Having had a chance to calm down and get over the disappointment of United throwing away another lead late on in a game, I’ve taken advantage of the benefits of Sky + and re-watched the game against Birmingham from Tuesday night to try and figure out what went wrong and why in that rather damp affair.

Following the full-time whistle, my immediate reaction was to lay most of the blame for the teams mediocre performance mainly at the feet of Darren Gibson, a man I’ve often described as a “Champ Manager 14’er.” What this means is that, in Champ Manager terms, most of his stats (passing, pace, technique, tackling) would be 14 out of 20, with the possible exception that his long shots may reach as high as 16 out of 20. Another explanation I’ve heard to summarise his ability is that, “he’d do well at Villa.”

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Having had a chance to calm down and get over the disappointment of United throwing away another lead late on in a game, I’ve taken advantage of the benefits of Sky + and re-watched the game against Birmingham from Tuesday night to try and figure out what went wrong and why in that rather damp affair.

Following the full-time whistle, my immediate reaction was to lay most of the blame for the teams mediocre performance mainly at the feet of Darren Gibson, a man I’ve often described as a “Champ Manager 14’er.” What this means is that, in Champ Manager terms, most of his stats (passing, pace, technique, tackling) would be 14 out of 20, with the possible exception that his long shots may reach as high as 16 out of 20. Another explanation I’ve heard to summarise his ability is that, “he’d do well at Villa.”

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The memories of a seven year old child normally last a lifetime as  Manchester United supporter Jonathan Howcroft can testify after meeting one of his childhood heroes thousands of miles away from home. Denmark international Jesper Olsen spent four years from 1984 at United winning an FA Cup in his first season, before settling in Melbourne with his family following a serious injury which forced his retirement in 1992.

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The 2-1 pre season defeat in Kansas City by the Wizards this morning was not the first suffered in America by Manchester United. The club has been visiting the country for decades while a number of former stars have either played there for a few years towards the end of their careers or started a new life on the other side of the world. One of those who may be remembered is Gordon Hill who was brought to Old Trafford by former manager Tommy Docherty in November 1975 for £70,000 from Millwall at the age of 21.
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