Echoes from Old Trafford - September 2021

NEWSPAPER POST

Volume 49- Issue 1, September 2021

“Cristiano Ronaldo is the greatest player of all time.”

Ole Gunnar Solskjær

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

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

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

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

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editorial team Clint Camilleri · Braden Galea · Dr. Michael Calleja

 THE RESURGENCE OF LUKE SHAW..........................................................

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advertising executive Glenn Lucas

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

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 RIO FERDINAND....................................................................................

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

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 SURPRISE SURPRISE............................................................................

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 NUSQUAM CELARE...............................................................................

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 APPRECIATION - CHARLIE POULTON....................................................

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Official publication of the Manchester United Supporters’ Club Malta

contributors

Dr. Michael Calleja Clint Camilleri

Julian Tabone Jude Cauchi

Braden Galea Winston J. Zahra

Robert Mizzi Kevin, Justyn and Wayne Tabone

Iain McCartney Silvio Scicluna

Kenneth Abela Martin Calleja Urry

Alex Dudley Daniel Cuschieri

Ray Calleja Stefan Attard

printing Progress Press

 ENGLAND’S EURO 2020 CAMPAIGN...................................................

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graphic designer James Trapani

 A UNIQUE WAY TO CELEBRATE GEORGE BEST’S 75TH BIRTHDAY........

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patron Sir Alex Ferguson

 SANCHO................................................................................................................

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club founder John Calleja

 RAPHAËL VARANE’S GLITTERING CAREER...........................................

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club president Joseph Tedesco

 MATT JUDGE & JOHN MURTOUGH........................................................

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 WHO WILL WIN PREMIER LEAGUE 2021-22?........................................  GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN ..............................................................

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club committee Joseph Tedesco

President

Robert Muscat

Vice-President & Tours Coordinator

Clint Camilleri

Secretary. Media & Design Coordinator

Kevin Tabone

Treasurer & PRO

 THE FIXTURES UNTIL THE END OF YEAR 2021 .....................................

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Braden Galea Asst. Secretary & Webmaster & Publishing Coordinator

 NEW SEASON, SAME AMBITION ........................................................

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Robert Mizzi

Egidio Sciberras

Assistant Treasurer & Souvenir Shop Manager Membership Secretary

Marvin Grech Glenn Lucas

Match Tickets Coordinator Advertising Executive & Sports Activities Coordinator

Matthew Portelli O’Toole

Venue & Facilities Coordinator

Nathaniel Jones

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.

Events Manager

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

E‑mail: gozobranch@manutd‑malta.com Telephone: +356 99825090 translator Braden Galea business partners

THE VIEWS IN THIS MAGAZINE ARE NOT NECESSARILY SHARED BY THE CLUB. VOL 49 - ISSUE 1 - SEPTEMBER 2021

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w w w. m a n u t d - m a l t a . c o m

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VOL 49 - ISSUE 1 - SEPTEMBER 2021

Editorial ‘HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL’ L

ike practically all United fans, I was confounded when a seemingly ‘winnable’ final left us with nothing but bitter feelings and disappointment. Seeing David De Gea’s spot kick saved not only confirmed another season without any silverware whatsoever – but prolonged the agony of having to wait for practically another twelve months to possibly raise a meaningful trophy.

Considering that Sir Alex Ferguson once stated that our performances in Europe ‘should have been better’, I have always viewed any European Cup final as a major opportunity to further cement ourselves as one of the leading clubs on the continent. There is no reason to believe that we cannot one day be up there with the likes of Bayern Munich, AC Milan or even AFC Ajax for that matter – but that normally takes time and the club needs to rack up a number of trophies along the way. So spurning what ostensibly seemed like another guaranteed trophy to our cabinet filled me with remorse and abject disappointment.

Depending on your point of view, some fans might interpret last season’s second-place finish as ‘improvement’ or ‘progress’. I, for one, feel that winning the Europa League trophy might have significantly propelled the club towards a new crescendo – as a taste of victory might have reinvigorated not just the players but the fans. Unfortunately, the wait goes on…

The EURO 2020 tournament brought much needed joy and passion for many a lover of the beautiful game. Presuming that whoever reads this article is probably an England supporter – losing on penalties has once again come back to haunt the national team. However, the performances of Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire in particular stood out.

Maguire was imperious and implacable against Germany and Shaw demonstrated that his regalvanised form could also be replicated on the international stage. Scoring in the final of a major tournament (coincidentally his first time for the National Team) will do him a world of good and he certainly deserved all heaps of praise that were doled onto him by pundits and fans alike.

One final consideration is that, holistically speaking, the England national team has mightily improved (gone are the long ball crosses or sole emphasis on physicality hearkening back to the 90s) – practically unrecognisable from days gone by. This certainly reflects the very good work and roadmap being implemented at St. George’s Park. Going forward, this can certainly benefit Manchester United. If the nation’s philosophy can be altered and an emphasis on producing technically gifted and tactically astute players emphasized at youth team level – youngsters playing for the Academy (whilst being simultaneously exposed to a National Curriculum) can only become better players overall.

Apart from the customary launch of a new kit (and this year’s is pleasantly plain yet easy on the eye) signings naturally dominate ‘the talk of the town’. The manager managed to cajole Edinson Cavani into signing a fresh one-year contract – considering last year’s performances – undoubtedly a major coup.

The Uruguayan’s experience coupled with his lethal finishing will certainly serve United in good stead – may he reach even greater heights during this campaign.

The longest protracted saga in living memory was also successfully concluded. Fans all over the world were used to constantly refreshing their news feeds only to find more links/ rumours regarding Jadon Sancho’s ‘impending move’ to Manchester United. The fact that this transfer saga is completed and the player finally seen parading in a United shirt is quite frankly a massive relief. The manager was certainly purring with delight when asked about Sancho - unequivocally stating that ‘We’ve got one of the best forwards in England for the next 10, 12 years. He’s a forward with creativity, flair and individual skills. He’s got years ahead of him and it shows the fans we mean business.’

Though not a huge lover of German football, I do recall one performance by Sancho that convinced me that this guy can actually cause defenders some major headaches.

Back in December of 2018, I watched the

‘Der Klassiker’ between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. Sancho literally ripped open the Bayern defense on more than one occasion. Inspired by certainly one of Sancho’s greatest performances in a Dortmund shirt, his team edged out a tense match 3-2. From that moment on, any club that could get its hands on Jadon Sancho would be obtaining one of the best players in Europe. Thankfully, Sancho will shortly be donning the red of Manchester.

At the time of writing, even though the future of Paul Pogba remains shrouded in mystery, another major coup is the signing of World Cup Winner Raphael Varane. Unlike the ‘Sancho Saga’ – this transfer deal certainly caught most people unawares due to its sudden progression and eventual confirmation. The Manager, sensing a perennial weakness and frailty at the back opted for the safe and sensible option of bringing some muchneeded experience to the back four. Varane’s capture signalled to the footballing world that United means business. A proven winner and tenacious centre-back with Real Madrid, the Frenchman will certainly bring some muchneeded continental experience and one would certainly hope (and pray!) that he will be able to foster a strong and no-nonsense bond with club captain Harry Maguire.

All things considered, this will certainly be a ‘make or break’ season for Ole. With new signings come added pressure & expectation.

To satisfy the club’s (and the fan’s) insatiable high standards, nothing short of a trophy will suffice – especially since the squad already looks significantly stronger than the two previous campaigns. Roping in another world class player would be a major achievement – although keeping Pogba at the club might be the most sensible (and pragmatic) option.

There is no reason to think that the club cannot mount a serious assault for silverware on all fronts. However, getting over the finishing line and winning is another matter entirely. This season will not only be a test of endurance, fitness and squad rotation – but a mental challenge – one that I sincerely hope we may finally manage to overcome.

Enjoy the read!

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(https://www.facebook.com/Cristiano) @cristiano

Everyone who knows me

, knows about my never ending love for Manchester United. The years I spent in this club where absolutely amazing and the path we’ve made together is written in gold letters in the history of this great and amazing institution.

I can’t even start to explain my feelings right now, as I see my return to Old Trafford announced worldwide. It’s like a dream come true, after all the times that I went back to play against Man. United, and even as an opponent, to have always felt such love and respect from the supporters in the stands. This is absolutely 100% the stuff that dreams are made of!

My first domestic League, my first Cup, my first call to the Portuguese National team, my first Champions League, my first Golden Boot and my first Ballon d’Or, they were all born from this special connection between me and the Red Devils. History has been written in the past and history will be written once again! You have my word!

I’m right here!

I’m back where I belong!

Let’s make it happen once again!

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VOL 49 - ISSUE 1 - SEPTEMBER 2021

Editorjal

‘IT-TAMA L-AĦĦAR LI TMUT’

Bħal kull sapporter tal‑United, kont frustrat u diżappuntat meta finali li kellna nirbħu ħallietna b’ togħma morra u diżappunt. Bil‑penalty ta’ De Gea jiġi milqugħ, kellna konferma ta’ staġun ieħor mingħajr ebda trofew – u tawlet id‑dieqa għal prattikament 12‑il xahar ieħor ta’ stennija għal li possibbilment ngħollu trofew li jfisser xi ħaġa.

Meta tikkunsidra dak li qal darba Sir Alex Ferguson li l‑prestazzjonijiet fl‑Ewropa “kellhom ikunu aħjar”, dejjem rajt finali ta’ kompetizzjonijiet Ewropej bħala opportunita’ maġġuri sabiex nistabbilixxu rwieħna bħala wieħed mill‑akbar klabbs fil‑kontinent. Ma hemm l‑ebda raġuni għala m’ għandniex inkunu hemm fuq ma’ timijiet bħal Bayern Munich, AC Milan jew anke AFC Ajax – imma dan normalment jieħu ż‑żmien u l‑klabb irid jirbaħ numru ta’ unuri matul dan iż‑żmien. Allura l‑fatt li ħlejna ċans li nżidu dak li seta’ jitqies bħala trofew garantit fl‑armadju tal‑klabb imlieni b’ rimors u diżappunt.

Skont l‑angolu li tħares lejha, xi partitarji jinterpretaw it‑tieni post fl‑aħħar staġun bħala “titjib” jew “progress”. Jien nemmen li r‑rebħ tal‑Europa League seta’ kien iċ‑ċavetta sabiex il‑klabb ikollu aktar suċċess – ir‑rebħa setgħet saħħet mill‑ġdid mhux biss lill‑plejers imma anki lill‑partitarji. Sfortunatament, l‑istennija tkompli…

It‑tornew tal‑EURO 2020 ġab ferħ u passjoni għal bosta li jħobbu l‑futbol. Jekk tassumi li kull min qed jaqra dan l‑artiklu hu partitarju tat‑tim Ingliż – it‑telfa bil‑penalties reġgħet eludiet lit‑tim nazzjonali. Madankollu spikkaw il‑prestazzjonijiet ta’ Luke Shaw u Harry Maguire.

Maguire kien stilla kontra l‑Ġermanja, u Shaw wera li l‑forma brillanti tiegħu mal‑klabb setgħet tkun replikata anke man‑nazzjonal. Li jiskurja f ’ finali ta’ tornew maġġuri (kumbinazzjoni l‑ewwel gowl tiegħu mal‑Inglizi) tagħmillu ħafna ġid u ċertament ħaqqu kull tifħir li ingħata mill‑kummentaturi u partitarji.

Kunsiderazzjoni oħra finali hi li meta wieħed

iħares olistikament, it‑tim nazzjonali Ingliż għamel titjib konsiderevoli (fejn spiċċaw il‑blalen imqassma fit‑tul u emfażi fuq il‑fiżikalita’ li ddominaw id‑disgħinijiet) – prattikament ma jintagħrfux minn żminijiet passati. Dan ċertament jirrifletti ix‑xogħol tajjeb u l‑pjan li qed jiġi mwettaq f ’ St. George’s Park. Dan jista’ jkun ta’ benefiċċju għal Manchester United. Jekk il‑filosofija tan‑nazzjon tista’ tinbidel u l‑emfażi jkun fuq il‑produzzjoni ta’ plejers mogħnija teknikament u tattikament fil‑livell ta’ timijiet taż‑żgħar – it‑tfal li jilagħbu mal‑akkademja (li jkunu wkoll esposti għall‑kurrikulu nazzjonali fl‑istess ħin) jistgħu isiru plejers ferm aħjar.

Apparti mit‑tnedija tal‑flokk il‑ġdid (li din is‑sena hu sempliċi imma ferm attrajenti), is‑suq tat‑trasferimenti naturalment jiddomina d‑diskussjonijiet. Il‑kowċ irnexxielu jikkonvinċi lil Edinson Cavani jiffirma estensjoni ta’ kuntratt għal sena oħra – li meta tikkunsidra l‑prestazzjonijiet tal‑istaġun li għadda bla dubju huwa akkwist maġġuri. L‑esperjenza tal‑Urugwajan, flimkien mal‑finishing tiegħu ċertament iservu tajjeb lill‑United – j’Alla ikompli jitjieb f ’ dan l‑istaġun.

L‑itwal saga tat‑trasferimenti li wieħed jista’ jiftakar fl‑aħħar ġiet konkluża. Konna drajna naqraw stejjer fuq il‑possibilita’ li nixtru lil Jadon Sancho. Il‑fatt li dat‑trasferiment kien konkluż u rajna l‑plejer bil‑flokk tal‑United huwa frankament solljev. Il‑kowċ kien jidher ferħan se jtir meta mistoqsi dwar Sancho – fejn qal li “xtrajna wieħed mill‑aqwa attakkanti fl‑Ingilterra għall‑10, 12‑il sena li ġejjin. Huwa attakkanti bi kreattivita’, talent u kapaċita’ individwali. Għandu snin ta’ logħob quddiemu u juri lill‑partitarji li nafu fejn irridu naslu.”

Minkejja li mhux wieħed li partikolarment inħobb il‑logħba Ġermaniża, niftakar prestazzjoni partikolari ta’ Sancho li kkonvinċietni li dan huwa attakkant li kapaċi jinkwieta lil difensuri opposti. Lura f ’ Diċembru tal‑2018, rajt ‘Der Klassiker’ bej Borussia Dortmund u Bayern Munich. Sancho litteralment fetaħ beraħ

id‑difiża ta’ Bayern f ’ aktar minn okkażjoni waħda. Spirati b’ dik li ċertament kienet waħda mill‑itjeb prestazzjonijiet ta’ Sancho bil‑flokk ta’ Dortmund, it‑tim tiegħu rebaħ logħba ta’ tensjoni bl‑iskor ta’ 3‑2. Minn dak il‑mument, kwalunkwe klabb li kien ser jieħu lil Jadon Sancho kien qed jakkwista wieħed mill‑aqwa plejers fl‑Ewropa. B’ xorti tajba, dan ser ikun qed jilbes il‑flokk l‑aħmar ta’ Manchester United.

Fil‑ħin li qed nikteb dan l‑editorjal, minkejja li l‑futur ta’ Paul Pogba jibqa’ misteru, akkwist ieħor kbir huwa dak tar‑rebbieħ tal‑World Cup Raphael Varane. B’ differenza mit‑trasferiment ta’ Jadon Sancho, ħafna ma kienux qed jistennew dan l‑akkwist bi progress daqshekk spedit u l‑konferma li ġiet eventwalment. Il‑kowċ, li ra djugħfija fid‑difiża għażel li jserraħ fuq xi ħadd li joffri sikurezza u sensibilta’ bl‑esperjenza li jġib fid‑difiża. Rebbieħ pruvat u difensur tenaċi għal Real Madrid, il‑Franċiż ċertament iġib esperjenza kontinentali ferm meħtieġa u wieħed jispera (u jitlob!) li jkun kapaċi jifforma sħubija b’ saħħitħa fuq wara mal‑kaptan tal‑klabb Harry Maguire.

Meta tikkunsidra kollox, dan hu staġun li jħoll jew jorbot għal Ole. Bit‑trasferimenti, il‑pressjoni tiżdied u anki l‑istennija għall‑unuri.

Biex jissodisfa lill‑klabb (u lill‑partitarji) li għandhom aspettazjonijiet għoljin, xejn inqas minn trofew mhux biżżejjed – speċjalment minħabba li l‑iskwadra hi ferm aktar b’ saħħitha miż‑żewġ staġuni passati. Li nġibu plejer ieħor ta’ klassi mondjali tkun kisba maġġuri – għalkemm li nżommu lil Pogba tkun xi ħaġa sensibbli u pragmatika.

M’ hemmx raġuni għala l‑klabb ma jistax jagħmel assalt serju għall‑unuri kollha li qed jilgħab fihom dan l‑istaġun. Madankollu, li naslu sal‑linja finali u attwalment nerbħu hija xi ħaġa oħra. Dan se jkun staġun mhux biss ta’ test ta’ kemm it‑tim jiflaħ, kemm hu b’saħħtu u kemm kapaċi jdawwar l‑iskwadra, iżda wkoll sfida mentali, li hi ħaġa li nittama li fl‑aħħar kapaċi negħlbu. Ħudu gost aqraw!

2,000,000 MALTA

FOUNDED 1959

Thank you VOL 49 - ISSUE 1 - SEPTEMBER 2021

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CLUBNEWS D

uring these Covid times, which aren’t easy for anyone, our Club Premises have been closed most of the time. The Committee did not stop working towards our Club and kept meeting online every month.

The members present permitted us to move the AGM to September. Joseph Tedesco also informed the members about the Manchester United visit to Malta which unfortunately had to be cancelled.

We want to thank Fr. Anthony C. Ferrante, as he has informed us about stepping down from Club Chaplain due to personal reasons.

Fr. Anthony celebrated our masses every February & November and also had an article in this magazine. We want to thank Fr. Anthony for the commitment shown towards our Club. Thank You!

On the 1st July 2021, we have celebrated 25 years since Sir Alex Ferguson opened the Msida premises with a video split into two parts showcasing every event we have hosted in Msida during these past years. For those who haven’t seen it yet, I urge you to browse over our YouTube page named MUSC Malta.

The Committee has called paid up club members to attend an Extraordinary General on Friday 18th June 2021 at 7 pm at the Club to seek approval from those present for a two-month extension to the Statutory obligation to hold an Annual General Meeting by the end of July.

The Committee is humbled after ‘The Balcony Sponsor Scheme’ announced in May/June was a huge success. Many members came back to us and sent their donations which we as a committee are using to renovate our Club.

The Club façade renovation and the entrance,

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VOL 49 - ISSUE 1 - SEPTEMBER 2021

by Clint Camilleri

including the stairs walls works are now ready.

We have also replaced all ACs with new ones apart from the big one near the souvenir shop, which still serves its purpose.

In August, some 30 supporters from around the world have visited our Club. The grandsons of the great Jimmy Murphy, Paul & Stephen, have donated a framed coin found in the belongings of Duncan Edwards in the Munich Air Crash in 1958. I urge you to come to our premises and see it. Other gifts were exchanged with the Austrian branch. The Committee decided to organize some events for these supporters, which included a day by the pool, a boat trip around Comino and St. Paul’s Islands and a day in Gozo where we visited the Ggantija Temples, Cittadella, Marsalforn, the MUSC Malta Gozo Branch and finished off the day with a delicious dinner at The Grand Hotel in Mgarr.

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The

RESURGENCE of

LUKE SHAW

by Julian Tabone

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hen Luke Shaw was snapped up by Louis Van Gaal in 2014, it was a time of rebuilding, on the back of one of the most disappointing seasons under David Moyes.

At the time, Van Gaal represented hope and Shaw - still a highly promising 18-year old – was regarded as a long-term solution and one for the future.

A few months before signing for United – in March 2014 – Luke Shaw made his international debut and, as so often happens, when young English players play for England for the first time, his pedigree soared. He even went to the World Cup in Brazil and played the full game of England’s (meaningless) last group match.

A few days later, he joined United from Southampton for £27M for what was then a world-record fee for a teenager. He made his debut on 27 Sep 2014 in a 2-1 win against West Ham – a match that saw Rooney sent off and a makeshift defence enduring high pressure to hold on to the win. It was a prelude of what was to come for United and for Luke Shaw as well.

The team struggled to find its feet and fluidity but at least there was marked improvement on the previous season as Manchester United finished fourth in the league table. Shaw made 20 appearances in that first season of his and the promise was still there.

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Shaw’s second season was meant to consecrate him in the side.

Indeed he started off very well. A constant threat bombarding down the wing, symbolizing

what a typical Manchester United full-back should be like. Fans were still happy and very much optimistic that we had finally found a player that would unlock many defenses with his surging overlap runs.

Then came September 2015. Champions League Group Match. Away to PSV Eindhoven.

Shaw suffered a horrible double leg fracture and he was ruled out for 6 months. I remember watching that match and praying he would be fine. At the end of the match, no one cared much about the disappointing result. It was one of those injuries that could make or break a player. The resilience and the mental strength that such injuries provoke can uncover characters. Many other players suffered similar fates. Some do come back. Others did not.

Most of them – as the cliché goes - say they will come back “stronger than ever” but that is easier said than done. Most of them, in fact, do come back but they rarely come back to the same level. My mind springs back to Roy Keane of course. He too had a devastating injury at the start of the 1996-97 season and whilst he did come back, he had to adapt his game and it took him time. Shaw was still a 20 year old in September 2015. How would he react? How would he come back? To be honest, I had my doubts.

Indeed, the aftermath of that tackle took its toll on young Shaw.

He spent almost a whole year out, only making a return in August 2016. By then, the manager had changed. Mourinho came in and Shaw was so desperate to impress. Niggling injuries however, did not help his cause. Inexplicably (at least to me) Mourinho used to (and still does) single him out and publicly criticize him.

His confidence, inevitably, took a hit and his performances dipped.

Mourinho managed United for 144 games; Luke Shaw featured in just 34 of those matches which translates to a mere 24%. That stat simply says it all.

And then – in December 2018 – in came

Solskjaer eager to replicate the Ferguson effect inside a dressing room full of insecurity and devoid of any confidence. OGS immediately recognized that the player needed an arm around his shoulder. Indeed, the whole team upped their game and went on an impressive run of wins culminating in that famous night in Paris. That was, until Solskjaer was handed a disappointing one but Shaw ended winning the Players’ Player of the Year and the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year.

In 2019-20 it was pretty much a similar story.

Shaw kept improving. He made 33 appearances and Manchester United finished strongly in 3rd place.

The arrival of Alex Telles in the summer of 2020 pushed him even more and last season Shaw established himself and made 47 appearances – his highest ever tally for a single season.

He is no prolific scorer - he’s only scored 3 goals - but defensively and offensively Luke Shaw has also been slowly building up and been absolutely brilliant. He is now one of the first names on everybody’s team sheet.

He is arguably – especially on the back of his impressive displays in Euro 2020 - an automatic choice as well in Southgate’s England’s back four.

He’s now been 7 seasons with us and yet he has only racked up 187 appearances. That stat will improve.

In a certain way, he seems to be older than what he actually is. It seems he’s been with us for a lifetime, but in reality he is still only 26 years of age. That means he has a long career ahead of him.

And it is only now that he seems to be peaking.

Today, Luke Shaw is indeed regarded as one of the best left backs in the Premier League, a testament to his resilience and determination to succeed and to prove doubters wrong. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs credit for that as well. He has shown trust in him and he has been repaid.

Manchester United’s best teams have always boasted full-backs who were ready to risk, to overlap, to put in crosses and to put themselves on the line.

The transformation that Luke Shaw has undergone now needs to be capitalized upon.

Based on the progress we have witnessed in the past 2 seasons and also recently, Luke Shaw’s best is certainly yet to come.

Hopefully, Manchester United’s best under OGS is also yet to come!

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TEDDY’S corner

Dear All The bitter disappointment of that dreadful, unforgettable Europa League final left us wondering if all that hard work which Ole and his team have performed during the past two and half years could eventually go to waste.

After missing the semifinal last year, qualifying to a European final against a modest Villarreal side looked somehow very promising. Hopes were high, omens were there to make you believe this was a job done before kick-off. It wasn’t meant to be. United lost yet another penalty shoot-out, six in the last seven. This was an eternal one! The most extremely worrying factor on that night in my opinion was the fact that once again United failed to meet the expectations in terms of personality and winning mentality, the same traits witnessed during the 4 semi-finals they failed to win in the previous 18 months. It all seems to be psychological, a mind block leading to lack of confidence. Bruno failed to inspire when it mattered. Experience seems to be lacking on the field and on the bench. The supporters’ infamous revolt when the game against the scousers had to be called off meant that things had to change. And things have changed.

The installation of John Murtough as Manchester United inaugural football director last

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March was taken with a pinch of salt by many.

Little did the disgruntled supporters think the former head of football development would have the impact he had so far. The acquisition of Sancho and Varane in the early stages of the transfer market brought renewed hope and belief that United can actually pose a bigger challenge this season. The Glazers took off some pressure. The emphatic win on day one against Leeds United in front of a packed Old Trafford got everyone daydreaming again.

Only to get back to earth one week later with a dire draw against lackluster Southampton.

The performance left a lot to be desired. We were back to square one. This football club has a lot of quality footballers but is in desperate need of an inspiration, the Cantona type of stimulus. Varane, together with Maguire, will settle the back four. Sancho will take time to settle but once he does, he has exceptional qualities and should be able to shine. Fans want to see a world class

have your say on info@manutd‑malta.com

central defensive midfielder and still think we are short up front. Fred does not tick the boxes of most of the Man Utd fans. We need a center forward who scores 25 to 30 goals and Cavani is not the solution. Pogba remains a mysterious saga. Rashford is not consistent. Hopefully this will be Greenwood’s year. With Chelsea getting Lukaku and City signing Grealish, it was looking like we will have to settle for being in the chasing pack again. Hopefully we win a trophy because that will surely relieve Ole from all the pressure. I actually think that this is a must by now.

Friday 27th August. Signs of Cristiano Ronaldo leaving Juventus started to take headline news on all main portals in the early morning.

Suddenly a potential transfer to Manchester City was on the table. This was generating a lot of excitement and the likes of Fabrizio Romano was keeping everyone on their toes.

For me, such a move could never happen, and I was adamant about it. I never believed it for one second. Suddenly tables were turning, Sir Alex was being described as some kind of middleman and in no time, Ronaldo was heading back home, to the Theatre of Dreams. Late in the afternoon United announced deal done and the rest is history.

Unbelievable! All the news portals, sport and

the transformation required to take the team’s mentality to the next level. We won’t have another 11 draws this season.

Gary Neville still thinks that United are not good enough to win the league. Gary knows the game very well and has been involved long enough to be able to have his own right reasons to

come to that conclusion. I personally think it’s early stages to deduce but with these new additions we will surely close the gap.

One thing is certain - this will be one of the hardest fought seasons we have had for a while. I am very glad to see world class players wanting to join the Ole bandwagon. He has been heavily and often unjustly criticized by United fans. The seat he is sitting on demands trophies and continuous success. I have full faith in all his goodwill to succeed. I just hope he will now be able to handle this luxurious dressing room.

Yours United Teddy

not, were reporting about this extraordinary comeback. Manchester United fans elated.

Social media bombarded. Manutd.com website crashed. Man Utd shares exploded by 8%.

The most followed footballer on the planet has returned to the team that gave him the first stage to exhibit his unique qualities. If the Commercial Department at Manchester United boasts with having one seventh of the planet following our team, with the people following Cristiano, this number can easily double in the next few months. Moods have changed. Fans were happy again, all brimming with great hopes and dreams started to flow.

The much-needed inspiration, on and off the pitch, has landed. The excitement to see CR7 back is too much to handle. He might not be the product which departed to Madrid in 2009 but he brings leadership, experience and

VOL 49 - ISSUE 1 - SEPTEMBER 2021

11

Rio Ferdinand

by Jude Cauchi

S

ir Alex Ferguson once claimed that attack wins you games but defence wins you titles. Whether we agree or not with such a statement requires us to dig deeper and analyse data. For example, whilst this might sound surprising, since the Premier League inception, statistics seem to contradict this hypothesis. In fact, official data shows that teams who scored the most goals won the Premier League significantly more times when

compared to the teams who conceded fewer goals (such stats can be accessed from the Premier League official website).

In spite of the fact that data analysis is a skill that can give validity and insights to our perspectives, in view that to engage with such a statement requires further analysis which takes into consideration other variables, this article is not intended to try and falsify

such a statement. In contrast, rather than treating the two as dichotomies, it is more useful to treat both attack and defence as very important ingredients for the success of the recipe. If we focus on the latter, the success of Manchester United throughout the years has been built around a solid back line consisting of legends which included Gary Pallister, Steve Bruce, Jaap Stam, Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand amongst others. Consequently, I also tend to support the philosophy that a solid defence is the basic foundation for success.

Unfortunately, recent memories include our bitter rivals Liverpool whose solid defence enabled them to win both domestically as well as in Europe.

Growing up as a Manchester United supporter, I always believed that a United player, amongst other qualities, should possess characteristics such as strength, dribbling, composure, pace, passing and aerial ability. With regard to Rio Ferdinand, in addition to possessing most of these qualities, his attitude and passion to play for the biggest club in England certainly makes him one of the best players to have ever wore the Red Devils shirt.

Having said that, life is full of ups and downs and Rio’s career at United also had its controversies especially early on. In fact, in addition to having signed for a record fee which made him Britain’s most expensive footballer in 2002, signing from bitter rivals Leeds United

12 VOL 49 - ISSUE 1 - SEPTEMBER 2021

and missing a mandatory drug test a year later put him in hot water. Whilst one may argue that this case was a genuine mistake, the Football Association Disciplinary Committee sanctioned the player with a £50,000 fine as well as an eight month ban from football which meant that the centre-back would miss the whole of the 2004 season including the Euro 2004.

In spite of this, the club continued to support the English International and he made his return in September 2004 in a 2-1 win against Liverpool. However, in 2005, Ferdinand again made the wrong headlines and was booed by the United supporters in view of his refusal to renew his contract. At that time, the player not only felt out of touch with the supporters but as a result of his actions, Sir Alex Ferguson also decided to strip him from United’s vicecaptaincy. From a United fan’s perspective, this was very difficult to take and in order to regain his trust, the England International had to work very hard to convince the supporters that he deserved to wear the famous Reds shirt. On the bright side, this was the last controversial incident as Rio revived his United career in the years that followed.

If we were to focus on Rio’s best moments in his United career, the 2006-07 season proved to be a big turning point. In fact, after a dry spell of silverware, the Red Devils during this period managed to go back to winning big as they dominated English football, winning five Premier League trophies, the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup as well as other domestic trophies. Furthermore, in addition to defending, the player also proved to be effective in both providing assists and scoring goals. One may argue that a number of factors contributed to such outcomes, however, one of the key factors which helped Rio Ferdinand to lift his performances and

become part of the club’s hall of fame, was the signing of his perfect partner Nemanja Vidic.

In fact, the two centre-backs complimented each other perfectly and unsurprisingly are considered by many as one of the best defensive partnerships the Premier League has ever witnessed.

Regretfully though, after twelve years at Manchester United, following the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson and David Moyes’s disastrous first season in charge, Rio Ferdinand left the club in 2014 and it is not a secret that the club could have handled his departure in a more respectful manner.

Recently, the English International admitted to the media that the way the club handled his departure left him a bitter taste. Such claims can only give more credibility to the perception that the club is solely focused on business rather than on success on the pitch. On the positive side though, current manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seems to be changing the culture around the club and hopefully success will soon follow as a result of this approach.

When I think about Rio Ferdinand, I remember the nice memories that Manchester United had while Rio was playing for the club.

Certainly, memories that will last forever.

Finally, whilst I believe that every generation tends to produce different types of footballers and therefore one always needs to look at the context of the situation, as United supporters, we should always be grateful and lucky to have had warriors such as Rio Ferdinand to have represented and contributed to the success of the club for so many years. Thanks for the memories Rio!!!

Presently, following his retirement from football, Ferdinand is continuously active on social media and he is also employed as a football pundit on BT Sports. While engaged in this new role, in addition to enhancing his punditry skills, Rio seems to have retained his enthusiasm and passion for Manchester United. Consequently, the fans appreciate the fact that the former Red Devil man also finds time to engage with the supporters on mainstream online channels.

VOL 49 - ISSUE 1 - SEPTEMBER 2021

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Y & Z United Perspectives

by Kevin, Justyn & Wayne Tabone

N

ew season, new expectations! But then again there’s always expectations in anything associated with Man Utd. Domestically, there is huge competition within the Tabone clan to come out as winners of the Man Utd App Match Predictor and the Fantasy Premier League Tabone League! Let the games begin!

Once again, notwithstanding there was evident improvement, Manchester United failed to land a trophy last season. That penalty shootout was, is and will remain so painful in our memories. What is your rating from 0 to 10, 0 being lowest and 10 being highest, for last season and why?

Wayne: The team has improved both the quality of the football played and also the players’ mentality. I think the overall performance merits a 7. If we would have won a trophy last season, then it would have went up to 7.5 or even 8. The beginning of the season was atrocious but as the season wore on, the team got into a rhythm and won match after match, even breaking the record of undefeated away matches. This gave us the momentum to reach second in the Premier League. The obvious downers were losing tragically against Villarreal, losing to Leicester city 3-1 in the the quarter finals of the FA Cup and bottling the EFL cup against Manchester City 2-0. We also have to improve when playing against the big 6 clubs - losing 3, getting 5 draws and getting 2 wins meant that we lost too many points from these matches - 19 out of the 30 points.

Justyn: Manchester United is all about winning trophies and unfortunately we fell short once again. When comparing this season with past seasons, Ole has only been able to match

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Mourinho from the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

In my opinion, Manchester United were very inconsistent throughout the whole season and even during the matches. I would give a rating of 7 for last season. Reaching the final in the Europa League was expected from Manchester United however, finishing second place is most definitely an achievement. In my opinion, the team needs to improve their consistency in matches where it is expected of them to get the 3 points.

Kevin: The trophy was the only thing missing from my targets and expectations. At the start of the season, I classified my expectations into 2 categories – primary & secondary. My primary was to improve from the previous season. In my eyes this was achieved – 2nd from 3rd in the league and qualified for the final in one of the cups. Champions League was a disappointment, especially after such a strong start. I would say the loss away to İstanbul Başakşehir was the lowest point of the season. The result was a disappointment, but the manner of the loss was even more so.

My secondary target was winning a trophy, an achievement which I feel would have helped the confidence of the players for the years to come a great deal. Having said all this, I would still give the season an 8 out of 10 score.

This transfer market is looking to be one of the busiest Manchester United have had for some time and there are quality players lined up to wear the famous red shirt next season. If you were John Murtough, apart from Sancho and Varane, which other players would you like to see joining our team for the coming season?

Wayne: It is very unlikely for the club to do two big deals and another big signing. But if this happens, I think that Declan Rice would be the perfect person for the role needed in the club.

He is a disciplined midfielder and so can play alongside Paul Pogba. He is not only technically gifted, but he is also excellent in moving the ball up field, he is very young and for his age he is a very mature player. He is also a great player to have in the dressing room, as he has a very lively character.

Justyn: Manchester United are heading in the right direction with these signings in my opinion. The right-wing problem has been around since Antonio Valencia was converted to a right back. Moreover, Manchester United have needed another centre back to partner Maguire, and Varane is the perfect fit for United. Having said this, I believe that there needs to be investment in the midfield area as well. I believe that Fred and McTominay are two decent players, however I do not think they should start together every game. Their quality on the ball is not the best and during games they have lacked to break the lines to help the attack. I believe that a player like Camavinga can help in solving this problem. At a valuation of around 30 million Euros, this transfer would be considered as quite a bargain for an 18 year old. Also, he has the required skill set to not only break up the play but to also move the ball forward to the forward line.

Kevin: I can’t see us signing many more players apart from those 2 mentioned. This will also depend on the players sold as well. If we were to sell say a midfield player, I would use the money and spend it on 2 players. Kieran Trippier for four reasons – a. hoping that this signing

would have a similar effect on Wan Bissaka that Telles had on Shaw b. Trippier could play on both left and right sides of the pitch c. a very good set-piece taker and d. he could play as a full back as well as a wing-back. The other player would be a direct replacement for the midfield player that will be sold. I’ve said and written this so many times that I’m beginning to look desperate to buy this player – Rúben Neves. I am such an admirer of the player.

The away goals rule will be scrapped from all UEFA club competitions from the start of the 2021-22 season. Do you agree with this decision and why?

Wayne: I think that this was a bad decision, this is because the away goals rule was to make the away team more aggressive even though they are playing on the other team’s patch. But if this had to happen my suggestion would be that the games played should be in a mutual ground, therefore the away goals rule would not apply. This could also mean that it would be one leg, just like the finals.

Justyn: I believe that UEFA have got this decision wrong. The away goal rule provides

an entertaining spectacle to us fans. This is because, the away goal rule incentivises the away team to get goals as they give an advantage to them in the tie. By removing this rule, I believe that we will see more away teams, especially underdogs, to have a defensive game plan and hope for smash and grab victory or get a draw. Obviously, there are some drawbacks to this rule, where one might argue that it is unfair that some ties are decided by the amount of away goals. However, in my opinion, the pros far outweigh the cons and as the saying goes, UEFA shouldn’t fix something which is not broken.

Kevin: Bollocks I say! Who the hell is in charge of making decisions on the game we so much love! With all the changes that have happened these last few years, it’s not even possible to say that I play the same game that we see on TV! Don’t get me started on changes or I would need a whole edition of this magazine! Diving, play-acting, yellow cards, tackles, VAR, the list goes on and on and on. Back to the question!

So now we’re led to believe that there is no difference between a team playing in front of his own supporters and the team playing away!

The atmosphere alone merits giving the away side that scores an advantage.

VOL 49 - ISSUE 1 - SEPTEMBER 2021

15

Surprise surprise

by Daniel Cuschieri

W

ho would have thought at the end of last season that we would have Mr Cristiano Ronaldo back on our books.

This has been, in my opinion, a very good transfer window where the manager has strengthened a number of positions in which we were light in previous seasons and has strived to beef up the squad. There are still two positions in which I think we are light, which are the defensive midfielder role which is occupied by Fred right now and also the position that Fernandes has made his own.

The signing of Sancho has strengthened the forward line, where finally the manager has two players for each position which can make a difference when needed. The manager has gone for youth and has been chasing the signature of this player for a number of years and for us fans, this signing got us all excited for the new season. Sancho has come after having a strong season with Borussia Dortmund but having a quiet European Championship with England, which could have been a blessing in disguise so that he isn’t burnt out and ready to play with United.

Raphael Varane has joined from Real Madrid whereby this is a European and World Champion. He will provide experience and calmness at the back where during the past season, some erratic play has caused the team a large number of points. We also welcome back Dalot, who had a fairly good season on loan with AC Milan, whose game is different to that of Wan Bissaka and can provide good competition for the right back position. Varane was on United’s radar for a number of years,

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and it appears we’ve got one off Real Madrid, whereby during the past years it seemed that we groomed players for them, players such as Beckham, van Nistelrooy, Heinze and Ronaldo.

Still there is a part of me that fears that when Real Madrid come knocking, all players listen, and they still find a way to enjoy playing in the Mickey Mouse La Liga.

David De Gea appears to have got back to his best. He had an outstanding game against Wolves which showed that David is still there and that David is still one of the best around. Due to the constant playing without any real competition last season or even in prior seasons, he may have suffered a dip in form due to exhaustion and also the birth of his first born, which tends to get everybody off guard.

During the summer there were major rumours that Ronaldo would be leaving Juventus. The name of Manchester United was frequently thrown around ever since he left the club. I thought this was the same thing all over again but when the rumours intensified and leaks were spreading around the Internet like wildfire that Ronaldo was signing for Manchester United again, I didn’t really know what to say, especially when my sister texted me ‘Ronaldo to United’.

My favourite player ever since I started to support Manchester United was Eric Cantona, growing up and seeing him carry the club towards major titles. He was in my eyes a god on the field, not because he had a superior talent to other players, but due to the knock on affect that he had around the team, as he made other players superior to what they thought they were. When David Beckham left, and Cristiano Ronaldo was

signed, I had just been watching the friendly against Sporting Lisbon when I saw him take to shreds the United defence and at the back of my mind said ‘he would be good with United’.

This was the same summer which United had to sign the famous Ronaldinho. During the first three seasons, I believe United didn’t get full value from Ronaldo, as he was still a kid full of tricks and at times no end product. He came back from the incident with Wayne Rooney and that season was the real start for Ronaldo. He played for the following three seasons and he was untouchable. He made, together with the others at United, one of the best teams in the world. It was a shame that after winning the Champions League, he wanted to leave and in certain performances and instances he showed his unhappiness at being at the club. He left the club winning the Premier League and losing the Champions league Final. I had just popped in to my late father’s take away and I was greeted by the words ‘Ronaldo left, he went to Real Madrid’, and I replied that he got what he wanted. Upon leaving United, Ronaldo went from strength to strength, breaking every record that there is to break, winning every trophy that there is to win other than the World Cup. Ronaldo is the best player I have seen don the colours of Manchester United. I believe he will raise the level of the players around him because this man at the age of 36 still treats every game as his last and is a natural born winner. While people around the world were celebrating his arrival based on all his past achievements, others

slightly more but not to the level that we are accustomed to at Manchester United. Not taking anything away from him because he always gave his all and also was a player that respected the tradition and the culture of the club.

are sceptical. Ronaldo has managed to always silence pundits and also away fans throughout his career and his return will lift the club. This transfer window could not have finished on a better note. The world is now waiting for his second coming. For the money the club has spent during this transfer window, I think the club has done very good business where Sancho and Varane still have a lot of playing years in front of them and Ronaldo still has a good two years if handled correctly.

Daniel James was sold once Ronaldo’s move was confirmed. Whenever he played, he gave his 100% and one must remember that when he signed for the club, he had just suffered the passing of his father and got off to a flying start which United. I think that he will improve

At time of writing, we are going through another international break, but I’m sure everybody is wishing that was not the case so we can get a taste of the exciting forward line of Ronaldo, Sancho and Greenwood. I think the forward line United have this season is something to really boast about as if all are on top of their game, I cannot see this team not outscoring their opponents. As usual Mr Graeme Souness seems to have a very good opinion of what Ronaldo can and cannot do, he seems to have this opinion and also a divine talent to look into the future and know that Ronaldo cannot take on Van Dijk of Liverpool. One must remind Mr Souness that he didn’t do too well as a manager of Liverpool and Blackburn. Those are the clubs I remember him managing and I am sure the different Ronaldo was playing against Souness, I know who would have come out on top.

When Ronaldo was a boy, the club gave him the tools to become a man and go to the top.

Hopefully Ronaldo is paying back the favour and dragging back United to the top of the table.

He no longer plays on the left, he no longer plays on the right, but he’ll still make you look like…you all know how it continues.

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VOL 49 - ISSUE 1 - SEPTEMBER 2021

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Nusquam Celare

by Robert Mizzi

A

s the season kicked off with an emphatic 5-1 win over one of our archrivals, I couldn’t fail but notice how the general feeling of the supporters has been transformed during these past weeks. The crowds returning to Old Trafford, the players in jovial mood, a brand-new kit with a new sponsor – and two great signings. All these have contributed to the return of the feelgood factor after the disappointing end to the last season.

The doom and gloom following the 27th May now seems a distant memory for most if not all the United faithful. But not all of us United supporters have such short memory and get easily carried away. Without dwelling too much on that apocalyptic day – some of us still recall how our beloved Red Devils scuffed at the opportunity to land Ole’s first trophy and calm down the doubters. More importantly, it would have given the manager, and the club in general, a much-needed boost of confidence. It was not meant to be, and 80 days later another season kicked off after a summer transfer market that saw Jadon Sancho finally arrive at Manchester United and Raphael Varane unveiled as a United player before the season opener against Leeds. The mood has been well and truly lifted…onwards and upwards…but with caution, if I may add.

The title of this article is a Latin translation for ‘nowhere to hide’ and realistically speaking, this is how I feel things are at the moment for the club, in general, as well as for the manager. Some of the readers may interpret

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this message as somewhat negative. Indeed, it is not the first time that I have been told that I seem to tend towards negativity when writing about United, be it an article or commenting post-match on my blog. Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion of course, and I classify my approach as realist rather than negative.

Part of being a supporter of a football team is how you live the trials and tribulations of your team, and everyone experiences this in a different way. Experience has taught me to be realistic and that getting carried away because we won 5-1 on the opening day against a rather mediocre opposition is not going to happen. It was a great performance, do not get me wrong, but I have already seen some posts on social media that made me cringe.

Feet on the ground, one match at a time, still 37 matches to go.

Realism.

The arrival of 2 star players may be interpreted as a statement of intent from the club. Some may argue that the team still needs a world class box-to-box central midfielder and a young top striker to be considered challengers and as much as I like Cavani, I tend to agree. Relying on the McFred partnership through an entire campaign has proved unconvincing in the last couple

of seasons, especially so when creativity and flair are needed to break down opposing defences. And asking 34-year-old Cavani to bang in the goals on a regular basis in the tough EPL is a rather risky business. The emergence of Mason Greenwood may prove to be a solution up front. The boy has got talent and can only learn from a seasoned pro like Cavani. All United supporters are also

hoping that we see Marcus Rashford return to his best after finally getting operated to solve his niggling injury. And if you want my opinion on this Rashford injury, it is clear and unequivocal - the club should have put their foot down and have him operated upon at the end of last season (possibly before) to have him ready for action at the beginning of the season. He still contributed zilch to the England cause. Martial remains a bit of an enigma and if Greenwood continues to make progress, he may soon find that playing time will be rather limited this season.

Ole Gunnar Solksjaer has been at the helm of United long enough to build his own team, instill his mentality and have a real go at challenging for the EPL. I firmly believe that this should be the first priority this season and I think that most supporters believe that Ole truly has nowhere to hide this time round. This will be his third full season in charge of Manchester United and in all fairness, he has been given more time than his predecessors to prove himself. He is now at the point where he must bring home the silverware, in some way, shape or form. Whether we like it or not, football is a result-driven business and we have to put aside our affection for the 1999 CL final hero and concede to the fact that he is at the point where he has to deliver.

The management seem to have backed him up this summer with 2 important signings (whether it was to save face with the supporters after the Super League debacle or to really back up the manager is more or less superfluous at this stage) and this group of players should have the hunger and skill needed to have a real go at winning the championship. Of course, the hunger and skill need to be backed up with top notch preparation, physically and mentally, and proper game management.

This game management aspect is a concern for many of us supporters. My mind simply boggles when I think that Ole and his team have come up with a number of

perfectly planned and executed strategy against strong opponents but on various other occasions, the team seemed to run completely out of ideas – especially against the so-called smaller teams. The epitome of such instances was the final vs Villareal when, in my opinion, the entire management of the match was a complete fiasco. I am sincerely hoping that lessons have been learnt, and I stop there on that day as I am trying to erase it from my memory but keep having nightmares about it!

The inclusion of Varane in defence will hopefully bring out the best of Maguire. If both players can manage to form a strong partnership within the first few weeks of the season, it could be the foundation on which to build a title challenge. But before everyone gets carried away, realism comes back into the equation. Let us give Varane a chance to settle down and get acclimatized to the hectic pace of the EPL. Experience helps, but I still expect a few mistakes until he finds his feet, and social media will no doubt highlight any mistake with no mercy at all.

Sancho will have a bit more room for error in comparison to Varane, but he needs to

deliver the goods to become the darling of the United fans. Manchester United is a big club and the whole environment can lift you or make you feel intimidated. We have seen big signings failing to deliver and I am hoping that Sancho is not going to be one of them and hits the ground running.

Apart from the two signings, there are many other variables that will determine the fate of United’s season, and at the end, I believe Ole’s future as United manager. To name but a few, a solid defence, Pogba’s willingness to stay and provide good solid displays on a regular basis (not necessarily as scintillating as vs Leeds), Bruno not getting worn down like last season, Greenwood becoming the player he can become, Rashford recovering his fitness and form and focusing on football, Cavani returning 15-20 goals, and in the absence of the arrival of a central defensive midfielder, Fred and McTominay proving their doubters, including myself, wrong.

All the above needs to be managed meticulously by Ole and his team during the next 9 months. Many supporters have often debated if Ole is good enough to lead United but let us not forget that he has an entire coaching team behind him. There were many times in the past seasons when I wished to see more involvement from Carrick and Phelan during the matches. When things are not going your way, the manager needs to rely on his assistants and I personally feel that at times, this support seemed lacking during the actual match.

I truly believe that this is a defining season for Ole Gunnar Soksjaer and that in some way or another, he must deliver the goods. As I said earlier, having a real go at winning the EPL must be an objective despite the strong opposition. We are at a stage now, where saying that our rivals have better squads is not an excuse anymore. The squad we have has been built over the past 3 seasons and the manager knows that he has been given enough time to deliver. At the title of this article goes…nusquam celare.

VOL 49 - ISSUE 1 - SEPTEMBER 2021

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VOL 49 - ISSUE 1 - SEPTEMBER 2021

23

APPRECIATION

Charlie Poulton

by Winston J. Zahra

C

onsidering how active Charlie always was on Facebook I thought it was only fitting to write a short note of appreciation of a lifelong close friend here.

I got to know Charlie around 30 years ago when we started using his company - Poulton’s Print Shop - for all our printed material at work. His approach to getting the detail right and ensuring that we were happy with the products he proudly produced was second to none. Such was his overall service and commitment to doing things right that we became lifelong friends and remained close long after he retired. The passion he had for his work and the pride he had in doing things right was admirable, as was his desire to teach everyone in his business, most notably his son Simon, the trade he was so proficient at himself.

His passion for work was equally matched by that for the beloved football team he supported Manchester United. Emotions would always run high in the run up to a match and his analysis would always follow immediately after a match.

In person, every conversation would involve something about United. And, more recently, many a discussion was held between Charlie and many others over social media about the performance of the team. Charlie always had an opinion and he would never shy away from expressing it, always respectfully, and typically while wearing one of his many United shirts.

No doubt he will continue following the team from a better place. Let’s hope they make him smile as much as possible.

of various charities over the years. He would rally support from as many people as possible and everyone was more than happy to help out.

Many people have benefitted greatly from the work that Charlie did and I have no doubt that they will remain forever thankful to him for what he did in the most genuine way imaginable.

Charlie was as kind and thoughtful as a person as he was passionate about football, if not more so. He organised countless dinners in aid

I, like many others, will miss your kind and gentle way and the many conversations we used to have.

Above all though, Charlie was immensely devoted to his family. His love and care for his dear wife Rose was inimitable. He would not leave her side for a minute and cared for her in every possible way over the years. Truly admirable. And the same goes for the love he had for his son Simon and his wife Sarah and grandson Sean.

VOL 49 - ISSUE 1 - SEPTEMBER 2021

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ENGLAND’S EURO 2020 CAMPAIGN

by Silvio Scicluna

F

riday 11th June 2021. The day the curtain was belatedly raised on Europe’s showpiece football tournament for national teams, a year later than planned due to the unprecedented effects caused by the global coronavirus pandemic. Yes, it felt strange to be holding EURO 2020 in 2021 but better late than never, as they say.

This edition of the Euro’s was meant to be special in that instead of the usual practice of having one host country, this year’s matches were to be played in different countries across the continent, opening opportunities for more fans to enjoy this football spectacle from their own country. How ironic then that such an initiative would go on to be diminished with the pandemic’s effects. Most stadia operated with reduced capacities and it was a shame seeing such great venues like Rome, Wembley, Munich, Amsterdam et al being only half full, or less. There were some exceptions though.

Budapest and Copenhagen, for instance, allowed full capacities and these provided electric atmospheres.

The upshot of this initiative by UEFA was that some countries had the advantage of playing most of their matches at home, albeit without a full stadium backing. And it was in this context, playing the majority of their matches at Wembley if they played their cards right, that many were tipping England to be one of the favourites to lift the trophy. Added to the fact that the current England side contained some of the most exciting young talent seen in recent years, there was definitely

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an air of optimism in the country this year.

Some might argue that it was more a case of overconfidence, flamed in no small measure by strong national media coverage and equally overhyped on social media. But if there was a touch of overconfidence amongst the pundits and fans, this was definitely not the case with the national coach Gareth Southgate who was always at pains to remind everyone to keep their feet on the ground and take each match as it comes, one by one.

And so England kicked off their campaign at Wembley against Croatia, who many agreed that they could prove to be the toughest opponent in an otherwise relatively kind looking group on paper. Played in stifling early afternoon heat very much atypical of London, the match was unremarkable, and England did enough to win 1-0 with a Raheem Sterling goal in the second half. Their next match would be against arch-rivals Scotland and contrary to what everybody was predicting I was wary of this fixture, simply and purely because whenever these two rivals meet, form goes out of the window. Derbies are great levellers and sure enough this match turned out to be quite even with Scotland definitely raising their game. They had to because they were coming off a disappointing home defeat against the Czechs in their opener, but you just knew they would be up for it anyway. A 0-0 draw ensued, and Southgate did get a certain amount of stick in the aftermath especially for showing a lack of desire to attack more an opponent who, on paper at least should have been no match for England. But Southgate, ever the

pragmatist, favoured a cautious approach which would ultimately bear fruit as the group progressed. The final match was against the Czech Republic and England already knew prior to kick off that qualification to the next phase was guaranteed due to results elsewhere but Southgate stressed that a win was a must to top the group and stay at Wembley. Another 1-0 victory, again with Sterling getting the only goal, and top spot was secured.

On to the round of 16 and there had been some concern amongst England fans prior to the Czech game as to who the potential opponents in the next round would be.

Winning the group would mean meeting the runner up from the so-called Group of Death and so it transpired that it would be another arch-rival in Germany which would need to be conquered if England were to progress further. But, looking a bit further forward, if (big IF) they were to win, then a much kinder route to the final beckoned. Therefore, many were prepared to take this ‘risk’ if you like.

Then again, if a team seriously aspires to win a tournament, it is bound to meet some of the big nations at some point so might as well get on with it. Following the expected hype and narrative in the build up to any England vs Germany fixture, where many made it a point to remind us just how long the years of hurt were for England in trying to beat Germany, the end justified the means and a stirring 2-0 victory had the nation on cloud nine. Sterling (again!) and the erstwhile quiet Harry Kane got the goals and together with that Thomas Muller miss (!) further cemented the dream

of many that maybe, just maybe, football was coming home this year.

The incentive for England prior to the Germany match, if ever they needed any more to try to beat them, was that a quarter-final against Ukraine awaited them. And so it was that, for the first and only time in the tournament, the squad relocated from St. George’s Park and Wembley and travelled to Rome for a game against what many were seeing as the weakest team left in the tournament. Ukraine scraped through their group as one of the four best third placed teams but did produce a dogged performance in the previous round to beat a much fancied Sweden side late in extra time.

England gave their strongest performance and a 4-0 thrashing was just reward for a display of attacking verve and clinical set play. Kane continued his resurgence with two goals whilst Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson finished off two inviting crosses from dead balls.

And so now England were one game away from something which had never been achieved for some 55 years, a place in the final of major international tournament. Back at Wembley, Denmark stood in their way.

A Denmark side for whom the tournament started with heartbreak, but thankfully not with tragedy, when the whole world looked on in horror as their captain Christian Eriksen collapsed in a heap during their opening match. Much angst was felt as the player was administered CPR and a defibrillator on the pitch after he suffered a cardiac arrest.

He was rushed to hospital and the match

suspended. Thankfully, news filtered through that the player was doing fine and play was eventually resumed. Denmark lost that match 0-1 to Finland and also the following one to Belgium. But they somehow managed to qualify by beating Russia in their final group game and were by now flying on a wave of national euphoria and togetherness triggered by that Eriksen episode. This made them a dangerous opponent for England and so it proved to be. Extra time was needed after an own goal equalised a stunning opener from Denmark, followed by a goalless second half. The winner for a 2-1 victory came via a controversial penalty which was luckily put away on the rebound by Kane after his initial effort was saved. The nation erupted and then breathed a collective sigh of relief and elation in equal measure as the fact that England were actually in a final started to sink in.

Sunday 11th July. The final. The big one. The ultimate hurdle, Italy. A nation who more often than not tends to do well in tournaments and which this year were determined to erase bad memories of not having qualified for the previous World Cup, something almost unheard of for them. Under coach Mancini, they were on an impressive run of unbeatability and were steady if not spectacular. Almost everyone agreed that it was a 50/50 match which could go either way. And so it proved.

England gave credence to the narrative that this could be their year by sprinting out of the blocks into an early lead given to them by an unlikely source in fullback Luke Shaw, who it must be said however, was having a brilliant

campaign and who for me was the real player of the tournament. But from then on, England seemed to be happy with just a slender lead and slowly surrendered possession to an opponent which you knew would eventually get at least one chance to equalise. This they did in the second half, albeit in a scruffy manner from a corner. Extra time turned out to be a tepid affair with both sides seemingly focused on a penalty shootout. And here is where it all went wrong again for England.

Memories of previous heartaches in penalty shootouts were in recent years forgotten somewhat after a couple of successful ones in the World Cup and Nations League. But the ugly spectre raised its head again as three unfortunate, but courageous England players missed their penalties whilst only two did likewise for Italy.

So, football did not come home in the end, but went to Rome instead. For us England fans here in Malta, it was especially galling to lose to our arch-rivals Italy, and in such a heart-breaking fashion. Another massive disappointment after such high hopes makes me wonder if my generation is destined to ever see an England team win a major tournament.

I had still another three years to arrive in this world when England won the World Cup in 1966 and I have lost count of the many episodes of hurt since. Optimists, on the other hand, tell me that with so much talent available for England at this moment in time, surely ultimate victory at a major tournament is not a question of if but when. I guess we’ll all just have to continue to wait and live in hope.

VOL 49 - ISSUE 1 - SEPTEMBER 2021

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A Unique Way to Celebrate George Best’s 75th Birthday

by Ray Calleja

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never-ending argument among fans is about identifying the greatest Manchester United player of all time. In the 143 years of the club’s history, players have come and gone, but there is no doubt that George Best is likely to feature in many fans’ top 5 if not higher.

George Best was a right winger who wore the famous number seven red shirt amongst others. He scored in extra-time to help United win the 1968 European Cup final against Benfica, scooping UEFA’s Ballon d’Or in the same year. He also won two titles with United in the 1964-65 and 1966-67 season and was also top-scorer in the English First Division for five consecutive years.

Arguably, he was the most naturally gifted footballers Britain has ever produced.

Playing under Sir Matt Busby, Best had electric pace, balance, vision, superb close control, style and charisma. He could control the ball like no one else could and left defenders in his wake. He scored some wonderful goals in over 500 appearances for the Red Devils.

Born on 22 May 1946 in Belfast, he turned professional on his 17th birthday in 1963 and made his debut for United in September of the same year and scored on his second appearance. He soon won his first cap for Northern Ireland.

He went on to make 361 league appearances for Manchester United, 470 in all competitions, in a career that brought him a total of 179 goals in a United shirt. He represented Northern Ireland 37 times between 1964 and 1977.

He died on 25 November 2005, aged just 59 with a lung infection and multiple organ failure, brought on by his alcohol-related problems.

Last May would have been Best’s 75th birthday

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and to honour this footballing legend, two fans from the West Midlands, Jim Cadman and Bernie Smith, launched a project they called The Bestie 75, which includes a set of limited-edition trade cards and also a series of exhibitions that will include planned visits to Belfast, Manchester, London, Dudley and Glasgow.

When an 8-year-old Bernie found a George Best trade card in a packet of Barrett sweet cigarettes, he had no idea it would lead to a lifetime of collecting souvenirs and memorabilia of his idol. Sixty years later, he has thousands of pieces of souvenirs which have featured in a number of exhibitions including ones at the National Football Museum in Manchester. He is also often contacted about lending items from his collection to be used in exhibitions related to George Best, which is an indication of the ongoing interest in Best’s career and life, despite having died more than 15 years ago.

With Bernie’s vast collection of George Best memorabilia, it was no surprise when Jim (Cadman) contacted him to ask for his help to help launch the Bestie 75 project. Jim, who is also the chairman of the Duncan Edwards Tribute, has authored a number of football heritage books and says he was originally approached about writing a book about Best. However, since so many books have already been written about the Northern Irish superstar, he wanted to do something different to honour his memory and that is how the series of trade cards came about.

“We like to think of our initiative as a building block in celebrating his legacy. There needs to be a new light shone on George Best to remember him and to capture the myriad of fascinating stories surrounding him. … I wanted to do something different and unique. The idea came to mind for a collection of what we

used to call ‘chewing gum’ cards, reflecting everything from the start to the end of his career,” says Jim. The card collection, called The Bestie 75, includes a comprehensive range of photographs and original artwork showing George Best playing for Manchester United and Northern Ireland and other clubs he played for after leaving United, including his time in America. The collection also features football memorabilia such as football shirts, boots, medals, trophies, original artwork, programmes, books, advertising material, personally signed souvenirs plus a range of the original fashion items that were sold under the George Best label in the 1960s and 70s. On the back of the cards there are anecdotes, general information, and statistics related to the player’s career achievements and milestones.

The first official Bestie 75 memorabilia exhibition will be held in Dudley, West Midlands, on 30 September, where both exMan Utd legends, Duncan Edwards and George Best, will be honoured.

The set of 75 football trade cards was featured in The Card Scene Magazine issue no. 38 (April – June 2021), which devoted its latest 48-page issue entirely to George Best. The publication revealed that a single football card of George Best which had been given away free with a packet of Barrett sweet cigarettes in 1964 was sold at a recent auction in the United States for a staggering £2,768. Replicas of the 1964 Barrett card and a 1977 portrait of the player playing for Northern Ireland by friend and artist Paul Trevillion are included in Jim Cadman’s new limited-edition collection of cards.

You can see the special edition of this magazine in the pictures on the right, along with a set of the Bestie 75 Tribute Preview Cards along with a limited edition of the George Best 75

pin badge. The project has attracted interest from across the world with orders from fans living in the US and Canada to Australia, New Zealand and throughout Europe.

When speaking to Jim about his card collection, he had this to say to us: “There was no more skilful or charismatic footballer in the world ever. We wanted to focus on his talents. The card collection tells the story of every part of his remarkable career.

Cadman and Smith are hoping to take an exhibition of George Best to Belfast in the East Side visitors’ centre, where the player has

pride of place in a massive mural on the wall.

sets issued in the sequence of orders received.

“We have had a two-year exhibition about George at the Manchester United museum and there were also displays at the National Football Museum both of where were extremely successful.”

Part of the proceeds from the sale of the card collection will help community charities in Northern Ireland and also in England.

“George is still idolised by United fans including many who never saw him play in a red shirt at Old Trafford.”

Only 750 sets of cards have been issued and each set will contain a separate card individually numbered from 1 to 750 with the

Visit info@bestie75tribute.com to find out more information about this project or contact Jim Cadman on info@bestie75tribute.com or via phone on +44 7971 624627.

My thanks go not only to Jim for the materials and his availability, but also to Teresa Green, Media Relations Partner at Chris Green Media for facilitating this interview.

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

Email: gymstarsmalta@gmail.com Tel: +356 21461444 +356 77153025 +356 99164245

VOL 49 - ISSUE 1 - SEPTEMBER 2021

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Sancho

‘Jadon Sancho’s arrival at Manchester United is the biggest and most important piece of transfer business facilitated by the Club since Wayne Rooney’s Old Trafford move in 2004’. This bold statement was made by journalist Toby Cudworth. Could this really be the case, considering that since 2004, United have paid out £1.4bn in collective transfer fees to (re-) sign Paul Pogba, nurtured David de Gea into the (then) best goalkeeper in the world, and signed the likes of Nemanja Vidic, Robin van Persie, Dimitar Berbatov and many others to win countless Premier League titles. Jadon Sancho has also not cost Manchester United as much as Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku or Harry Maguire. Time will tell.

Following the completion of the medical after his participation at Euro 2020, and

settlement on personal terms, United agreed a £72.9million fee to sign the 21-year old Sancho from Borussia Dortmund. He is, as we know, English and a quick wide forward who can prolong the club’s love affair with wingers.

Although Borussia Dortmund have now pocketed £72.9m, one has to recall that last year they had demanded the unrealistic and exorbitant sum of £108 million. That is a surprisingly substantial difference of £35.1m. So the wait has been worth it moneywise. Consider also that in 2014, at age 14, he had been transferred from Watford Youths to Manchester City for just 66,000 euro. Amid Manchester United interest, he then moved to Borussia Dortmund in 2017 for 8 million euro. Now he is back in Manchester, but this time in red.

He has signed a five-year deal at United, with an option of a further year. He will wear the no. 25 shirt. He is the second signing of the summer following the addition of goalkeeper Tom Heaton. Reportedly, this is a 200,0000 GBP-a-week deal until 2026, with the option for another year. United have pointed out their net investment in players over the last three summers now stands at €295m (£252.4m), more than any other major European club over the same period.

Playing for Borussia, Sancho scored 50 goals across 137 appearances, 36 of these goals (together with no less than 40 assists) in the last two seasons alone. In his final season in Germany, he also won the German Cup. Sancho’s form was key. He scored two goals

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by Kenneth Abela

in a big win over RB Leipzig during the run-in, and then he also scored two in the cup final win against them again a few days later. On that cup run, Sancho scored in every round but the semi-final – but he set up two in that game! He’s scored goals in the Champions League as well. A free-kick against Club Brugge stands out.

As an international, he has played 58 matches across the England international set-up, taking in games for the Under-16s, U17s, U19s and the seniors and scored 26 goals across those games.

Sancho is, as Ed Woodward privately described, a game-changer. He’s played off both wings for Dortmund, and has been seen switching wings multiple times during games. At United, he would be expected to slot in on the right-hand side of a formidable United attack, supplementing Edinson Cavani, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford. In Germany, last season, Sancho played the majority of the season on the left, which offers Greenwood and Amad encouragement and will keep Rashford on his toes.

At the signing, Solskjaer was full of praise for the youngster: “Jadon epitomises the type of player I want to bring to the club, he is a forward player in the best traditions of Manchester United. He will form an integral part of my squad for years to come and we look forward to seeing him blossom. His goals and assists records speak for themselves and he will also bring tremendous pace, flair and creativity to the team.”

Matt Ford was also asked about Sancho’s character? The journalist replied that he always seemed to be a well-integrated and popular part of any squad, always seeming to be having a laugh and a joke with his team-mates. ‘Off the pitch, he seemed to get on well with people’ . And purely among the Dortmund support, they absolutely loved him, opined Ford. He was popular and there was no bad blood when he left.

Matt Ford, the freelance football journalist, an MUFC regular and an expert on German football, was asked in what way was Sancho different to Rashford, Greenwood and the rest? He replied ‘I remember debates last year around ‘Do we really need another player in the Rashford, Greenwood mould, or do we need a proper no.9?’ Before Cavani came in... However, out of the three – Rashford, Martial and Greenwood – I’d compare him more to Martial. Perhaps more direct and more penetrative, though he’s not had the injury issues Martial has had.’

not only now, but for the next decade and some. The last trophy United have won was the Europa League back in 2017; the last Premier League title triumph came in 2013 when Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down after 26 years.

Sancho said he is determined to help bring silverware back to Old Trafford. “I can’t wait to get started and obviously want to bring trophies to where they belong,” he said.

One could convincingly argue that Sancho would not have been so much in the media’s spotlight had he not moved from Manchester City at the age of 17 in order to pursue a more direct path to first team football in Germany.

Notwithstanding, there is no doubt that he is young, fearless and exciting to watch, and the 21-year-old is a player whose potential you dare not put a ceiling on.

Jadon Sancho is certainly a highly technical, creative player, known for his trickery, pace and use of feints in one-on-one situations For all intents and purposes, this is more of a marquee signing than any of the former great players that United had signed before. This is simply because he’s a top quality signing ready to lead United forward

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Raphaël Varane’s Glittering Career

by Martin Calleja Urry

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oasting one of football’s most spectacular resumes, Raphaël Varane has won more trophies in 9 years than most clubs will claim in their lifetime. He is arguably one of the best centre-backs in the world, and his partnership with Sergio Ramos is up there with the best ever defensive duos to have graced the football field. Amassing over 400 appearances for club and country, his trophy cabinet has grown exponentially since signing for Real Madrid in the 2011-2012 season, when he won his first La Liga. Now at 28 years of age, he still has many trophy laden years ahead of him, with Ole looking to the likes of him and Sancho to take us to the next level.

When a pundit says a player has won everything, they’re usually guilty of exaggerating, but not in Varane’s case. In fact, the only major trophy he hasn’t won is the Euros with France, and provided he remains in good condition, may still have another shot in 2024. In the near future, when we look back this generation’s greatest centre-backs, Varane’s name will be first on the list with the likes of Chiellini, Pique & Kompany, all of whom haven’t even come close to his list of trophies.

He came from humble beginnings, having played for his local club AS Hellemmes at only 7 years of age. Only a couple of years later, Varane’s potential was recognized by one of France’s top-flight clubs, RC Lens, who had a long-list of future French superstars already on their roster. Winning his first trophy in the 2008/2009 season, he helped Lens to claim the U-16 National Championship, along with the likes of Areola, Kondogbia, Aurier & Thorgan Hazard. As he rose through the ranks, the French national team came calling and he represented his country at U-18 and U-21 level. Only one year after signing his

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first ever professional contract with RC Lens in the 2010-2011 season, the French team was relegated down to Ligue 2, and soon Real Madrid’s agents came banging at the door determined to secure their future main man, tying him down to a six-year deal.

While the fee for Varane was undisclosed at the time, it is believed to have been around 10 million euros, a steal for the Frenchman who would go on to conquer Europe. While other top-flight centre-backs like Van Dijk and Maguire have commanded huge transfer fees in recent years, it would be no surprise if Varane’s transfer to Real goes down as one of the best ever bargains. Then director at the time, Zinedine Zidane was thrilled with the signing, comparing him to the likes of legendary French defender Laurent Blanc, who also played for Manchester United.

He certainly marked his arrival in superb fashion, becoming the youngest ever nonSpanish goal scorer for Real after his goal against Rayo Vallecano, only a few days after making his debut versus Racing Santander, in September 2011. Although Los Blancos would go on to claim the domestic title during Varane’s first year, he didn’t feature much in the main squad, taking a backseat and studying the likes of Pepe, Ramos & Carvalho.

As time went on, he began to feature more regularly in Real’s first team, but still only made 12 first team appearances in the league during the 2012-2013 season. One year later, Varane would begin to feature more regularly, brushing aside some injury troubles and helping Real to claim the Copa Del Rey and Champions League trophies. He started both those finals, and was an absolute rock at the back. Having matured steadily, his combination of

strength, speed and technique proved to be a solid foundation from which Real Madrid could blunt their opponents’ offensive capabilities while building their own ruthless attacks.

The cup double was an extraordinary feat to achieve that year, but it was just the beginning of his major trophy haul. The 2015 campaign would see Los Blancos begin their domination of the Champions League for the next three years running, while rivals Barcelona were unstoppable in La Liga. By the time they were done, the ex-RC Lens centre-back became the youngest defender to ever win the Champions League three times by the age of 24 in the 2017-2018 season, beating none other than Italian legend Paolo Maldini, who did it at 26.

With his incredible tackling ability, height and confidence to take the ball out from the back, Varane was central to his club’s success. In 2018, he played every single minute of every game of the World Cup, a tournament which saw France beat runners-up Croatia 4-2 in the final. This would mark the beginning of Varane’s individual awards, as he clinched the UEFA Team of the Year award and a place on the FIFA World 11 squad. He’s won a total of 6 individual accolades, a strong record he’ll aim to continue to work on at United.

Since his days at RC Lens, Varane has matured into one of the football’s best ever defenders, claiming 8 major club titles (4 Champions Leagues, 1 Copa Del Ray and 3 La Liga trophies), 6 individual awards and 1 World Cup with the Blues. At 28, he still has his best years ahead of him as a defender, and with United continuing to improve their squad year after year, there’s

no telling how many more winners’ medals he’ll bag. The signing is a dream come true and effectively gives us one of the finest backlines in all of Europe, with Maguire, Shaw and WanBissaka providing speed, attacking threat, aerial prowess and positional knowhow. Let’s hope he hits the ground running and helps us to clinch at least one major trophy this year.

While Real Madrid are linked with the likes of Mbappe and other top names, they have arguably faded from the limelight slightly in the last couple of years, losing the domestic battle to fierce rivals Atletico Madrid, as well as parting ways with other top players. Perhaps Varane’s hunger for even more trophies, not to mention a better pay cheque at United, has directed him towards our beloved club. Harry Redknapp once described Rio Ferdinand as a Rolls Royce of a defender, but with all due respect to Rio, Varane is more like a Ferrari in this case. Both are similar in stature and all-round ability, with neither possessing any significant weaknesses. Paired alongside Maguire, the partnership is very reminiscent of Vidic and Rio, our last great centre-back partnership, which helped us win many titles not so long ago.

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Matt Judge & John Murtough What do we know about them?

by Alex Dudley

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t has already been a strong summer of business by United off the pitch. The new additions to the playing squad will be the ones to get all the attention, but long-awaited changes behind the scenes have also been important developments that have been made.

Changes were desperately needed to help United fine tune their football operations, which led to the arrivals of John Murtough and Matt Judge. Darren Fletcher also returned to the club to take up the position of technical director. These changes have been vital in helping United bring in new stars over the summer months, but how much do we know about Murtough and Judge?

Murtough Appointed Football Director The role of Football Director wasn’t a position that was held by anybody at United before the beginning of March. However, the club announced that Murtough would be taking that position, and will be working closely with Fletcher focusing on the technical input of United, including the performance on the pitch.

Murtough’s main responsibilities will include leading the club’s operations and strategic plans off and on the pitch.

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The biggest responsibility certainly would be the recruitment of new players, something that the club has been ridiculed for over recent years. There certainly has been a new plan this summer, as United have been able to get the vast majority of their work done early in the window. This hasn’t been the case over recent transfer windows, with United signing Alex Telles, Edinson Cavani and Bruno Fernandes towards the end of the last summer and window windows.

Murtough is no stranger to those that work at the club, as he has been with United since David Moyes arrived at Old Trafford in 2013.

He was promoted to the club’s head of football development three years later, which has been a position that he has held up until his most recent promotion.

It is believed that Murtough impressed the club’s hierarchy during the formation of the women’s team, where the Liverpudlian was integral in helping find the right balance of players to lead the team. He was also a vital part of the overhaul of the United academy, and played a starring role in bringing in Hannibal

Mejbri. Finding the right players has been an important role in his position throughout his career, as he was previously the head of elite performance for the Premier League.

Murtough and Fletcher’s new roles have been pivotal this summer in giving Ole Gunnar Solskjaer good time to fine tune his squad ahead of the new season. Business being done early means that players have time to bed in before the start of the new Premier League season, despite the quick turnaround following the European Championships this past summer.

Judge Named Director of Football Negotiations There will be a big change in how United bring in stars over the coming months, with Ed Woodward recently revealing that he would be stepping back from his duties. Woodward announced his departure following the fallout from the Super League, which was condemned by fans across Europe. However, Matt Judge was already appointed to have an integral role in transfer strategies back in March, as he was promoted to the position of Director of Football Negotiations.

Since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, the job of agreeing transfer fees and contracts with incoming players has rested on the shoulders of Woodward, but that changed with the appointment of Judge. His arrival means that he will now be the driving force behind agreeing the deals that are best for both player and club. Judge isn’t based at the club’s training base as much as Murtough and Fletcher, as he regularly spends time behind the scenes in the London office.

Once again, it was a case of promoting from within with Judge, as he has been with the club since the summer of 2012.

He was appointed to a position to have a more hands on approach with transfers in 2016, as he would join Woodward in the negotiation phase of deals. Judge works closely with Murtough to help identify how the club can move forward from a player perspective.

The recruitment aspect of his position sees Judge work closely with the global network of scouts that United have. He will have direct links of communication with Mick Court and Marcel Bout to ensure that the right players are brought through the door to help United reach the next level. His role also sees him speak with agents of players to ensure that the move is something that the player wants, and makes sure that United aren’t used as a bargaining tool to help the player get a better deal at their current club. United have previously been stung by that tactic, most notably with Sergio Ramos. However. Judge’s position this summer has been essential in helping United tie down Raphael Varane to a deal at Old Trafford.

His position also sees him deal with existing United players, which includes both dealing with players that are surplus to requirements, and stars that the Red Devils wish to tie down to a new deal.

Judge could have a busy few months or so, as he will likely be the man in control of the Paul Pogba situation at Old Trafford, which promises to be a story that develops consistently throughout the summer transfer window, and likely throughout the season as his contract comes to an end.

The importance of both Judge and Murtough is integral to United moving forward, as they will both have huge parts to play if United are to get back to the top of the sport. Undoubtedly, the early signs are positive given what we have seen already in the summer transfer window, but their job is never finished. What United achieve on the pitch over the coming years will have a direct connection with the jobs that Murtough and Judge are doing, and fans will be hoping that the recruitment finetuning will end the wait for a trophy.

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Who will win Premier League 2021-22?

by Stefan Attard

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fter the football feast that we witnessed at the EURO 2020, us Manchester United fans are all counting down the days to Saturday the 14th of August for the return of the English Premier League as our attention now shifts to who will be crowned as English champions.

It is unlikely that there will be a winner other than the aforementioned teams with the bookies putting Tottenham 40/1, FA Cup winners Leicester City 50/1 and Arsenal, who are without European football for the first time in 25 years, at 50/1.

Manchester City will be looking to reclaim their title, though the likes of Chelsea Liverpool and more importantly Manchester United are set to pose threats to their crown.

Manchester City seem to be heavy favourites with the bookies to successfully defend their title and be crowned Premier League champions for an eighth time. Pep Guardiola’s side finished 12 points ahead of crosstown rivals Manchester United after a topsy-turvy start to the season severely impacted by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Manchester City are the overwhelming favourites with the bookmakers (4/6) to win the Premier League title for the fourth time in five seasons. Pep Guardiola’s side will begin their campaign on Sunday 15 August away to Tottenham Hotspur - a fixture they lost last season.

European champions Chelsea have odds of 5/1 to win the title and will certainly fancy their chances under Thomas Tuchel. The Blues beat City in the league, FA Cup and Champions League final in the space of six weeks last season but were fortunate to finish in the top four after losing at Aston Villa on the final day of the season, as Leicester conceded three late goals to Spurs and fourth place to the Blues.

Liverpool are also 5/1 to win back their title after their defence of the trophy hit severe turbulence midway through last season. They recovered to clinch a top-four place by winning their last five games of the season but finished 17 points adrift of City in third.

Manchester United finished second behind their neighbours and are 8/1 to claim the title. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side kick off their campaign at home to fierce rivals Leeds United.

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But the Citizens managed to cement their status as clear-cut frontrunners towards the back end of the campaign, and they will no doubt be raring to reclaim the crown. They narrowly missed out on clinching the coveted domestic quadruple - winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup – ultimately falling short of Champions League triumph, losing to Chelsea in the final. Throughout this summer’s transfer window, our neighbours are looking to strengthen their squad with England duo Harry Kane and Jack Grealish. If they manage to sign these world-class talents, they are likely to go all-out again this year.

Liverpool’s attempt at a title defence ultimately ended up being a disappointing one, as the Reds had an inconsistent and, at times, awry 2020-21 campaign despite starting it off strongly; their capabilities of even finishing in the top four a doubt after a dramatic dip in form were caused partly by the absence of defensive mainstay Virgil van Dijk. They, however, managed to claim a third-placed finish in the final day of the season after a last-gasp push – and Klopp’s side could very well keep up the momentum this year.

At the time of writing, Liverpool acquired just one signing with Ibrahima Konate joining the Merseyside club for £36m. Liverpool however lost Gini Wijnaldum who was very influential in his 5 years at the club. There is no denying that the Reds find themselves with a gaping hole in the middle of the park and undoubtedly they are desperate to see an ambitious signing to fill the gap. Compared to what rivals Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United have done in the transfer market, it seems that Liverpool need to do more to challenge their rivals.

Chelsea are also 5/1 to be crowned Premier League winners following Thomas Tuchel’s tremendous success with the London club, the German successfully winning the Champions League in his debut season.

The Blues are expected to challenge for more titles with an impressive roster of young forward talent, and if Tuchel’s side already got the better of Guardiola’s Manchester City in the Champions League final, they could very well dethrone them in the Premier League as well. Following last year’s incredible transfer window, it is interesting to see what investments they will be doing this summer.

The attack seems to be the only ‘weakness’ in this formidable Chelsea side. Chelsea are rumoured to be interested in Haaland; however, following last season’s expenditure coupled by Dortmund’s selling of Jadon Sancho, it seems unlikely that this transfer will happen this summer. If Chelsea manage to land a prolific striker they will certainly be genuine title contenders.

At the time of writing Man Utd are 8/1 to lift their first Premier League trophy since Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge of the club. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has had his fair share of

from signing world class exciting players in Jadon Sancho and Raphaël Varane, I am very impressed that the club has managed to do so without being held to ransom. The fact that both players expressed their desire to join Manchester United is also a good sign that the club is heading in the right direction.

I am sure that this season will be an exciting and a successful one for our beloved team!

critics, and the Europa League 2021 final loss will mean even more pressure mounting on him to deliver silverware. The Red Devils did finish second in the Premier League and it seems that uncertain times at Old Trafford are over. Indeed, I am a firm believer that something nice is brewing up at OT and our beloved manager has more glory in store for Manchester United.

This transfer window has turned out to be very different from those in recent memory. Apart

Who are the outsiders to win the Premier League?

Tottenham are 40/1 to be Premier League champions for the first ever time, following Jose Mourinho’s unceremonious dismissal from the club in 2021 with former Wolves coach Nuno Espirito Santo now taking on the reins. Santo impressed with former club Wolves, but whether he will be able to replicate the success with a heavyweight side club like Tottenham, who finished in disappointing seventh place, is another question. He will be facing problems if Harry Kane does indeed decide to leave Tottenham for another club this summer – but perhaps an armour change is just what Spurs need.

Arsenal and Leicester are both 50/1 to win the Premier League, with Arsenal’s miserable 8thplaced finish being compounded by a lack of qualification for European competition. Mikel

Arteta will be expected to at least inspire the Gunners into making a push for a top-four spot, so winning the Premier League outright this coming season might be too big of an ask.

Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester were surprise contenders to keep the pressure up on Manchester City at the top of the table last season, and were early favourites to secure a top-four spot at the expense of Chelsea or Liverpool. But the Foxes’ magnificent Premier League run - and Champions League hopes - all came undone towards the end of the campaign, when they failed to win their remaining games in hand to finish in the top four. Rodgers’ side could very well make another push for top four again this season, but if a fourth-placed finish is unfeasible, so is winning the league.

Upon looking at the potential Premier League winners it is very hard to predict a winner other than the previous season’s top 4. I personally think that this year the gap at the top will shorten significantly and the title race will go down to the wire. I also firmly believe that Manchester United can go all the way as the team that Ole managed to assemble is arguably the strongest that we have had since the title winning side of 2013. Here’s to an exciting and successful season ahead!

Glory Glory Man United!

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GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

by Iain McCartney

I

n the last issue of ‘Echoes’ I spoke of the development of the ‘Manchester United Graves Society’ and since writing that article, it has continued to flourish, with more resting places of United players being discovered. As I may have mentioned, it is a far from easy task and one that has no definitive road map as in how to go about things and find a particular cemetery or a crematorium. In all honesty, it is a mixture of amateur detective work and pure luck.

Before proceeding, I have to add that there are one or two players whose resting places I have found but will never be able to visit, nor obtain a photograph of their headstone for my records.

In the formative years of Newton Heath, two of their most noted individuals were brothers Roger and Jack Doughty, celebrated Welsh Internationals. I discovered that the brothers were both buried in the same Manchester cemetery – All Saints, Newton Heath, as were the likes of Herbert Dale, Charles Fenton and George Robinson, but on doing further research I was shocked to discover that the cemetery is no more and the land forms part of a school playground!

I am led to believe that many of the bodies were removed prior to the construction of the playground and re-buried in Phillips Park Cemetery, a short distance from City’s Etihad ground, but there are no markers or whatever to identify who is where.

Although cemeteries can be sad, depressing places, they can be interesting places to walk round, more so if you are to find the grave of a former United player or two. For those of you who travel from Malta to Manchester for games and want something a little different than a visit to the Trafford Centre, or you are looking for something to do in order to pass the time pre-match, then why not take a half hour walk down Chester Road and head towards Stretford Cemetery.

yards on the right is Lime Road, which takes you to the cemetery.

However, let us backtrack slightly. As you are walking down Chester Road, you will come to the Greatstone Hotel and on the opposite side of the road you will see a war memorial.

If you cross the road towards the memorial, or do it on the way back, there is a plaque on the wall behind the memorial which contains the name of the man whose goal won the FA Cup for United in 1909 – Alexander (Sandy)

Turnbull, who lost his life in May 1917 at Arras in France during the First World War. His body was never found.

But why are we heading to Stretford Cemetery, I hear you ask? Because it allows you to pay your respects to not one, but four [perhaps five, as will be explained] individuals with United connections.

Walking down Chester Road, keeping to the left, you will come to what used to be a cinema on the corner of Edge Lane [you can’t miss it], turn left here and about a couple of hundred Many are well aware of the fact that former club secretary, and stand-in manager, Walter Crickmer was buried here following his death at Munich and his headstone is easy to spot, a short walk down the main path from the front gate, as there is always a red, black and white scarf hanging from the cross of his headstone.

However, none of those who visit Walter’s grave are aware that they have walked past the grave of an England international who made one short of 200 appearances for United and also won a Football League international cap. The

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93, which can be found down behind the chapel in the centre of the main path.

Also in this Cemetery, on the same side as Crickmer, in section R1, grave 238 is Johnny Hanlon who played both pre- and post-war for United and also spent time as a prisoner of war during the hostilities in the 1940’s.

Hanlon was to make some 70 appearances for United, scoring 22 goals, having joined the club as a schoolboy in 1934 and leaving to join Bury in 1948.

player is goalkeeper Jack Mew, whose grave is just inside the gates on the left. I have to admit that I myself had walked past Jack Mew’s grave a couple of times before I knew that he was buried in this cemetery.

Mew joined United in July 1912 and left to join Barrow in 1926, having been awarded two benefits with the club. His solitary England cap came in October 1923 against Ireland, played by pure coincidence in his home town of Sunderland.

So, four United servants within a short walk of each other, but I did say that there was possibly five. That possible fifth is Maurice Setters, a hard tackling individual from the team of the early 1960’s. Maurice died in November 2020 and was cremated, but there was the possibility that his ashes were either going to be interred, or scattered at the grave of his young son who is buried in Stretford Cemetery. It has yet to be confirmed to me if either of those two actions

were carried out, as let me just say, things were far from straight forward.

Possibly there may be one or two more United people in Stretford Cemetery, but if so, they have still to be found. At least with this particular Cemetery, the individuals concerned have headstones, as is not always the case, as there are a few in Phillips Park and Gorton where there are none, just an empty space or two. This was something I also discovered when visiting three in the Glasgow area, where only one had a headstone. Sad, but unfortunately, due to red tape etc, there is not much that can be done, but the search will continue and if it is possible to do something to keep the names of those who wore the shirt alive, then it will be done.

On one of those visits, I had come to look for the grave of former manager Jack Robson, who had actually lived and died in one of the houses on what is now Sir Matt Busby Way. Jack’s grave can be found in Section G, grave

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The Fixtures until the end of year 2021

by Dr. Michael Calleja

P

re-season is usually characterised by two ‘major’ events. The first is the conventional sifting through social media platforms to find out if our beloved club is linked to the next superstar. The second ‘tradition’ is the release of the fixture list - with every fan normally checking out the all-important encounters (the Manchester Derby and fixtures against Liverpool - normally high on every United fan’s agenda).

For the purposes of this article, I will be giving a brief overview of the club’s fixtures till end of year 2021 (with our game on the 28th of December being the final encounter of the calendar year).

By the time this magazine is distributed, the club would have already commenced the season with a feisty encounter against Leeds United on the 14th of August. The Lilywhites certainly punched above their weight last season - surprising many a pundit as the team was expertly led by the enigmatic (if not controversial!) Marcelo Bielsa. It remains to be seen whether the club will be able to sustain a similar challenge this season (and not fall short of the ubiquitous ‘second season syndrome’).

However, a club like Leeds (with a fanatical support and proud history) certainly has all the ingredients in place to cement themselves in the ‘top 10’ of English football.

August comes to a conclusion with two tricky fixtures away to Southampton and Wolves

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(venues where United have often found the going extremely tough). Wolves in particular will have to do without Nuno Espirito Santo - a manager who managed to impose his identity and style of play on the club and similar expectations will now be placed on the shoulders of Bruno Lage. Whether or not Wolves can once again be the ‘surprise package’ that perennially stun the big boys remains to be seen.

September will see the club commence its Champions League obligations but on the domestic front, the Red Devils will be facing Newcastle at Old Trafford (in a fixture that has more often than not yielded the three

points). Following the Toon Army, Ole’s men next travel to East London to take on a re-galvanised West Ham United under David Moyes. This particular fixture often evokes painful memories (especially from the Upton Park days – think 1995) - but the entertainment is often unrelenting and nailbiting. The month ends with Aston Villa (less Jack Grealish!) at Old Trafford.

A brief look at our fixture list for October/ November will certainly lead to our hearts pounding that little bit faster. October in particular sees United take on Everton (H), Leicester (A), Liverpool (H) and Tottenham (A). Four huge fixtures that will certainly have

fans on the edge of their seats. The pre-season friendly vs Everton might have been a ‘walk in the park’ but the league game will be a different proposition altogether. The Toffees will be stronger and tactically astute – especially with Rafa Benitez at the helm. We will certainly be hoping for a much better performance at Leicester considering last season’s 2-2 draw and a lethargic performance in the cup that saw United crash out 1-3. Next on the list is Jurgen Klopp’s men – and the annual battle at Old Trafford. Our Merseyside rivals will surely boast a rejuvenated Van Dijk and Gomez – both of whom shall certainly be marshalling the Liverpool defense. One can only hope for a much better performance than the 2-4 loss suffered last season. The month concludes with a trip to Spurs - and another determined and dogged performance that brought us three crucial points will certainly work wonders!

November will also see United taking on three of ‘the big six’ within the space of 30 days. On the 6th of November is the Manchester Derby with the Champions coming to Old Trafford.

It certainly promises to be one of the games of the season and will no doubt cement our credentials for the title...especially if we manage to beat Pep Guardiola’s men. The club next travels to newly promoted Watford - although no introduction is necessary considering ‘the Hornets’ only spent one year in the Championship. Memories of a very painful 1-3 defeat back in 2016 (under

José Mourinho) still irks most fans to this day. Solskjaer will have to ensure his men are fit and prime to take on the Londoners’ challenge of both Chelsea (A) and Arsenal (H) within the space of three days. Still basking from their European glory, Chelsea away will be a huge game for the Red Devils although our recent results at the Bridge have been more than decent (considering our previously poor record). Meanwhile, our game against Arsenal will see the Reds trying to avenge last year’s damaging defeat (0-1) at home when Ole’s men suffered from an overwhelmingly lacklustre performance.

December, as always, will prove to be both busy and challenging - although at least navigable. The Reds first face Palace at

home (do note that we have lost both fixtures against them at home during both 2019/20 and 2020/21!) before taking on Norwich away.

The club then faces newly promoted Brentford (and judging by their pre-season exploits) at Old Trafford will certainly be a very tough nut to crack! The Reds then round up the year by welcoming Brighton before travelling to the cold North to take on Newcastle on Boxing Day! Here’s hoping for another majestic second half performance like last season.

Finally, on the 28th of December, we welcome Burnley - a squad which notoriously enjoys ‘parking the bus’ and frustrating us in front of our home fans.

With new signings and an improved squaddepth, United fans should certainly look forward to a 38-game marathon that will certainly serve as a ‘make or break’ campaign for the Manager. Can the club successfully mount a title challenge or will the long, agonising wait for a trophy persist? Judging from the above, some huge wins in October/ November would surely set us up nicely for the business end of the season!

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instances have sort of changed over the years, due to changes in culture.

New season, same ambition

by Daniel Cuschieri

A

t time of writing this, the league match against Leeds United has just finished. A very impressive performance from the team which should stand as a marker for the following season. Due to COVID, people around the world have missed the atmosphere, the intensity and the excitement that a home game brings with it. The simple things that we took for granted, COVID-19 in my opinion has shown everybody around the world that together, people become stronger.

Last season, United finished in a very respectable position. However this club has not been accustomed to enjoying second place or finishing second in a cup by losing the final. Losing the final last year should place a certain amount of determination and experience, and the younger players who have got their first taste of defeat, which will or should be part of the foundation in their career, whereby that experience will help them overcome obstacles in the future which should lead to winning trophies. We can say the same thing happened to the English national team, where an experience in finals has shown throughout the team where they fell short at the final hurdle.

number of forwards, but in my opinion they aren’t the typical number 9. Cavani is still a world class striker but one must agree that age is not on his side, but that does not take away his scoring prowess. That position may be filled next season where I believe the measure is recruiting players for a long term basis, which players who are currently in the squad will have the ambition and mental strength to handle the pressure on a weekly basis and turn out performances that are expected of a Manchester United player, and also maintain an image of being a Manchester United player. These

I think that the recruitment this season was done very swiftly by shoring up the back line and also bringing in Sancho to create a strong right-side, which the club has missed for a number of years since the departure of Ronaldo and also Valencia prior to his injury who filled up the role quite well but still Valencia had strengths which complemented the side in that period.

This squad is full of youth. One player who continues to raise doubts, not about displaying ability but his commitment, is Paul Pogba. This is his final season whereby he can sign a pre-contract in January and will be free to leave the club next summer while continuing to play this season for our club. What is happening behind the scenes still leaves much to be discussed.

The other teams such as Chelsea have continued to build on their success in the European Cup as they are the Champions of Europe, Manchester City have also beefed up their squad while Liverpool welcome back a number of players from injury notably Van Dijk, who in previous seasons was the cornerstone of Liverpool’s defence and one cannot say that he isn’t a very good asset to Liverpool’s playing squad.

I think that the squad is strong enough to take on the challenge of competing for all trophies that they will be playing in but realistically I find it hard to believe that we are ready to take the title from Manchester City. The issue I see is that United lose points, such as draws, against the lesser teams, which if such victories were attained, Manchester City might have had a tougher challenger to the title. This does not mean

This summer, the club has shown its priorities by recruiting Sancho and quite recently Varane, which are world-class players and are being serviced by the worldclass marketing team working behind the scenes to ensure debt decline from certain revenues, and still not impacting the clubs finances to an extent that recruitment was not carried out. The team appears to be very strong in a lot of areas which one would say that the only light position the club has is the centre forward position. There are a

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that I am playing down the club’s chances for the title but I am trying to be realistic and taking one game at a time. This manager is receiving a lot of criticism which is unjust due to the fact that he is trying to build something that will last 10 years, whereas our rivals over the same period of time over the last 20 years have built squads and used the same terminology that said Alex Ferguson used whereby a playing squad would last approximately 6 to 10 years depending on the player and start to bring in new blood to ‘service’ the old blood. We have seen this with Chelsea and we have also seen this with Manchester City which if one looks at their playing squad right now, the original purchases made from the first few titles have now begun to retire or being sold off as the younger players have now gathered enough experience to take on the mantle from their predecessors.

Unfortunately, once Sir Alex left and also David Gill, that left a power vacuum and also a lack of experience at managerial and also board level which is evident as the club’s performances downturned and also players were purchased on a haphazard basis.

Now we are seeing a foundation being built to last a number of years and patience is required with the manager to get things done right. Right does not mean winning trophies. Right in my opinion means playing

to the best of your abilities and ensuring that with the shirt you wear, you do yourself and the club justice. People have the perception that the club is entitled to winning trophies.

Unfortunately that is not the case. We can see that there are a number of strong footballing teams in the English Premier League, which not only raises the bar for the product that the Premier League sells, but also raises the level that fans get to get to see and also one must agree that having a number of teams fighting for the same title is more exciting than watching a two horse race or a one horse race, something which is found in other countries.

Now is the time that the consolidation of all areas within the club can help aid the manager to bring home a trophy, which could set the marker for further trophies to come back to Old Trafford. I believe the success of Sir Alex Ferguson has become a legacy for the club, which some will see as a burden but others must see it as a catalyst for the future as that man was a relentless winner and every day in your daily job, you carry out your work by doing it in the best manner possible, which should yield to winning over customers. Fans are the club’s customers and if a strong planting is not there, new fans will want to go and support the new clubs on the block with fancy players and strong playing teams, the same thing that

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happened to us as we grew up in a luxury of watching our team win countless trophies.

The same thing happened to Liverpool fans during the 80s and nowadays you would see the Barcelona, Real Madrid and the emergence of Manchester City, Chelsea and the resurrection of the team playing in the red colour in Merseyside.

Time will pass and as the season goes on we will know what plans are in place already for next season, as it seems the manager already has one eye on the replacements he needs to win the title. I would love to see Manchester United back to how it was at the end of the 90s and also towards the middle of the 2000s, challenging for the European Cup as we have only three triumphs. Other teams have a lot more, while a team built over 20 years already has two titles, and one of ours we won against them.

During my first visit to Old Trafford when the players were introduced onto the pitch you would hear: “Please welcome the Champions of England, the Champions of Europe and the Champions of the World”.

I think it has a very lovely ring to it and we need to get it back blasting through the doors and the speakers of Old Trafford.

Bring it on!

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