The much awaited draw for the European Champions League has given Manchester United an eminently winnable group which should see them qualify for the knockout stages without harming their Premiership hopes. But it will by no means be an easy task – no European Cup group ever is. Two leg matches against Glasgow Rangers, Spains Valencia and Turkeys Champions League debutants Bursaspor should nevertheless see United getting out of Group C successfully.
Four 6-0 defeats in just 20 Premier League matches! So what’s going on? Could there have been such a yawning gap created between the top and bottom of the league? Manchester United could have easily made it five 6-0 scorelines had they taken even half the hatful of chances that went begging in the 3-0 defeat of Newcastle in their opening game. Yet the newly promoted Magpies came back themselves to inflict a six goal hammering of Aston Villa a few days later.
While many Manchester United fans would love nothing better than to secure a 19th Premier League title at the end of the upcoming season in order to break the record shared with bitter rivals Liverpool, manager Sir Alex Ferguson concedes that his main objective is to obtain a fourth European Champions League saying that “For me, during the history of this club, the European Cup is a big attraction. That must be a priority.”
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When we emphasise that Truly Reds is a Manchester United blog for Manchester United fans, it may sound like the bleedin’ obvious but there’s a reason why that basic statement needs to be made on this occasion. Truly Reds has written in the past about the rising costs of watching football and why the game faces a bleak future. It’s a future which every fan should be worried about whether they support United or any other club which is why the following essay from a Liverpool fan is being featured in this Manchester United blog. Just replace any reference made to LFC with a United or any other Premier League club one and these comments become equally applicable.
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With more talent than Sir Alex Ferguson can handle at Manchester United next season, many other Premier League clubs have been knocking on the door at Old Trafford in the hope that a short term move can be arranged for some of the Reds youngsters. Blackburn Rovers has been the first to benefit from that embarrassment of riches by taking striker Mame Biram Diouf on a season long loan to Ewood Park.
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If the name John Carey is mentioned to most Manchester United fans today, the response is likely to be a blank stare together with a puzzled question of John who? Yet Carey was the man Sir Matt Busby put his faith in to lead the first of his many teams after taking over the reins at a bombed out Old Trafford when World War 2 came to an end. The Irishman went on to captain the side at Wembley in the 4-2 defeat of Blackpool in the 1948 FA Cup Final and was four times runners up in the old First Division between 1946/47 and 1950/51 before United finally clinched the title in 1951/52.
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