Changes

Iwould like to start this article by expressing my condolences to Joseph Tedesco, the club president, and his family on the passing of his mother.

This season, I like many others, have noticed a lot of improvements in many key areas and us fans are loving this revitalisation of the club especially on the playing side.

After many seasons of seeing United concede a goal, I have over the course of the season begun not to worry as this team’s attitude is different. The manager has begun to instil a winning mantra, which we had the luxury of having during the 90’s and 00’s thanks to Sir Alex. This doesn’t mean that every game must be won, but the fact that the players gave their all on the pitch. Watching exciting football and come what may.

I constantly listen to retired Manchester United players, such as Gary Neville, Roy Keane and Scholes, mostly due to their punditry. The common fact these are all share is that they know what is needed to win, this is primarily down to ethic. The working class ethics, which a lot of successful people have embedded in themselves, leads them to a successful career path most of the time, being in any professional field. During the post Ferguson era, we have seen major money being spent on players and total disregard on the attitude that they may bring to the dressing room, which can or did disrupt the long journey back to winning trophies.

This season, I had the luxury of going to watch

United against Newcastle which what I am seeing not that I didn’t see is the speed of the counter attack that United break at. After the season Ronaldo last season, I thought I was going to see something of the former, which I had seen during my first visit to Old Trafford. The only common things I saw was him throwing tantrums at his teammates. He was a magnificent player at his peak but one must agree, he is not the same and the fact he has moved to the Middle East to continue playing says a lot. One must not forget that personal trauma that he and his family had to go through during the summer. He like many others experience such unfortunate tragedies but one must always respect both sides to the obligations that contracts stand for. I watched his famous interview with Piers Morgan, more than once so I fully grasped what he was saying. In short, I took it as, ‘my career is nearly finished I need to leave so I can play more before I retire’ and with a Machiavellian twist he put in such comments on how the club is run. His arrival did have positives as in media interviews with players, some stated that due to Ronaldo, they upped their game, diet and training regime. Hopefully his professionalism and dedication to being the best remains instilled in the players currently at the club. In recent years we have had to endure the famous Paul Pogba, which on his day can be magnificent, but not for United. He had one good season at the club and such season under Mourinho was a successful one, with Zlatan playing I am sure wouldn’t have tolerated any let ups.

During the events leading to Mourinho’s departure I believe he had some truths in his arguments about players attitudes. The club now seems to have given full power to the manager on the playing staff and not getting playing to be marketed. With all due respect any player playing in a United shirt, once a player is playing well for the club, fans will buy the shirt. Manchester United, is blessed that the club manages to break commercial records every other year and such records are maintained by a strong playing team. Having a star and the team not getting results does not really attract the good type of attention which is needed for the club to have interested suitors or nor does it get you the results needed to play top European football.

In recent weeks we have heard and read that Old Trafford is old and needs changing and so forth. This is nonsense, utter nonsense to have such a stadium replaced by a new state of the art modern stadium. One on the most majestic things about Old Trafford is the fact that the bricks used to erect that stadium are the roots to the culture, glamour and romance elements of the love story which Manchester United is.

We cannot hide behind the fact that the stadium is dated but all that is needed to be upgraded are the internal facilities which I think does not need to have the stadium ripped apart. The building of south stand and erecting of corners to have four identical corners and four level stands, the stadium will look majestic like it already does. People will refer to the modern stadiums clubs have built such as Arsenal, Spurs and also Real Madrid. The former had stadiums with small capacities, hence the increase was required to keep up with demand.

Other news which has begun to gather traction is the sale of the club by the Glazer family. Some bids have been placed. The Qatari family and also Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Hopefully the new owner will have a genuine love for the club and looking to have best in class in all aspects in relation to the club. Having owners looking at the club as a pawn or as asset from which dividends are paid out, the club might as well remain with the Glazers as they are the devil we already know.

This season, the club has effected changes and even further changes will done in the foreseeable future. We have won the league club with relative ease, but the two matches against Barcelona were magical, and us fans know change is coming. Finally we were told ‘Eras come to end’. Hopefully it is in near future.

Happy Easter to everyone. May Erik bring home 3 trophies this season!