Author Topic: Manchester United Clear-out?  (Read 9953 times)

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Manchester United Clear-out?
« Reply #25 on: 19 December, 2018, 06:52:43 pm »
There is something faintly dull about winning all the time

I don't know. I am loving the way Man City and Liverpool are slugging it out at the moment like Foreman and Ali. We could well end up with two teams on 95+ points by the end of this season, which is astonishing, and both sides are playing football that is at times literally breathtaking, and beautifully brutal in its ruthless efficiency.

Mind you, I say this as someone who grew up in the 70s and 80s following non-league football (Maidstone United), so I also appreciate the joy of watching a motley assembly of cloggers and thugs, plying their trade on mudbath pitches and turning out results that were as inconsistent as their skill level deserved (turgid 0-1 defeat one week, thrilling 6-4 victory the next).

The current Man United team is neither one thing nor the other, an upper-mid-table team that isn't living up to its potential but isn't really that bad either, and certainly isn't playing attractive football even when it wins.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: Manchester United Clear-out?
« Reply #26 on: 19 December, 2018, 07:55:19 pm »
I despise Man Utd, despite my dad being a fan. But to be fair, he did actaully grow up in Manchester rather than your usual fans from Surrey.
That old chestnut.  ::-) Having grown up in Manchester (with family still there) it is my opinion that
there are almost as many City supporters in the conurbation as there are United fans.

It think the comment is more about the number and proportion of fans that are not from Manchester than the ones that are. When I lived in Manchester I far preferred to go to Maine Road. Much more passion and loyalty than at Old Trafford, which was full of cynical expectation. Maine Road generally laughed at itself (and hated OT, of course  :-D )
Grew up in Moss Side (Claremont Road, in front of Alex Park), for those that know the area.
Our family should have been City supporters (used to go into Maine Road on match days when
they opened the gates 15 minutes before the end to let supporters out). I remember from
1969* to 1974 United were rubbish, but felt sorry for them, as teams regularly used to put 3
or 4 goals past them. I remember Ron Davis (Southampton), Francis Lee (City) and Martin
Peters (Spurs) all scoring hat-tricks against United at Old Trafford in 4-1 victories for their teams.

Oh, and my eldest sister and her school friends all fancied George Best and Willie Morgan, so we
also joined her in support for United.


*United did reach the European Cup semi-final in 69 and lost in League Cup semi-final to City
in 70, and a FA Cup Semi-Final to Leeds in the same year.

Re: Manchester United Clear-out?
« Reply #27 on: 19 December, 2018, 08:43:43 pm »
United were the first English team to win the European cup in 1968, ten years after the Munich air disaster. That's what cemented their status.

Re: Manchester United Clear-out?
« Reply #28 on: 19 December, 2018, 09:12:36 pm »
United were the first English team to win the European cup in 1968, ten years after the Munich air disaster. That's what cemented their status.
Not quite. United were a very good side throughout the 50s, with good home support.
They received much sympathy after 1958, thus, drawing in some nationwide support.
Even when they went into the old second division they were drawing in 50,000* plus crowds.

* 60,685 in a 3-2 victory over Sunderland in November 1974.

Re: Manchester United Clear-out?
« Reply #29 on: 19 December, 2018, 09:49:00 pm »
Newcastle have always had the same level of crowds - 50,000 plus, even on their occasional shorter-than- Manchester Utd stays in the lower division.  I think most of them come from Tyneside and Durham, too!  Never needed trophies to boost the appeal - just good solid football fanaticism!

Re: Manchester United Clear-out?
« Reply #30 on: 19 December, 2018, 10:55:15 pm »
Oh, and my eldest sister and her school friends all fancied George Best and Willie Morgan, so we also joined her in support for United.
My brother used to deliver George Best's papers.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Manchester United Clear-out?
« Reply #31 on: 19 December, 2018, 10:59:46 pm »
My cousin's boyfriend sold a car to Kevin Keegan.

Oh sorry, wrong club!

(while he was playing for Liverpool, or perhaps shortly after; not while he was managing Manchester City!)

Edit: not Newcastle either!

2nd edit: Actually could have been when he was playing for Newcastle. The years would possibly fit but cousin grew up in Liverpool (well, Birkenhead).
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: Manchester United Clear-out?
« Reply #32 on: 19 December, 2018, 11:01:00 pm »
Not at all - played for and managed Newcastle.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Manchester United Clear-out?
« Reply #33 on: 19 December, 2018, 11:03:16 pm »
Hmm, you've got me wondering now.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Manchester United Clear-out?
« Reply #34 on: 19 December, 2018, 11:07:48 pm »
I had a pint in a pub standing next to Bryan Robson.

Those were the days.
It is simpler than it looks.

Re: Manchester United Clear-out?
« Reply #35 on: 19 December, 2018, 11:09:27 pm »
Oh, and my eldest sister and her school friends all fancied George Best and Willie Morgan, so we also joined her in support for United.

What a rubbish reason for supporting a football club.

I have far more respect for City fans as even after they went to shit, got relegated, then got relegated again - their fans still turned up every week. If that happened to United, Old Trafford would be empty in no time. Everyone would just be supporting which ever team was currently succesful. Or which ever team had players that their sisters fancied....
Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Manchester United Clear-out?
« Reply #36 on: 19 December, 2018, 11:22:29 pm »
Just think of all the wasted prawn sandwiches.
It is simpler than it looks.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Manchester United Clear-out?
« Reply #37 on: 19 December, 2018, 11:29:26 pm »
I recall Man Utd being relegated in the 1970s and I don't think their attendance dropped a lot. IIRC they were promoted again straight away so it must have been quite an enjoyable season for the fans, watching them win pretty well every game.

Testing my memory to the limit (I used to take a bit of interest in football in those days, being in a northern college with a lot of different types of supporters) it was a late goal by Denis Law, playing for City, that sent them down.

I actually went to Old Trafford to watch a match that season - Newcastle were the opponents. I went with a couple of Geordies (actually, one was from the Deep Sooth - Sunderland) so we kept pretty quiet. The most memorable part of the match was Jim Holton being sent off for headbutting Malcolm McDonald.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Manchester United Clear-out?
« Reply #38 on: 19 December, 2018, 11:36:17 pm »
Someone from Sunderland would be mortified to be referred to as the Deep South of Newcastle.
It is simpler than it looks.

Re: Manchester United Clear-out?
« Reply #39 on: 19 December, 2018, 11:44:04 pm »

A Palestinian friend of my younger daughter who lives in Jerusalem was devastated when Mourinho was sacked.

A lot of fans are devastated about Mourinho being sacked, mainly because if Man. U get a proper manager then they will start beating other teams week in week out.
With him in charge it was most entertaining watching them struggle.
Jose actually looked happy as he was driven out of OT. Mind, with a £ 22million payoff, he should be.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Manchester United Clear-out?
« Reply #40 on: 20 December, 2018, 12:03:54 am »
Someone from Sunderland would be mortified to be referred to as the Deep South of Newcastle.

It was a quote from a pretty decent Newcastle-based folk guitarist who visited our college. I think he was called Les Keating. It may well have been directed at My Mate Terry Who Art (now) in Sibton.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Manchester United Clear-out?
« Reply #41 on: 20 December, 2018, 12:06:44 am »
Paddle steamers cross the Wear, avoiding the gators, from jazz band to cotton field.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Manchester United Clear-out?
« Reply #42 on: 20 December, 2018, 12:12:18 am »
Someone from Sunderland would be mortified to be referred to as the Deep South of Newcastle.

It was a quote from a pretty decent Newcastle-based folk guitarist who visited our college. I think he was called Les Keating. It may well have been directed at My Mate Terry Who Art (now) in Sibton.

As a postscript, I just found Les Keating on facebook. He was a former student at my college and was a good enough amateur guitarist to be invited back to the folk club after he left. It appears that he qualified as a teacher in the summer of 1972, and I started that autumn, so there was no overlap.

Sorry, totally off topic. Have the thread back again!
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Re: Manchester United Clear-out?
« Reply #43 on: 20 December, 2018, 09:14:26 am »

What a rubbish reason for supporting a football club.

I have far more respect for City fans as even after they went to shit, got relegated, then got relegated again - their fans still turned up every week. If that happened to United, Old Trafford would be empty in no time. Everyone would just be supporting which ever team was currently succesful. Or which ever team had players that their sisters fancied....
I did say that I felt sorry for United, as teams beat them regualarly in the late 60s and early 70s.
I could easlilyhave followed City (as they were in the ascendency and less than half a mile down
the road). The fact that my sister and friends fancied a couple of good looking blokes in the public
eye is something girls and women will always do, nothing wrong with that.


I get the impression you loathe United fans, even those who have followed the club through
good times and bad. ::-)

Re: Manchester United Clear-out?
« Reply #44 on: 20 December, 2018, 09:52:02 am »
I get the impression you loathe United fans, even those who have followed the club through good times and bad. ::-)

No. Read and understand what I've actually said. I've already mentioned my dad is Man U. I'm cool with that as he actually spent most of his childhood in Manchester. What I object to is all the twats that "support" United despite living several hundred miles away and couldn't even point to Manchester on a map. And have most certainly never been there.....
Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!

Re: Manchester United Clear-out?
« Reply #45 on: 20 December, 2018, 11:34:08 am »
I despise Man Utd,
I hope your mother is proud of you for having such hatred in your personality. ::-)

Re: Manchester United Clear-out?
« Reply #46 on: 20 December, 2018, 02:23:39 pm »
I despise Man Utd,
I hope your mother is proud of you for having such hatred in your personality. ::-)

My mother is dead. She hated football anyway....
Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!

Re: Manchester United Clear-out?
« Reply #47 on: 20 December, 2018, 02:32:15 pm »
Mourino must be pretty hacked off with Klopp by now.

He was sacked by Real Madrid not long after being thumped by Dortmund.
Sacked by Chelsea after being beaten by Liverpool
And now the same again at Man U.

Oh and on the footballing tenuous claims to fame I used to deliver Ian St Johns Liverpool Echo
“There is no point in using the word 'impossible' to describe something that has clearly happened.”
― Douglas Adams

Re: Manchester United Clear-out?
« Reply #48 on: 21 December, 2018, 03:38:58 pm »
I think United are best giving Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a run. I can't see Mauricio Pochettino leaving Spurs as he's brought them from bang average to pretty good. Taking the Man U job as a high profile manager is a poisoned chalice. Depsite what I've previoulsy said, I don't wish any ill on United, but they've got to start from the ground up. Just hiring a manager for huge sums of money won't fix the problems....
Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!

Re: Manchester United Clear-out?
« Reply #49 on: 21 December, 2018, 03:44:15 pm »
Pochettino will cost at least £32m to buy out from his Spurs contract too (he recently signed a 5 year extension with no early release clauses).

Doesn't mean it won't happen though.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."