Don Barzini
Assistant Pro
I would speculate that a reasonable percentage of those people went to school in the 1990s in a geographical location which was nowhere near Manchester. Yet despite that, they had to put up with years of innumerable Man Utd “fans” at their school (who had absolutely zero connection to the club or the city of Manchester) constantly and gleefully celebrating the success of the club they’d chosen to support and equally constantly ridiculing them for supporting a team which was nowhere near as successful. “Deriving pleasure” from it, you could say.
They also probably looked on as the Man Utd players of the day surrounded the referee and screamed “F*** OFF” in his face whenever there was even a sniff of him having the temerity to award a decision which didn’t go their way and never face any consequences for doing so.
They may also hold the view that the whole club and its fanbase at the time seemed to embody and even revel in the idea of showing zero humility in victory. But also zero humility in defeat on the occasions it did happen.
So yeah, the downfall of Man Utd in recent years is probably always going to be a source of entertainment/joy to those people. I would further speculate that it suits Man Utd fans now to frame it as being “obsessional” and “strange” of course, as an attempt at pushback against it. But for a lot of others, it’s simply a case of enjoying the fact that karma has caught up. What goes around comes around, if you like.
This is all just my own baseless hypothesis of course and I can offer zero credible evidence for it. My arrow may be massively wide of the mark!
Arthur Wedge
Well-known member
Slime
Tour Winner
Slime
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Tashyboy
Please don’t ask to see my tatts 👍
This all day long. But and this is a massive but. The Utd fans that I knew, the ones that actually went, the ones that could tell you where Old Trafford actually was were fine. It was the ones that had the shirt but only Sky tv.
I remember one Sky Utd fan telling me that Rooney was the best player in the world. I was also with a Utd season ticket holder. He said “ Rooney is not even the best player at Utd, Ronaldo is”.
The ones that went and saw Utd in the flesh were fine, the ones that watched it on the telly were by and large insufferable.
Orikoru
Tour Winner
Spot on really. I don't hate United all that much personally (there's enough other hateable clubs around), but it was annoying that Man Utd was probably the most supported team at school even though I was in the outskirts of greater London. I used to wonder how it was even allowed, I thought the rule was you support who your dad supports - and all their dads can't be from Manchester?? I didn't realise you can just choose whoever you want.
4LEX
Well-known member
I might be the opposite, surrounded by Utd fans but found them OK. Probably because Reading were so small in the 90's we didn't register and a lot used to go to our games.
I've always had a soft spot for Utd due to watching the CL in that era. It was always about English sides over anyone else for me, so I used to love those midweek nights on ITV with Big Ron on the comms. I can still recall pretty much every big game of that era. The unlucky defeat to Dortmund, ditto against Monaco the year after and then the season they won the treble.
I've always loved sides that play on the front foot with wingers and Utd of that era were probably the best 442 side of all time.
Slightly ironic that a former Utd winger in Steve Coppell got us playing 442 with wingers when we set the Championship points record a decade or so later!
It's sad to see Utd in this mess and making the same old mistakes. I thought despite being on the losing side, Mbeumo was absolute class and Amad is such a brilliant winger. He's wasted anywhere else. Is it me or does Sesko looks miles off the pace?
I've always had a soft spot for Utd due to watching the CL in that era. It was always about English sides over anyone else for me, so I used to love those midweek nights on ITV with Big Ron on the comms. I can still recall pretty much every big game of that era. The unlucky defeat to Dortmund, ditto against Monaco the year after and then the season they won the treble.
I've always loved sides that play on the front foot with wingers and Utd of that era were probably the best 442 side of all time.
Slightly ironic that a former Utd winger in Steve Coppell got us playing 442 with wingers when we set the Championship points record a decade or so later!
It's sad to see Utd in this mess and making the same old mistakes. I thought despite being on the losing side, Mbeumo was absolute class and Amad is such a brilliant winger. He's wasted anywhere else. Is it me or does Sesko looks miles off the pace?
Swango1980
Well-known member
It's amusing to hear the above. That Man Utd were that good in the 90's, that many fans of other clubs apparently needed therapy 
. Instead it has taken over 2 decades for all that bitterness and resentment to be released.
P.S. I thought most football clubs harassed the referee in the 90's. But because of 1 famous club of Keane, Stam, etc crowding the referee, apparently it was only Man Utd players did that.
. Instead it has taken over 2 decades for all that bitterness and resentment to be released.P.S. I thought most football clubs harassed the referee in the 90's. But because of 1 famous club of Keane, Stam, etc crowding the referee, apparently it was only Man Utd players did that.
Arthur Wedge
Well-known member
Applauding a missed point, well done.
Ok you can help by letting us know the point ?
Man Utd were playing , they were losing again , and people were discussing it
Really not sure what the issue is , certainly no “obsession” or people enjoying United lose “more” than their team winning
Skytot
Well-known member
Agree with all of that .
Swango1980
Well-known member
In regards to Man Utd's transfer business, there were always likely to be holes left within the squad, whatever approach we took.
Had we bought a defensive midfielder, then it would likely have been highlighted that we ignored other important areas. I really like Cunha and Mbeumo, we always needed a No. 9 and we ultimately brought in another GK as well.
Also, it was always likely Utd were going to desperately try and offload many of their attacking players. Rashford, Sancho, Antony, Garnacho and, in the end, Hojlund as well. And given you can't rely on Mount to stay fit, getting in Cunha and Mbeumo seems a logical approach.
In many parts of yesterday's game, Utd looked decent, it is just the final ball is poor which is still worrying. OK, a stronger midfield and settled backline may not have conceded 3, but in fairness, City have the best striker in the world, and he was on top form. Sometimes you just have to give the opposition more credit than criticising the defensive team. Especially when Utd were chasing the game in the 2nd half.
Had we bought a defensive midfielder, then it would likely have been highlighted that we ignored other important areas. I really like Cunha and Mbeumo, we always needed a No. 9 and we ultimately brought in another GK as well.
Also, it was always likely Utd were going to desperately try and offload many of their attacking players. Rashford, Sancho, Antony, Garnacho and, in the end, Hojlund as well. And given you can't rely on Mount to stay fit, getting in Cunha and Mbeumo seems a logical approach.
In many parts of yesterday's game, Utd looked decent, it is just the final ball is poor which is still worrying. OK, a stronger midfield and settled backline may not have conceded 3, but in fairness, City have the best striker in the world, and he was on top form. Sometimes you just have to give the opposition more credit than criticising the defensive team. Especially when Utd were chasing the game in the 2nd half.
Pin-seeker
Well-known member
Slime
Tour Winner
The point is as in the first quote, the pertinent word is 'more'.
Don Barzini merely said why people loved seeing United beaten, I get that, most supporters enjoy their rivals getting beaten, but the point I made is that some people seem to enjoy that more than their own teams winning.
Don Barzini didn't allude to that at all, hence he missed the point.
You then applauded his 'missed point' post.
I was merely pointing that out.
Arthur Wedge
Well-known member
But people aren’t getting “more” pleasure out of United losing than their own team winning
They are a talking point right now , it’s not “obsessional”
If any of the big two clubs were struggling then there would be a lot of talk about them
Obsessional is when a fan of a club doesn’t say a word about their own club but spends every single day talking about someone else
Slime
Tour Winner
I disagree, but let's move on.
Don Barzini
Assistant Pro
Should just clarify, there was a big tongue in the cheek when writing my post.
I dislike plenty of clubs, I wouldn't single Man Utd out!
Just as plenty dislike mine - most people, if you believe Spitty Carra's recent ramblings.
Bring it on I say! Delighting in seeing other clubs lose, as well as celebrating your own club winning and the subsequent back and forth it leads to is all part of the footy bantz as far as I'm concerned. I wouldn't want to live in a world without it - it would be bloody boring!
I dislike plenty of clubs, I wouldn't single Man Utd out!
Just as plenty dislike mine - most people, if you believe Spitty Carra's recent ramblings.
Bring it on I say! Delighting in seeing other clubs lose, as well as celebrating your own club winning and the subsequent back and forth it leads to is all part of the footy bantz as far as I'm concerned. I wouldn't want to live in a world without it - it would be bloody boring!
road2ruin
Q-School Graduate
I think the issue with the transfers is how unbalanced it now appears to have been. There is no doubt the signings were of the quality we were after however they seem to be wasted as there is little help from the midfield. I'm wondering whether it may have been more sensible to have Sesko and one of Cunha/Mbeumo and then a proper DM which would have given us more solidity in the midfield etc. The GK seemed to be a panic buy with the form of Onana and Bayindir dropping off the edge of a cliff. I'm not sure why given this position should have been well up on the list as soon as the window opened!! I am also not entirely sure that Lammens was the best option given we needed a GK for the here and now, not one with a huge amount of potential. I think Martinez should have been brought in even if it were for only 2-3 seasons.
Arthur Wedge
Well-known member
Seems that there was a lad working at the bar in the Etithad wearing a Man Utd top
And he got the sack
It’s not that long ago, on the forum, that Arsenal and Wenger were the target for derision. Sawtooth used to defend them to the nth degree. When Utd find their feet again, no doubt the brickbats will be flying in the opposite direction.
It’s the typical fan(tribal) rivalry.
