A funny one to begin, this. It is a funny article to write truth be told, but to begin is to pinpoint the moment everything became a void of negativity and suffering, the precise moment any kind of optimism left the body of the last man through the door – right now it’s shite being a Manchester United fan, regardless of your rationality.
This may come across as the ramblings of a lunatic, but I’ve had the need to speak out inside me for a few weeks now and I have, in places, aired my discontent at the state we supporters find ourselves in, the divide in the camp that was once united not only in name. The last week has been the pantheon of twattish behaviour and it is now getting to the moment where we fans need to be ashamed of ourselves and how we are acting, and rejoin with one common cause – Manchester United F.C.
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So what has led to this, I hear you cry? Fever pitch was some weeks ago when a select few suddenly decided that any positive story in the mainstream media was completely and utterly false, and every negative one was true. It got to the stage where Sky Sports could have reported that Sir Alex Ferguson was cloned but 40 years younger and got the job, with an interview and official unveiling and people still wouldn’t have believed it, but tell them Ed Woodward rejected the opportunity to sign Keemar Roofe and the place erupted. “Useless”, “disgrace”, “the club is going nowhere” were the cries on social media when the negatives came calling; “why would he want to join us?”, “never gonna happen”, “more bullshit” the calls when a ray of sunshine broke through the mirk, almost as if the ever so reliable Daily Record suddenly became toilet paper over night (or vice versa). It grew tiresome very quickly for me reading, but I can only imagine how consuming it was for the angry party.
After a few draining games of ‘which positive can I piss on today’ came the next new hobby we fans decided to take up; hound out the locals. Ironic really, thinking to the League of Gentlemen sketch where local people rule, the United fans treatment of Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford couldn’t be further from that, in fact it’s tantamount to what we were all criticising Liverpool fans for doing to Lori’s Karius last season, it is an absolute disgrace. First came the suits in the Treble Reunion. Why should they be in club gear, lads? They weren’t representing the club, they were there for television, just because you wouldn’t wear it and they did look ridiculous doesn’t warrant them being sold.
Fast forward to the first of “them” videos, two lads just enjoying themselves on holiday, singing a stupid song and having fun. How dare they, right? Roy Keane wouldn’t have stood for this (like he did when Lee Sharpe and Ryan Giggs were partying and celebrating with synchronised handshakes, but there you go), he’d have smacked them about wouldn’t he! They want to be in a dark room, crying, like I do when I have a poor patch at work… I’m not even getting in to the reaction for this last video, apparently showing us his hotel room and a bit of swearing is enough to offend a 50-odd-year-old bloke into new levels of “embarrassment” that swiftly make him forget what it was like to be in your 20’s. Fuck off, and take it elsewhere thanks.
The last part comes with my own frustrations attached, an empathy almost. There is an apathy now amongst almost every United fan around, slow in the transfer market and no Director of Football on the way is obviously going to have that effect on us all and I agree that it is morale sapping to see this happen to the club, but I don’t need it ramming down my throat every 30 seconds, thank you. Every account on Facebook or Twitter are posting the same thing but worded slightly differently, I am subjected to minutely reminders about the state of the club, and the transfers, and this, and Lingard, and that. And then when United finally do go to sign someone we get the usual spiel of it being penny pinching, or he’s too young and we need proven, or he’s proven and we need young, cost too much, overrated, simply not good enough, only end up ruined, “it’ll still be Jones and Smalling though”, like the poster is original and not just rehashing a tweet he saw a minute earlier.
Quite frankly, there are a lot of things wrong with United currently, and we shouldn’t think for a minute that we aren’t included. Hashtags are as much use as chocolate teapots, the time to act isn’t after you’ve celebrated the glory days it’s there and then, the constant moaning is only going to further the rift and this hounding of players has to stop. Paul Pogba wants out? Are you surprised, really? I’m not saying he is the best player ever, but the lad stood there at the last game and took everything hurled at him, do you get that in work? Would you stand for it? Would you shite.
Right now is as far from the football club I grew up watching, far from the one I fell in deep love with and have seen win everything there is available, as you could possibly wish to get and I understand the frustrations being felt by everyone, but there are ways and means. Hashtags are harmless for the right cause, but voting with feet would make an impression, hounding players and overreacting to them so much as sneezing will put others off from joining, this behaviour is disgraceful and must stop now before it becomes a mindset for the younger generations, and I know it may be difficult to do, but perhaps if you have an opinion then check if 6.8bn others haven’t said it before you, it saves time for us all.
