SOCCER SPORT !

[tribe125]

It is tough to watch Manchester United having the problems they are.

The saddest part is that United have become just another club. Disconnected ownership, very little coming through from the youth team, and managers from the celebrity manager carousel. United used to be above and apart from all that.

I spend more time here talking about my second club Watford, but I became an accidental Watford supporter by living within walking distance of their ground for most of my adult life. I became a United supporter in 1962 when a boy in the school playground was talking excitedly about Denis Law joining United from Torino. We had no local team so I started to follow Denis Law and Manchester United. There was a huge swell of support for United in those days. The Munich air crash was fresh in people's memories, with mental images of Matt Busby in an oxygen tent, and nobody quite able to believe that Duncan Edwards was dead. There was widespread goodwill towards United, and all but the most partisan supporters of rival clubs wanted them to do well. Denis Law remained my football idol even after George Best came along. George Best is still the most talented player I have ever seen, though, and that includes the likes of Pele, Maradona and Messi.

Football has changed so much. Matt Busby used to motivate his players by pointing at the factories of Trafford Park and saying that they had a duty to brighten those people's lives on a Saturday afternoon. Ticket prices were kept at a level that the factory worker could afford. Today, United, like most big clubs, is a brand with only a tenuous connection to its community. It remained 'different' because of Ferguson, but there won't be another Busby or Ferguson.

It's difficult now for United. Do they attempt to restore some semblance of tradition with Ryan Giggs or do they confess that they're just like everyone else by swapping one celebrity manager for another every two or three years? They're much the same these big-name managers, except that some are on the upward trend of their two or three year cycle and some are on the downward trend. All of them play a safety-first variant of 4-5-1, even if it may be dressed up as something more positive. It's a bit depressing, and the managerial soap opera is even more depressing. I'd rather United stood aside from it, even if that led to limited success in the next few years. The appointment of someone like Mourinho would confirm that the United of today is only superficially the United of Matt Busby and Denis Law.

[OTGabe]

[Raza]

Stoke 4-3 over Everton. That's a lot of goals for one match.

[OTGabe]

Wow, Chelsea and United miss goals by inches in the opening 4 minutes. Speaks to how the season has gone for both teams.

[Raza]

Amazing to look at all the talent not being used in the United-Chelsea match. It's funny...a couple of years ago these teams came together for one of the most boring 0-0 draws ever. This was much better, but with the same result.

[shameless]

Rooney could have got van Gaal out of the mire but typically of late couldn't finish - the writing is on the wall

[shameless]

Rooney could have got van Gaal out of the mire but typically of late couldn't finish - the writing is on the wall

can there be another manager so completely devoid of emotion as van Gaal ?

[tribe125]

can there be another manager so completely devoid of emotion as van Gaal ?

Alf Ramsey.

I'm sure van Gaal has the same emotions as everyone else, but doesn't feel the need to display them.

[shameless]

Alf Ramsey.

I'm sure van Gaal has the same emotions as everyone else, but doesn't feel the need to display them.

he didn't express very well thats true and became completely lacking in emotion in 1999 - i really was referring to present day PL managers Pelligrini is quiet but does occasionally get out of his seat !!

[Steppy]

Great result for Leicester. They continue to surprise and amaze