Football is a wonderful sport. I am a 30year old Manchester United fan. The first 25 years of my life, if football terms were quite incredible. My team were hardly ever beaten, winning trophies left, right and centre. Serial winders of every tournament apart from one. Alex Ferguson was in every way possible, an absolute legend of the game, a legend of United and a legend of football. When he decided it was time to hang up is managerial boots, it all went downhill.
I don't want to dig at David Moyes or Louis Van Gaal, it was never going to be easy to follow on in the footsteps of Mr Ferguson who was without doubt one of the best of all time. But what the football that followed was simply not good enough. There was money wasted on several big name players, the one that sticks to mind the most was Di Maria. I believe it was £59m for him, but these were player that seemingly just didn't fit in at United.
The reason I am writing this blog is because the other day I found myself doing something I never thought I would do. I was cheering at the top of my voice at the Man United V Anderlecht game in the Europa League. I was on the edge of seat just the same as I have been over the years during Fergie time in so many games that went right to the wire. I will never forget the 99 European cup final when we came back from 1-0 down to win 2 win in time added on. What a thrill that was. The other night was almost the same sort of feeling. I was literally shouting at my radio urging the team on as much as I could. But this time it was for a trophy that I never thought I would be excited about winning.
Is this how far we as a club have fallen? Having spent the money we have on some of the worlds so called best players over the years, should we not expect better? Is Mouriniho the man that can really get us back to where we belong? If the past few years are anything to go by, it's fair to say that getting excited about a Europa League game could well be as good as it gets for a while. But why am I upset by this notion? It is after all a major trophy, it is a way back into the Champions League and it is a way that we finish in fifth places, win the Europa League and stop either Liverpool or City getting in. That would make me smile.
The simple fact is, any united fan born in the late eighties has known nothing but success for many years and it is tough to see this fall from grace. But United we stand, we have been through worse times before us 80's born were alive and we bounced back then, and we will bounce back this time. Bring on Celta Vigo and bring on the Europa League.