Manchester United have clearly not had much success this season under new manager David Moyes–at least not as much as what has become expected of the club. Many, myself included, have expressed opinions that he may not be the right man for the job. However, a group of Manchester United fans took their frustration one step further today when, at the start of United’s match against Aston Villa, a plane flew over Old Trafford trailing a banner with the words “Wrong One – Moyes Out”. Most of the fans in the stadium knew this was coming, and Moyes even addressed it in his pre-match interview, saying that the money spent on it would be better spent on charity.
In anticipation of the inevitable, Moyes emerged from the dressing room before the squads. In a show of solidarity with their manager, the United fans greeted him with raucous applause; the supporters in the Stretford End sang “We’ll stand by David Moyes”. When the plane flew over the stadium, the banner was enthusiastically booed all around. If anything, this entire affair proved to be a boost for Moyes and United’s confidence, as they were assured that their fans are still very much behind them. It worked, too, as the Red Devils overcame a slow start and rode Wayne Rooney’s two-goal performance to a 4-1 victory.
This season, in spite of the poor performances, has made me prouder than ever to be a supporter of Manchester United. Sure, there are very obvious faults with the club. And yes, perhaps David Moyes is out of his depth managing the biggest club in the world. However, United fans are sticking with their team, demonstrating that they will not tolerate such a show of negativity. Displaying banners calling for a man to lose his job, no matter who he may be, is wrong. It gives the players the impression that their supporters have given up hope. In addition, it gives fans of teams around the world an image of a team with plastic fans, who will either quit on the team if it isn’t winning trophies, or who are impatient, and demand immediate change.
Manchester United fans eliminated these worries today with their outstanding show of support. Today, they reminded me why Manchester is, and always will be, red, and why they really are the best fans in the world. God knows, we probably deserve to experience a bit of losing, after being so dominant the last decade. This season, and probably the next couple, will be a huge test of resilience for the Old Trafford faithful, and I am absolutely certain that we will come out the end of it as strong as ever.
This team is not going to win any trophies this year, apart from the Community Shield already won against Wigan. Out of the FA Cup, out of the Capital One Cup, and a terrifying Champions League tie with Bayern Munich looming. They’re probably not going to be playing in Europe next year (actually, that may improve our league performance next year – look at Liverpool’s success this season without the midweek European games). But, I know that people will continue to come from around the world to fill Old Trafford, and that fans will continue to sing rude things at City and Liverpool. I believe that the “fans” who organized the banner aren’t really fans. Today, the real supporters shone through, and showed the rest of the world how to remind a team that the people in the stands have their back.
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