one person’s name was being echoed from the Stretford End, and that in loyal support. It was being made obviously clear that resentment did not lie with that person.

They wanted to emphasize that they had not lost faith in him. There are quite a lot who believe that he has become the latest victim of desultory recruitment and planning.

A very rare action from the faithful home supporters made the protests even clearer.

With less than fifteen minutes left for the referee to blow his final whistle, fans were leaving their seats to go out of the ground. The common query was going round and round, making people wonder when will the Red Devils return to their erstwhile accustomed glory. It was evident that a stand was in the offing. It is time to Do or Die! The time is ripe for a determined effort to succeed.

That is the crux of the matter. Something, or maybe even someone, is to be the do or die solution in order to determine whether there will ensue success or bitter failure. A do or die situation is one that involves a determined or desperate effort to get free of restraint or constriction. It is tantamount to exerting a

supreme effort on being aware that failure could be imminent.

The expression means that one will not be deterred by any obstacle in an effort to reach an intended goal.

Mahatma Gandhi is a perfect example. He gave up his life in the quest for the independence of his country, India. He believed that one should do his best if he wants to achieve his goal.

When there is a worthy idea, one should devote his entire life to embody it. His famous mantra was exactly Do or Die. He did not shirk necessary work or even suffering. Once the ball starts to roll, it is useless to halt half way. The target should be brought to the end.

Do or Die is relevant in different situations related to everyday life. Every single day, there are many people trying as hard as they can to solve their problems. There may be dire situations when they have to be strong and even coldblooded to stay alive, although the risk of a mistake is always present The surgeon that decides and effects an amputation is motivated by a Do or Die decision. A widow has to work hard to provide her children with everything they might need. The payment is rather low, but she will not give up and stop being patient and industrious. She is aware that she is free to stop, but she will not. She wants her offspring to have a decent kind of living. There is the young football enthusiast who desires to become a future professional footballer. He trains and works hard spending time and efforts quite conscious that if not, he will not reach his intention, even though in case of failure, he could take up a different direction.

The good old soul that finds himself wondering if he is walking the right path. He may discover

that he has gone awry somewhere along the spiritual road. Realization looms that he has to change certain activities or whatever is leading him astray. He knows he has to take drastic decisions...It could be a Do or Die situation.

Relating to our youth stage, we probably came to the point where we found ourselves at a crossroads with so many choices to make. The final choice we made somehow distinguished, perhaps, what we were to become in the future.

Do or Die is evidently connected with the problem of choice. Decisions have to be taken, even if considered to be drastic or painful.

When it is imperative to reach a certain particular goal, working hard or to “do” is the only way out. If the necessary efforts to make dreams come true are discarded, the consequence would be that that dream “dies”.

The Red Devils must “DO” in order to be resurrected, if not the outcome will be “DIE”.

Courage and good will would bring the desired results. The decisions that could materialize will gauge success.

“The Red Devil’s spirit lives, it never died.”: Harry Gregg

C/O Attrans, Mdina Road, Żebbuġ. Malta.

Email: gymstarsmalta@gmail.com Tel: +356 21461444 +356 77153025 +356 99164245 VOL 47 - ISSUE 3 - MARCH 2020

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Zlatan in the US Our Captain

Harry Maguire H

arry Maguire has “everything a captain should have” and is a natural leader for Manchester United, according to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer praised the impact Maguire has had on the squad since he was appointed permanent captain in January, following Ashley Young’s departure, and put him in the same bracket as great captains he played under such as the great Roy Keane.

United valued Maguire’s leadership skills and his potential to be a future captain when they decided to pay Leicester City £80million for him in the summer. Young’s decision to move to Inter Milan has accelerated that process but Solskjaer is delighted with the way the 26‑year‑old has settled into the role. “I didn’t expect him to be captain this quickly but he’s been in the dressing room and with the coaches, he’s vocal, he’s got the experience, he’s got everything a captain should have, I think it’s natural for him to take that role, his performances have helped. I’m delighted with the boy, that was one of the attributes we were looking at when we signed him,” Solskjaer said.

Solskjaer didn’t bracket Maguire as following any specific traits from the United captains he experienced as a player, but he had no

26 VOL 47 - ISSUE 3 - MARCH 2020

by Alan Abela Wadge

hesitation in mentioning him with those players and pilling the expectation of the job on to the England international.

“We’ve had different captains, Gary, Roy, Eric, Giggsy, they’ve all been different personalities.

Harry’s his own man, but Man United is, if not the biggest, one of the two or three biggest clubs in the world and he’s now the front man for it. You have to be thick skinned, you can’t sulk or feel sorry for yourself, you have to get on with things and be proactive. He’s got to lead men, we’ve got a few men and some boys as well, he’s got to go in front as an example for everyone,” the boss added.

What Harry Maguire brings to Man United is some shades different from what we’ve seen from the more recent captains United had.

Somehow I feel that the choice of Man United captains after Wayne Rooney, namely Carrick, Valencia and Young weren’t done by merit but mainly due to a lack of choice. Carrick, although an exceptional player and a very decent coach as we’ve seen lately, is not an inspiring figure. Valencia, with all due respect to him, is a player that gave a lot to this club, but he doesn’t scream the word captain either.

On the other hand, Young was always one of the more quiet members of the great United squads, he only became captain as he was the oldest fella in the dressing room so the role kind of fell into his lap.

Now the mantle of captain has been passed on to Harry Maguire. One of the quickest ever players to become captain of a Premier League side, has also been warned by a former United Captain, Gary Neville that s*** will come thick and fast. If that’s not a strong and direct warning to our new captain I don’t know what is!

Having said that, both Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney praised Harry Maguire’s mental strength in more recent interviews. They both confirmed that Maguire is the natural choice for Man United to be captain.

Standing tall and as imposing as a brick wall, Harry Maguire instills the courage in his young teammates and also the fear in his opponents.

This is all happening at the very same time when his defensive partner hasn’t been chosen 100% yet. Lately we’ve seen two adaptations of defenses for Man United. Sometimes paying with 4 and sometimes playing with 3 at the back. Whenever United plays with 4 at the back Maguire is partnering either Lindelof or else Eric Bailly and when United plays with 3 there were times when both Lindelof and Bailly teamed with Maguire and other times, being positively surprised, Luke Shaw was utilized as a left centre defensive partner to Maguire and one of the other two. No matter what type of defense the Boss decides to use, one thing is always for certain: Harry Maguire is the first name on that team sheet.

The next few months should be very interesting for Harry Maguire. In the 2nd half of this season he will need to make the role his own and help United challenge for a top 4 spot and also to achieve the latter stages of the Europa League and immediately afterwards, Harry will be joining the English National team to challenge for the newly revamped Euro 2020 with a potential mouthwatering final at Wembley.

These next few months are very important for

Maguire as he will have the opportunity to build himself up, settle in the role and make it his own and set the pace towards becoming a United legend in his own right. Magurie’s first target will definitely be to ensure that United wins as many points as possible to have a fighting chance of finishing in the top 4 of the league. If he manages to do that, then it would be a guarantee that next year Maguire will captain United in the Champions League, and who doesn’t want to do that?

Harry Maguire, the £80 million defender that United just bought from Leicester has already been installed as our captain. He has the opportunity to carve himself a legacy that shows that through hard work you can achieve greatness and if his first few months at Manchester United are anything of a guarantee of his future performances, then we’re all in for a real treat!

Best of luck Harry, the boss trusts you and if he does, then we will chant your name and support you through thick and thin!

Good luck to our captain!

Join us on MALTA

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www.twitter.com/manutd_malta VOL 47 - ISSUE 3 - MARCH 2020

27

SHOULD UNITED RETAIN

PAUL POGBA?

by Silvio Scicluna

And he hit the ground running in his first season back. He was a midfield powerhouse and helped United to League Cup and Europa League triumphs. The second season was less successful although it has to be said that a hamstring injury early on did derail his progress somewhat. Worryingly though, the first signs of disharmony with Mourinho began surfacing and there were instances when he was criticised for not fulfilling his defensive duties and eventually dropped.

The third season started well enough with Pogba scoring plenty of goals, penalties mostly, and generally carrying the team in

J

ust as I was starting to prepare to write this article, as if to inspire me further, agent Mino Raiola has just given an exclusive interview to Sky Sports. For those of you who don’t know who Raiola is, he’s the super‑agent whose prized client is none other than our mercurial Frenchman Paul Pogba. And the answer to the question in the article title can only be answered by taking a holistic perspective that includes Raiola in the package. Cast your minds back to the close season of 2012.

Many believe that it was Raiola who convinced Pogba to leave United at the end of his contract and join Juventus for a nominal fee.

Sir Alex Ferguson wrote in his autobiography of his dislike for Raiola and the difficulties he encountered in his dealings with him.

And so it was that Pogba moved to Turin that summer and to be fair, the move was an unparalleled success. One that really catapulted him on to the world stage and brought him trophies and plaudits aplenty.

And with every spectacular goal Pogba scored and with ever y match winning performance he gave throughout his four years in Italy, the angst each United fan felt was not insignificant. It always hurt to

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see the one who got away, the prized catch who slipped through the net flourishing in another team’s colours. So when in the summer of 2016, the rumours that United were seriously considering buying Pogba back started to gather pace, many United fans were excited. And, true enough on the 8th of August, Paul Pogba became the fourth and final summer signing of Jose Mourinho’s first season at Old Trafford. The prodigal son had returned.

Going back to Raiola’s interview, in all fairness he admitted that when Pogba re‑joined United in 2016, it was because the player himself insisted. According to his agent, there were many other clubs, big clubs, who wanted Paul that summer but Pogba had eyes only for United. Because this is what we have to keep in mind. This is what many are not factoring in when discussing the merits or otherwise of keeping Paul Pogba at Manchester United. He loves the club. He came back because, for him, Manchester is a spiritual home. Carrington was the place where he honed his undoubted talents and where he forged friendships for life with his fellow academy graduates.

his stint as captain in Antonio Valencia’s absence. But this was the season when his relationship with Mourinho was fractured beyond repair after the pair had an argument during a training session that was caught on camera. Could this have played a part in the club eventually sacking Mourinho? Maybe, but we’ll never know until either of them or someone high up at the club comes out and states it, which I doubt will ever occur. Do I have my suspicions that Pogba was secretly happy to see the back of Mourinho? Yes, but I don’t believe their strained relationship was the only reason why Jose was sacked.

The dressing room had turned toxic and, sure enough, when Solskjaer came in, Pogba was rejuvenated, as all the team was really, and a sustained winning run followed with Pogba at the heart of it. Unfortunately the season fizzled out and Pogba’s form suffered.

Probably the long season that had started so triumphantly when he became a World Cup winner with France the previous summer finally caught up with him in the end. So far,

this season has been one to forget for Pogba who has been missing for the majority of it with an ankle injury that has required surgery and, as I write, it is still uncertain as to when we’ll see him back on the pitch.

But Paul Pogba is such a huge personality that even in his absence from the playing field he seems to generate so much interest. His social media activity seems to jar with a lot of fans and pundits. It’s as if he cannot live his life in public if he’s not playing due to injury. This to me is unfair on Pogba and he seems to be picked upon because of his fun loving and larger than life character.

An important point Raiola mentioned in his interview, however, is the fact that ultimately Paul Pogba wants to win major trophies.

He is ambitious and rightly so wants his to look back on his career when he retires and admire the medals of the trophies he’d have won with his clubs. For sure he wants to win the Premier League and Champions League

at some point, preferably more than once.

Ideally, he will win these with Manchester United.

But, as they say, it takes two to tango. The club have to match his ambitions. They have to show everyone that they mean business.

That their project is aimed to generate success primarily on the football pitch and not only in financial terms. This can only truly be done by strengthening the side with the right signings and build a successful squad once again. This would surely placate Pogba and Raiola and then the onus would be on Paul to rise to the challenge. Last summer he himself admitted that he felt that maybe it was time for a new challenge in his career.

If United match his ambition, then he’ll have no excuse. He will have to raise his game to the superstar level that everyone knows he can be. If he does, the question of whether United should retain Pogba, which as you will have gathered, I obviously think that yes, they should, will no longer be raised.

VOL 47 - ISSUE 3 - MARCH 2020

29

Jesse Lingard Will Mino Raiola bring his end at United

by Kenneth Abela

30 VOL 47 - ISSUE 3 - MARCH 2020

O

n the 6th January 2020 at 10.19 am, Sky Sports News broke the news flash and tweeted that Jesse Lingard had changed his agent and was now being represented by super‑agent Mino Raiola. Prior to this, Jesse had been represented by an agent close to his family. Lingard’s future at Old Trafford had already been subject to speculation in earlier weeks, with multiple reports having emerged that an offer of £45m plus the England international had been lodged in exchange for Leicester City’s Maddison ‑ who has been, and remains, one of United’s long term transfer targets.

The 27‑year‑old had come in for strong criticism for his performances from United fans over the last year, failing to deliver a Premier League goal or assist in the entirety of 2019, though Solskjaer had jumped to the defense of the player’s performances of late ‑ suggesting he was key to league victories over ​Tottenham and Manchester City in December. Jesse did eventually provide master performances against Tranmere Rovers and Manchester City, even scoring against the former.

The big question is, why did Jesse Lingard change his agent, and an even bigger question, why go for super‑agent Mino Raiola?

The player himself has been, and appears to remain, keen to sign a new contract with a club he has been with since the age of seven, knowing that there is only 18 months to run on the existing agreement which was officially signed in 2017. United do have an option to extend the contract for a further year, though Lingard wants fresh terms. The general view is that Lingard has not however made the switch in order to get out of the club, but more to protect his own interests within the club. In fact, Lingard still remains a United player after the closure of the January 2020 transfer market.

Many however consider that the switch to Raiola seems like a clear sign that his time at Old Trafford is up, considering the Dutch agent’s reputation in and outside of Old Trafford.

Former Spurs player Jamie O’Hara explained, on Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast Show said: “There are two types of agent – there’s an agent you go with to help you out financially to get you a new contract, to build your base and your career, and then there’s an agent who you phone up and say, ‘I want to move’. And if you’re going with Raiola, that says to me that he’s asking ‘can you get me a move?’”

The Sport Bible, for instance, reported on the 7 th January 2020 that, ‘ …the Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard is set for a move away from the club and has been offered to AC Milan by his new agent, according to reports in Italy.’

The Mirror informed its readers that the likes of AC Milan, Roma, Napoli and Inter Milan are said to have all been contacted over Lingard, with the struggling AC Milan side thought to be showing the strongest interest so far.

United would probably then look for a fee of around £38m for Lingard, although Milan think he is not worth more than £24m.

Former United Red Paul Ince was of the same view, “Obviously by getting involved with him he must think that he can secure a move in the next year or so, and he’s the man to do it. But Jesse’s not a kid anymore, and ultimately, he needs to improve his performances on the pitch before he can worry about his next move.’’

How and why did Lingard end up getting in touch with Raiola? There are two schools of thought. The first is that Lingard was saddened following an eye to eye with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The United Boss had felt he had to ​rebuke the player last Summer over a crude Snapchat holiday video that Jesse posted. Lingard admitted in a recent interview he had been given a final warning

by Solskjaer and also talked about some of the difficulties in his personal life that he has been wrestling with.

“He [Solskjaer] said I was on my

last chance,” Lingard said. “He said I had to get my head down and this is what I have done. I am not stupid.” Lingard had been noticeably quieter on social media since then. However it has also been reported that Lingard had learnt of the discussions being held between United and Leicester City, offering a sum of money plus Jesse for James Maddison. Jesse became upset with the situation and is understood to have confided in close friend Paul Pogba, himself a United academy graduate, about the development.

Pogba broached the subject with his agent, Mino Raiola, and put the two in contact.

This led to the newly‑established working relationship between the two.

It has to be emphasized that Mino Raiola has been very public with his criticism of United recently, a Club he effectively has accused of becoming a graveyard for talent. Raiola was very vocal of Paul Pogba’s ‘troubles’ at United. Raiola said, “Pogba’s problem is Manchester United. It’s a club out of touch with reality and without a sporting project.

I wouldn’t take anyone there. They would even ruin Maradona, Pele and Maldini. Paul needs a club and a squad, one like Juventus was before.” This understandably caused considerable unease at Manchester United, more so when Raiola was quoted last month as even suggesting that he would stop bringing his players to Old Trafford as speculation over Pogba’s future rumbles on.

So what does the future hold for Jesse Lingard?

Jesse, having played a key role for England during their euphoric run to the World Cup semi‑finals in 2018, lost his place in Gareth Southgate’s squad following a loss of form.

Although most United fans would hope that Jesse remains a United player, the link with Leicester or even an Italian club could be a fresh challenge to reinvigorate his career.

VOL 47 - ISSUE 3 - MARCH 2020

31

Lukaku, Smalling & Sanchez How are things going in Serie A?

by Martin Calleja Urry

W

hile various ex‑Premier League stars continue to shine in Serie A, others have failed to live up to expectations. Since losing the trio of Lukaku, Smalling and Sanchez, United have had mixed results, unlike Lukaku and Smalling, who have blossomed in Italy with Inter and Roma, respectively.

Meanwhile, Alexis Sanchez’s career seems to be cascading even further south, as the once talismanic Chilean has hardly kicked off life at the San Siro with a bang. Having only played 6 games so far, all as a substitute, he has so far managed one goal in a game he also got sent off in.

To make matters worse, he also suffered a tendon injury which saw him sidelined for 3 months.

That’s not to say that his days as a footballer are completely over, but he may have to take a step‑down in the future if he wants to regain the confidence and form that once made him one of the hottest prospects in world football.

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The ex‑Barcelona and Arsenal star has definitely seen better days, but overall, both United and Sanchez are better off having parted ways.

His massive wage bill, a percentage of which United are still paying for while he’s at Inter, put an unnecessary financial strain on the club and also upset the wage balance. As fans of football, we can only hope that Sanchez regains his form of old and continues to terrorize defenses worldwide, but Inter fans are hardly waiting at the edge of their seat, as the club continues to strengthen with other ex‑Premier League stars like Eriksen.

With Lukaku having formed a solid strike partnership with Lautaro Martinez, the duo have scored over 25 goals between them, with 14 coming courtesy of the Belgian. Back in England, Rashford has been in red‑hot form and Greenwood and Martial have also bagged their fair share of goals, but the loss of a consistent goal getter like Romelu has still dealt us a significant blow. Tall, bulky, clumsy and often with a misplaced first touch, Lukaku would often become the main target of fans’ criticism, but despite the intermittent hate, still delivered consistent numbers. The failure to sign another marquee striker, or even a backup for Rashford, was what really made Lukaku’s loss hurt.

Sure, he may not be remembered in years to come as having been one of United’s best ever strikers, but the decision to sell him at that time was slightly naïve, given there was no one to replace him. While it’s easy to say with hindsight, we should have kept him for at least one more season before saying our goodbyes. At Inter he has hit a rich vein of form which leaves many of us wondering, if we had structured the team around him and a fellow striker partner, would things have gone down differently? Regardless, Romelu has done ever so well for himself to manage to pick himself back up and conquer the new challenge. Perhaps his style of play is just better suited to the slightly less intense, more defensive‑minded style in Serie A. His arrival in Italy was marred by controversy, as both him and his ex‑team mate Smalling were front and centre on ‘Corriere dello Sport’, an Italian newspaper which decided to use the headline ‘Black Friday’ when the duo arrived in Italy. Ole was quoted as saying it was the ‘worst front page I’ve ever seen’, while the Italian paper claimed they were only attempting to, rather insensitively, celebrate diversity.

As Lukaku settled into life at Inter, he bagged a goal against Cagliari from the penalty spot, but the opposing fans did not let him get off scot‑free. As he stepped up, he was met

faithful and has regularly been man of the match in a loan move which has effectively revitalized his career. Nobody would have imagined that United would come crawling back to the ex‑Fulham man, but with Lindelof and Maguire failing to solidify their partnership at the back, suddenly having Smalling back doesn’t seem so bad. with racist monkey chants which are usually aimed at players of African descent. Weirdly enough, the Inter ultras released a statement practically defending the Cagliari fans, insisting the chanting is not actually rooted in racism, but simply used as a means to distract the opponent, suggesting there is no real racism problem in Italy. Luckily for the Belgian, he has not let it get in his way and since then went on an absolute scoring rampage, but it’s fair to say his new club is not without a different set of challenges, as racism in the Premier League, while not non‑existent, is much rarer and holds harsher consequences.

Onto the next main man in Italy, Chris Smalling, whose career has been completely overhauled.

Nine out of ten of us knew for a fact that his career was as good as done, but how wrong we all were. Nicknamed ‘Smaldini’, after the Milan legend Paola Maldini, Smalling has quickly made a name for himself amongst the Roma

In fact, if rumours are true, Ole has made it a priority to bring the Englishman back to the club when his loan deal ends. At 30 years old, he still has a lot left to give the club who signed him back in 2010. Another option could be to sell him to Roma, and use the cash to splash on a younger centre‑back who would effectively share the burden with Lindelof, as Maguire takes centre‑stage as our number one man at the back.

It’s fair to argue that United are still reeling from the 2018/2019 transfer window, in which clearly, we failed to strengthen enough.

Mourinho’s lacklustre window saw the likes of Dalot, Fred and Grant joining up the other Reds, but none of them helped strengthen the first team. With that being said, all of Ole’s signings have been positive, but the fact that we scrambled so much to sign a midfielder in Bruno and an emergency striker in Ighalo, shows that our previous windows didn’t quite meet up to expectations.

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VOL 47 - ISSUE 3 - MARCH 2020

33

The 62 Anniversary nd

of the Munich Air Disaster

by Joseph Tedesco

become an annual pilgrimage for me. Together with Joe Glanville and myself there were 2 other local Club members in our company, Joe Vella and Mark Agius. The number of fans attending the memorial service this time was less than the 60th anniversary however I couldn’t but notice the usual faces of those who follow United for the love and not for the glory. The Manchester Munich Memorial Foundation and the Red Docs Munich work together to organize this annual memorial service. In late 2018, the

At the memorial inside the Recht de Isar Hospital with friends.

2 years

ago I was literally dragged to Munich by my dear friend Joe Glanville for the 60th anniversary of that fatal disaster in 1958 which changed the fate of our beloved Manchester United.

I’ve always wanted to go and visit the famous memorial site which commemorates that tragedy, located in ManchesterPlatz in Trudering but had no idea what emotions were awaiting me when I attended that memorial service which took place just next to the monument remembering all those who lost their lives in that disaster, accompanied by over 2,000 reds from all around the world. I will

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remain eternally thankful to Joe for insisting so much that I take that trip with him.

Last year I missed the trip because it was too close to our Supporters Club 60th anniversary dinner in Manchester. This year I was pondering about it and at one point decided to give it a miss. Then my friend Joe Busuttil informed he had already purchased a flight ticket for Munich but was unable to attend so he offered me his flight ticket. At that point I felt Munich was calling again. I changed my mind and decided to go. Not only I do not regret it but have now promised myself that Munich in February will

The flower arrangement MUSC Malta laid at the memorial site.

Our flag hanging for the memorial service in ManchesterPlatz.

In MarinePlatz for the scarves presentation ceremony ... annual meeting at 5pm in the famous Munich square where Man Utd fans donate scarves to passing by citizens as a symbol of thank you for the support shown by the people of Munich when the disaster struck.

The memorial site in Trudering.

Just outside the Recht de Isar Hospital with friends, including 3 nephews of the legendary Jimmy Murphy.

Red Docs Munich, a group of Bayern Munich supporting doctors who work at the hospital nearby and who work tirelessly to keep the memorial site clean and tidy, initiated an online petition to the city of Munich, supported

by Bayern Munich FC and The Mayor of Munich, to get permission from the City of Munich to build a glass display at ManchesterPlatz to host and display memorabilia left by visiting fans.

This permission was granted in February 2019.

During this year’s memorial service a ceremony took place to commemorate the laying of the foundation stone for the new memorabilia showcase at the site. The Chairman of Red Docs Munich, Dr Mark Salzmann addressed the crowd of 400-500 people. He was followed by a City Councillor who spoke on behalf of the Lord Mayor of Munich, Dieter Reiter, who unfortunately was unable to attend due to sickness. Chairman of Bayern Munich Karl Heinz Rummenigge and the Chairman of the MMMF, Patrick Burns, also addressed the crowd.

Manchester United sent Club ambassador Andy Cole to represent them during this event. During the service, Joe Glanville and I were thankfully given the opportunity by

the organisers to lay a wonderful flower arrangement on behalf of MUSC Malta, the oldest Manchester United Supporters Club in the world. The singing of the Flowers o f M a n ch e s t e r song soon after the The 3 Joes and Mark landing in Munich airport.

2-minute silence at 3.04pm is one moment I invite every Man Utd fan I know Next year MUSC Malta shall be organizing to experience. Great emotions! Apart from a special trip for the 63rd anniversary. First the formalities, the trip to Munich in February we go to Belgrade and stay in the Majestic is always a great opportunity to meet fellow Hotel where the Busby Babes were staying Reds from all over the globe, sing a few songs when they played Red Star in 1958. We will during the famous gatherings before and after stay in Belgrade for 4 days and then travel the service while drowning some Bavarian to Muncih by train for the memorial service. pints. This time we also found time to visit The plan is to spend 3 days in Munich. the Recht de Isar Hospital where the victims of This promise to be a great, emotional week, the tragedy way back in 1958 were recovering. made to measure for those fans who are This was also a memorable moment. In 2018, in love with the Busby Babes story. If you a memorial including pictures and paintings are interested to join send us an email on was inaugurated in the hospital. info@manutd-malta.com

VOL 47 - ISSUE 3 - MARCH 2020

35

My first visit to

Old Trafford

by Daniel Cuschieri

I

first visited Old Trafford around ten years ago, it was the first time in ten years that I visited the UK since I was a teenager. The match I was going to attend was against Everton.

I had been planning to visit for years, however due to work and study commitments I never managed to do so.

This labour of love with the club started through going with my uncle to watch the match on the telly in a pub and whenever I was in England, I would hear him mention Manchester United.

As I got older (6 years old or thereabout), I started to take interest, even though my mother’s family live in the North East and are vivid Newcastle United supporters. I would be given a NUFC kit or birthday card in order to get swayed, but I was fascinated by Giggs at the time and also Kanchelskis: two fast wingers, who left defenders in their wake and were deadly in front of goal.

During the 90s live matches were like golden nuggets, rare to watch on TV. At times, I would go to Valletta on a Sunday to watch a taped game on the TV next to the bar, short as always trying to get a glimpse of the match. As the late nineties got on, my parents would buy me the monthly MUFC magazine as part of my pocket money and once I started working, I kept it going till I had too much and gave them all to charity apart for some which were

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my favourites. I still purchase one magazine together with a match programme for every match I attend.

Growing up and earning abuse from AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus & Liverpool fans, held me in good stead for what we are experiencing at the moment which is still changing of the

guard and trying to restore normality to the club after a lot of chopping and pasting, but that story is for another day. During the 2008 season, I started saving up to go and watch a match, I booked the tickets through Joe, and was petrified that something would go wrong and it nearly did which you will hear about shortly.

Joe had advised me that the fixture might change due to some FA Cup games which involved Everton and Liverpool, which if Everton qualified the fixture would have moved. I booked the tickets with fingers crossed that they wouldn’t.

United had just won the Club World Championship and I was dead excited to watch this team play. I think United fans have had it good for the past 25 odd years, however I believe that team could have won even more but fine margins hindered that and also the major departures of Tevez and Ronaldo took a lot out of the team. Some might say otherwise, but when you have a forward line including Rooney, Tevez, Berbatov & Ronaldo plus the other class players in midfield and defense, this team could outscore any team.

December had passed, and I was geared up for the match, for the trip, counting the days to the holiday. We flew into London, we suffered an air pocket and I had the fright of my life, praying to get my feet on the ‘terracotta’. Once I got the train to Newcastle, three‑and‑a‑half‑hour train trip through the great British countryside, I began to relax, unwind and begin enjoying my holiday. The Everton match was due, and they were winning, I was cursing my luck, luckily Liverpool scored. And the match was on, we were due to travel down to Manchester.

We drove down early morning and arrived in Manchester a couple of hours prior to kick off. The day started off by me getting up at the crack of dawn and to increase the panic I had for the day ahead, I couldn’t open the suitcase where I had the paperwork to collect the tickets. By hook and by crook I opened the suitcase and I calmed down abit.

I bought my match programme and got inside to watch them train, I have visited Old Trafford many times after but this first time, I nearly froze to death. The Rocky theme came on and the players headed out the tunnel. It was game on.

The match flew by quickly and it was a quite a quiet affair, a goal from the spot from Ronaldo. This was a time whereby Ronaldo’s future was still up in the air and his actions at the end of the game put it straight in my head that he was off in the summer.

After the match, I had a lovely walk to the hotel next to the Trafford Centre, still on a high from the game. I was drugged and from that year on I have visited once or twice a year.

The feeling going to Old Trafford hasn’t diminished on me, and I believe all fans like me look at it the same way.

The next day I went to take the Old Trafford tour

on a lovely sunny Manchester morning, spent the good of 3 hours listening to a jovial tour guide.

As soon as we left the stadium, it snowed down and the next day was a record snow fall in the UK for a number of years.

That holiday ticked a lot of boxes, I even got to build a snow man.

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37

Take a card...

by Iain McCartney Part 1

For many, there is much more to being a Manchester United supporter than simply attending games home and away, or if you are a far‑flung Red, following the progress of the team on television and via the internet.

That interest lasts much more than the ninety minute match‑day game time and can stretch into areas that are unknown to many, but then again, collecting United memorabilia is not to everyone’s taste.

Those who do collect tend to concentrate on programmes, but if you move towards pre‑war cigarette and trade cards you can build up an excellent pictorial history of those players from yesterday.

that is not exactly ‘United related’, all I will say is that blank cards were originally used in the paper cigarette packets as stiffeners, but were soon to carry advertisements, before turning to photographs of actors and actresses. in the late Victorian years. Various other themes were used with much success on the cards before sets of footballers first appeared with Cohen Weenan and Ogden amongst the first to do so. Their popularity soon prompted other companies to follow suit, with many of those early cards fetching large amounts today.

Their first cards were issued with the ‘Champion’ in 1922, in a set entitled ‑ “Famous Football Captains & Famous Footballers”, with goalkeeper Jack Mew being included, looking rather refined in an England shirt and cap.

Through the following articles I intend to go through the world of United cards in an A‑Z format which I hope you will find of interest. I should actually start with a brief history of the cigarette card, but to save space on something

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Instead of jumping in at the start of the cigarette card period, I will begin, as with the post‑ war Trade Card article with ‘A’ and work through the alphabet, so we will begin this series with the Amalgamated Press, who were founded in 1901 and issued a number of Boy’s publication over the course of the following years.

1922 also saw football cards issued with the ‘Lot‑O’‑Fun’ publication, under the heading ‘Sports Champions’ with Billy Meredith featured.

Next up is the Ardath Tobacco ‘Lancashire Football Teams’ set of photocards from 1936, where amongst the likes of Butterworth, Earle, Horwich RMI and Old Mancunians, we find card number 80 showing the United team of the period. Ardath had actually issued an earlier set of fifty ‘Famous Footballers’ in 1934, but no United player was deemed as being worthy of a place.

1926 saw another ‘Champion’ issue featuring a United player, with Frank Barson appearing in the ‘Footer Captains’ set.

Next up are the superb, and often very expensive Baines cards. These cards, usually shield shape, measured approximately between 8‑9cms x 6‑7cms and were issued

by John Baines of Bradford between the mid 1880’s and 1920 and illustrated a wide variety of subjects.

While the Barson and Mew cards would cost you only pennies to purchase, ‘Triumph’ issued a ‘2nd Division Photo Album’ in 1925 containing a United team group, this would cost you around £40‑£50.

Another team group, an actual card this time, appeared in 1938 with the ‘Champion’. These were black and white glossy plain back cards measuring approx. 10.5x8.5 cms., selling at around £7.

The ‘Champion Album of Famous Footballers’ would have been eagerly purchased in February 1930, with the individual photographs that appeared over the course of a few weeks stuck onto the relative pages.

Altogether, Ardath issued six sets of team photos, some 550 English clubs and 165 Scottish throughout 1936, as well a supplementary set of another eleven team groups and some individual player cards, with a ‘Lancashire Personalities’ set, also issued in 1937. But again there were no United players included, although in amongst various players from Manchester City, Liverpool and Everton were the likes of entertainers Gracie Fields and George Formby.

Not expensive to purchase, as a couple of pounds would get you the one above.

The cards were sold in packets of six for 1/2d (less than 15p) and some twenty million cards were produced, with prizes given to people who collected as many as they could over a set period and also every 1000th card produced was a ‘gold’ one and if you found one in your packet you won a prize of a football jersey, or even a musical box!! There was also an incentive to return the bags.

There is certainly no check‑list of what was produced, so it is simply a case of what turns up. I think all the illustrations shown here a ‘Baines’ cards, as there were one or two other producers of similar items (which we will look at later in the series) and if anyone has any others not shown, I would be grateful for a scan.

All cards were coloured, not necessary in those of either Newton Heath or United, but they are certainly superb additions to any collection and needless to say expensive at certainly £50 plus.

One page, entitled ‘Lads of the North’ we find Joe Spence, while under t h e h ead i ng ‘ We ls h Internationals’ is the lesser known Ray Bennion.

As a matter of interest, there was a Jimmy Murphy card issued with the ‘Pilot Album of Football Fame’.

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40 VOL 47 - ISSUE 3 - MARCH 2020

Champions League Nights Olympiacos vs United

by Dr Michael Calleja

O

n Tuesday the 1st of October 2002, Manchester United faced Greek Champions Olympiacos in a game which on paper seemed like a potential banana‑skin.

Having been drawn in Group F together with Bayer Leverkusen and Maccabi Haifa, the Greek Champions were always billed to offer stiff opposition to the Red Devils particularly when considering the two feisty encounters Sir Alex’s men endured the previous season.

In 2001/02, United had won 2‑0 in Piraeus [though the game was extremely tight and delicately poised] and 3‑0 at Old Trafford [with United being frustrated right up until the final quarter of the game].

On this beautiful Tuesday evening, Manchester United, donned in a resplendent blue kit, sought to put the Greeks to the sword in clinical and comprehensive fashion. Olympiakos arrived in Manchester having never won any of their previous 17 Champions League excursions and, for these perennial sufferers of away‑day travels, Old Trafford was always destined to represent another grueling experience.

The Red Devils lined up as follows: Barthez; G Neville, Ferdinand, Blanc, Silvestre; Beckham, Butt, Veron, Giggs, Scholes, Solskjaer.

After only 19 minutes, Ryan Giggs’ deft run in the box ensured the Greeks’ negative transition was caught napping. Though Giggs’s initial shot was deflected by Amanatidis, a second opportunity allowed the talented Welshman to slot the ball past the hapless Dimitrios Eleftheropoulos.

United’s second goal was perhaps one of the goals of the season. A neat one two with David Beckham found Veron one‑on‑one against the goalkeeper and the canny Argentinian’s neat chip sent the Stretford End into raptures. Right before half‑time Ze Elias was promptly sent

off for a brutal challenge on Veron ‑ all but extinguishing Olympiakos’ hopes of gaining at least a point.

In the second half, Ryan Giggs and Ole Gunnar Solskajer added the finishing touches with two well‑taken goals [albeit Giggs’ goal had a slight deflection off the defender] to seal a comprehensive 4‑0 rout.

If ever Olympiakos were hell bent on ending their forlorn winless streak ‑ they were doomed.

If ever the Greeks fancied ending their ‘travel sickness’ ‑ they were also left dejected. For a rampant United side bustling with energy

and playing ‘champagne football’ ‑ Sir Alex’s men left the Greeks plenty to ponder as they headed back to the land of Plato & Aristotle.

However, in this particular instance, even the great Athenian philosophers would have had little or no answer to United’s free‑flowing attacking football.

The win cemented United’s credentials as a major contender for that season’s Champions League. More importantly at the time, it signaled United’s blunt intention to comprehensively qualify from the first round of the group stages with a couple of games to spare.

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Echoes from across the channel

by Stefan Attard

MALTA MALTA

FOUNDED 1959

F

ollowing the recognition of the Gozo branch by the Manchester United Supporters’ Club Malta, our branch organized a series of events as detailed in the previous editions of our publication. Since we are now officially recognized, MUSC Malta decided to hold an Annual General Meeting at our branch to update the Gozo members on the state of affairs of the club and activities which are in the pipe line.

The meeting was held on the 2nd February and started with mass to commemorate the 62nd anniversary of the Munich Tragedy. The date of 6th February will forever be circled on the calendars of everyone connected with Manchester United. On that day in 1958, the darkest day in United’s history, 23 people ‑ including eight players and three members of the club’s staff ‑ suffered fatal injuries in the Munich Air Disaster. The eight players

who perished were Geoff Bent (25), Roger Byrne (28), Eddie Colman (21), Duncan Edwards (21), Mark Jones (24), David Pegg (22), Tommy Taylor (26) and Liam Whelan (22). Edwards, considered by many to be the finest player of his generation, died 15 days after the accident. Before mass, a short clip was shown to remember and give homage to the Busby Babes. Mass was celebrated

by Fr. Carmel Portelli, an avid supporter of United. Although it occurred a few days later, we take this opportunity to give our farewell to Harry Gregg, a crash survivor, who passed away on the 16th February aged 87.

This year’s AGM started with a minute silence in memory of Ronnie Sacco and Elias Mizzi (both having passed away very recently) and all the other members and their relatives who passed on to a better world during the last twelve months. The meeting started with an introduction from the MUSC Malta president Joseph Tedseco and architect Emanuel Vella – the president of MUSC Gozo branch. This was followed by an introduction of the MUSC Malta committee members.

It was pointed out that the Munich Air Disaster of sixty two years ago led to the foundation

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of MUSC Malta. This occurred a year after the tragedy precisely on the 4th of February 1959, when the first meeting was held. It was therefore befitting to commemorate the opening of the Gozo branch by celebrating a mass in honour of the Busby Babes and by holding the first AGM in Gozo at the Victoria (Gozo) premises.

President Joseph Tedesco stated that since assuming his role as president of MUSC Malta in October 2009, the club wanted very much to have closer ties with supporters of Manchester United in Gozo. This was reflected through the several activities of the Malta club that gave due attention to Gozo members.

This included the hosting of the Manchester United U‑19 team and the displaying of the Premier League trophy. The club received great support mainly from Silvio Rapa, Joe Xerri and Stefan Attard.

For nine consecutive years, MUSC Malta organized an annual meeting for the Gozitan members. Initially the attendance was encouraging, however the numbers decreased year‑on‑year to a point where the Maltese committee members were outnumbering the attending Gozitan members. Despite this, the club remained determined to always include Gozo in their activities, especially when club legends visited Malta or when trophies were brought over.

In 2011, Gozitan members were given exclusive access to take photos with the Premier League trophy in the MUSC Malta premises and in 2014 the Premier League trophy and club legend Denis Law paid an exclusive visit to the Manchester United supporters in Gozo. Moreover, in September 2018 a number of ex‑Manchester United

44 VOL 47 - ISSUE 3 - MARCH 2020

players, who came to Malta to play a friendly match for charity, visited the Gozo suppor ter s, not withstanding that at that time the club had only 50 members. It is sad to note that despite the eagerness to include Gozo in its programme of events, the number of members from Gozo was still dwindling.

This all changed in September 2018 when the MUSC president received a telephone call from Chris Micallef who is currently running the bar in the Gozo branch. Chris took the initiative to refurbish the club and showed a strong will to unite all Gozitan supporters of Manchester United with MUSC Malta. His determination led to the signing of an agreement on the 3rd of May 2019 when the club celebrated this milestone by bringing the Europa League trophy. Through this agreement, the United Club in Gozo started being recognised as the official Gozo branch as long as it adheres to the terms agreed on. The first committee members of the Gozo branch are: President: Emannuel Vella Secretary: Chris Micallef Treasurer: Victor Zammit Membership: Rafel Axiaq Fundraising: Joe Galea Member: Joe Xerri MUSC Malta member: Joseph Tedesco The club committee holds regular meetings and also meets bi‑monthly, when a representative of MUSC Malta attends. During these meetings, upcoming activities and other club matters are discussed. Currently the Gozo branch is liaising with MUSC Malta to organise the programme of activities when the Manchester United Under 15s visit Gozo.

During the AGM, the committee members expressed their desire to have more activities.

These include organizing a tour for the Gozo members to Old Trafford and hosting a Christmas party for the Gozitan members in Gozo. However this depends on the backing they receive from the Gozitan members.

Moving on to MUSC Malta, the current challenges facing the club were discussed with the most pressing being advertising issues, the magazine and the updating of the database system of the members. The club is currently seeking to be more appealing to be able to attract the younger generation.

MUSC Malta have currently embarked on another major project to refurbish the façade, the board room and upgrade the electrical system.

During the AGM, the president remarked about the good relationship that MUSC Malta has with Old Trafford. All Manchester United fans can easily see that the Maltese club is highly regarded by MUFC in England. The family‑like bond that the club has fostered with MUFC has made MUSC Malta the benchmark for other teams’ supporters’ clubs on the Maltese islands.

MUSC remain committed to attract more members and organize more activities for them to keep the Manchester United flag flying high. Through hard work and transparency, MUSC club is determined to get more Gozo members on board. Gozitan members who want to be part of the Manchester United family can become members by contacting Chris Micallef (secretary) or Rafel Axiaq (membership secretary).

Others: Obituaries On Monday 27 th January, MUSC Gozo received the sad news of the passing away of Ronnie Sacco who was a passionate Manchester United supporter. He was a member for many years and was barman for several seasons.

Funeral was held on Wednesday 29th. RIP Ronnie. Till we unite again.

Open invitation On behalf of the Gozo MUSC branch, we recommend and invite all members of MUSC Malta to visit the Manchester United branch in Victoria Gozo. If you happen to be in Gozo and want to keep up with the action in a proper Manchester United environment, this is the place to come. It is the place where Gozitan members meet to watch all Manchester United games in a wonderful Manchester United shrine. Entrance is free of charge.

NEWSPAPER POST

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

Join the community within the pages of Echoes magazine. We are the only Official Manchester United Supporters’ Club on the Maltese Islands and the oldest Manchester United Supporters’ Club in the World.

Our member readers don’t just read our content – they check to see which businesses are supporting our Club. And they are grateful for the support. Put your business in front of our members.

Call Glenn Lucas on (356) 7972 9239 to discuss advertising or to receive a copy of our current rate card.

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