BECAUSE THEY CAN PLAY F'CKING GOOD FOOTBALL: PART 4

As Manchester United's season enters mid-winter, Cody Gakpo becomes available, the Glazers put the club up for sale, and Erik is informed of a 'golf game'. Part 1, 2, 3 below

PART ONE, PART TWO, PART THREE

Tune to move ya - Berghain (Darkroom Mix)

cover: Paradisio Publishing

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through the days

late summer

autumn

winter

spring

the ingot coloured afternoons and eves

of May

this:

this

is

Manchester United

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De aap komt uit de mouw

(Dutch proverb: the monkey comes out the sleeve)

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PART 4

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page 36

Man Utd 1 West Ham 0

Rashford (38)

the media room, Old Trafford

post victory

deadpan erik

deadpans on antony

james robson of AP: ‘may I ask what is wrong with antony?’

ten hag: ‘it is not huge – hopefully he can recover in a few days.’

JR: ‘may I ask which part of his body is injured?’

ten hag: ‘his leg.’

a pause, laughter. the old standby - leg;

erik cracks a grin.

he is in control.

the team is up to 5^th with 23 points after 12 games.

are Man Utd back in the bigtime as Pep Guardiola contended two days ago?’

‘a nice compliment’, but no, says erik.

it is sunday 30 october, the day before marcus rashford’s 25^th birthday: what a way to celebrate: the winner, at OT, that brings up 100 goals for your boyhood club, man utd.

he is ready to SOAAAR

Rashford: the epitome of a footballer reborn;

the lost boy of last season superseded by a super-confident forward;

this seventh strike the apt emblem of utd’s skyward trajectory;

as a product of the renowned academy, on the 85th anniversary of supplying a player to every matchday squad since 1937 - 4,163 young footballers holding their young dreams in their hearts - the lad from Wythenshawe’s strike is perfect too.

this is what erik ten hag is doing for his players;

for the club;

REBIRTH

BELIEF

PAGEANT DAYS

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page 37

how long?

there have been so many dawns that are false

how long can this go on?

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page 38

a day for champions

a day for champions

the fist though platinum skies

we are at real sociedad - beat them by two clear goals

and we avoid the champions league losers in the next round of the europa league;

but

do

we

wish

to???

because we are, after all, man utd.

what is avoidance? what does it mean?

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page 39

real sociedad 0 man utd 1

garnacho (17)

ronaldo played

a third straight game

and missed a glaring chance

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page 40

embarrassment: ASTON VILLA 3 man utd 1

away at aston villa, sunday, 2pm.

‘what is he doing?’

‘ronnie as captain after he walked out on us.’

‘rashford on the right – has this ever worked?’

‘and look what happened’

‘losing 3-1 to that shower of shite.’

‘unai emery beat us in the europa league final and he has done it again.’

‘is it too early to tweet?

fuck it: “Ten Hag has to go, he’s taken us as far as he can, he is clueless.”’

fucking embarrassing.

the tweet?

social media??

the way people think, at times.

ronaldo was captain and played to the end but he is not up to it anymore and maybe he knows this, too…

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