Echoes from Old Trafford - December 2021

NEWSPAPER POST

Volume 49- Issue 2, December 2021

“If a club like Manchester United contacts you for such a role, you cannot possibly turn it down.”

Ralf Rangnick

Manchester United Supporters’ Club-Malta Founded 1959, is officially recognized by the Manchester United Football Club.

In this issue  EDITORIAL ENGLISH................................................................................

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 EDITORJAL BIL-MALTI..............................................................................

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 CLUB NEWS.............................................................................................  EDINBURGH REDS’ 20 ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION DINNER.............

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 Y&Z PERSPECTIVES .............................................................................

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 THE JANUARY TRANSFER WINDOW: BUSINESS TO BE DONE?.............

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 OLE’S REIGN - MY PERSPECTIVE..........................................................

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 MEET THE COMMITTEE - ROBERT MUSCAT..........................................

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advertising executive Glenn Lucas contributors

Dr. Michael Calleja Clint Camilleri

Marvin Grech Braden Galea

Robert Mizzi Kevin, Justyn and Wayne Tabone

Iain McCartney Silvio Scicluna

Kenneth Abela Alex Dudley

Daniel Cuschieri Ray Calleja

Stefan Attard Dr. Robert Muscat

printing Progress Press graphic designer James Trapani

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 ROBBO: THE BRYAN ROBSON STORY.................................................

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 THE CURRENT MAN UTD SITUATION - WHAT’S GOING WRONG? .......

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 SURPRISE PACKAGES AND DISAPPOINTING TEAMS OF 2021...............

editorial team Clint Camilleri · Braden Galea · Dr. Michael Calleja

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 TEDDY’S CORNER.................................................................................

 MEET THE COMMITTEE - MARVIN GRECH............................................

Official publication of the Manchester United Supporters’ Club Malta

patron Sir Alex Ferguson club founder John Calleja club president Joseph Tedesco

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club committee  MANCHESTER UNITED REMAINING FIXTURES FOR 2021 COMPARED TO THEIR RIVALS...............................................................

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 GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN................................................................

Joseph Tedesco

President

Robert Muscat

Vice-President & Tours Coordinator

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Clint Camilleri

Secretary. Media & Design Coordinator

Kevin Tabone

Treasurer & PRO

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Braden Galea Asst. Secretary & Webmaster & Publishing Coordinator

 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NIGHTS..............................................................

Egidio Sciberras  CHANGING OF THE GUARD .................................................................

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Assistant Treasurer

Robert Mizzi

Membership Secretary

Marvin Grech Glenn Lucas

Match Tickets Coordinator Advertising Executive & Sports Activities Coordinator

Matthew Portelli O’Toole

Club & Events Manager

Etienne Tabone

MALTA MALTA

FOUNDED 1959

Quarries Square Street, Msida MSD 1101 Malta.

Telephone: +356 21223531 E‑mail: info@manutd‑malta.com Website: www.manutd‑malta.com Based in Msida, Malta, we are a non‑profit organization designed to bring the Manchester United experience to United fans here in Malta. We are the only Official Manchester United Supporters’ Club on the Maltese Islands. We are also the oldest Manchester United Supporters’ Club in the World.

MALTA MALTA

FOUNDED 1959

Souvenir Shop Manager

United Club Gozo Archbishop Pietru Pace Street, Victoria, Gozo.

E‑mail: gozobranch@manutd‑malta.com Telephone: +356 99825090 translator Braden Galea business partners

THE VIEWS IN THIS MAGAZINE ARE NOT NECESSARILY SHARED BY THE CLUB. VOL 49 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2021

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Editorial A

t present, it is awfully difficult to find the right words or phrases which best crystallise what every United fan is going through. For some it’s a feeling of Deja-vu (as the excruciatingly painful experiences under David Moyes, Louis Van Gaal and Jose Mourinho can attest), for others it’s bewilderment with no end in sight and for perhaps a faithful few, it’s an incessant conviction to ‘trust the process’.

with the self-belief and knowledge that their counter attacking skills are second to none.

Moreover, Liverpool’s aggressive pressing is complemented by strikers whose finishing skills are probably the best in the Premier League. Faced with a tactically superior foe and with no room for manoeuvre, Ole was completely found-out against Jurgen Klopp’s polished squad from Merseyside.

Performances of late have been poor. So poor in fact that it’s prompted a small section of the fans to stage a (yet another) protest on the 13th of November outside Old Trafford. Following the humiliating defeat at home to Liverpool, even the Manager’s greatest supporters slowly started to question his role with Roy Keane even going so far as to say that Ole’s future position within the club was a ‘big question mark’.

The blue half of Manchester posed a different threat altogether. Pundits described City’s win as ‘strangling’ the life out of United with former players branding Pep’s team as ‘toying’ with United. Once again, the coaching staff fell prey to Guardiola’s stifling tactics, high pressing and possession-based game plan which left United clueless and rudderless.

Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes, to name but a few, didn’t hold back their criticism with Scholes in particular all-but hinting that the Manager’s sacking was simply an inevitability rather than a probability. Let’s not beat around the bush. The defeat to City was in some ways worse than Liverpool because it exposed frailties and weaknesses that left United fans asking if there was any possible solution. The fact of the matter is that there’s no immediate solution to send out a side capable of beating Liverpool and City at this moment in time. As painful as it may sound and as melancholic as it might be, the ‘United Way’ (whatever that might be) needs a thorough and hard reset – from top to bottom.

Contextually, an analysis of the ‘bigger picture’ will certainly provide a more coherent appraisal of the current predicament and frustration permeating all levels within the club. The last major trophy won was back in the 2016-17 season with the club managing to overcome a plucky Southampton in the final of the league cup. Since then, we’ve had to bite our tongues and contain our emotions as our two fiercest rivals in Manchester City and Liverpool ended up lapping all the honours & accolades – both domestically and in Europe.

Compounding all possible conundrums is the fact that as Gary Neville points out, both City and Liverpool seem to have ‘the best in class’ – in terms of recruitment, coaching staff, scouting and managerial gravitas. In other words, Manchester United is by no means a ‘quick fix’ – and it will take a miracle of epic proportions for the manager and his staff to turn things around as quickly as possible.

If anything, the two games against Liverpool and Manchester City showed how far United had fallen from grace – both from a tactical and philosophical point of view.

Liverpool’s identity is built on the famous ‘gegenpressing’ – wherein players are imbued

Whilst the publication of this editorial might not coincide with the best of runs for the club, there were still some positives that certainly deserve mention….and credit. At the ripe old age of 36, Cristiano Ronaldo is still one of the greatest strikers on the planet. True, he’s no longer capable of ‘running down the wing’, nor is he able to perhaps play every single game – but his influence is still unwavering and his timing close to perfect. His matchwinning goals against Villarreal and Atalanta might just be enough to send United through to the Knock-Out stages of the Champions League. Greatest ever United player? Possibly

– especially when at his age (he’ll soon be 37 years old) fans continue to be beguiled by his inescapable influence on the pitch. Observing how closely man-marked during games just goes to show the sheer respect & admiration opposition managers and players still afford to the mercurial Portuguese. One can only hope that this will allow other players such as Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood to play with greater freedom and exploit those loose spaces on the counter.

On the subject of maturity, one player who always seems to age like fine wine is Edinson Cavani. Inasmuch as Ronaldo certainly manages to rescue United at crucial stages of the game, whenever Cavani is on the pitch, the entire squad seems to be galvanised by his sheer presence and on-field attitude. His recent foray and performance against Tottenham (following a damaging defeat against the Scousers) was another confirmation that the Uruguayan is a big-game player, seemingly capable of cajoling the entire team and carrying the burden of pressure and expectation on his shoulders. Quite frankly, him being on the pitch transforms United into a different beast all together – with his absences (mostly due to injuries) certainly being felt at all times. If Manchester United hope to turn the season around, the interim manager will surely be banking on having Cavani fit and able to take part in the biggest (and most crucial) encounters throughout the campaign.

Is there light at the end of the tunnel? Possibly.

With the club confirming Ralf Rangnick as Interim Manager there is hope that a more stable and structured methodology will be implemented. Nonetheless, I personally believe that Rangnick will be tasked with not only implementing a new style but providing much needed structure to the entire technical wing – which is certainly much needed. One can only hope that the interim manager will provide much needed stability up and until a full-time manager is appointed. Come what may, we’ll keep on supporting the boys through thick and thin! Happy reading.

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The Echoes Editorial Board & the Committee

of the Manchester United Supporters’ Club Malta would like to wish you and your families

a Merry Christmas & a Prosperous New Year.

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VOL 49 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2021

Editorjal Fil‑preżent huwa tassew diffiċli ssib il‑kliem biex jiddeskrivu dak li kull sapporter ta’ Manchester United għaddej minnu. Għal xi wħud, huwa sentiment ta’ deja‑vu (kif jixhdu l‑esperjenzi taħt David Moyes, Louis Van Gaal u Jose Mourinho), għal oħrajn huwa tfixkil mingħajr tama għal tmiem, u forsi għal ftit oħrajn li jibqgħu jemmnu, konvinzjoni bla dubju sabiex jiġi “fdat il‑proċess”.

Il‑prestazzjonijiet riċenti kienu foqra. Tant foqra li sezzjoni żgħira ta’ sapporters organiżżaw protesta (oħra) fit‑13 ta’ Novembru barra Old Trafford. Wara t‑telfa umiljanti f ’ darna kontra Liverpool, anke l‑akbar sapporters tal‑maniġer bdew bil‑mod jistaqsu dwar l‑irwol tiegħu b’ Roy Keane saħansitra jgħid li l‑futur ta’ Ole mal‑klabb kien ferm inċert.

Kontestwalment, analiżi tal‑istampa kollha ċertament tiprovdi evalwazzjoni koerenti tal‑predikazzjoni attwali u l‑frustrazzjoni li qed tinxtered fil‑livelli kollha fi ħdan il‑klabb. L‑aħħar unur maġġuri mirbuħ kien fl‑istaġun 2016‑17 bil‑klabb jirnexxielu jegħleb lil Southampton fil‑finali tal‑League Cup. Minn dak iż‑żmien ’l hawn kellna nifġgħu f ’ demmna hekk kif iż‑żewġ rivali kbar tagħna Manchester City u Liverpool ħadu l‑unuri kollha, kemm fl‑Ewropa u anki fl‑Ingilterra.

Jaggrava aktar it‑taħwid hu l‑fatt li kif iddeskriva Gary Neville, kemm City u anke Liverpool għandhom l‑aqwa klassi – kemm fl‑ingaġġar ta’ plejers, staff tekniku, tfittxija għal plejers u gravitas maniġerjali.

Fi kliem ieħor, m’ hemmx soluzzjoni faċli u ta’ malajr għas‑sitwazzjoni ta’ United – u hemm bżonn miraklu ta’ proporzjonijiet epiċi għall‑maniġer u l‑istaff tiegħu biex idawwru kollox malajr kemm jista’ jkun.

Jekk xejn, iż‑żewġ logħbiet kontra Liverpool u Manchester City urew kemm huma ’l bogħod Manchester United milli jirritornaw għall‑glorja – kemm mill perspettiva tattika kif ukoll mill‑aspett ta’ filosofija. L‑identita’ ta’ Liverpool mibnija fuq l‑hekk imsejjaħ il‑famuż ‘gegenpressing’ – fejn il‑plejers ikunu mimlija b’ li jemmnu fihom infushom u jafu li l‑kapaċitajiet tagħhom fil‑kontrattakk huma l‑aqwa. Minbarra f ’ hekk, l‑ippressar aggressiv ta’ Liverpool hu komplimentat b’ attakkanti li l‑kapaċitajiet li jiskurjaw huma probabilment l‑aqwa fil‑Premier League. B’ avversarju tattikament superjuri u bla ebda spazju għall‑manuvrar, Ole inqabad kontra l‑iskwadra rfinata ta’ Klopp minn Merseyside.

In‑nofs il‑blu ta’ Manchester joffri sfida totalment differenti. Il‑kummentaturi ddeskrivew ir‑rebħa ta’ City bħala li għallqet il‑ħajja mill‑United, bi plejers passati ta’ United jiddeskrivuha bħala li t‑tim ta’ Pep lagħab bil‑United qishom ġugarell. Għal darboħra l‑istaff tekniku nqabad bit‑tattika, pressar għoli u pussess li ħallew lil United bla ħjiel u bla tmun. Rio Ferdinand u Paul Scholes, biex insemmu tnejn, ma żammewx lura mill‑kritika lejn il‑maniġer, bi Scholes partikolarment jagħti x’ jifhem li t‑tkeċċija hija inevitabli aktar minn probabli. Ejja ma ninħbewx wara subajna. It‑telfa kontra City kienet sa ċertu punt agħar minn dik kontra Liverpool għax esponiet id‑dgħjufijiet li ħallew lis‑sapporters ta’ Manchester United jaħsbu jekk hemmx soluzzjoni possibli. Il‑fatt hu li m’ hemmx soluzzjoni immedjata fejn nistgħu nilagħbu tim kapaċi jerbaħ lil Liverpool u City bħalissa. Għalkemm kliem li jweġġa u jinstema melankoniku, il‑‘United Way’ (hi x’ inhi) għandha bżonn tinqala’ mill‑qiegħ u tiġi aġġornata.

Minkejja li l‑publikazzjoni ta’ dan l‑editorjal jaf ma jaħbatx mal‑aqwa forma tal‑klabb, hemm ukoll xi affarijiet pożittivi li ma nistgħux ma nsemmux. Fl‑eta’ ta’ 36, Cristiano Ronaldo għadu wieħed mill‑aqwa attakkanti tad‑dinja. Vera li forsi m’ għadux kapaċi li “jiġri mal‑linja”, jew li jilgħab f ’ kull logħba, imma l‑influwenza tiegħu hi bla waqfien u kważi perfett f ’ li jkun fil‑post it‑tajjeb fil‑ħin it‑tajjeb. Il‑gowls tiegħu kontra Villarreal u Atalanta prattikament għaddewna għall‑fażi li jmiss tal‑UEFA Champions League. L‑aqwa plejer li qatt lagħab ma’ United?

Possibilment – speċjalment meta fl‑eta’ tiegħu (daqt jagħlaq 37 sena) is‑sapporters għadhom imbellħa bl‑influwenza tiegħu fil‑grawnd. Meta wieħed jara kemm ikun immarkat sew mill‑avversarji, dan juri kemm hu rispettat u ammirat mill‑maniġers u plejers avversarji. Wieħed jittama li dan jeħles plejers bħal Marcus Rashford u Mason Greenwood li joperaw u jieħdu vantaġġ mill‑ispazji fil‑kontrattakki.

Dwar is‑suġġett tal‑maturita’, plejer li jimmatura bħall‑inbid fin hu Edinson Cavani. Hekk kif Ronaldo ċertament jirnexxielu jsalva lil United f ’ mumenti kruċjali fil‑partiti, meta Cavani jkun fil grawnd, l‑iskwadra kollha tidher galvanizzata bil‑preżenza u attitudni tiegħu fil‑grawnd.

Il‑prestazzjoni riċenti tiegħu kontra Tottenham (wara t‑telfa kontra Liverpool) kienet konferma oħra li l‑Urugwajan hu plejer tal‑logħob il‑kbar, kapaċi li jġorr lit‑tim kollu u l‑pressjoni u l‑aspettazzjonijiet fuq spalltu. Frankament, meta jkun qed jilgħab, il‑United jitrasformaw f ’ annimal totalment differenti – bl‑assenza tiegħu (ħafna drabi minħabba li jkun imweġġa’) ċertament jinħassu. Jekk Manchester United iridu li jdawwru l‑istaġun, il‑maniġer interim jispera li jkollu lil Cavani f ’ saħħtu u kapaċi jipparteċipa fl‑akbar logħbiet (l‑aktar kruċjali) fl‑istaġun.

Hemm tama? Possibilment. Bil‑klabb jikkonferma lil Ralf Rangnick bħala maniġer interim, hemm it‑tama għall‑implimentazzjoni ta’ metodoloġija aktar stabbli u strutturata. Minkejja dan, personalment nemmen li Rangnick ħa jkun mogħti l‑irwol mhux biss biex jimplimenta stil ġdid, imma sabiex jipprovdi struttura ferm meħtieġa għad‑dipartiment tekniku – ċertament ferm meħtieġa. Wieħed jittama li l‑maniġer interim jiprovdi stabbilta’ sakemm jiġi appuntat maniġer permanenti. Jiġri x’ jiġri, nibqgħu nissapportjaw lit‑tim fit‑tajjeb u fil‑ħażin. Ħudu gost aqraw.

2,000,000 MALTA

FOUNDED 1959

Thank you VOL 49 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2021

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CLUBNEWS

by Clint Camilleri

O

n Friday, 10th September 2021, during another successful Annual General Meeting, MUSC Malta member Mario Peplow proposed that ex-club president Joseph Glanville should be nominated as an honorary member of our Club. This proposal started a discussion, and eventually, those present took a vote, with nineteen votes in favour, twelve against and seven abstained. Therefore, an official letter has been sent to Joseph Glanville asking him if he accepts this role. Joseph has sent an official reply thanking his old friend Mario Peplow for presenting the proposal and all members present who voted. However, Joseph feels that he prefers to remain as a regular club member because he feels he can contribute more to MUSC Malta in this situation.

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The All-Souls Day Mass was celebrated on Sunday 7th November 2021. This was the first mass celebrated by MUSC Malta new Club Chaplain Fr. Dunstan Xuereb.

On Sunday 7th November 2021, the bar contract was signed by The Red Pub barmen Kurt Grima and Brandon Spiteri, Club President Joseph Tedesco and Secretary Clint Camilleri.

The committee would like to wish you a take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones a Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.

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customercare.ntbs@gov.mt www.facebook.com/bloodmalta

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+356 7930 7307 +356 2206 6201 MobileApp:BloodDonorsMT

VOL 49 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2021

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Edinburgh Reds’ 20th Anniversary Celebration Dinner

by Kevin Tabone

F

rom the day Peter Wood, Chairman of the MUSC Edinburgh Reds, informed us about his intention to organize a dinner to celebrate the 20th anniversary since the branch was formed, some of us immediately showed an interest to make their way up to Scotland.

For some of the ones who made the trip, this was going to be the first flight since the pandemic hit the world and, I must say, preparations felt a wee bit different and more difficult than before. Filling of new forms, making sure we

knew what the country’s pandemic rules are, taking swab tests. All this had to be done to ensure all of us were compliant and not ending up going to the airport but having to be left behind.

flight, we touched down in the wonderful city of Edinburgh. Some of us had booked tickets to attend a Genesis concert and so made their way directly to the venue whilst the rest checked-in to their hotel rooms.

And so the day finally arrived! On the 7th of October 2021, a group of 12 MUSC Malta representatives made their way towards the Malta International Airport to take the flight to Edinburgh Scotland. After all the routine checks were completed and a near-4-hour

One has to also appreciate the fact that, after nearly a year and a half, this was also the first time we were meeting face to face with so many of our friends. We definitely had a lot to catch up on and the hello’s took so much longer than usual! In the evening we then went to eat at a Chinese restaurant.

On to the next day and this was one which we were all so looking forward to. In the early afternoon we left The Grosvenor Hotel by coach to head to South Queensferr y and board the Forth Belle cruiser. On the boat we were joined by the brilliant Lou Marshall, a Scottish piper, who made sure the atmosphere throughout the day was one to remember! We then sailed around the 3 bridges and headed to picturesque Inchcolm Island for a short stay. Afterwards

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we set sail to Newhaven, where we enjoyed an evening of culinary delights at the Pier Brasserie Restaurant.

The day of the main function – the Dinner!

For some of us the day star ted with disappointment. We tried to buy tickets to access the Edinburgh Castle but we were told that all were sold out. But fear not, we made other arrangements and bought tickets for The Scotch Whisky Experience. Those who know me might be surprised to learn that I joined the group for this. But throughout the years I made learned that when in Rome do as the Romans do! So when in another country I always try and experience the locals’ traditions as much as possible! And boy was this an experience! I’ve never seen such a whisky collection in my life!

It was now time to head back to our hotel rooms to prepare ourselves for the dinner.

I might sound bombastic here, but it is the absolute truth. I have never taken so long to dress myself for a dinner. Not even on my wedding day! As a surprise, all of us, bar one, decided to wear the traditional kilt for the dinner. None of us had ever worn a kilt in our lives but we all felt it was a proper and fitting gesture to do to honour the Edinburgh Branch.

What an entrance the MUSC Malta boys made!

Apart from having a full table, representing MUSC Malta, the local supporters’ club was also honoured to have two persons, President Joseph Tedesco and ex-President Joseph Glanville on the top table. Introductions were made and food was served. For those who never attended such dinners, I assure you that you are missing out on a lot. The atmosphere during the whole event is one to behold and this was no exception.

It was only fitting that MUSC Malta President Joseph Tedesco presented Edinburgh Reds Chairman Peter Wood with a memento marking the occasion. A raffle was held and we were lucky enough to have one of the Malta boys win one of the prizes. The voice of Old Trafford Alan Keegan then hosted a fund-raising auction.

A total of £11,300 was raised on the night and proceeds were donated to a number of charities, one of which was The Millennium Chapel, brilliantly run by Fr. Hilary Tagliaferro.

Sunday and Monday were dedicated to sightseeing; part of the group for the second time attempted, this time successfully, to access the Edinburgh Castle, whilst the rest made their way to other parts of Scotland.

During one of these trips we even managed to achieve another first for our beloved supporters’ club – the MUSC Malta flag was proudly seen along the Edinburgh streets on the hop-on hop-off bus!

After such a memorable trip, it was time to return to our homes, but not before recounting the many wonderful memories and new friends we made during this trip. On behalf of the whole group I wanted to express my thanks and appreciation towards the warm hospitality Peter Wood, Gordon Horn and all those who contributed towards such a successful event.

I’m sure there will be more memorable similar celebrations in the future and I can’t wait to experience such a thrill over and over again! I can even hear the whole group saying ‘Aye!’

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TEDDY’S corner

Dear All If there is one thing which we must all agree about is that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer loves Manchester United! He tried his utmost best as a manager, and no one can ever deny him that, but it was not good enough. Way back in December 2018, he picked a team which was in shambles on and off the pitch. He reinstated the United way within the internal structures, brought back values which were side-lined during Mourinho and Van Gaal’s reign, signed some great players over the past 3 years and reinstated the youth policy within the Club, giving the likes of Scott and Mason the chance to shine. He had the mammoth task to rebuild a team which would challenge the noisy neighbours and the scousers who have now taken the stance as the best two football teams in England.

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If I had to criticize Ole from my armchair, I would say that he could have tried to bring more experienced coaching staff alongside him. Alex Ferguson always had shrewd, experienced number 2s alongside him – Knox, Kidd, McLaren, Queiroz, Meulensteen.

McKenna and Carrick might be intelligent and good tacticians, they might become great coaches in the future, but during the past 3 years they did not seem to have the cutting edge required to step up the team when it mattered. As for Mike Phelan, he has always been a great guy but not sure he is Man Utd coaching quality (always had this gut feeling, even when he was Fergie’s number 2). We had fans comparing Ole’s first years with Sir Alex. I never agreed with such comparison.

When Fergie joined United, he had won the league with Aberdeen in Scotland, breaking the Rangers-Celtic monopoly, won the Cup

have your say on info@manutd‑malta.com

Winners Cup with the Dons beating the mighty Real Madrid in the final and was Scotland manager in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

He had experience and he showed it when dealing with the boozing lot he inherited from Ron Atkinson. Took a while but was it worth it!

Ole’s CV compared to Sir Alex when he took over was ‘slightly’ different.

Having been, let’s say, unlucky with the Europa League final, this had to be the year when the bar of our objectives was meant to be raised. With Ronaldo, Sancho and Varane coming in, most of us were dreaming. When we drew at Southampton, the way we played started to drill back those feelings that we were still not good enough. Our style of play still lacked convincing. The optimistic ones like me thought it could be a matter of time until the team gels together and the new signings fit in.

However, game after game, it was all about a Ronaldo masterpiece or a De Gea miracle. As Gary Neville rightly pointed out, we were not winning as a team but thanks to individual brilliance. It was getting edgy.

Sancho was on the bench most of the time and everyone was questioning why we brought him in after all, especially when most of us would agree that our top priority was

a central midfielder (please sign Declan Rice next summer).

Ole did not seem ready to play any different cards. He sticked to the McFred partnership and completely omitted the option of Van de Beek. In various occasions, he trusted Matic who nowadays is quite slow for the pace of the Premier League. We were seeing abysmal individual performances from players who were shining last season and during the Euros, namely Fernandes, Maquire and Shaw.

Confidence disappeared and that humiliating trashing against our eternal rivals was the no-way-back. I heard United fans citing the times when we were battered by Newcastle and Southampton during the Fergie glory days. One cannot evoke such comparisons and escape the contest. The way we gave up against Klopp’s men was embarrassing.

The way we never turned up against City was shameful. The performances against Leicester and Watford were saddening. There was no way Ole could have stayed on that bench. Player power? Against who? Ole, the nicest guy you can think of? De Gea saying ‘we do not know what to do with the ball’ after losing 4-1 to Watford gave me and many others a lot of food for thought.

Time to move forward! Ralf Rangnick and the gegenpress. To be honest, I did not know a lot about this coach. His name was being thrown here and there in the speculation pre-Ole’s departure. Probably his profile and pages

about his tactical masterclasses have never had so many hits on the web since Reuters reported he would be the next Manchester United interim manager. I have since read a lot about his knowledge of the game, the science he applies to the tactics and the discipline he is renowned for. His philosophy on paper seems to be the right medicine our team needs at the moment but as we all know, the proof is in the pudding.

The interim manager will inherit a squad which surely does not lack quality but might have an identity problem on the pitch at present.

If the players w a r m up to him and accept him as their new manager then we m i g h t have some exciting t i m e s ahead. The

way he has been hailed by so many great coaches he has mentored makes you wonder how good this guy is. He has never managed a Club of the stature of Man Utd. He has never managed in the Premier League.

6 months to instil a philosophy might not be long enough. Expectations at Man Utd are always sky high and I feel that some fans think we found the holy grail. If there is anyone who will carry that grave and risk his/ her life, that is me. But I am keeping my feet firmly on the ground. We can have the best manager in the world, but the football domain nowadays is dominated by player and business power, hence one needs to be cautious with over enthusiasm. I am by nature optimistic and hope to be writing a more positive article towards Easter.

For the time being let’s look forward with positivity, keep supporting our team in the good and the bad and keep that red flag flying high cos Man Utd will never die. Wishing you and all your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Yours United, Teddy

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Y & Z United Perspectives

by Kevin, Justyn & Wayne Tabone

A

fter a promising start to the season, there’s been plenty of days with having bad moods after Utd matches lately. One Tabone member says that Ronaldo imbalanced the team, another says that Solskjaer has got his selection and tactics wrong and another that United has become only a commercial brand and no longer a football club. What is common for both the Y & Z generation is that something drastic has to change or the pressure will continue mounting year after year.

There are many pundits, experts and fans from all over the world giving their verdict about why Man Utd are failing to meet the expectations given the quality of players they have and all the great signings from the last transfer window. In your opinion, if you had to pick one element which you deem is the main reason for this mess, who or what would it be?

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Wayne: Although I don’t think that Ole is the only problem, I also think that he is the biggest factor contributing to Manchester United’s failures. The manager is too predictable and uses the same tactics game after game. With the players that he has at his disposal, he should be winning titles or at least challenging for them. Signings made were great ones but there are a few, like Jadon Sancho and Donny Van De Beek, who have not been utilized. This season, these two players played a combined 524 minutes out of a possible 1440 minutes, meaning they played on average a little over 30 minutes every game.

Justyn: Sometimes it is easy to point fingers at certain people for the mess that Manchester United are in. Many point their fingers at the manager who might seem as an easy target. It is true that some of his decisions are questionable; however, we have been going through this cycle since Sir Alex left. In my opinion, the main problem is the administration of Manchester United. They treat the club as if it is a commercial business, which in fairness they have every right to maximise their profits.

However, the way they do it leaves the club not able to compete. The club should have already sacked the manager for the results attained so far but they keep on being reluctant to do so and keep the club in a mediocre position.

Kevin: Putting it bluntly and in one word – tactics. I am no footballing genius but one could easily see that there are deficiencies and imbalance in the way the team is operating on the field. How can we have, not one, but two defensive midfielders and still concede

so many open chances!? How can we have so many attacking-minded players and not create patterns of play which expose our opponents?

How can we not get behind opponents’ defences? How can we have so many coaches (one for each department, one for set-pieces to name a few) and still not see anything that makes us stand out? I guess these questions will remain unanswered unless something, and this something has to be drastic, changes.

Given he is our star player, scored so many important goals so far and been the player of the month every month since he rejoined, has

matched all my expectations. Try buying a Man Utd shirt today! Football-wise I feel Ronaldo as an individual is delivering but Ronaldo as a team player is not, though United’s coaches have a big part to play in this as well.

Pick one player you would sign in the January transfer market who you think would make a substantial difference to the current squad and explain why.

Wayne: I don’t think that the club will purchase anyone but, if I had my say, I would buy a world class central defender. Marquinhos comes to mind. He is a leader, has excellent ability on the ball and also has the ability to defend. If the manager doesn’t want to remove Harry Maguire, Marquinhos could be an alternative to Raphaël Varane who is proving to be injury prone. Even if no one is injured, we would need players so we could rotate. It has been proven over and over again that the best squads in history need more than just the first eleven.

Ronaldo met the expectations you had about him when he signed again for Man United?

Explain your answer.

Wayne: I think that Cristiano has exceeded my expectations with the amount of goals, the impact he has had on the players and the energy that he puts in the pitch. But there is a negative side to this. I think that because of Ronaldo and his hunger for goals, he is overshadowing other players such as Greenwood, Sancho and Rashford. He is a one-man team and so the potential of these players will not be reached.

Justyn: In my opinion, he has met the expectations most Manchester United fans had of him. He has made a career of scoring goals and he has delivered this so far. One could say that he has won us various matches, Atalanta,

Newcastle and Villarreal to name a few. He is one of the best players when it comes to scoring in important moments. The only thing that has not met my expectations would be the way his attitude is conveyed on to the other players. In some matches it seemed that he was becoming a bit too angry and a player of his size needs to keep his composure as his actions will have an effect on the whole team.

Kevin: Those who know me, know that I was always cautious about Ronaldo’s arrival. Is there a doubt that he is a player that comes once every generation? No, never. But did United need a player of his calibre to disrupt what happened on the pitch the year before?

I am not so sure. Football clubs nowadays are a business and one has to understand that the commercial part is as important as the sporting side. So from the commercial side, he certainly

Justyn: The one player I would sign in the January transfer window is Wilfred Ndidi of Leicester City. He is a solid holding midfielder that can break down the play very well. Moreover, he is decent enough on the ball to help in starting attacks for the team as his passing ability is also very good. In this position, the only player in the squad currently is Matic who is only getting older and isn’t able to play week in week out.

Kevin: Now that’s a question! Being completely honest, I’m not sure myself. The reason for this is, how many times we have seen players which we wanted playing for our team, buying them and having disappointing stints. Maybe the weight of the Utd shirt has become too heavy and pressures are affecting the performances of most of the players we buy. Many say that the defensive-midfield area is definitely one that requires improvement. I’m sure Keano would agree with me on this! Although I can never see this happening, I’m going to go for Chelsea’s N’Golo Kanté. He seems to cover every blade of the pitch and never has a bad game! But then again, without having coaches who guide the team tactically, not even having someone as good as Kanté will help us improve.

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THE JANUARY TRANSFER WINDOW: BUSINESS TO BE DONE?

by Silvio Scicluna

I

am writing this article during the November international break and to be honest it is a much needed break, unlike previous ones, due to the poor showings from United prior to this last hiatus of the calendar year. Indeed, the thrashings suffered at the hands of our two fiercest rivals have left Reds all around the world shellshocked and all the talk recently has been about whether it is maybe finally time for Solskjaer’s position as manager of United to come to an end. But for the sake of this article I am going to stay away from that hot topic and will focus rather on the upcoming transfer window which will be upon us in a few weeks’ time.

In normal scenarios, fans and pundits alike would at this time of year be evaluating the team’s possible transfer activity to be done in January although I suspect this time round the attention of many is more on whether there will be a managerial change rather than player transfers. But let’s assume that Solskjaer and his aides will still be around in January. What business can be done by United to fine-tune our squad? As everyone knows the January transfer window is not one where clubs tend to do the bulk of their transfer activity. This is usually done in the summer after evaluating how the previous season went. January is, by and large, used to do some minor tweaking unless a club is struggling somewhat and then resorts to go for some major upgrades. But more often than not this would be panic buying and is ideally avoided if at all possible.

United had a very good summer transfer window which saw three major incomings in the much sought Jadon Sancho (finally) from Borussia Dortmund, Raphael Varane from Real Madrid, and the unexpected return of Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus. The first two were sort of anticipated since many were highlighting the fact that United needed a right sided attacking midfielder as well as a top centre back partner for Harry Maguire. But the acquisition of Ronaldo was all very sudden.

Although when a superstar who was always revered in his previous time at Old Trafford becomes available, the club just had to bring him back, no question. So when the season started the squad looked to be in great shape and almost complete, one could say. And the initial results seemed to justify that optimism.

Now, however, things look somewhat different, and many agree that the squad still lacks some vital quality in particular areas. Let us take each department one by one and try to analyse what could be done.

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Goalkeepers: No incomings needed here, definitely. David de Gea is back to his best and has been arguably our best player so far. What his top form has done however is block Dean Henderson’s path to the first XI which came as somewhat of a surprise to many who were expecting the Englishman to perhaps establish himself as the no. 1 this season. Could he maybe push for a move elsewhere in January? Unlikely, although a six month loan might not be out of the question. Especially since the club also brought back Tom Heaton in the summer, although he was seen more as a replacement for the departed Sergio Romero and to be the third choice. If Henderson pushes for a move in January, another keeper will have to be brought in. I cannot see anything happening here, more likely next summer.

Defence: The only possible transfer activity I can see happening regarding defenders would be at right back where Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been somewhat inconsistent so far. In the summer there were rumours that the club was chasing Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid to offer competition. In the end this transfer did not materialise since the Spanish club’s asking price was seen as a bit too expensive for the player’s age. As a result United kept Diogo Dalot as understudy but in all honesty, I don’t see the Portuguese as a good defender. So in my opinion the Trippier incoming option in conjunction with a possible sale of Dalot may be worth revisiting.

Midfield: Many still believe that United did not address one of their major handicaps last summer i.e. the lack of a specialist holding midfielder and that this is coming back to bite them.

Fred, in particular, seems to be struggling and his shortcomings have been cruelly exposed a few times already this season.

Case in point being his repeated errors for

Everton’s equaliser at home which saw us dropping more points at home. Many criticise Solskjaer’s overuse of Fred and McTominay (McFred!) as a double pivot, at the expense possibly of a player highly rated by many in Donny Van de Beek. There is also the never ending argument as to where to play Paul Pogba. As one of a double pivot? As one of two no.8’s in front of one holding midfielder?

To try and fit him in Ole has tended to play him further upfield on the left of an attacking three, with varying degrees of success it has to be said.

In my opinion I will be surprised if there is any incoming transfer activity regarding midfield come January. Pogba’s situation remains firmly in the balance. Apparently, the club have made him an offer of a new and improved contract, but he will be a free agent in the summer if he does not commit. If I had to second guess the outcome, I would say that his agent Mino Raiola will push to convince him to leave on a free transfer to Real Madrid next summer.

Forwards: I can never remember a time when United have been so well stocked in the attackers’ department than this season. Some might say over stocked, even. So much so that some players are struggling to get game time. The likes of Martial and Mata have hardly been utilised and even, to a lesser extent, has Jesse Lingard. The latter will surely have been

expecting to be involved more and pundits believe he may well push to go back to West Ham where he had a superb time on loan last season. In my view this would be a mistake.

Jesse Lingard has to stay and play more. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see some outgoings in January here, possibly Amad out on loan (he was on the verge of a loan to Feyenoord

in the summer before injury put paid to that).

Definitely no incomings though.

So there you have it, the January transfer window. Not really required by most clubs but a lifeline for others. And for Manchester United one suspects, nothing more than a sideshow in their recent travails!

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VOL 49 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2021

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Ole’s reign My perspective

by Robert Mizzi

I

am writing this article on the morning after Michael Carrick has ended his short stint as interim manager (much to disdain of the editor who keeps receiving my articles late!)

As all readers would surely know, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Manchester United decided to part ways following a terrible run of results that, in all honesty no modern-day football manager could have survived.

All of us United supporters will forever consider Ole as a legend despite this setback. The reality is that none of us old enough to remember him as a player can be totally impartial when trying to assess his tenure as Manchester United manager. To us who were around in 1999, the famous words “and Solskjaer has won it” will forever reverberate in our minds and dare I say, souls. I still get goosebumps when I see the videos!

So I will try very hard to make an objective evaluation of his stint as a United manager and give my two pennies’ worth of what in my opinion went wrong. There is no doubt that based on his stint as interim manager, Ole fully deserved his chance to be a permanent manager. As caretaker manager, Solskjær was the first Manchester United manager to win his first five league games in charge since Sir Matt Busby in 1946. He brought back stability in the dressing room and with him as interim manager, we went on a fantastic run of results, winning 14 of his first 19 matches in charge.

On 28 March 2019, Solskjær signed a threeyear contract to take over as Manchester United

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manager on a permanent basis. The timing of his permanent appointment was, in my opinion, not ideal and thing started going awry straight away after his appointment as United won only 2 of 10 matches for the rest of the season. Some would argue, yet another in the catalogue of errors by the top management of the club. Why they did not wait till the end of the season to make the appointment is still something that baffles me. Would it have made a difference? We will never know, of course, but it seemed illogical and ill-timed at that point.

It still does, in fact!

A 4–0 league defeat away to Everton in April 2019 practically reduced Ole to tears as he realised that the honeymoon was over, and he had a mammoth task in front of him. The following season, his first full season in charge, started the 2019–20 season with 10 points from their first 9 games, their worst start to a league campaign in 33 years (since the 198687 season). Ole was clearly struggling and one could actually argue that his job was saved by the arrival of Bruno Fernandes halfway through the season. In fact, United went unbeaten for the rest of the Premier League season, with 32 points from 14 games since February 2021, more than any other club in that period.

United finished the season with 66 points in the Premier League, equal to the previous season’s points tally, but in third place instead of sixth. Despite claiming that finishing third was a ‘massive achievement’, Ole finished 33 points behind the league winners (no need to elaborate further who they were) and it was evident that United were in dire need of

rebuilding to challenge the top teams. Simply relying on Bruno Fernandes carrying the team was not going to work.

Season 2020-21 did not start too well. We had to witness United’s joint heaviest defeat in the Premier League, a 6–1 home loss to Tottenham Hotspur, which Ole claimed was the worst day of his managerial career. It got worse before it got any better, in fact. United failed to qualify to the knock-out stages of the Champions League despite beating PSG 2-1 and RB Leipzig 5-0 early in the group stage.

Our league form improved after the humiliating relegation to the Europa League and following a 1-0 away win to Burnley in the 12 January 2021, United claimed the top spot in the EPL with 18 matches played. This was the first time United had been in pole position after the New Year since the 2012–13 season when we went on to win what, to date, is the last EPL title won. A certain SAF was in charge back then!

United struggled to keep the momentum and started dropping points and the season ended with United claiming 2nd place with 77 points.

Although many supporters considered this as a positive season, that feeling was somewhat diluted due to the fact that we could not offer a challenge to the runaway leaders, and more importantly, due to the defeat to Villarreal in the Europa League final.

I truly believe that this could have been a turning point for Ole and his coaching team.

Had he brought home the Europa League, it would have given the club, and above all the manager, a massive boost. Having reached his first final after four successive semi-final

defeats was a unique opportunity to land his first silverware and get the doubters (like me) on board. It would have been truly a positive end to the season and a feeling that our team was heading in the right direction.

We all know how that final vs Villarreal went last May. It was, in my honest opinion, a shambolic way to lose a final which was perfectly winnable. We were clear favourites and despite going behind, we all thought that we could go on and win it after Cavani equalized with half an hour to go. As one report very aptly put it, “It was now up to United to make their reputation and mystique tell” – we failed miserably on the day.

I am still, to this day, cringing as to how badly that final was managed by Ole and his coaching staff. We went for 90 minutes without one single substitution to change things round while our opponents, who admittedly had even less quality options to bring on (that was the lame excuse by many) had made 5 changes within normal time!

The arrival of Sancho and Varane, together with the unexpected return of Ronaldo, raised the morale of us supporters and of course, the expectations. We hoped, that with the squad now considerably stronger, United were ready to battle it out with the top teams and challenge for the English Premier League once again. What happened in recent weeks did not match the expectations. Ole and his coaching team failed to find the right balance and the results have been abysmal. Some would claim that the return of Ronaldo was unplanned and completely changed the scenario. I would say that a good manager, backed by a supporting coaching team, should have adapted and made sure that the style of play would in some way fit in one of the world’s greatest footballers.

So what went wrong for Ole? The first point I would make is that pointing the finger at the manager is always going to happen when things go wrong. Ultimately, he is the one

making the decisions. However, let us not forget that we had an entire team of coaches working behind the scenes and quite frankly, with a coach for set-pieces, one for keepers, etc. etc. our performances were simply not good enough and these people should also be held responsible.

I had always maintained that Ole’s overreliance on McTominay and Fred would lead to his downfall. He relied too much on these two defensive midfielders and never managed to have a decent plan B. Despite playing with 2 defensive midfielders, we were still giving our opponents plenty of opportunities and goals were being leaked in on a regular basis. Very clearly, the McFred solution was not giving the desired results.

I also thought that after having chased Sancho for over a year, we would see more of him on the pitch and less of him warming the substitute’s bench (well, it was a bench in my day!). Clearly, Ole and his team were struggling to find the right formula and bring the best of the talent available.

The handling of Donny van de Beek is another sore point. If we truly had a plan, new arrivals would be brought in as part of that plan. No? Sadly, Donny never seemed part of Ole’s plan, and this of course begs the million dollar question. Was Donny indeed part of the plan or not? I have a suspicion that he was not, and someone else decided. Three guesses who?

Ole’s tenure was characterized by our team struggling to beat teams that parked the ‘proverbial’ bus and just sat back absorbing pressure. Our build up was often too slow to unsettle the opponents and critics said that there were too many side and back passes, and we did not play it forward quickly enough.

Personally, I think that Ole’s relationship with players and the atmosphere created during the training sessions was ideal but whatever was being worked upon during the week, could not be transmitted into results

where it mattered - on the pitch. What we, as supporters, were seeing was a team that lacked a defined style of play. Despite bringing in good players and having some exciting upcoming players, Ole simply failed to find the right formula. This season, United were playing like a team without a plan and without desire. Ole had to go and the timing was again bad. The decision should have been taken before the international break so that the new manager coming in would have had a few days to settle down before the first match. It does seem that Ole and his coaching staff were not the only ones lacking a plan. Therein lies the problem.

I know many readers will not agree, but I think it was evident that Ole and his current coaching team had given what they could give and could not take this team any further way back on the 27th May after the Villarreal final. Hoping that the star players recruited will change the way Ole was heading was an act of blind faith.

It was, in many ways, a curious decision to renew Ole’s contract for 3 years (possibly 4 years) one year before his current contract expired. Every Tom, Dick and Harry knew that this was going to be Ole’s defining season and it could (we all hoped) go well, but it could also go terribly wrong. So why 3 years? Why not a one-year extension to his current contract if you really wanted to give some sense of trust and not leave it till the very end? Yet another mind-boggling decision by Ed Woodward and the Board of Management, dare I say!

To conclude, it would be harsh to classify Ole’s time as United manager as a failure. I am absolutely convinced that he desperately wanted to be successful and move the club forward. To his credit, he did bring back the feel-good factor after the Mourinho reign and statistically, he did better than Moyes and Van Gaal in terms of results as the chart below shows.

When it comes to competing with the top managers currently operating in the Premier League, it was evident that Ole was found wanting. No one will take away the fact that he beat Guardiola 3 times on the trot, but as we all know, challenging for the league requires consistency of results and a well-balanced team that produces results on a regular basis.

And winning Cups requires that you make the right decisions at the right time. Sadly, Ole, despite his efforts, could not deliver that.

I think every genuine United supporter will respect Ole for his efforts. He did his best to move the club he loves forward and to some extent, he did. I will maintain that the backing from his coaches in critical moments could have helped him and that is why I believe that a clean sweep is needed, and Ralf Rangnick needs to bring in his team and be given a free hand to manage the way he can manage.

Numquam moribimur…

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20 VOL 49 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2021

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Meet the Committee

Robert Muscat

1) Can you tell us something about yourself (your personal life, age, marital status, work/profession)? What are your favourite past-times apart from football? What was your favourite holiday destination? What are three words that describe you?

I am 51 years old, married to Davinia, and have 11 year old triplets, named Adam, Chryssa and Eleni. I have been practising as a Notary for the last 27 years and my wife is a partner in one of Malta’s leading law firms. My favourite pasttimes are cars and holidays. I also practise car racing as a hobby. I have travelled a lot and like many destinations. My top three so far are Denmark, Scotland and Holland.

2) How did you start supporting United? What is your best memory of United? How many times have you visited Old Trafford? Who is your favourite current player and club legend? If there was one thing you could change at United, what would it be? If you were Man Utd manager and had an unlimited budget, which player would you bring to United and why? Which team would you support if Man Utd did not exist?

I started supporting Manchester United when I was 7. Up to the 1977 FA Cup Final between Liverpool and Manchester United I was heavily influenced by one of my cousins to support Inter. But after the FA Cup final in ’77 which United won 2-1, I did not look back.

I have visited Old Trafford over 60 times in the last 30 or so years and have many, many cherished memories. It is difficult to name a favourite legend and player, but certainly Cantona and Ronaldo have to be my all-time favourites, not necessarily just because of their football skills, but also because of the vibe they have generated in the club. If there was one thing I could change, it would be the club owners. Mbappe is certainly a player which would energise the theatre of dreams.

As regards other clubs, I must say I have a soft spot for Tottenham, maybe because of the great players they have had along the years, but nothing much to show for it with regards honours.

3) What attracted you to join the Supporters’ Club? What made you contest the Committee election? Describe your role in the club. Why would you recommend a

United supporter to join the world’s oldest Man Utd supporters’ club?

I have been a member of the Supporters’ Club for more than 25 years. I am actually a life member.

I was asked to help with the 50th Anniversary celebrations, which will forever remain etched in my memory, and the rest, as they say is history. I have carried out a number of roles, from assistant secretary to secretary, to tours coordinator, to project coordinator, to my current role of Vice President. Though I may not be able to give as much as I would like to with regards to my presence at the club, I have always given my best to the club and am very proud to be part of the journey especially in becoming owners of our own club. I strongly encourage Manchester United supporters to become members of the club because their membership continues to strengthen our supporters’ club and allows us to serve our purpose of offering the best possible experiences not only to our members, but more importantly, to the less fortunate through many initiatives along the years. I am proud to say that MUSC Malta continues to keep its social responsibility as an integral part of its core values.

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24 VOL 49 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2021

Meet the Committee

Marvin Grech

1) Can you tell us something about yourself (your personal life, age, marital status, work / profession)? What are your favourite pasttimes apart from football? What was your favourite holiday destination? What are three words that describe you?

My name is Marvin Grech and I am 45 years old. I am the son of Espedito and Elena, the second child from three boys. Married to Graziella for these last 20 years. As a profession, I am a healthcare worker, a Diagnostic Radiographer (a person who specialise in the imaging of human anatomy for the diagnosis and treatment of pathology) for these last 23 years. My specialization is mainly in Interventional Radiography and Cardiology. Working experiences include the Medical Imaging Department and Cardiac Catheterisation Suite in St. Luke’s, Mater Dei, and St. James Hospital in Malta, National Heart Centre, Tajoura in Libya, and in the King Salman Heart Centre, Riyadh, in Saudi Arabia. Currently, I am the Officer in Charge of the Angiosuite Unit in Mater Dei Hospital. Apart from football, I like to modify cars (latest project in progress is modifying a Mazda MX5) and holidays abroad. My favourite holiday destinations include Tenerife, Holland, France, and the United Kingdom. Three words that describe me are Jolly, Helpful, and Enthusiastic.

2) How did you start supporting United? What is your best memory of United? How many

times have you visited Old Trafford? Who is your favourite current player and club legend? If there was one thing you could change at United, what would it be? If you were Man Utd manager and had an unlimited budget, which player would you bring to United and why? Which team would you support if Man Utd did not exist?

I started supporting Manchester United fanatically when I was 20 years, when my friend George Ciappara introduced me to the club. When I was young, I used to sympathise with Napoli but always had that soft spot for Manchester United. My best memory of our team was when we played against Barcelona in April 2008 where the team won with a Scholes goal. Until today, I can assure everyone that I have never seen Old Trafford roaring as that night. I visited Old Trafford several times (cannot count them) and went to support Manchester United as well away in Wembley, and abroad in Skopje (Macedonia) and Gdansk (Poland). My favourite current player is Bruno Fernandes for his skills and fighting spirit.

As a club, we had many club legends such as Cantona, Rooney, and Beckham but for me Ronaldo is the greatest one. If I had to change one thing, it would be the greediness of the Glazers. They are just milking the club and not taking care of our history. If I was the Manchester United Manager (in my dreams) and had an unlimited budget, I would go for several players such as Foden, Mbappe and from the past I’d go for Maradona and Maldini.

If Manchester United never existed, I’ll support Napoli because of their supporters and the way they play football.

3) What attracted you to join the Supporters’ Club? What made you contest the Committee election? Describe your role in the club. Why would you recommend a United supporter to join the world’s oldest Man Utd supporters’ club?

As I said previously, I was introduced to the supporters’ club by my friend George. The first thing that fascinated me was the welcome that several members gave me and I felt like I was in a family. In the past, I was involved in the committee (2004) where my role was the manager of the Souvenir shop. Regarding why I contested the committee election - a difficult question to ask. As a committee, I can assure you that they were / are a fantastic team and work a lot. When the great Joe Catania did not contest for the election, several committee members called me to contest. As I am a very busy person, I’ve refused since I knew that I wasn’t going to give the 100%. Nevertheless, at the end, they convinced me and I am proud to be part of this family. My official role in the committee is that of tickets co-ordinator, where I am working hand in hand with our president. I strongly encourage Manchester United supporters to become members of the oldest club in the world so that they can get in touch and stay connected with the club and other like-minded supporters. GGMU!

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Robbo: The Bryan Robson Story

by Ray Calleja

The film tells the Bryan Robson story. He was a captain, leader and icon. Here is a link to the trailer https:// youtu.be/2zUjOFUf4wg

Frenchman Eric Cantona labels Robson as “the leader of the leaders” and says that he was a cut above everyone else, even more than influential characters like Mark Hughes, Peter Schmeichel and Roy Keane, who all played during Cantona’s time at United.

Respect and praise towards Robson also come from bitter rivals like Liverpool. Their former captain Graeme Souness joins the chorus of praise for Robbo. He said he never faced a tougher opponent than Robson.

Bryan Robson signing for Utd.

B

ryan Robson, one of the most popular Manchester United players of all time and a regular visitor to Malta, has had a feature film documentary about his career released on 29th November 2021. It is called Robbo: The Bryan Robson Story (2021).

Bryan Robson, born on 11 January 1957 in County Durham in the North East of England and coming from a working-class background started his career with West Bromwich Albion in 1972 and it was not until October 1981 that Ron Atkinson signed him for Manchester United, together with Remi Moses. He made his United debut on 7 October 1981 away to Tottenham in the League Cup and he quickly settled in and eventually replaced Ray Wilkins as United captain. He stayed at Old Trafford for almost 13 years and played 461 games, scoring 99 goals for the Reds. He also represented his country and earned 90 caps, between 1980 and 1991, and scored 26 times for England. Bryan became the longestser ving captain in Manchester United’s history. He won many honours in his time at Old Trafford including two Premier League titles, three FA cups, one Football League cup, two FA Charity Shields and the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. He also captained the England team 65 times. Robson’s career is covered in this documentary, which also includes his time as manager. He became player-manager of Middlesbrough in 1994 and spent seven years at Ayrsome Park. Although he retired from playing in 1997, under his guidance Boro reached three Wembley finals, and he also led them to promotion to the Premier League on two occasions in 1994 and 1998. He also returned to West Brom as manager for two years. In the 2004/05 season he helped them avoid what appeared to be certain relegation.

After short spells with other clubs and even as national coach of Thailand in 2009, in July 2011 he was appointed ‘Global Ambassador’ at his beloved Manchester United.

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The documentary is packed with interviews with club legends from different generations, not to mention a feast of classic Robson goals.

Bryan Robson is widely remembered as a fearless and inspirational player and captain, both for club and country, whose presence lifted team-mates and intimidated opponents.

At his peak, he was acknowledged as the most complete midfield player in England, and played at the highest level despite a series of devastating injuries. A never-ending supply of stamina, great vision and superb passing skills all across the pitch, controlled aggression in his tackles, plus the added pace and powerful shooting and heading ability which brought him so many goals.

Sir Alex Ferguson, who replaced Ron Atkinson in November 1986, describes Bryan Robson as “without question, the best captain I ever had” and that is quite something considering that Sir Alex spent no less than 26 years at the helm at Old Trafford. He said the players loved him and responded to him as their leader on the pitch. He even said that Bryan was able to take a decision for the team on the pitch. For him, Bryan was a born leader.

Among the Class of ’92 players, big names like David Beckham and Gary Neville have nothing but praise for Robson.

Beckham said that “for us youth-team players … he was my hero and we were in awe of Robbo and everything he did.”

Neville goes on to admit that “there was no one representing that shirt better than him. He was never selfish and that was something that epitomised him.”

Former England teammate, Gary Lineker, said Bryan was one of the players he really looked up to. And if he (Robson) had stayed fit in 1986 and 1990 England would have won one of those World Cup tournaments.

Former England manager Sam Allardyce could not speak more highly of him. He said Bryan has every quality that is needed at the top and he proved he had the quality to be England captain and be the leader at Manchester United for many, many years. He is a great guy and has shown a lot of humility for the positions he has held and for what he has achieved in football.

The film also demonstrates Robson’s skills.

He was a powerhouse of a player, who could defend, create, score goals and tackle.

He was honoured by the Queen in the honours list of 1990 and given the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), which was a great honour for Bryan and his entire family.

He was the second child in a family of four children. He has one sister and two brothers.

He is married to Denise and they have two daughters and a son.

It is worth noting that Br yan Robson’s connection to Malta goes back several years.

He started visiting the Island in the late 70s on holiday and he has been a regular visitor

Bryan Robson the captain.

Robson & Bruce Premier trophy.

since. He was again in Malta last summer with another United ex-player, Denis Irwin as part of a VisitMalta promotional campaign. During his trip, Bryan expressed his appreciation for the hospitality that he receives whenever he visits: “I think Malta is great! Every time I come here, I am amazed by the friendliness of the people, the great sites and the good food.”

Bryan had even made a playing appearance in Malta in 1987 when he captained a starstudded Manchester United side in a friendly at Ta’ Qali against Naxxar Lions, winning 9-0, though he did not feature among the scorers.

Back to the film. The documentary is 1 hour 42 minutes long and was directed by John Brocklehurst and produced by Steven Wood and Elizabeth Simmons-Wood and edited by Martin McGreal for Heavy Jacket Productions and Mob Sport. The project took over 18 months to complete. The film is available on DVD, Blu Ray and digital download on main providers such as Amazon, AppleTV and SkyStore. It will also be available on Netflix.

Narrated by actor Ian McShane, Robbo – The Bryan Robson Story features anecdotes from the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, David Beckham, Gary Lineker, Eric Cantona, Wayne Rooney and many more, all telling their own personal

memories of Robbo, the player, the mentor, the legend.

Although his illustrious career on the pitch is well known, the story of Bryan’s rise to the footballing elite has rarely been told by the man himself. From being scouted by Burnley at just 13, his apprentice years at West Bromwich Albion, his world record transfer to Manchester United and his captaincy of England, he retells in his own words the highs and lows of his 39year career as a player and a manager.

In previously unseen footage, Bryan’s family also address the love they have for the down to earth man they simply call husband, brother and dad.

Bryan Robson had several distinguished guests during the film premiere, on Wednesday 28 November 2021, which took place in Manchester including Sir Alex Ferguson, former England teammate Paul Gascoigne, current United captain Harry Maguire, ex-player and coach Michael Carrick, Wayne Rooney, Gary Pallister, Darren Fletcher and former fellow managers Steve Bruce, Sam Allardyce and Graeme Souness.

Robson’s own message was “if you’ve got a dream, work hard at it but never think that you cannot achieve something.” That, he said, was also the main message of the film.

Exclusively for this article Steven Wood, on behalf of Heavy Jacket Productions and Mob Sport, very kindly provided us with an unseen short video from the original footage of the film. It only got edited out at the last minute to cut down on the length of the final version of the film. The video, shot in recent times, shows Bryan having a kick about with his younger brothers, Justin and Gary, with his sister Susan in goal, in the same field in Northlands, Chester-le-Street, where they used to play together when they were kids. Scan here to see the clip.

Photography : Gary Oakley Photography Thanks to Film Co-Producer Steven Wood for his help with material to this article.

C/O Attrans, Mdina Road, Żebbuġ. Malta.

Email: gymstarsmalta@gmail.com Tel: +356 21461444 +356 77153025 +356 99164245

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The current Man Utd situation What’s going wrong?

D

oes the drought and failure to play good football on a regular basis go back to 2013 with the departure of Sir Alex? There was no shortage of Managers employed to emulate Sir Alex’s successes. David Moyes had followed Sir Alex as boss in 2013. Ryan Giggs had taken over in 2014. Louis Van Gaal had a go from May 2014. Jose’ Mourinho took over a couple of years later in May 2016. That only lasted two and a half years until Ole became boss on the 19th December 2018. In the meantime, United’s last Premier League win was in Alex Ferguson’s last season, 2012/2013. The last FA Cup trophy was won in the 2015/2016 season.

The last League Cup, in 2016/2017 and lifting the Charity Shield, in 2016 (shared). And the last European Trophy – the UEFA Europa League, in 2016/2017.

Many observers claim that the downhill slide began a few years before Sir Alex managed his final season. The club, they claim, failed to plan for the future. Many of the players United had on its books by Ferguson’s final season

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were either nearing retirement or were of very poor quality. It was the brilliance of Robin Van Persie that won us the league but many claim that the writing was already on the wall that the club would struggle in the upcoming seasons because the other clubs were building formidable teams.

What matters now is that United have now gone four straight seasons without a trophy and one season away from equalling their worst trophy drought since the club was last relegated in 1974.

At the time of writing, United’s performance had clearly gone off the rails. How could a team with so many star players, with experience in playing together, end up in this situation?

International stars Paul Pogba and Fernandes, England defenders Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire, strikers Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani. Sancho was brought in as well as Varane and the great Cristiano Ronaldo, to join Van de Beek. Hard

by Kenneth Abela

to believe that United are in this situation.

Admittedly every team hits a bad patch at some point. United get criticized that they do not seem to realize that it’s bad. And that’s sad.

The question often gets put: Is it then the Manager’s fault? Is the boss playing to ensure that he doesn’t lose, instead of going all out for a win? Or could it be the players’ fault in not following the Manager’s instructions? Are the players fearful of being benched, or worse, sold, if they don’t play to the manager’s plan, or if they don’t maintain possession, or if they try something risky?

Take that game United versus Liverpool at Old Trafford as an example. This was the opportunity for United to show that they were back on the right track. They had beaten Atalanta in added time during the week, after having lost to Leicester City in the previous match. United started well, but Fernandes missed a sitter and in my view – and call me foolish if you must - the die at that moment

was cast. United were subsequently blown away by the Merseysiders.

I maintain that had Fernandes put his shot away, the result would have been different. So can one here really blame the Boss? Notwithstanding, the Press reported that after that match, with the poor results thus continuing, some of United’s players were starting to lose faith with the Manager’s tactical ability, as well as in the club’s management and the coaching staff. Following that loss, with United extending their winless streak in the Premier League to four games, Luke Shaw had gone so far as admitting that United’s thrashing had been coming, the English full-back conceding that the Red Devils are “way too easy to play against” at the moment.

Manchester City Blues came next to Old Trafford and another Red defeat at what once was ‘Fortress Old Trafford’ (2-0). United had been unbeaten in their previous four league outings against the noisy neighbours, so this home loss made it even more clear that all was not well. Did Ole get his game plan wrong leading to a lack of direction? Or was there some other reason for the player’s apparent lack of desire and lack of effort. Opta Statistics show that since Opta started recording such statistics – and that was way back in the 2003/04 season - no team has registered more passes at Old

midfielder. The Reds did try and sign the Hammer’s Declan Rice to their squad in the summer but West ham’s lofty £100 million valuation of the England international was considered exorbitant. It is also understood that the Club fruitlessly pursued another England International, Atletico Madrid’s right-back Kieran Trippier.

Trafford in a Premier League game than City did on Saturday (832 passes). For United to allow them to do this and apply no pressure whatsoever while registering just 400 passes themselves is quite frankly shocking. United were passive and more focused on retaining a defensive shape than actually pressing their opponents and trying to force them into making mistakes.

Last season United had drawn 0-0 with City at Old Trafford and then won 2-0 in the return fixture at the Etihad. To secure those results, Solskjaer went with a 4-2-3-1 and thus gave City no time on the ball, forcing them into multiple errors, while United actually still created a number of chances.

Another view is that United did not use the transfer market to sign a much needed holding

At time of writing United have lost 4 – 1 away to Watford. Even with a man down United had several opportunities to put things right.

However, once again, while Watford were able to hit the target, our stars, including Fernandes and Ronaldo kept throwing away excellent opportunities. So the question arises once again, who can take the responsibility for this loss?

Former striker and now Derby County manager Wayne Rooney had no doubt that the fault lies with the players, insisting that the players needed to question themselves over their poor and passionless performances under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Rooney said, “There is a big responsibility on those players. They are worldclass players, international players and a club like United need more.” The international break should have been taken as an opportunity to solve some massive issues within the squad or the team risked regressing even further.

Alas it does not appear to be so.

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Surprise Packages and Disappointing Teams of

2021

by Alex Dudley

A

s 2021 winds to a close, it’s always good to look back at some of the teams’ performances that have caught the imagination around the Premier League.

Meanwhile, others are likely to be hugely disappointed with their performances over the calendar year, and will be hoping that the start of a new year can bring with it new fortune.

For United, it has been a largely positive year, with steps taken in the right direction, but which sets of fans from opposing teams will be either happy or disappointed with their 2021 campaigns?

West Ham United When it comes to the surprise packages of 2021, you would be hard-pressed to look anywhere else than West Ham United. The job that David Moyes has done at the club since taking over in December 2019 deserves the utmost respect. The former United boss took

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over the club as they were hovering above the relegation places, but over the last two years, he has made them a force to be reckoned with both at home and abroad. Last season’s sixthplace finish was an incredible performance from the Hammers, but they were by no means there through luck. That has been evident once again through the early months of the 2021-22 season, as West Ham have continued to excel.

Players such as Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek have given a strong foundation to build on, while the forward players of Michail Antonio, Pablo Fornals and Jarred Bowen have been able to deliver the goods at the opposite end of the pitch. Only Manchester City and Chelsea have picked up more Premier League points than the Hammers in 2021, and they look to have an excellent chance of finishing the season in a European place once again; hopefully, not at the expense of United.

Crystal Palace I will be the first to admit that I was categorically wrong about Crystal Palace at the start of this

season. Many fans of the club greeted Patrick Vieira’s appointment at Selhurst Park, but I always believed that his inexperience could be a factor, and the club could once again fall down the Frank de Boer rabbit hole that almost landed them back in the Championship.

However, Vieira has proven all his critics wrong since taking over, and Palace have become one of the most entertaining sides to watch in the Premier League this season.

The Eagles scored just 41 goals in the topflight last season, and are already halfway towards eclipsing that total this term. Vieira has done an excellent job of revitalising players in the squad that looked to be on their way out, including Christian Benteke, who has already scored more goals this season than he has in three of the five seasons he has been with the club. It would be dangerous to rule out this youthful Palace side of making a challenge for the Europa League or Europa Conference League places in the second half of the season, but things are certainly looking rosy at the club following the departure of Roy Hodgson.

North London. With Champions League positions looking an unlikely target, Conte may see a trophy such as the League Cup as a huge success in his first year with the club.

Newcastle United There is a huge buzz around Newcastle United following the departure of Mike Ashley.

However, performances on the pitch are yet to improve. The Toon ended the 2020-21 season in a very decent 12th, but the pressure on Steve Bruce remained.

Bruce oversaw the start of this season, but was relieved of his duties following the change in ownership, and was swiftly replaced by former Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe. There will be a huge challenge on his hands in 2022, as he looks to guide the club to safety. The stats certainly don’t lie over the past year, as they have conceded more goals

than any other side that have been competing in the Premier League throughout 2021, and have picked up the second-lowest points.

Next year already looks to be a huge one for the club, as they look to secure their Premier League status, while also bringing in new faces that will shape the ‘new’ Newcastle United.

However, before looking too far into the future, the club must first survive what looks like a dire situation this season. They are the only side in the Premier League yet to pick up a win this season, and the position that they find themselves in at the start of the new year could be daunting, with fixtures against United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Leicester City over the festive period.

Money will be thrown at the problem by the Sheikh honours in the winter, but it remains to be seen whether money alone will be enough to fix the problems that the club have on the field in 2022.

Tottenham Hotspur It would seem as though the brightest moment of the Tottenham Hotspur season last term was their momentarily lead at the top of the Premier League standings. Since they lost grip on the top spot, it has been carnage at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Many believed that Jose Mourinho was the man to bring that much-desired trophy to the club, but a run of five defeats in six spelt the end to his reign, before the club lost in the League Cup final under interim boss Ryan Mason. A decent end to the campaign restored some pride, but Daniel Levy was left flapping trying to find a new boss in the summer.

Nuno Espirito Santo appeared to be the seventh choice, and despite three wins on the bounce to start the season, the wheels quickly came off. The Portuguese boss was sacked following United’s 3-0 win over Spurs at the end of October, with Antonio Conte brought in to survive what looks to be a helpless situation. Champions League places already look out of the equation, while a Europa League Conference defeat to Slovenian side Mura has done little to give the Italian much confidence that he has the tools for a successful 2022 in

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Manchester United remaining fixtures for 2021 compared to their rivals

by Stefan Attard

T

he final international break of 2021 has just ended ushering in what will be the busiest spell of the season for Manchester United. At the time of writing this article, Manchester United have just suffered a shocking defeat to Watford at Vicarage Road. Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was under enormous pressure to turn his side’s fortunes around - and fast and the defeat forced United to relieve him of his duties. The defeat to Watford marked United’s fifth defeat in their last seven Premier League matches, leaving them twelve points behind current table-toppers Chelsea and six points shy of the top-four. Michael Carrick was then promoted to a caretaker manager and he started off to a flyer by securing a vital win in Spain against Villarreal. This significant win meant that United will qualify as the leaders to the next round of the Champions League. In a season which started with huge expectations following a good transfer window, our title aspirations have already been blown away.

With United now 12 games into their Premier League campaign and their title aspirations all but over already, here is a close look at their how their next six league games compare with the other five clubs that currently make up the top-six.

Manchester United - 8th (17pts) Although United’s form has been dismal of late, the fact that Liverpool slipped up against Brighton and West Ham United following their win at Old Trafford kept the top-four within touching distance. If United are to bridge that gap, however, they are going to have to get wins on the board fairly quickly, especially in this upcoming period, which features a range of fixture types.

After sacking Solskjaer, United managed to qualify for the Champions League next round, and will travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea,

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meaning that will be another daunting prospect against one of the leading title contenders.

After facing the Blues at Stamford Bridge on November 28, United welcome Arsenal to Old Trafford just four days later. A few weeks ago, this game would have been seen as a good opportunity for the Reds to secure three points.

However, Arsenal have turned the screw in recent weeks and will offer a stern test.

Following the clash with Arsenal, United welcome another London club to Old Trafford, this time Crystal Palace. Despite Patrick Vieira’s side not being considered as one of the Premier League’s elite, they have already won at the Etihad Stadium this season, offering a warning sign for what they are capable of.

The Red Devils do have nine games to manage heading into the New Year, however later fixtures should serve them well.

United are involved in the only match not taking place on Boxing Day while they also have to wait until January 3 to kick-start the action in 2022. United’s biggest tests are both at Old Trafford as well, with an opening December clash with Arsenal preceding a Champions League tie against Young Boys.

Arsenal - 5th (20pts) After a terrible start to the campaign, the north Londoners have gone on an unbeaten run in the Premier League moving above United in the table in the process.

Mikel Arteta has overseen a rapid improvement at Arsenal in recent months. Like United’s, Arsenal’s upcoming fixtures are likely to give a more accurate reading of where they are currently at. After their good run their trip to Anfield ended with a heavy defeat. The Gunners will now welcome Newcastle United to the Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta’s side will be in action nine times across the course of festive period. Arsenal start with a difficult away day to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United which precedes a run of seven games before they finish at home to Man City on January 1, 2022.

The Gunners’ lack of European football does ease their fixture list slightly but they do have to squeeze in a League Cup quarter final against Sunderland as well. That game comes in the middle of Arsenal’s busiest period in which they have to play six times in 18 days – an average of playing a match every three days.

Liverpool – 4th (25 points) After a couple of stutters against West Ham and Brighton, Klopp’s side hammered Arsenal with a 4-0 scoreline. The Reds then have another home game to look forward to against Southampton a week later. A short trip to Goodison Park to face Everton in the Merseyside derby kicks-off Liverpool’s December schedule, before facing Wolverhampton Wanderers, also away from home, a few days later.

The Anfield outfit then have another two home games to look forward to against Aston Villa and Newcastle, meaning four home games in their next six matches looks like an opportunity for them to get back on track after a minor blip.

Jurgen Klopp famously doesn’t like England’s crowded Christmas period – and this year the German won’t be happy with his side playing ten times. The one boost is the Reds have already topped their Champions League group so can afford to rest a few key stars for an away trip to face AC Milan. Yet after that, Liverpool play four matches in 11 days with three Premier League games and a Carabao Cup quarter-final to navigate.

West Ham - 4rd (23pts) Arguably the surprise package of the season so far, all eyes will now be on West Ham to

see if they can remain in the top-three after moving above Liverpool on Sunday. Their upcoming fixture schedule, at first glance, looks a daunting prospect, but having beaten Liverpool they are not likely to fear anyone.

Their first game after the international break was a trip to Molineux to face Wolves where they suffered a 1-0 defeat. Moyes’ side then will lock horns with Manchester City just over a week later at the Etihad Stadium.

After two games on the road, the Hammers will return to more familiar surroundings, facing both Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea at home in the space of four days. David Moyes’ side will then be back on the road for back-toback away trips against Burnley and Arsenal, meaning four of the Hammers next six matches are away from home, as well as the fact that four of them are against sides currently camped inside the top-seven.

A cost of the Hammers’ high-flying season is an increased fixture list with the club having to play five games in less than a fortnight – three of which are London derbies in December. West Ham may be afforded a rest for their Europa League exploits, however as a win against Rapid Wien this month will ensure top spot in Group H. Man City - 2nd (26pts) After cruising past Everton at the Etihad

Stadium, City have another home game to fulfil, this time against West Ham on November 28. City then face back-to-back away games, first against Aston Villa to kickoff their December schedule, before facing Watford a few days later. Pep Guardiola’s side then return to the Etihad for back-toback home games against both Wolves and Leeds United, meaning four of their next six are at home and only two of them, as things stand, are against sides currently in the top half of the table.

Pep Guardiola will have his lightest festive period since arriving in England, with his side out of the Carabao Cup for the first time in five seasons. City still have nine games in December with a difficult Champions League trip to face RB Leipzig in between a run of much kinder Premier League games.

The Etihad outfit have favourable away-day clashes with top-flight strugglers Aston Villa, Watford and Newcastle.

Chelsea - 1st (29pts) Currently top of the pile after 12 games, Chelsea will be hoping to retain top spot on the run-up to Christmas and beyond. Despite being held to a 1-1 draw against Burnley, the west London club retained their three-point advantage at the summit with an emphatic win against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

At the time of writing Thomas Tuchel’s side will face United at Stamford Bridge. A trip to Vicarage Road to face Watford kicks December off for the current league leaders, before they travel to West Ham a few days later. The Blues then have back-to-back home games against Leeds and Everton.

The Blues have been swamped with a hectic Christmas period with ten matches in just one month – including a clash with title rivals Liverpool. Thomas Tuchel’s men are currently top of the table but face a battle to hold onto their lead with three away games kicking off a busy December. Chelsea also have to navigate a 2,600-mile return trip to Russia for a Champions League tie with Zenit St Petersburg and a Carabao Cup quarter-final.

At the time of writing, United return to action after an imporoved if not spectacular performance in Spain to face league leaders Chelsea. After this daunting task the United fixtures will not get any better as they face Arsenal in the space of just four days. After this, Ralf Rangnick should be taking over interim managerial duties until summer. In the meantime both the performances and the results must improve significantly if we still have aspirations for Champions League football next season.

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GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

by Iain McCartney

T

he email came through requesting another contribution to ‘Echoes’ and also for that contribution to continue of the theme of the ‘Manchester United Graves Society’. Some, perhaps many, might find the subject matter of little interest, but it is part of the United history, an important part in my eyes, as it keeps the memories of those individuals who played for United or Newton Heath alive and whether they played one game for the Heathens reserves in the 1800’s or 2/300 games for Manchester United in the modern era, they are all part of the United story.

Once I manage to find the burial place or cremation details of a player, I then begin looking at their career in order to write up a brief biography of that individual. Some reveal interesting stories.

Take George Anderson for instance. Born in the Cheetham area of Manchester in May 1893, he was to score thirty-nine goals in eighty-six Football League and FA Cup ties is a favourable record, but unfortunately, it is quickly forgotten about as George Anderson’s name is more associated with the accusation of fixing United’s game against Burnley in December 1917.

Signed from Bury in September 1911 for a fee of £50, he was to make only one appearance prior to November 1912, but by the end of 1913-14 he was leading scorer.

Although making a handful of appearances for United during 1915-16, he made his way to Belfast in February 1916 to play for Belfast United without permission and it was only the involvement of the Football League that made him return to Old Trafford where he resumed his United career.

In March 1918, despite maintaining his innocence, George Anderson was found guilty of ‘conspiring with certain persons unknown

George Anderson is pictured centre of front row.

to defraud other persons unknown who had made bets on the results of various matches’, with United’s game against Burnley on 29 December 1917 one of those games.

He was subsequently banned from Old Trafford, with reports in the ‘News of the World’ of 24 March 1918 adding fuel to the fire and following a court appearance, he was jailed for eight months.

BURIAL - Blackley Cemetery and Crematorium.

PLOT – BC consecrated 2356 There is also the sad story of Prestwich born James Collinson, one of the earliest known local players to represent the club and he was to score on his debut against Lincoln City on November 16th 1895, having been signed

from local football in August of that year. He was also to score both goals in the Lancashire Senior Cup Final victory over Blackburn Rovers at Goodison Park in 1898.

He was also something of a versatile individual, as he could also be found at inside-forward.

Employed as a glassblower following his playing career, he was to lose his job due to ill-health and sadly took his own life, leaving a note to his family which read – “Before I am any incumbrance to anyone, I think this is the best step to take. Goodbye and God bless you all.”

Jimmy Collinson is buried in Agecroft Cemetery, Manchester.

But it’s not just the players whose resting places are eagerly searched for, managers are just as important and I was really pleased recently to find the resting place of the club’s very first manager, Alf Albut. Sadly, there is no headstone for the man.

Fredrick Attock, a supervisor at the Carriage and Wagon works of the Lancashire and Yorkshire

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Railway was the president of the fledgling Newton Heath Football Club, but if there was one man responsible for the emergence of the football club and indeed its survival in those often-dark distant days, then that man was Alfred Hubert Albut.

Born in Bromsgrove in 1850, he progressed favourably through Bromsgrove National School, but when it came to sports, it was as a cricketer that he excelled, as a member of Pickwick C.C. and Bromsgrove C.C. as a player and also as a committee member. But by the late 1880’s he had also become involved with Aston Villa Football Club, with the ‘Birmingham Daily Post’ mentioning him as a committee member when the club became a limited company in 1889, two years after they lifted the F.A. Cup for the first time.

But Albut was much more than a mere committee member, as he often negotiated transfers, bringing the likes of James Cowan to the club, whilst also being employed away from football as a confectionary salesman.

Despite overseeing success in the Midlands with Aston Villa, helping them obtain a strong foothold within the game, the ‘Empire news and The Umpire’ of March 20th 1892 reported: “Mr A. H. Albut, a member of the Aston Villa club committee, has been appointed secretary of the Newton Heath F.C. If knowledge of the game, coupled with good business capacity, can do good to a club, then Mr Albut is the right man in the right place.”

He was certainly the right man in the right place, as no sooner had he got through the door than he was one of the main forces behind the Heathens becoming a limited company, with ‘The Umpire’ of May 8th writing: “With an energetic secretary like Mr Albut, and a good team, Newton Heath should attain higher honours in the football world than even second place in the Alliance.”

A week later, ‘The Empire News’ of May 15th 1892 reported that Newton Heath had been “turned off their old ground” at North Road by the railway company but Mr Albut and his

committee had found pastures new at Ten Acre Lane. But it was a ground that they never played on due to its owners, the Dean and Canons of Manchester deciding that charging admission was ‘not on’, so Albut had to return to the railway company, cap in hand, and negotiate terms to return to North Road.

Albut himself had also made a move, not overly happy with his office at the Shears Hotel headquarters, he at first leased a cottage at 33 Oldham Road, before taking larger premises at the Institute, Silver Street, Miles Platting, which was soon to become the social centre of the football club.

Although heavily involved in all things Newton Heath, Albut still found time for cricket and was expected to turn out once again for Bromsgrove in the summer of 1896, but whilst playing at Irlam, having scored thirty-one and looking for eight more runs to tie the match, fell as he attempted to make a short run having ruptured the small arteries at the back of his leg and was run out and forced to rest for three weeks.

Albut, however, wasn’t just the club secretary, as he could be considered their first manager, the man responsible for the day to day running of the club, which also included the ninety minutes on a Saturday afternoon. He certainly had his work cut out on countless occasions, with directors’ meetings conducted by candlelight when the gas supply was cut off.

The story goes that Albut used the Corporations court summons to his advantage, approaching a neighbouring club with summons on blue paper and waving it in front of their directors in the pretence that it was from a player of that club who had not been paid wages in recent weeks and if he didn’t get them, the summons would be served. Not wishing to go to court and unable to pay the amount due, they agreed to release the player without actually checking the blue paper. Having signed the player, who was apparently a well-known individual, the gate money the following Saturday showed an increase of £10.

Much more could be written about A. H. Albut and his Newton Heath days, but this is not a biography, just a mere pen picture and the man who did so much for the club in its early days, tendered his resignation to his board in May 1900 and all he received was a vote of thanks at the club AGM the following month.

Albut subsequently returned to the Midlands, where he passed away in December 1916 at the age of sixty-seven.

He is buried in Yardley Cemetery, Section 11, Grave No. 18961.

Players who lost their lives whilst serving their country are not forgotten and some twenty-two are recorded on the database. Guest players are also added, although this section needs some work done to it, as only six individuals are included. They are, however, noted players all.

The six in this section are former Everton manager Harry Catterick, noted goal scorer Arthur Rowley, brother of Jack, who is more familiar to United supporters, Alex Herd, the father of David, Peter Doherty, Ivor Broadis and also Stanley Matthews.

On my database, there is also a mention of one woman – Elsie May Partington MBE. Why I hear you ask.

Her name is to be found on the headstone of John Henry Davies as she was his daughter and she more than deserves a mention, as she also has a part to play in United’s history as she was the ‘little girl’ who took a fancy to Harry Stafford’s St Bernard dog as it wandered the streets of Manchester and if it had not been for her, then perhaps the Manchester United of today would have been totally different. If indeed it existed at all.

Space has caught up with me again, so it is off to write up five more biographies of players whose graves I have located in the past couple of days.

Bury in September 1911 for a fee of £50, he was to make only one appearance prior to United of today would have been totally different. If indeed it existed at all.

VOL 49 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2021

35

Champions League Nights FC Schalke 04 vs Manchester United

by Dr. Michael Calleja

O

n the 26th of April 2011, Manchester United faced German club FC Schalke 04 in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final – away in front of a passionate Gelsenkirchen crowd. Despite United being huge favourites to progress from the two-legged encounter, the Germans were by no means a pushover.

During the previous round, Schalke had comprehensively beaten Italian giants ‘Inter Milan’ 7-3 on aggregate. United for their part, had managed to eliminate Chelsea over two pulsating encounters (2-1 at Old Trafford and 1-0 at Stamford Bridge).

Schalke’s line up included the mercurial ‘Raul’ – who had joined the German club after a stellar career at Real Madrid. The team, managed by a certain ‘Ralf Rangnick’ also possessed a very capable goalkeeper who would torment both Wayne Rooney & Javier Hernandez on the night. Manuel Neuer was clearly one of the best ‘up and coming’ goalkeepers and despite alleged interest from Sir Alex Ferguson (in particular), had already made it clear that his intentions were to remain in Germany

(wherein he eventually joined powerhouse Bayern Munich).

On the night, Sir Alex Ferguson selected the following starting XI: Edwin Van Der Sar, Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, John

O’Shea, Nani, Michael Carrick, Anderson, Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez ‘Chicharito’. Ralf Rangnick’s selection included: Manuel Neuer, Atsuto Uchida, Christoph Metzelder, Joel Matip, Hans Sarpei, Alexander Baumjohann, Jose Manuel Jurado, Kyriakos Papadopoulos, Jefferson Farfan, Raul and Edu. Throughout the 90 minutes, Manchester United completely dominated the Germans and it was simply a matter of ‘if’ rather than ‘when’ they would score. Manuel Neuer kept the side from Gelsenkirchen in the game and a number of outstanding saves continuously thwarted the Red Devils.

Manchester United’s pace and penetration were the main difference on the night – with Sir Alex’s men particularly impressive when going forward. After 14 minutes, United went dangerously close when Javier Hernandez latched onto a great pass by Park Ji-Sung but could not beat Manuel Neuer. Ryan Giggs also went close when his header was saved by the

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imposing German and Giggs was instrumental once again in nearly opening the score right before half-time with Neuer again the pivotal difference between United being comfortably in front and incessantly frustrated.

Schalke did have opportunities, although these were few and far between, with Jose Manuel Jurado spurning a priceless opportunity after some neat work by Jefferson Farfan. At long last, United finally managed to crack open Schalke’s defense. Wayne Rooney’s excellent work on the left found Ryan Giggs and the talismanic Welshman slid the ball through Neuer’s legs – becoming the (then) oldest player to score in the UEFA Champions League (37 years and 148 days old) – overtaking AC Milan striker Filippo Inzaghi who had also scored throughout that same campaign.

United managed to keep up the momentum

and merely two minutes later, some neat work

by Hernandez found Rooney whose low shot past the hapless Neuer made it 2-0 as United eased to a comfortable away victory.

After the game, Ferguson was ecstatic yet cautiously optimistic – as always: ‘Well it was a perfect performance and we could have scored more goals and I hope we don’t regret that [going into the second leg]. The players believed in themselves, and they were fantastic.’’

The newspapers were also full of praise for Sir Alex’s men – belittling Schalke’s contribution to the game. ‘1 v 11’ shouted Bild ‘Wo war eigentlich der Rest von Schalke?– “where, exactly, were the rest of Schalke?”

– highlighting Neuer’s immense contribution to keep the score line down to a respectable

two goals conceded. Moreover, “Manuel Neuer made sure that Schalke just lost 2-0 and not 7-0. Anyone who saw this gulf in class will not believe in a miracle at Old Trafford in the return leg. United have more than one foot in the final at Wembley.”

A comprehensive 4-1 romp in the return fixture at Old Trafford ensured United would once again participate in another Champions League final, their third in four seasons.

However, there was to be no celebration at Wembley where United were themselves outplayed 1-3 by a polished and slick Barcelona side. Nonetheless, it had been a highly positive campaign with some great performances along the way. The shrewdness and quality of that United team had been brilliantly summed up in that 90-minute performance in Gelsenkirchen.

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37

Changing of the guard

by Daniel Cuschieri

A

t the time of writing this, Manchester United have just beaten Crystal Palace by one goal to nil. It is the first match under the new manager. Ever since Sir Alex left, the club has been unstable. Many will deny it but under the commercial success is a footballing giant that is currently suffering due to the unexpected departures of both Sir Alex and David Gill. I, for first, never expected the departure of Sir Alex as I think all fans thought that Sir Alex is the immortal. The departure of both during the same period had a devastating effect throughout the club. The club began the search for a new manager who would have the daunting task of replacing a legend whose name would be opposite himself at every home game.

During 2012, I was invited onto the club’s radio station show and was asked the question who I would like as the replacement for Sir Alex, and without hesitation I replied Jose Mourinho. Mourinho, according to rumours, was not shortlisted to replace Sir Alex and the favourite was Pochettino, however this manager did not join the club.

The first manager David Moyes joined the club coming from Everton whereby he exceeded everyone’s expectations. David Moyes did not last a whole year at the club, I believe he wasn’t given a good shot at managing the club. However he did not help the situation by changing staff members which had just won the title and also tried to change the style of play and certain mind games as divulged recently by ex-Manchester United players that they began to question their own ability. Moyes only had two signings to his name: Fellaini and Mata. I think both fared out well for the club, the former not being a typical United player however he had his own strengths, whereas Mata joined after a relatively successful time at Chelsea. Moyes didn’t have the personality to stamp his authority at the club, and appeared to be a manager that was grateful for being there and not a manager who was there based on his success. Playing under Moyes, the team appeared to have bad change in the gameplay which left the club trailing and losing ground early in the season. I think the lack of direction and also lack of belief by the players and their manager was his downfall. Right now, West Ham United are playing very well and giving the top teams a run for the money to the extent they knocked out Manchester United themselves in the League Cup. I went to see two games at Old Trafford under Moyes and was unlucky enough not to see a shot on goal in two games both home against Newcastle and Liverpool

respectively and honestly the players looked lost and they couldn’t find inspiration from their manager to which he was sacked a few months later. As a caretaker manager, Giggs filled in for a couple of games and he in turn became the club’s assistant manager to Louis Van Gaal. The club finished in 6th place, the worst ending to a season since the formation of the English Premier League.

Louis Van Gaal joined after a successful run with Holland in the World Cup. During such tournament, heavy rumours were circulating that he had joined the club. Van Gaal, was a manager with a lot of experience and quite an impressive CV, coupled with a number of high profile signings. Some, including myself, thought that the return of the glory days were on the cards. Van Gaal spent two seasons at the club and upon his arrival one could notice the style of play that Van Gaal was trying to impose which is that of control of the game.

However this change had its pros and cons due to the fact United were dropping points, not necessarily losing but dropping points, against the less stronger teams and getting wins against the bigger teams. His start was not the best of starts at the club and a reason was due to the changes in the playing staff and also the playing style. While some expected instant results, the departure of Ferguson was always going to have an impact. Just some didn’t expect it to be of such a magnitude.

During the first season Van Gaal’s red army finished fourth in the league table, two places better than the previous season. During the summer of the second season of Van Gaal the club reinforced the squad by adding again a number of high profile players, most notably the German midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger.

During the second season of Van Gaal, the performances remained stale and also early exits from cup competitions continued to show that the club was in fact broken and that the new recruitment was not getting the club anywhere. However it must be said that Van Gaal brought through a number of youth players such as Lingard and also Rashford who are two key players in the playing staff of both United and the English national team. Today it appears that the authoritative approach does not rub off well on the new players and not the right approach which is needed if a manager is to exert a strategy over the team and also a culture change that is in line with the club’s ethos and values. Van Gaal in mid-season began to receive a lot of media intrusion as to whether he would be sacked and that Mourinho was to replace him, and with all

due fairness to him and to the team, the way the media played it out was disgusting, and it didn’t do the team any favours. But credit to Van Gaal, he managed to bring back the FA Cup to Old Trafford, but again during such post-match interview, his position was raised which rather than congratulate him and the team for their efforts, the media again showed its malice, and I am sure, he didn’t enjoy the victory as he should have. Some time later he was sacked and Jose Mourinho was appointed.

Another high-profile manager was appointed, coming to United after returning to Chelsea and winning the title. Mourinho in his first season at the club won two major trophies.

The club again opted for high profile signings, the pick of the bunch being Zlatan and Pogba.

The club finished 6th in the league but such ending to season was masked over due to Mourinho’s relentless drive to bring home the Europa League title. The second season fared out better for Mourinho with again major transfer fee outlay being spent notably on Lukaku. The club finished second in the league table however got knocked out early in the Champions League and lost the FA Cup Final to Chelsea. Mourinho stated that this second position finish was one of his greatest achievements, again another manager with an impressive CV points out that the playing squad has broken units and that again this was not a quick fix, the team needed an overhaul but the changing of the manager and their style was not going to help the situation nor was it going to attract the playing staff the club needed and wants to get out of the mess it was in. A key example was the signing of Sanchez from Arsenal which cost an arm and a leg from the signing of him until his departure, which in all fairness was not the same player that other clubs had. Mourinho’s third season startled badly and he didn’t last till the end of December and last minute victories papered over the cracks and the media outbursts began with Mourinho lashing out at the media for the petty digs on certain defeats. Roy Keane has passed a comment that the players put him under the bus and I believe that they did, also given the current situation seems to have reemerged. Mourinho was sacked in December and the club brought in on an interim basis former player Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Ole, until just recently held the position of the manager of the club which upon his appointment he had a very strong start to his managerial career at United going on a long unbeaten run and having also knocked out PSG from the Champions League. Solskjaer got the club back to feeling good and also began to rejuvenate the youth squads and as a person who genuinely loved the club, was doing everything within his power to get the club back to its best. One of the mistakes I believe he would do was refer to Sir Alex and the way we would do things or play during Sir Alex’s time. Recently Zlatan, mentioned this and that the club should move away from that stance and start to do their own history again.

This is the same situation Liverpool had and

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they always referred to their history. During the first season under Solskjaer, the club finished in 6th place, in the same position that Mourinho had left it, but there was a feel good factor around the club. The following season, the team didn’t get the start they expected and during the transfer window Bruno Fernandes was signed which restarted United and gave United a bit of creativity that they were craving, and also took on loan Nigerian striker Ighalo. Solskjaer was starting to mould his squad and people genuinely believed progress was being made.

The club finished 3rd in the league position and got knocked out at semi final stages in cup competitions.

During the season, the team finished 2nd and lost to Villareal in the Europa Cup final. I wasn’t surprised as once United go behind I never feel that this team has the fight to get back the result. In teams of past, I would feel that now we will blast them away. I feel this team is timid.

During this season was one of the strangest experiences I believe for players due to COVID, players have to play behind closed doors and I believe the home and away advantage was removed and such a situation was an advantage to United, and was one of the factors as to why the club finished second also it must be noted that Liverpool suffered from heavy amount of injuries which if we do not want to fool ourselves, we all know better fully fit

Liverpool team would rip to pieces this United team which it did just recently. There was a lot of sentiment around the manager’s position at the club. One must agree that the playing style was haphazard and improvement was needed.

In Solskjaer’s final stretch, the team was begging for leadership. He was given enough time to impose his personality and playing style to give Liverpool and Manchester City a run for their money but unlike the player that he was whereby he was a deadly striker from the outside, he appears to be a person who does not have a strong authoritative stance.

The team suffered heavy defeats suffering to Liverpool, Manchester City and unfortunately Watford, which were the final nails in his coffin.

I wouldn’t say I was surprised as I felt sorry for the man, as he truly loves the club, however one would notice that the players were not performing for him. Today you live in a results based world and I am sure this experience will serve him well in the future.

Michael Carrick took over from Solskjaer for three games, whereby he was unbeaten and decided to resign and take some time out with his family since his playing career ended.

The club has now appointed a German manager whose name is no stranger in Germany and is one of the managers that have re-engineered the playing style of certain positions in

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40 VOL 49 - ISSUE 2 - DECEMBER 2021

football and also certain strategies. The club has adopted the same route that Chelsea and Liverpool have adopted by taking a German manager who has the same school which they derived from. Hopefully the club will not be following but leading in this aspect. I am a fond lover of German football teams as they are hard to beat. Like everything German, everything is there for a reason. The manager believes that pressing should be done high up the pitch and not leave opponents into your half. During his first interview, the manager Ralf Rangnick has shown the manners and also attitude which are those of a manager that wants to take the club forward with belief in himself. I think this manager must be given the reins to throw out players that do not want to follow the philosophy of the club and who do not want the club to be back towards the top half of the table. Past history and successes does not count for anything as we have seen with Van Gaal and Mourinho, both managers with strong CVs and have won a number of trophies internationally, but history was not on their side at Manchester United. I, for one, hope that this manager will bring back the authority back to the manager and a playing style that fans will enjoy watching. I hope the team does not start playing after conceding a goal or only at last minute go to win the game. The team is full of strong individuals which if coupled with a bit more, they may compete with the other three strong teams in the Premiership.

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Volume 47- Issue 3, March 2020

Volume 47- Issue December 2019 2, 1, Volume 47- Issue October 2019

get alive when you . He comes ural footballer l.” Ole Gunnar Solskjær “He is a nat goa the to ser clo

“I think any player who joins Manchester United wants to win everything” Bruno Fernandes

“Brandon Williams wa s absolutely exceptional!”

Solskjær afte r Partizan match

alta ters’ Club-M United Suppor zed by the Manchester is officially recogni Founded 1959, United Football Club.

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Volume 49- Issue 1, September 2021 Volume 48- Issue 1, December 2020

“I am fully committed to this cause.

No child should ever go hungry.”

Marcus Rashford MBE

#ENDCHILDFOOD

POVERTY

2, Volume 48- Issue March 2021

“Cristiano Ronaldo is the greatest player of all time.”

score “I hope I can be plenty, and I’ll ards tow working hard doing that.”

Ole Gunnar Solskjæ r

Edinson Cavani

Manchester United Supporters’ Club-Malta Founded 1959, is officially recognized by the Manchester United Football Club.

ta Supporters’ Club-Malthe d by Manchester United is officially recognize Founded 1959, Football Club.

Manchester United

Manchester United Supporters’ Club-M alta Founded 1959, is officially recognized by the Manchester United Football Club.

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