STOKE-on-TRENT, ENGLAND // As Manchester United fans on social media went into another meltdown after their club's latest defeat – the fourth in succession meaning their club have gone seven games without a win for the first time since 1989 – the reaction from the fans in the away end at Stoke was very different.
There, the 2,500 diehards who had travelled an hour south from a rainswept Manchester produced a show of defiance after watching their team lose 2-0 against Stoke City on Saturday. As the management and players left the field and walked by the away end, the fans sang ‘United! United! United!’ The players and management looked up and applauded back.
Louis van Gaal is failing, but match going fans are refusing to hound him out.
In Spain, he would be met by white hankies. In Italy, ultras would pay a visit to the training ground to vent their displeasure. In Manchester, they sing their team’s name. There are boos and jeers, but they have been minimal so far.
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It is a support which former manager David Moyes also appreciated. Even when his team were losing 3-0 at home to Manchester City and Liverpool in 2014, United fans were singing for their team.
Fans saw a human side to their manager when he addressed the media before the Stoke game. They saw a man under intense pressure and, adopting a tactic used by Sir Alex Ferguson, he helped create a siege mentality against “the media”.
United fans are by no means united in their support of the Dutchman and some have been far more critical of their manager than any journalist. Most would change their manager now and they were bored by the football his side were playing long before their results slid into straight losses, but, backed into a corner, they’ll come out fighting.
They will support their team, their club and whoever wears their colours, even if what they’re seeing isn’t acceptable. Maybe it’s a lesson from history, for the board who stuck with Sir Alex Ferguson when the fans were against him in 1989 were ultimately rewarded.
The support cannot be indefinite and fan patience is not endless, but after decades of being spoiled by success under Ferguson, fans are not shy to support their team in adversity like now.
“It’s a horrible run and a horrible feeling,” said Michael Carrick of the drop in form. “It hurts a lot. What else can I say? It’s hard to take. We’re not playing well enough as a team.”
“It’s Manchester United we’re playing for, for a special club. We need to do better. We need a win.”
Carrick says the players are behind their boss and that responsibility for their failings is shared.
“You can single anyone out, but we have to stick together,” said the man who wore the captain’s armband as Wayne Rooney was left out of the starting line-up. “We all have to take responsibility, but we have to work hard, stick together and keep believing that it will turn for us.”
Error strewn United were abject in the first half against Stoke and conceded two goals in seven minutes to star men Bojan Krkic and Marko Arnautovic.
“We don’t dare to play football in the first half and we gave a very bad goal away,” said Van Gaal.
“The circumstances were difficult. Circumstances to win and also with the pressure. The pressure will be every match higher and higher.”
Van Gaal maintains he’s the man who can bring change, but says it will be difficult.
“It’s more difficult because I am also part of the four matches that we have lost,” he said.
His mood contrasted with counterpart Mark Hughes, a United player when the club last went seven games without a win.
“By the manner of the first half I thought we were excellent,” said Hughes. “We talked about being on the front foot and having intensity to our play. We produced a similar first half performance to we did against Manchester City, another high quality team.”
“It’s a feather in our cap. You’ve go to be brave, you’ve got to be confident that you can go toe-to-toe and I think we showed that once again. We’re eighth before the results come in. A top ten position is what we want. All in all, a very good professional performance.”
Van Gaal says that his players are behind him and that captain Wayne Rooney took his decision to be dropped in a professional way.
In spite of the wretched circumstances, the fans remain behind their team, even when they scarcely deserve it.
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