Shamik Chakrabarty
It was all or nothing for Manchester United. The worst United team in 51 years got nothing. They deserved nothing. Old-timers would attest that in 1974, when they were relegated from the old first division, Tommy Docherty’s side played better football than Ruben Amorim’s snowflakes. They were so bad that they allowed Tottenham Hotspur, of all teams, to win a European trophy. Tragedy befell United at San Mames in Bilbao, and this club, now a global laughing stock, deserves every bit of suffering. United are an embarrassment to football and the repercussions of their loss in the Europa League final could be apocalyptic.
Decades of institutional mediocrity has brought the club to its knees. The wretched Glazers, United’s majority owners, have ceded control of the football side to the deplorable Ineos. Jim Ratcliffe & Co. are proving to be even worse, on and off the pitch. They conceded to fickle fans last summer after the FA Cup triumph and retained Erik ten Hag, effectively writing off the season in the process. And when they made the change mid-season, the club hierarchy brought in a callow manager from Portugal, who is completely out of his depth. The United job has proved to be too big for Amorim. In the Europa League final, his midfield pairing was wrong. Trusting a non-existent striker, Rasmus Hojlund, for so long suggested imbecility. Giving Kobbie Mainoo only the last seven-odd minutes beggared belief.
“Like I said before, coming here before in the flash, I am always open,” Amorim told reporters post-match. “If the board and fans feel that I’m not the right guy, I will go the next day without any conversation about compensation.” Enough of lip service. The 40-year-old is probably enjoying his moment, knowing full well that the club, reeling under a debt of £1bn, is not in a position to sack him. Amorim is probably trying to be too clever, without running the risk of ending up too clever by half.
“I think definitely me and I think all of us have to question ourselves tonight,” Luke Shaw said after the defeat in the Europa League final. “Are we good enough to be here? Because this club, this season, it’s not acceptable. We know that and it’s down to us.” This was another ‘happy flower’ talking nonsense. Shaw makes guest appearances on the pitch. For two-thirds of the season, he is comfortable at spending his time in the medical room.
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Tottenham’s goal was basically Shaw’s fault. He was off the pace and slow to react. But any goalkeeper worth his salt would have saved that. Nemanja Matic called Andre Onana “one of the worst goalkeepers” in United’s history. The former Chelsea and United midfielder was wrong. Onana has to be the worst goalkeeper in the history of English top-flight football.
And Bruno Fernandes, the serial whiner… Once again, he went AWOL in a big game (only 11 completed passes in the first half). He is a good player against average teams but gets found out against quality opponents. Fernandes is not worthy of the armband of a club that had captains like Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona and Roy Keane. If there’s a big offer for the Portuguese from the Saudi league during close season, he should be sold immediately.
Then again, is there a tomorrow for this club? They will finish the Premier League placed 16th or 17th, and for the first time since 1992-93, there will be no European football at Old Trafford. Maybe, the time has come to board up the stadium and sell Carrington for grazing.
P.S. United match-goers are also a big problem. Even after this, the majority of them will renew their season tickets and will shamelessly sing “Glory, glory Man United”… Shedding their losing mentality, they need to boycott the club.