Having been invited to Old Trafford this afternoon to watch the Champions of England, I was surprised at the mood around the place and the obvious displeasure of the crowd towards the owners in light of the revelations this week. Being a Magpie, disputes against its owners is something that I am use to, but I feel that supporters have taken a large bite of the negative bait that the media have been swinging around Old Trafford in the past few weeks.
Before I go into the ins and outs of my view of the situation, I must set the record straight that I think it is an absolute disgrace the way United were bought on borrowed money by the Glazers. It is terrible for the club to be in such a predicament, but should the Americans run into trouble then there really will be no shortage of takers willing to bail a club like United out and be prepared to wipe out the debt. I actually fail to see how this proposed Bond scheme is a negative thing for the club, if anything it should surely be seen as a positive step.
One thing that has been prevalent in the past few weeks is this media swing against United. There was a time when United were the darlings of the Press (probably scared of getting on the wrong side of Fergie), but this season there has been a definite negative swing towards them, which is ridiculous considering these are the champions of the previous three seasons and still the best team in the country at present. For a club that is reportedly riddled with problems, poor players and being found out, I can’t help feel that 99% of the Premier League would love to have their problems as they sit second in the table, still in the Champions League and will probably go on and win a successive Carling Cup. What surprised me though sitting in the Stretford End and drinking in the City before and after the game was that some United fans seem to have bought into what they have read and are showing signs of negativity and believing there are actually a variety problems at the club. It is an absolute myth and while perhaps United haven’t been firing all cylinders this season, it must be said that they did lose the world’s best footballer, the talisman of their team and have had to adjust their formation and style accordingly. This transition was never going to happen overnight and while the media choose to look upon it as some sort of crisis, it really couldn’t be further from the truth.
Quite why the Press have chosen to stick the knife in at United is uncertain, but they are way off the mark. My experience today tells me however that they have managed to hook a few followers, but those who have should realise that they are simply falling for this agenda that Fleet Street has against United. Say what you want about the Glazers but their time at United has brought success and they have never prevented Fergie in his quest to bring success to Old Trafford. There plan to introduce a Bond Scheme is perhaps an insurance to safeguard the future of the club, but it is also to ensure that what United have become accustomed to in building and maintaining success remains a constant theme, for years to come.
Written By Kevin Watson