Matthew Hanzel

I cannot remember well when was the last time I enjoyed watching Manchester United—perhaps the opening game of the season when the team crushed Chelsea by four goals. But today’s derby spoke miles about the team.

For what is worth, United were the underdogs. It was a pity, since for many years, United have always had the upper hand, always seen as the stronger team compared to Manchester City. Only, in recent years, City have become real title contenders, and with money poured on them, it has been the case. It has been troublesome for United to see how quick City rose to its position now, even though it may take another century to match what United have achieved until today.

So much so that I tuned into the derby match with a little anxiety, fearing that United would be slaughtered, Ole would be pushed away from his seat, and the score would be devastating. Anyhow, Ole was not in the best position—despite the fact that they have won against a rejuvenated Spurs, coached by no less than former United manager Jose Mourinho. Pundits also gave the game to City, often with a 2-goal margin.

Thankfully I was wrong.

The way United gelled as a team surprised me a lot–—this was the team that made so many errant passing against Aston Villa and Sheffield United, which pissed me completely. However, in this game, they showed their real character, and they did score two goals in the first 30 minutes of the game.

The results could have been very different: United could have won by 4 goals, or City could have overturned the deficit into a win. United, however, did stick to the game plan, and they won, 2-1.

I would like to salute Ole, however. This was one of those opportunities when you could see a team fighting for their manager. I did not know what Ole said to the team prior to the game. It could be seen, however, that they really wanted to stick to this manager. In fairness, Ole did a lot of right things, despite of where the team stood today in the league standings. This also resonates strongly to me: I always think that the capability of the team’s leader (e.g. manager) to have your team fight for you is among the greatest things in the world.

It is really the time to savor the victory, and I can only wish that United can create many more of this kind of almost flawless performance in the near future.