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 Love to hate Fans United in their dislike for Manchester
Posted: Monday May 24, 1999 11:45 AM
If everybody loves a winner, then why do so many football fans hate triple crown seeking, Manchester United? Coach Alex Ferguson acknowledged as much when talking to reporters ahead of Saturday's FA Cup final win against Newcastle, when he said that, "as usual," the majority of the fans at Wembley and watching on television would be willing United to lose. Too much of a good thing is often hard to bear however, in any sport. For example, I'm sure that outside the boundaries of the United Center, there were few NBA fans shedding a tear for the Chicago Bulls this year, when they failed to make the playoffs. Likewise, the current slump of the World Champion New York Yankees or the Detroit Red Wings losing their grip on the Stanley Cup, is somehow a source of deep satisfaction. It's just boring to see the same team turning everything it touches to gold. United of course are guilty of that in the extreme. Only Bob Paisley's Liverpool club has a better record on the trophy front, and those days have long gone for the Merseyside club. Indeed since the late 1980s, there can be no argument; United has been king. After winning its fifth Premier League Championship last weekend, it has won 10 titles in Ferguson's 13 years with the club. If that's not overachieving, then what is? However, the natural tendency of most of us to support the underdog, which Newcastle undoubtedly was on Saturday. That creates a bit for a dilemma when it comes to United. Those who love the game for its own sake, without the handicap of rabidly supporting or despising one team or another, would surely love to see the triple crown achieved. The domestic league title, domestic Cup and European Cup have never been won by any team in a single season. The fact that United has a chance to claim the Holy Grail should therefore be something to applaud not slate. But when it comes to the world's richest club, magnanimous appreciation just doesn't flow that easily in some circles. There's simply nothing that can make the Red Devils appealing. So while the talent equals trophies equals praise equation is the more logical way of thinking, win or lose in the Champions League final, Manchester United will always be the club many people love to hate.
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