 TEDDY’S CORNER

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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 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 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