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United vs Crystal Palace |
There wasn't much difference between the sides but Mateta's brace, in stark contrast to the struggles of our own soporific strikeforce, provided visiting Palace with the most precious currency of all.
Watching from high up in the Stretford End, that feeling of resentment, of anger, the feeling that I don't want to do this any more, didn't last long. That feeling that you can't wait until the next time - despite the lows, and the lets downs, soon takes over. You do it because you can't let go. Just like in any other relationship, you're too emotionally invested.
It got me thinking: everyone here has their own story to tell. A tale of how they came to be here, not just at this moment, but in life. Choosing to support this club. Each one of these 70,000+ people, every single one from a different walk of life, here for the same reason: united (pun intended) for a common cause.
It matters too much to just throw it all aside. Right now, I'm disappointed, even apathetic, but in a few days, I will love this team again. I will be back in my jersey on Friday, willing the team on (this time from home) as we bid to make the FA Cup fifth round. United were my first love, and I will not stop.
In the week United commemorate the 67th anniversary of the Munich disaster, there is a light that never goes out. United rose again after losing an entire team - our current issues suddenly don't seem all that important. Manchester United will, like we did under Sir Matt Busby and Jimmy Murphy, come again. Where and when, we don't know, but we will be there. Better days are just around the corner.
It may sometimes feel like it's not worth it, but in a few days you reset and go again. Your support is everlasting, undying, unrelenting. Through thick and thin - indeed, it's at times like this the club needs us, more than ever. It's easy to support when times are good. It's when times are bad your loyalty and love for your club is tested.
That feeling that we are all so used to now - one of crushing disappointment - is expected at every turn, but is never any easier to take when the inevitable happens. As a wise man once said, it's the hope that kills you.
I travelled over 300 miles to be at Old Trafford yesterday. The lad I went to the game with had to be up at 4am on Monday for his flight back to Ireland. There were no doubt countless others with similar tales of dedication.
It makes you wonder if all this hurts the players as much as it does us. For them, it is just a job. A way of earning an (extremely lucrative) living. They still get their pay cheque at the end of the week.
It makes you wonder if all this hurts the players as much as it does us. For them, it is just a job. A way of earning an (extremely lucrative) living. They still get their pay cheque at the end of the week.
For us, it is our lives. It is not just an emotional investment. It is a financial one. We take time out of our cherished weekends - leaving our families and friends behind - to watch this club play. Hours of our lives given up to watch Manchester United: for some, it is almost a full time commitment in all four corners of the globe. I have heard of occasions where dedication for the club has cost marriages.
As the eponymous James sung in his hit ' Sit Down', if I hadn't seen such riches, I could live with being poor. First released in 1989, it feels even more appropriate today.
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