As results go, Manchester United’s victory over Dutch side Feyenoord was certainly overdue. José Mourinho’s side found its shooting boots along with some electrifying performances in a 4-0 victory that leaves the Reds close to qualification for the Europa League knockout stages. United scored more than once for the first time in three home games to break an unfortunate record. Could it spark a much-needed revival?
As far as international breaks go the series of games this week could not have been timed any worse for Manchester United. Fresh from victory against struggling Swansea City, the Reds desperately need a run of positive results to build momentum in a stop-start season. Instead, José Mourinho’s players return from activity on three continents ahead of a must-win fixture against one of the club’s oldest enemies.
No one said it would be easy. But no one said it’d be this hard. As José Mourinho’s side fumbled its way through another disappointing night in Europe, the few remaining onlookers who thought everything would be back to normal this time around suffered a rude awakening. There is, apparently, no quick fix to the problems facing Manchester United, the self-proclaimed “biggest club in the world.”
“The stadium was full of real support and it looks like the love people have for this club is bigger than bad results. We must give something back.” José Mourinho’s words were part of what seemed liked a humble apology in the wake of last weekend’s thrashing by Chelsea. In the end, his side secured a much-needed win over rivals Manchester City in the League Cup. Old Trafford offered its unwavering support, and Mourinho humbly bowed to supporters in seeking forgiveness.
Watching Manchester United in the post Sir Alex Ferguson era is very much like Groundhog Day, the Bill Murray film of the 1990s in which the comedian is stuck in a loop, broken not even by death. There is a very definite cycle in the years since the Scot’s retirement, teetering between extreme optimism and crushing disappointment. It doesn’t seem like the trend will be broken any time soon.
Fickleness and sentiment: two words tossed around aplenty in football. “Fans are fickle” is a favourite used by onlookers as a bizarre crutch to justify supporters’ sudden change of heart. Equally, pundits note that “there is no room for sentiment” in football. It’s an overused term that explains away the poor treatment of a formerly loved player or, perhaps, manager. José Mourinho might take note of both clichés on Sunday.
As far as club fixtures go there are only a handful in world football that lie firmly in the ‘unmissable’ category. El Clasico certainly, which resembles a soap opera given the drama of the players involved. The Auld Firm produces pure hatred between the two Glasgow sides, as does the Derby Della Capitale between Roma and Lazio. The Manchester derby is fast becoming the Hollywood blockbuster fixture of which Sky Sports and Twitter’s football hipsters dream. Yet, Liverpool against Manchester United has something just a little different.
What a difference a week makes. The impressive summer and good start to the season brought an inevitable return to Manchester United’s old hubris. Supporters got carried away with their new found confidence. How José Mourinho’s team has brought fans back down to Earth.
The season may only be three weeks old, but it is fair to say that the feel good factor is starting to settle in again at Old Trafford. Last Friday, Manchester United welcomed Southampton in the first competitive home game of José Mourinho’s reign as the Reds’ manager. The following 90 minutes brought some of the best football witnessed at Old Trafford in the last three years. The hope is that the good times continue on Saturday as Mourinho prepares to take his side to face one of Ferguson’s greatest allies, Mike Phelan.
If any set of fixtures describes the farce at Manchester United over the last three years then the Reds’ games against Bournemouth last season could sum it up. United arrived on the South Coast last December needing three points to top the Premier League. Instead, Louis van Gaal’s side was undone by a series of comical errors, resulting in a 2-1 defeat and with it slipped down to fifth place. United never recovered. New manager José Mourinho cannot contemplate a repeat as the Reds visit Bournemouth of the opening day of the new campaign.