Football is a sport known to bring out the best and worst of the emotions from a fan, let alone if you have been a player yourself. Manchester United, one of the most popular and largest football clubs in the history of soccer, has been tested time and again; with nothing going in their stride off late now.
The ‘Red Devils’ club known to have one of the most loyal fanbase all over has seen public display of disappointment with the incessant losing streak, as if a cloud of darkness and despair has taken over.
In a recent turn of events, former Manchester United skipper and renowned player Wayne Rooney had earlier opined that the current manager Ruben Amorim needed to focus on dragging the club up the table before considering the possibility of clinching any future titles.
“He says winning the Premier League, how can they compete? To get further up the table, I think that’s the next step for them,” Rooney told the BBC in a press interview. “I think it’s a little naive to say they’re looking to win the Premier League because from where they are now, they’re a long way off that,” the England legend added.
The struggling coach and manager Amorim played cool and without launching any direct attack on anyone, the indignant man somehow responded to Rooney’s description of him as ‘naive’, without citing any of his managerial failures. He remarked: “I was a pundit when I finished my career. I know it’s really easy.”
The Portuguese supremo could have easily mentioned about his own two indigenous titles in comparison to Rooney’s recent failures at Birmingham and Plymouth but resisted the urge to be candid and spiteful. Though he didn’t take Rooney’s bold stance too kindly, Amorim did express his thoughts after United players were washed out of the FA Cup match on penalties to Fulham FC; a weirdly expected result considering the recent form of the players, which certainly left the fans startled.
The former coach of the iconic club Sporting Lisbon was enquired if voicing his ambition about winning the premier league title was realistic, and his affirmative response on making the goal come true were the agenda.
“Being naive is to think that we are going to do it this season or going to be the best contender for the next season,” he added.
My Perspective:
One of my favorite football clubs, Manchester United failed in their attempt to defend their FA Cup crown, losing to Fulham United F.C. on penalty shootout in the tournament’s final round. After a 1-1 draw post 90 minutes of play, Fulham’s goalkeeper Bernd Leno made two crucial penalty saves to claim their victory over the Red Devils.
Despite the forgettable display on field, Ruben refused to be overly pessimistic about the result. He also faced questions on his goalkeeper Andre Onana, with his recent performances being filled with silly mistakes, misjudgments and apparent lack of focus.
The fairly recent manager declared he hoped to elevate the team back to Premier League’s old-world glory, no matter how tough the journey ahead seems. As a passionate football fan, I only hope Manchester United bounces stronger as a team and puts the past behind with only learnings to incorporate in their matches to come.
They Bruno Fernandes led red army are scheduled to play their upcoming La Liga match against Real Sociedad in the Round of 16 phase of the Europa League.
