The euphoric highs and agonizing lows of football fandom were on full display as Joshua Zirkzee's nightmare at Manchester United sparked a fierce reaction from the Old Trafford faithful. But beneath the cacophony of boos and criticism lies a sobering truth: the notion that Manchester United fans are an uniquely tolerant and civilized breed has been shattered. As the Dutch youngster's struggles underlined, even the most devoted supporters have their limits – and the fallout has sparked a pressing question: where does patience end and toxic fandom begin?"
One of the many entertaining elements of seeing a Manchester United crisis evolve is the way so much of the media and response to a Manchester United problem is handled as if the prior 10 years just haven’t happened.
Gary Neville’s repeated inflection of “This is Manchester United”, mixing weary resignation with a still confused air of disbelief has now undoubtedly gained meme status, but he is only the most obvious and audible illustration of a phenomena that remains firmly anchored in a time now long, long gone.
We are all guilty of expecting that Manchester United would just get their act together and be terrific again this time, which is a strong indication of the influence of preconceived notions. Consider how difficult it may be to let go of beliefs that have actually been out of date for a long time.
Although the level of Manchester United's stupidity under Ruben Amorim is shocking, it should come as no surprise to anyone that they haven't suddenly and miraculously improved.
At the very least, the days of individuals adamantly insisting that Manchester United is a team that sticks with its managers and refuses to submit to the contemporary tradition of constantly switching coaches in an undignified way are over. It took quite a few managerial changes before the remaining few survivors realized that United had the best manager in the world—possibly the best manager in two decades—which is why they didn't fire and replace them like everyone else.
However, only a portion of the relevance of that seemingly obvious point is fully comprehended.
The response to last night's none-more-2024 shitshow versus Newcastle, which concluded a genuinely terrible season of Premier League dreariness for the fallen titans of English football, made that much evident.
Among the more general "Not nice to see" sentiment, there was a more perplexing one: the belief that this isn't how Manchester United supporters act. This was evident when Joshua Zirkzee was hooked early and the target of extremely uncomfortable-to-watch abuse as he became the focal point for the home fans' growing frustrations. We've never heard of this before, but it seems that Manchester United supporters are renowned for their devotion to their team and would never betray them.
We're not specifically criticizing United supporters here; we're not claiming they're worse than anyone else, only that they're no better either. Really, it's clear because it's absurd to assume that a sizable fan base possesses a certain attribute that makes them unusually prevalent.
When whole fan bases are infused with these particular qualities, it is often rather strange. At Old Trafford, Newcastle supporters—the greatest fans in the world, of course—were finally receiving what they deserved, while United supporters were acting completely out of character by jeering their own man. Beyond a well-known preference for winter shirtlessness, the reason for this has never been fully addressed.
Once more, this is not a critique of Newcastle supporters, who are neither superior nor inferior to any other sizable fan base; rather, it is a general perplexity at the notion that they are any different or more worthy than the others.
Due mostly to the incontrovertible fact that they have the loudest followers on the internet, both in good and bad times, Liverpool and Arsenal supporters endure or gain similar treatment. Furthermore, the loudest individuals are a) rarely the most valuable to listen to, and more significantly, b) rarely even remotely reflective of the full group they claim to represent.
But let's go back to United. The concept that they treat players differently there truly got us all fired up. Beyond a two-decade period of unparalleled supremacy, during which a poor season resulted in finishing second to outstanding Arsenal or Chelsea teams, we have never seen any proof for this. When everything is so ridiculously good, it could be easier to keep your entire ass from being exposed.
Because the joke is so accurate in so many ways, United continues to receive a great deal of press. United truly ruined our childhoods for a few generations of football fans. Our collective perception of them has been permanently shaped by the scope and duration of their success. And both insiders and outsiders are affected by that.
Under Sir Alex Ferguson, they were so successful for so long that it was easy to think that this was the way things were usually done. They seemed to have no trouble changing and forming new, equally successful squads whenever needed.
That United's success has been and will continue to be this way. that United employees and supporters are unique and unusual in some way. that this club is entitled to greatness and has some special rights. But isn't that not the case? At a club of enormous importance, the Fergie years are actually the exception rather than the rule.
This is true both before and after their comparatively rare and sporadic success. Ferguson's first United championship was the team's first since the 1960s, a span of more than 25 years that included several stints in true wilderness and relegation.
This knowledge is not new nor unfamiliar. However, it is only briefly taken into account in our broader perspective of what Manchester United is or ought to be. which is a big, illustrious, and prosperous football team.
However, this is not really the case, even though their followers may be a complete pain in the ass when things aren't going well.
Comments