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There’s a new phenomenon at Manchester United games and it’s not Cristiano Ronaldo. At the end of matches, fans used to leave immediately and Old Trafford would be empty within eight minutes. Club officials would be proud that 76,000 people, including 3,000 away fans, could disperse so quickly. Not now. Thousands of fans stay behind in the Stretford End to sing. The roots of this were established in the final home game before the Covid lockdown when the Red Army section lingered to serenade the players after defeating Manchester City. This season, they stay knowing that they’ll provide the backdrop to the post-match, pitch-side player interviews. Previously these took place in the tunnel, but there’s more space to socially distance on the pitch. The Red Army, a section of 3,000 vocal fans who spark the whole end into song, has been a success. It’s like an away end at home and they were loud before, during and after Wednesday’s game.
Against Villarreal, thousands stayed around, mostly singing, “Viva Ronaldo! Running down the wing, Hear United sing, Viva Ronaldo!” They hoped that Ronaldo would come out but it was Bruno who appeared. “Bruno, Bruno, Bruno!” hollered thousands, “He’s from Sporting like Cristiano, He goes left, He goes right, He makes the defences look shite, He’s our Portuguese magnifico.” Fernandes saluted. Diogo Dalot did some interviews, relieved perhaps that opposing winger Arnaut Danjuma was no longer tormenting him.
Etienne Capoue, one of the few Villarreal players confident enough to be interviewed in English, came over. Man of the match in the Europa League final, he was one of the best players on the pitch at Old Trafford. “Today they got their revenge. We’re really upset with ourselves today. We could have been better and gone home with three points, but today the biggest team talked. We lost the game in the first half. By not taking our opportunities.”
In the background, fans sang, “You are my Solskjaer, my Ole Solskjaer, you make me happy when skies are grey. And although Shearer, was fucking dearer, please don’t take my Solskjaer away.” That was more encouraging than the, “This is shite, Solskjaer! Shite!” directed towards the bench at the end of the first half when Villarreal had been far superior. Support for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is significant inside the stadium – and it’s significantly lacking online.
Solskjaer was the next to emerge. He looked shaken by the footballing lesson his side were getting in much of the first half, relieved to get a win. “Not good,” he said when I asked him his assessment of his side’s performance. “But sometimes you get results on a bad day. We played a good team which showed, but in the end three points were massive for us.”
Unai Emery appeared, the pantomime villain who was booed. Though disappointed, the former Arsenal manager spoke well and with dignity. He did so many media interviews that by the time he had finished, the man of the moment took to the field wearing some Manchester United slides: Ronaldo. Emery spoke to Cristiano and the mutual respect was clear. It’s a shame the fans who waited so long didn’t get to see Ronaldo, but there’s also a nervousness about live interviews in front of thousands of fans. Three different fans had made solo pitch invasions when Ronaldo scored – about one tenth of the number of fans holding up, “Cristiano, can I have your shirt?” signs. He spoke to the host broadcaster and UEFA. About missing this team, wanting to score more.
So everyone bar the 240 travelling Villareal supporters went home happy. Fans sang, “Viva Ronaldo” on the Metrolink back into Manchester. Sang it on the streets of Manchester – one such chant was heard at 4.15am on Thursday.
What happened at Old Trafford on Wednesday was dramatic, exhilarating and worrying all at the same time. United being on the front foot after 95 minutes brought back echoes of “Fergie time” Alex Telles’ volley sparked the first wave of joy after the Spaniards went ahead, he’d been set up by Bruno. Where would United have been without their Portuguese speakers? We felt the impact of Cristiano Ronaldo again. Viewing figures for Manchester United games globally are off the scale because of one man, shirt sales too.
The most important thing was that United won on Wednesday. Being outclassed by the best organised team to visit Old Trafford since Paris St Germain last season will be forgotten if United get out of this group. Three points were vital, so why the worry? Well, Manchester United are not playing well. Three defeats in four games before the Villarreal match meant results weren’t positive either. The Premier League table looks OK because United have started better than in previous seasons and, believe it or not, rivals don’t win every game either. European champions Chelsea have lost two games on the trot and have only had one shot on target.
Yet at Old Trafford, even moderate fans are wondering whether Solskjaer is the man to take United to a trophy-winning level. He’s done a good job in nearly three years in charge. Can it become a great one, which it needs to be if he’s to keep his job for a substantial period of time? Fans are right – and entitled – to wonder that. There were a couple of changes on Wednesday. Mike Phelan had a stronger presence in the dugout, as he tends to have in Europe. He’s an older head who has been there, done that. And while Solskjaer has been criticised for tactics across his time at United, his substitutions made a difference. That was one thing he learned from the Europa League final. Four Villarreal subs warmed up at match pace from the 50th minute, as they’d done in Poland. All were introduced over 15 minutes. Solskjaer waited for their injection of energy and counteracted them with his own changes, each of them helped nullify Villarreal and help United.
And let’s not forget that a) United started very brightly and b) were playing with a makeshift back four against the Yellow Submarines. It was a very tough match but United came through it. Just. And that was just enough to keep most of the hawks circling rather than going for the kill.
As for the players: David de Gea, Mason Greenwood and Ronaldo are the headline makers, Paul Pogba started the season well too, though he looked annoyed to be brought off. Edinson Cavani looks like a superhero who can lift up bridges on the Manchester Ship Canal to let giant ships pass beneath. Jadon Sancho, who likes the ball at his feet rather than running into space as is required in this United team, has yet to make any significant impact. Raphael Varane will be fine, Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire need to get back from injury and into better form. The central midfield is a concern. Neither Fred nor Scott McTominay work harder than anyone in training, but neither are Kante or Fernandinho. That doesn’t mean they don’t have a role.
Solskjaer needs wins and he needs them throughout the season. The pressure on him is higher than before because he’s been in the job almost three years and this team is his. He has absolute world-class players to select in most positions, he’s spent a lot of money. He knows all this, that he’s in a results business and that trophies should be won at United with more frequency than they are right now.
Wednesday appeared to be as chastening as the home defeat to Villa was last weekend, but then United were saved by the man the fans didn’t stop singing about all night. Viva Ronaldo!
This article originally appeared on GQ UK.
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