RedsUnite: a man utd blog

I am on the clock today, so here we go:

Silence?

Much of the discussion today revolves around this weekends Manchester derby–particularly whether Manchester City supporters will respect the minute of silence this Sunday at Old Trafford. Sven Goran Eriksson has publicly urged his fans to do so, stating:

“It was disappointing that period of silence at the England game was disrupted and I hope everybody on Sunday will show maturity and respect for everyone who died at Munich. For anything else to happen would be a huge disappointment.”

Ken Ramsden, Manchester United’s club secretary, is feeling often optimistic. While admitting his initial pessimism, he looks forward to Sunday as an opportunity to heal wounds and mend divides between the clubs:

“At first we thought, ‘oh hell’s teeth, we’ve got City’ but then you reflect on it and what we’re doing. It was an event that hit the whole of Manchester and it may be an opportunity to build a few bridges. When Sir Matt (Busby) died, the next game was Everton and it would be fair to say that our best relationships have not been with Merseyside clubs but they behaved impeccably. The Everton fans recognised the event for what it was and it was really good. Notwithstanding that (former City goalkeeper) Frank Swift was a victim of the air crash, City have been very helpful throughout and they’re wearing a special shirt as well, which shows you the significance they’re attaching to the event.”

Sounds wonderful and all, but let’s see if we make it through the minute before we start talking about “building bridges.” Those of you who may be attending the match and are worried about potential disruptions should take heart, however, match commander Chief Superintendent Janette McCormick assures you that her crew will take, “robust action against troublemakers so this minority of people do not spoil the day for the true supporters.” I don’t know if taking “robust action” during a minute’s silence is any more appropriate than disrupting it, but it’s good to know that the line has been drawn.

Bosingwa for United?

According to the Telegraph, Manchester United has already begun “preliminary discussions” with hopes of bringing Porto fullback Jose Bosingwa to Old Trafford. The 25-year old has been valued at £18.6, a familiar number to all of us, and is “seen as a natural long-term replacement for club captain Gary Neville and the present incumbent Wes Brown.” Sounds swell, I guess. All I know of Porto is what I’ve seen in their televised Champions League matches, and I certainly haven’t seen enough of the lad to know whether I should be excited. I do know, however, that Gary Neville is having a difficult time reaching match fitness and he is old enough now where we must begin thinking about the future. Wes Brown, a man with an inflated sense of self-worth, has already stated his preference to earn more money with an unsuccessful side next season. If Neville never reaches his past form again, which we must question at this point, we will be in a desperate situation this summer. Here’s hoping we are able to bring in a fullback without getting absolutely fleeced in the process. Maybe I’m being unreasonable, but every time I read the number 18.6 million I feel unsettled.

Americanizing England

Apparently all us American’s like your football for is the money. We just plan on taking over your league in takeover after takeover, then we will export you Englishmen and your nifty accents overseas. Being that we are Americans, all our eyes see are dollar signs and we have no respect for your culture, your fans or your sport. If there is a pound to be made off of your backs, us Americans are keen to exhaust all options.

While I know full well of American greed, some of the reporting surrounding the potential of American ownership is a bit sensational. In today’s Telegraph, Henry Winter ended his piece this way:

“Now we know why the Premier League is the new Klondike for American franchise-owners; why soccer agnostics like the Glazers are really here: it is to take an English institution and float it on the global market. Our game is now theirs.”

Hey England, welcome to globalization. The New York Yankees, America’s most popular baseball team, rivals United in their global appeal. They have international players like Hideki Matsui who have increased the Yankees’ international fanbase. They often play their first game of the season overseas. The NBA, our basketball league, has been aggressively marketing their sport abroad for over a decade. The NFL, as you well know, recently played a game at Wembley Stadium. No one in this country is yelling and screaming that they are going to be exporting Yankee Stadium to Tokyo. That is simply nonsense. You can market a product internationally without moving it overseas.

Why wouldn’t a team want to increase its revenue base? There are billions of people who love the game of football but lack exposure to United. By bringing the game to various locations, even if it means–GASP!–a 39th game, the league will only benefit. If the league has to run the risk of “insulting all those loyal supporters who take great pride in having been to every match, home or away, in the league,” for whom, “the 39th will prove an expense too far,” they will take that risk. I certainly respect the fact that, “If the Premier League bubble ever bursts, it will not be kids in Cairo or Rio keeping clubs going. It will be those who live close to Old Trafford, Anfield or St James’ who will remain the lifeblood.” But if Manchester United truly has 300 million supporters, as they’ve estimated, only marketing their product to those in the Manchester area would be penny wise, pound foolish.

Random Stuff

• Hargreaves Wants City Revenge
  
• Rossi: United Are My Past
• Possebon Makes Debut
• Juninho fears missing United tie (and what a shame that would be)

Blog Report

• How Did United Do On International Duty (Republik of Mancunia)
• What Will Sir Alex Do With Rodrigo Possebon? (Red Rants)

Now that I have alienated my English readership, I must depart. Farewell for now.