Friday, December 9, 2011

Lose Games But Do Not Lose The United Way

What's with this fuckin' frenzy?


Get off to a blistering start by thrashing Arsenal 8-2 and our GBP 50 Million signings are world-beaters and get thrashed 6-1 by City and suddenly we are doomed?


Is that The United Way?


We got stifled by an exuberant AC Milan team in CL Semi-Finals a few years ago, then Barca undid us the same way in two CL Finals; even Bayern Munich got the better of us by exploiting our tactical weakness, but instead of identifying our mistakes correctly, we start indulging in conspiratorial rhetoric and the famous unison of our fans goes in utter disarray?


Is that The United Way?




We got relegated to the Europa League 'cause we couldn't deal with Basel and then if Roy Keane thrashes our young lads, what do we do? We taunt him back by pointing out his managerial record instead of reviewing the valid observations made by him for our own good. Did we see that he's pointing it out 'cause he still cares about United? Did we feel that he's probably feeling the same pain that all of us are feeling?


Is that The United Way?


With the advent of countless websites and Facebook pages, one now gets to see more than ever what so many United fans have to say about various issues related to the club. Some of those comments are downright petty, low-life and degenerate! Praying for other teams to fail, expressing jealousy over which club has signed who, abusing Fergie, saying that Berba and Owen are useless liabilities forgetting that they wear the colors that we take so much pride in - this is NONSENSE! 


This is NOT The United Way!


Manchester United has always worked hard to bring itself up; not prayed hard to bring others down. Leave that to the Liverpools and Arsenals of this world. We are Manchester United. We don't do what they do. We can't even think of doing that.


That is NOT The United Way!




The sad truth is that while we may have grown to become much bigger than just a football club by becoming the 6th biggest brand in the world, while we may have more fans that any sporting franchise in the world, while we may be consistently making huge profits in spite of a mammoth debt and while we may bug the hell out of rival fans - I don't see us winning. I see them winning!




Our true victory can never be ascertained by the number of trophies that we have won, are winning or will win in the future. By that account, Real Madrid is far ahead. Porto and Barcelona have won more domestic titles. AC Milan, Bayern Munich and even Liverpool are ahead of us in terms of the European Cups that they have won. If the number of trophies that United have won is the criteria that attracted you towards the club and you became a self-proclaimed Red Devil, then sorry to break your balls, but you just don't get what United is all about. It's about much more than silverware.


United is about largesse. United is about character. United is about class. United is about compassion. United is about honesty. United is about truth. United is about loyalty. United is about fairness. United is about improvement. United is about challenges. United is about struggle.


I take pride in the fact that we did a Treble in '99 but as a fan it was priceless moment for me when in spite of getting knocked out, Old Trafford gave a standing ovation to The Original Ronaldo for his superb hat-trick against us.


That IS The United Way!


I take pride in the fact that we knocked Liverpool off their fuckin' perch with our 19 titles, but I feel elated to be a United fan whenever we have slated one of our own lads for diving or any other underhand gimmicks.


That IS The United Way!


For the newbies who live under the illusion that our illustrious trophy cabinet is what separates us from the rest - review your analysis. It isn't that. Our traditional CLASS off the field as much as on it is what has distinguished us from the rest. We are NOT the club which would protect racist comments like Liverpool have done with Suarez. We are NOT the club which would put up with ridiculous tantrums like City have done with Tevez. We are NOT the club which would encourage perpetual divers like Chelsea have done with Drogba. We always rise above all the pettiness.


That IS The United Way!


We can cope up with losing games or silverware like we have always done in the past. Don't let yourself lose sight of the fact that The United Way should be way more precious to all of us than mere silverware. 


It's The United Way which will continue to distinguish United fans from other even hundreds of years from now. It's our most prized possession. It's our monopoly. It's our class. It's what we're all about. It's what lured me and millions like me to this club when we hadn't even won a title for more than 25 years. All fans from that era would be damned if we lose The United Way. Lost games will be won again. Championships and trophies will be recaptured. Not The United Way.




I'm a foreign fan myself and I hear loads of foreign fans whining about how they're not taken seriously as United fans. How rival fans and even Mancunians refer to them as Glory Hunters. How their passion and loyalty for the club is often brought under question. It used to bug me as well. Sadly, I don't empathize with my ilk anymore. The more I see comments from United fans which are based on an absolute lack of knowledge of the club's tradition, the more I realize why foreign United fans are not respected.


Make no mistake about it - Manchester United belongs to Manchester first and foremost. If you don't like it or if you can't deal with that, then just tough luck babies! Manchester United is a LOCAL team first and a GLOBAL team later. Manchester United is a club seeped deeply in the traditions, culture and sentiments of Manchester. That is what United fans all over the world need to take forward. That is, in fact, the beauty of this passion that millions of us share. One Club. One Tradition. One Culture. One United. We cannot have our distinct versions. These deviations are caused by the incorrect motives to follow United. These disagreements arise from a lack of knowledge about the club's history, culture and core values. 


If Wazza disrespected the club by asking for a transfer, so many of us were dying and begging for him to sign a contract. It was disgusting - it was like being a fan of Man City in the Sven era where a star player wanted to leave and the fans started squirming. Eventually, after questioning the club's ambition, Wazza had to eat humble pie and reaffirm his belief in the glory of Manchester United. Yet, what did we, the fans do to our Golden Boot winner? Look at the choicest of names so many of us have reserved for Berba and Owen. These are incredibly talented, illustrious players who wear our colors and yet some of us choose to abuse them on public forums. It's your opinion, it's your business but when you start slating lads who wear the United badge, then at least for me, you're no different to any rival fan. There is a dignified way of criticizing your own lads; it can never be outright abuse. It just shows the absolute lack of respect you have for the club. It just shows your hunger for glory and success. It just shows that we have among us, so-called fans who actually claim to support United for all the wrong reasons. It justifies rival fans and Mancunians when they call you glory hunters. So stop whining and pull up your act first.


Learn The United Way!


Lose games but DO NOT lose The United Way!!


14 comments:

  1. This is simply BRILLIANT . Outstanding , you just shared what fans should do now .

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  2. I bow down to you. Respect. Ultimate MAN UTD. person, speaking the UTD. language. And showing everyone what a true Red Devil is. Glory be to the Red Half of Manchester!

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  3. Excellent!!
    I am A foreign United Fan But I respect the Values
    and Sadly most of the foreign Fans ARE glory Hunters But Who Arent are as Good as the Fans That Live in Manchester!!!

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  4. I must say.......here in india der is absolute chaos among so-called utd fans.....n wid sucess of barca n real most r turnng to spanish futbal.....more articles lyk dese hlp my cause so pls post more stuff lyk dis

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  5. Man you wrote some good piece here. All hail the United Way

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  6. wow...thats great...we said by a true Manchester united fan...we ever may be the situation...i will always be a red devil....for me manchester united in something more than a favourate football team...nd old trafford is holy place for me...

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  7. Excellent...No more words needed...

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  8. Right on mate \m/

    You forgot to mention how people criticize Carrick, Evans and Gibson more than Berba and Owen.
    Hope this spreads to every fan!!

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  9. awesome !! this is wat all united fans need right now !!
    GGMU

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  10. You have just expressed what is in the mind of so many true United fans...United is not only a club..it is a way of life...
    RESPECT!!
    Glory Glory Manchester United!!

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  11. Awesomely written but just having you have the largest fanbase doesn't make it the greatest club. Half of my friends who know nothing about football are a manchester utd fan on facebook(obviously they don't even know names of 5 other clubs)...helps increase fanbase and has potential to increase more.

    Good club ...definitely true, but the BEST ? no way

    It lost and they definitely needs to be critisized. Still I like your article.

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  12. ive got a group of ppl around me who wore the united shirt after 6-1.. and even after the basel match.. arsenal liverpool chelsea supporters were taunting us.. laughing at us... because city and basel did what all 3 could never do in the past.. i think of them as losers.. nothing more..!
    im a red now and for life.! GGMU! \m/

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  13. This is what all the fans need to understand-all the REAL fans! 20 million fans on facebook-its just a number,the TRUE FANS are the ones who stand by their team through and through! I started supporting United when they did not win any trophies because I was hooked to their style of play! Eventually yes trophies came and I was happy but when I see the position now with so many so called 'fans' changing loyalty after the loss-its just downright disgusting!

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