A Farewell to Manchester United
Let’s be honest — this was a long time coming.
My list of favorite clubs may lead some to believe that I’m somewhat of a bandwagoner, that I’m only capable of supporting clubs that are commercially relevant worldwide and are title contenders. The evidence is there — my original favorite club, Manchester United, is still one of the biggest clubs in soccer history, my favorite Major League Soccer Club, Seattle Sounders FC, is probably the most successful team in modern MLS history, and if we really want to branch out into other sports, I became a Buffalo Bills fan during the last edition of the NFL playoffs.
Thus, some may be inclined to believe that I’m merely jumping ship — that I’ve gotten sick of losing and am a plastic fan. It’s true that the club’s fall from grace the past decade has relaxed my support for the club. I miss the constant trophies. I miss the leadership of Sir Alex Ferguson. I miss the relentless, bonecrunching defense of Vidic. I miss the unescapable man marking by Park Ji Sung. I miss the beast that was Rooney. I miss the stone wall that was Van Der Sar in net. The list goes on.
But Manchester United always seemed like a club that could eventually make amends for whatever strengths or powers it temporarily lost. We overcame the tragic 1958 Munich Air Disaster, maintained high levels of performance heading into the 21st century even whilst club legends like Eric Cantona left the door , and continued to be title contenders in the early 2010s despite having what was, honestly not a very strong squad.
But now, the club just doesn’t inspire much hope, even with what is a very talented roster. Things may change with the introduction of Erik ten Hag, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. Too many managers have come and left with the same problems plaguing the team remaining there.
During the tail end of the 2021–2022 season, I barely kept track of Manchester United’s matches. They were simply inconsequential; we would’ve needed a Christmas miracle to qualify for the Champions League, and even then we couldn’t even beat mid table teams to make the possibility just slightly more probable. There’s more excitement in watching grass grow.
Instead, I followed Jesse Marsch’s Leeds United — a team that had a reason to play. On Championship Sunday, I was pretty bummed to see Ilkay Gundogan’s substitute heroics win Manchester City the Premier League, but I was extremely happy to see Leeds escape relegation, and I wouldn’t have it the other way.
And with Brenden Aaronson, one of my favorite American players, moving to Leeds for a 30 million dollar transfer fee, I have even more reason to switch allegiances to one of Manchester United’s greatest rivals. Marsch represents the best of the American coaching system, and Aaronson represents the best of American talent.
That’s not say that I’ll suddenly stop rooting for Manchester United — I still wish them success in every match they play except for those in which they play against Leeds. I sincerely do hope that ten Hag is able to work some magic because boy does that club and its fans need it. Besides, who doesn’t like watching Ronaldo boss the pitch?
Then again, I have found something that I enjoy watching more, and that’s having belief, passion, and a desire on behalf of players to never settle. And it is ultimately because of that that I say goodbye.
