What Does The Future Hold for Angel Di Maria?

The Curious Case of Angel Di Maria

Angel Di Maria's wonder chip goal @ Leicester

Let me be frank and get straight to the point.  I will be both shocked and appalled if Manchester United even entertains the notion of selling Angel Di Maria this summer. Yes Di Maria, the same Angel Di Maria who United broke the British record to lure away from Real Madrid for $70+ million.  The same Di Maria who not only was the UEFA Man of the Match in the 2014 Champions League Final in which Real won La Decima, but the same Di Maria who also starred alongside Lionel Messi for Argentina in helping lead the Albicelestes to the 2014 World Cup Final in Brazil.  Now keep in mind, this is also the same Di Maria who started out his career at Manchester United on fire!  He scored his first goal off a freekick on his home debut, formed an immediate kinship with the Captain, Wayne Rooney, on the pitch, and scored what turned out to be the #3 ranked goal of the season by the Match of the Day pundits.  His wonder goal, a cheeky chip at Leicester in September & shown above, proved just what type of talent, ability and skill the Argentine was capable of and just how much promise and value he showed for the future.  The signing of Radamel Falcao was exciting but the day United lured Di Maria away from Real Madrid almost broke Twitter and the Internet altogether. 

You have to understand something first of all.  Transfers like this never seem to happen in United’s favor! In years past, it has always been United selling our best player to the Madrid giants for some exurbanite transfer fee, almost as though we were just a feeder club for the Spanish giants.  The fact that Ed Woodward was able to convince Di Maria to leave everything he had accomplished in Madrid behind, to join a club in Manchester United who would not even be competing in Europe that upcoming season, was seen by many as a miracle!  The one person who United fans had to thank for this was none other than Cristiano Ronaldo.  The United legend, and still fan favorite to this day, was approached by Di Maria for advice regarding Manchester and what to expect.  Simply put, Ronaldo said that if you are going to leave Real Madrid, the only other club in the world that you should go to is Manchester United!  That was all Di Maria needed to hear and with that, the deal was done.  To make the deal even that much sweeter, Di Maria was given the famed #7 shirt, worn by club legends like Robson, Cantona, Beckham and of course Ronaldo.  This wasn’t meant to put added pressure on the young star but to show him that United felt he was of the highest quality and should be mentioned in the same breath as all of those Manchester United legends who came before him. 

As I said above, he started the season off with a bang, dazzling fans with his wide array of assists and goal scoring abilities.  Unfortunately, as with most new signings, he eventually hit a lull.  A few minor injuries here and there kept him out of Louis Van Gaal’s side for a few matches and it was difficult for him to fully regain that amazing form we had seen at the start of the season. 

Without a doubt though, one terrifying event in his personal life would go on to affect him both on and off the pitch for the remainder of the season.  On January 31^st, around 7:30 pm, just hours after Di Maria had starred in United’s 3-1 defeat of Leicester at Old Trafford, he sat down for dinner at home with his wife and young daughter.  It was not soon after that three armed burglars attempted to break into his home using scaffolding poles and trying to smash through the patio doors.  Fortunately for Angel and his family, they always kept the alarm set even when inside the home so once the alarm sounded, the would-be burglars immediately fled.  Manchester United immediately deployed a full detail of bodyguards and security to the player’s home and whisked them away to the Lowry Hotel for safety.  It was their that his family would remain for some time as his wife no longer felt safe at the residence and preferred not to return to their Cheshire mansion under any circumstances.  United have continued the security detail for as long as Di Maria and his wife have deemed necessary, for their own safety and comfort.  It goes without saying, but you don’t want your most prized asset to have anything to worry about off the pitch that in turn would affect his performance on the pitch.  Unfortunately for club, a situation like this requires a special set of circumstances and must be handled with the utmost care and respect for the family.  It was obvious that the attempted break-in affected Di Maria dramatically and his demeanor and performance on the pitch in the weeks that followed served as proof.  You can’t blame him one bit, when I know if I was faced with a similar situation, where my job required frequent traveling and time spent away from my family, their safety and well being would be of my utmost concern. 

     After the events that transpired at the end of January, there was a noticeable decrease in Di Maria’s performance on the pitch.  He often found himself on the bench with Louis Van Gaal preferring to start Ashley Young in Di Maria’s regular left wing position.  It goes without saying that when you are on the bench, no matter what the reason, there is going to be some disappointment and angst, especially when you are a player the caliber of Angel Di Maria.  Couple that with the nagging hamstring injuries that would seem to creep up at the most inopportune times, and it just seemed as though he couldn’t catch a break for the majority of the 2^nd half of the season.  The fact that Ashley Young was playing phenomenally in his place certainly didn’t help matters for him and the only way he was going to regain his place in the starting XI was through his effort and hard work put in on the training pitch.  Di Maria was in the lineup last weekend for the season finale away at Hull, a meaningless game for United who had already secured 4^th place and Champions League football for next season, but a monumental game for Hull who faced the guarantee of relegation to the Championship with a loss to United.  In what seemed to be Di Maria’s season in a nutshell, he felt a twinge in his hamstring 20 minutes into the first half, and was substituted for Adnan Januzaj.  After the game, Van Gaal said he felt it was smart of Angel to not try and risk anything with his hamstring that had already given him so much trouble, but that he thought the injury was minor and nothing too heavy.  Obviously he will now have some time off for Holiday and be able to rest and re-cooperate before heading off to the Copa America with Argentina in June.   

Side Note: due to their Copa America commitments with Argentina, neither Marcos Rojo nor Angel Di Maria will be apart of Manchester United’s Summer Tour of the United States in July.

Now we get to the curious case of Angel Di Maria and what has most likely caused many United fans so much worry over the past few weeks.  Rumors have swirled all season that Di Maria supposedly preferred Paris St. Germain to United last summer when he chose to leave Real Madrid but due to Financial Fair Play, PSG simply was not an option.  Di Maria has personally said all of the right things, and that he loves the club and is really enjoying his new life in Manchester.  However there are all sorts of conflicting rumors coming out this week about Di Maria putting in a transfer request, Di Maria wanted to leave United for PSG, LVG saying that they would only allow Di Maria to leave if he personally asked to leave, etc etc.  Then there are reports to the contrary quoting Marcos Rojo, who is Di Maria’s closest friend on the team, saying that they both are still taking English classes together in an attempt to try and adapt better to their lives in England, and Rojo has no doubts that his friend will be back with Manchester United next season.  This is where the confusion comes in on my part, and so I often take to Twitter or Facebook to try and get answers from some fellow United supporters/friends who live in England and understand the ways of the newspapers and tabloids across the pond.  Here in the United States, tabloids do not publish anything regarding sports unless it is something involving an athlete and some type of scandal.  Here in the States, we look to websites like ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, etc for our news and updates on trade/transfer and free-agent speculation.  It seems to me that in Europe, and not just England, any type of rumor or speculation is published no matter how outlandish that particular rumor may be.  I know much of this is probably just done to drive traffic to their particular site and increase clicks and page views, but it absolutely baffles me that almost everyday there is some new outlandish rumor of who Manchester United are going to sign this summer or who they are going to sell.  No wonder so many people I interact with on Twitter call the Transfer Window “Silly Season.”  I can’t think of a better way to put it because 99% of the rumors I read are just that: silly!  What this had to Di Maria is simple, as I’m sure Paris St. Germain are interested, and would love to add a player of his caliber to their club.  Trouble is there's a whole host of clubs throughout Europe who would love to add Angel Di Maria to their club as well.  That doesn’t mean any of this is going to happen. 

What I hope and frankly what I expect to happen this summer is for Angel Di Maria to go on holiday, enjoy time off with his family, play well for Argentina in the Copa America, enjoy some more time off, and then join up with his Manchester United teammates at some point in late July or early August to prepare for both the Premier League season, and the huge Champions League qualifying round that will take place at the end of August.  Unless I hear from Mark Ogden or Jaime Jackson otherwise, I fully expect Angel Di Maria to be in Louis Van Gaal’s starting XI for the opening weekend of the Barclays Premier League in August as well as the qualifying round of Champions League.  As I stated from the beginning, I just don’t see any situation in which Manchester United sell their biggest transfer ever, after just one season with the club.  Angel Di Maria is a world-class player, as evidenced by not only his MOTM in last years Champions League Final but also his inclusion in the FIFA 2014 XI World Team Of The Year at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Zurich.  Clubs don’t just let players like that leave, for any reason.  Thus a huge club like Manchester United definitely will not let that happen!           

Nike vs. Adidas - The End Of An Era

           Nike & Manchester United

     For the past 13 years the only thing that has been more synonymous with Manchester United winning Premier League titles has been the Swoosh adorned Nike kits they have worn while doing so.  In a move that surprised many, Nike decided not to renew their contract with the club, which is due to expire on July 31^st of this year.  According to a spokesperson for Nike, the American sportswear giant, the deal just didn’t make financial sense on their end thus an agreement that both parties were satisfied with was unable to be reached.  This in turn set the wheels in motion for every other brand name company in the sports apparel industry to jump on board to try and lure Manchester United their way.  After all, United is one of the 3 wealthiest clubs in the entire world according to Forbes magazine, with an estimated value of around $3.2 billion.  In the end though, there was really only one company who ever had a shot at landing the 20 Time Champions of England, and that company was Adidas.  The German based sportswear behemoth has long been the standard by which excellence is measured in world football not only with supplying apparel and merchandise but boots as well.  Adidas already represents the wealthiest club on the planet, Real Madrid, so bringing the 3^rd biggest club in to the fold was simply a no-brainer.  The deal works out well for both sides, with Adidas agreeing to a record breaking $800+ million kit deal that will see Manchester United back wearing the Three Stripes/Adidas logo on their kits for the next decade!

     Many fans were happy to see the change, especially long time fans that remember some of the iconic United kits that Adidas produced back in the 80’s and early 90’s.  Others, like myself, have always loved Nike and would have preferred that United stayed the course and kept the Swoosh on their kits forever!  I personally am a Nike guy, always have been and always will be.  Now that doesn’t mean I won’t be purchasing the new Adidas kits, because at the end of the day Manchester United will always be my club and I will always support them and purchase the new kit every single year no matter what companies logo adorns it.  Quite honestly, I’m more surprised with Nike than anybody else in this situation.  From Manchester United’s point of view, the offer was simply too great to pass up.  However Nike in the span of this summer, has lost not only Manchester United, but Juventus FC also chose Adidas while Celtic FC decided to have their new kits produced by New Balance.  That is 3 of the biggest clubs in world football that Nike has seen walk away from them in the past year!  After the huge grudge match at last summer’s World Cup in Brazil between Nike and Adidas to try and prove who was the elite apparel power in world football, I am still amazed that Nike would let 3 clubs with that much power and marketing and fandom worldwide, to just walk away.  And the two biggest, United and Juventus, to their chief rival!  The way it looks now, Nike has Barcelona, and then who?  I guess Manchester City and Paris St. Germain still will don the swoosh but Nike will be the first to admit, neither of those clubs sell anywhere near the amount of kits, nor have anywhere near the amount of fans globally that both Manchester United and Juventus do.  Not only did Nike lose their kit sponsorship with United, they lost the Megastore at Old Trafford, which Nike owned and operated, and licensing for all apparel other than that made specifically by the club itself.  I always felt that because of the lackluster campaign under David Moyes and not having European football this past season at Old Trafford was one of the main reasons why Nike made the decision they did.  But what a difference a year makes, and with Louis Van Gaal at the helm, United is back in Champions League and prepared to splash that Adidas cash this summer in order to contend for silverware next season. 

     I think Nike realize this and realize they may have made a mistake with this decision, and that’s probably what lead to them demanding United take and wear their Nike kits on their Summer Tour of the United States in July.  Technically the contract with Nike doesn’t end until July 31^st, so every match on the summer tour will feature the same Nike kits that the club wore last season.  Adidas won’t fret though, because when the clock strikes midnight on August 1^st, a massive revamp is going to take place at Old Trafford and Carrington.  By the time the players return from the United States, there won’t be any semblance of Nike anywhere to be found other than in pictures from past championships won and celebrations that came before.  Every Nike Swoosh at Old Trafford will be replaced with an Adidas logo and that huge Swoosh in the stands opposite the Stretford End will be the first thing to be removed.  United have a team in place to work around the clock to remove any and all memories of the brand that adorned their kits since 2002.  Crazy to think how different Old Trafford might look, or how the new kits will go over with the fans.  One thing is for sure though, when Manchester United win the Barclays Premier League and UEFA ChampionsLeague in the next couple of years, you better believe that Nike will be wishing they hadn’t given up on the club that had made them so much money over the past 13 years!  With that being said, it’s time for United to bid Nike adieu, moving onwards and upwards while Adidas gets the chance to revel in Manchester United’s newfound glory!

The Saga of David DeGea (Will He Stay Or Will He Go?)

DeGea's match winning save vs. Everton - 2014

David DeGea

     I’m sure many United fans remember that skinny kid from Madrid that Sir Alex Ferguson brought in from Atletico in 2011, and claimed could be the next world class Manchester United goalkeeper.  I was just as skeptical as everybody else and that first season was a rough introduction for DeGea to life, not only in the Premier League, but also to life in England in general.  Hailing from his hometown of Madrid, the rainy days in Manchester had to make home feel like a million miles away.  It’s funny saying that because the one thing Cristiano Ronaldo says he doesn’t miss when he compares life in Manchester to that in Madrid, and that being the consistently rainy days.  But lets get back to that skinny kid who Sir Alex was looking to turn to between the sticks at Old Trafford.  It seems like folklore now but then he was known for his steady diet of tacos daily and for not having the biggest affinity for the weight room.  What he did have to his advantage was the advantage of Eric Steele, one of the best goalkeeping coaches in the world, to work with him every single day, along with the guidance and mentorship of Sir Alex who continued to show faith in the young man that he believed could succeed and ultimately take Manchester United to the next level as a goalkeeper. 

     To say that David DeGea ultimately repaid that faith Sir Alex shown in him would not be a massive understatement.  Even after the retirement of United’s legendary boss, DeGea flourished even further under David Moyes and goalkeeping coach Chris Woods.  In 2013-14 he was voted by his teammates as Manchester United’s Player of the Year for his outstanding play week in week out.  Although it was a very disappointing season for the club overall, there is no doubt that United wouldn’t have been anywhere near 7^th place if not for their outstanding young goalkeeper.  It was midway through that 13-14 season that the Real Madrid rumors began to creep up.  Slowly but surely, when a player begins to shine, no matter what club they play for; they are immediately on Real’s radar.  DeGea continually said that he loves Manchester and was fully committed to the club.

     Due to that disastrous season and 7^th place finish in the Premier League, David Moyes was sacked with 4 games remaining in the season, coincidentally the day after United were beaten away at Goodison Park, where Moyes had managed for the previous 11 seasons.  Out went Moyes, and in came Louis Van Gaal.  Due to the knee injury suffered by Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes, who was in line to back Iker Casillas for Spain at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, DeGea was chosen to replace him on the roster.  His inclusion was definitely well deserved and only raised his profile that much more in Spain. 

     Once the 2014-15 season got under way, it was obvious from the beginning that David DeGea was taking his game to the next level.  His performance at Old Trafford vs. Everton where he made 3 incredible saves in the last 10 minutes to secure all 3 points for United was just the beginning.  The moniker #DaveSaves became infamous on Twitter for United fans across the globe every time DeGea put on another outstanding performance.  However with every outstanding performance, it seemed Iker Casillas would have the exact opposite in Madrid, which only further fueled speculation that Real would make a hard play for DeGea’s services this summer no matter what the transfer fee United was asking.  After all, Manchester United, by dollar amount is the 3^rd wealthiest club but of course Real Madrid is #1 on that same list.  In short, either club can basically afford to buy any player in world football that they want, at any time.  All it takes is an agreement on transfer fees and ultimately the final decision lies with the player.

     The second half of the 2014-15 season saw DeGea have remarkable showing after incredible showing.  Many newspapers in Spain already started reporting that DeGea had agreed on personal terms with Real Madrid months ago and would ultimately make the move back home this coming summer! To his credit, DeGea has remained silent on the matter and has only supported United at every turn.  His enthusiasm after key victories especially once we clinched Champions League next season, which lead many to believe that he would stay.  He was once again voted by his teammates as the 2014-15 Player of the Year, and rightfully so.  Manchester United would not have finished 4^th and qualified for UEFA Champions League next season if not for David DeGea.  In United’s final home match last week against Arsenal, DeGea was subbed off in the second half with an apparent hamstring injury.  He received a rousing ovation and clapped the United fans as he made his way to the tunnel and back to the locker room.  Victor Valdes replaced him for the final half hour of the match with Arsenal, and deputized for DeGea in the season finale away @ Hull City.  DeGea did return from the locker room with the rest of the squad for the traditional lap of honor the players give the fans after every final home game at Old Trafford each season, and yet many United fans were worried that this very well may be the last time we see him in a United shirt. 

     Louis Van Gaal has been very upfront and honest with every question regarding David DeGea and his future.  He has stated that the keeper has been offered a lot of money, (rumors say upwards of $200k per week) but that the decision ultimately lies with DeGea.  Van Gaal has said that United do have a plan in place should DeGea decide he wants to return home and play for Real Madrid.  LVG has also said that DeGea will need to make a decision soon so that United can proceed with their plans for the summer and the immediate future in goal.  Personally, I have no problem with Victor Valdes being our #1 keeper next season but obviously I’d love to see DeGea buck the trend and show his loyalty to Manchester United who took a chance on him back in 2011.  I can understand the allure and draw of having the opportunity to return home to play for the biggest football club in the world in Real Madrid.  However, it is well known how Madridistas treat their players if they aren’t playing up to their expectations, and Gareth Bale and Iker Casillas are perfect examples of that this season.  Should he choose to stay, he will become a legend at Manchester United, and for the rest of his life his name will be sung with gusto by fans everywhere.  However should he make the other decision to leave, many if not most United fans will understand the decision and will thank him for his time and service to the club.  It obviously won’t be on par with that of Ronaldo, who still has his chant sang to this very day, but Manchester United fans will always remember what he did for our club!

     I personally am up in the air right now about what I think he may do.  He has kept everything so close to the vest that he hasn’t really given any indication either way which way he is leaning.  With 1 year left on his deal, I believe Ed Woodward and Louis Van Gaal will set a date by which he must sign an extension or they will begin negotiations with Real Madrid regarding transfer fees.  There is no way that United will allow their most prized asset to walk on a free transfer next summer.  That simply won’t happen.  Recently in the past few weeks as the Barclays Premier League was winding down, I began using the #PrayDaveStays as well as #DaveSaves.  I personally feel like locking in DeGea to a long-term deal would be the best piece of transfer business they could do this summer.  I’ve also grown a bit tired of us being a feeder club to Real Madrid (Van Nistelrooy, Beckham, Ronaldo, etc) and United only receiving one player, Angel DiMaria in return!  Obviously we know it’s going to be a very busy summer in the transfer market and Van Gaal has again been given unlimited funds to go out and make his squad better!  However the key component of every great United squad we have had, the Champions League winning squads, always started from the back, with outstanding goalkeepers (Schmeichel/VanDerSar, and a solid defensive back line.  If Manchester United wants to return to both English and European championship glory, then we need David DeGea in goal to lead the way!  It doesn’t get much more simple than that.  Just like I’ve been saying for the past couple months, #PrayDaveStays!

FALCAO

FALCAO

    I remember thinking back to Transfer Deadline Day this past September 2014, and as I was refreshing my Twitter feed every 5 or so seconds, seeing the rumors that Danny Welbeck was possibly being sold to Arsenal.  Not long thereafter, the bombshell leaked that Manchester United were in last minute negotiations with Jorge Mendes and AS Monaco about securing the services of world class striker Radamel Falcao!  Twitter went absolutely ballistic that evening when news of the potential signing broke.  After all, it was just days early that United had secured the services of Angel Di Maria from Real Madrid, the same Di Maria who had just been named Man of the Match in the 2014 Champions League Final as Madrid finally won their famed La Decima, as well playing a key role in leading Argentina to the 2014 World Cup Final in Brazil.  Couple Di Maria & Falcao with signings that had already been made i.e. Daley Blind, Marcos Rojo, Ander Herrera & Luke Shaw.  Could it be possible that Ed Woodward, the same Woodward who just one summer prior was only able to pry Marouane Fellaini away from Everton in a last ditch effort at the stroke of midnight on Deadline Day?  And pry him away for the sum total that United had originally offered for both Leighton Baines and Fellaini.  This was right after the retirement of both Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill, the pair who had basically called the shots at United for the previous decade, which had so many people wondering if Woodward was even qualified for his position, and capable of making the tough decisions that needed to be made on a daily basis.  David Moyes and Woodward were able to sign Juan Mata away from Chelsea during the January transfer window, but many felt they overspent at the time.  United fans came to realize this season that it was money well spent, as Mata turned out to be a big factor in United finishing in the Top 4 and returning to UEFA Champions League football next season. 

  This made the news/rumors that were unfolding that much more unbelievable to so many!  Ed Woodward literally went from scapegoat to savior overnight, and it's to the point now that many feel he can do no wrong!  Many fans, myself included could not believe what was unfolding.  A world class striker, considered by many to be one of the Top 5 in the world at his position, albeit coming off a devastating knee injury just that prior March, was going to be joining Louis Van Gaal’s revamped United squad.  It turned out to be true, and in the last few minutes before the deadline passed, Falcao arrived at Carrington in the middle of the night, took his medical and signed his one-year loan deal with Manchester United.  Included in the deal was an option to make the loan permanent after one season for around $64 million.  I will be the first to admit, after the season Robin van Persie had under David Moyes, I was absolutely thrilled to have such a talent added to an already deadly strike force up front.  On paper, Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao would be any managers dream trio of Strikers!

Unfortunately, visions of grandiose champagne football do not always go quite as planned.  Falcao struggled with nagging injuries in the beginning of the season though his beautiful assist on a van Persie goal and his match winner @ Old Trafford vs. Everton, which also happened to open his United scoring account, appeared that he may be on the right track.  To see the love and pure joy/enthusiasm he showed to the United fans after scoring that goal showed his appreciation he had for all the love they had shown him!  However the world class goal scorer that so many of us have come to know from his days at Porto, Atletico Madrid and AS Monaco just couldn’t seem to find that same form in Manchester.  And let’s make one thing clear, it was not for a lack of effort.  According to teammates and LVG himself, nobody trained harder, and nobody was more beloved by his teammates and the fans at Old Trafford.  Every time he got off the bench to warm up down the touchline, they would chant the now infamous Falcao chant nonstop.  That’s what makes the happenings of the past few days that much more unfortunate. According to the club, Falcao was informed on Saturday that United would not be picking up the option on his loan deal, and he would be returning to his parent club, AS Monaco.  He was pictured with his wife and 2 children in the luxury lounge at Manchester Airport on Monday headed for his next destination. 

The 29-year-old striker finished his brief Manchester United career with 26 appearances, 4 goals & 4 assists.  While many critics and naysayers have had their heyday with what went wrong with Falcao in Manchester, one thing will always remain.  El Tigre gave everything he had to Manchester United Football Club during his brief tenure, and you won’t hear one teammate, club member, or fan say anything to the contrary.  It’s a shame that Radamel Falcao will not be filling the #9 shirt for Manchester United next season, and as of this morning, rumors of some of my worst fears are already starting to begin.  I’ve said it for months and I will continue to until the day he chooses his next club.  Manchester United will regret the day they let Radamel Falcao walk out the doors at Carrington if he goes on to sign with one of our Premier League rivals.  Rumors today already suggest Chelsea is one of his preferred destinations and I wouldn’t put it past Jose Mourinho to make a serious play for him. Partner El Tigre with Diego Costa up front and watch the two former Atleti strikers wreak havoc on the Premier League for the next 2-3 seasons! You won’t find a bigger Radamel Falcao fan than myself, but I pray that he returns to La Liga or Ligue 1, because If he somehow returns to the Barclays Premier League, mark my words: Louis Van Gaal, Ed Woodward and Manchester United will rue the day that they let him slip away!  Perhaps it was a comfort level, perhaps it was still recovering from his knee injury, or perhaps he just never quite found his rhythm in LVG’s system.  The one thing that could have helped fix any of those above stated problems were one more year.

Louis Van Gaal’s quote re: Radamel Falcao’s return to AS Monaco after his season long loan @ Manchester United:

“Falcao is a top professional and a good human being.  On behalf of myself and everyone at the club I would like to wish him well for the future”  

 The fact that it’s being reported that Falcao is willing to take a sizeable pay cut to join Chelsea goes to show that Radamel Falcao feels he has a point to prove, and he is nowhere close to being finished yet! Let’s all just hope, for the sake of the fans and our beloved club, that point isn’t proved at the behest of Manchester United next season! One last thing I will say though to Radamel Falcao is Thank You! Thank you for your determination, hard work and dedication to our club, even though this past season didn't work out the way yourself or us fans wished it would have.  You are an inspiration to many and I want to wish you nothing but the best in your future football career, except of course if you happen to play Manchester United! Gracias El Tigre!!!   

 

Falcao celebrating his game winner vs. Everton @ Old Trafford

The Beginning of my Red Devils P.O.V. from the United States

I'm sitting here in Peoria, Arizona. It's been about 36 hours since the end of Manchester United's first season under Louis Van Gaal and I've been thinking of what forum I could use to express my feelings on a daily/weekly basis regarding the current & future state of the Red Devils.  I thought what better place than to start a personal blog with my own view points on anything and everything Manchester United related. Obviously I'll still have my Twitter handle @ManUnitedFansUS as well as my Facebook page: Manchester United Fans USA, but I felt starting this blog would give me more freedom to present my opinions and information to the millions of Manchester United fans across the globe! I love the opportunity that both Twitter & Facebook afford me to interact with hundreds upon thousands of MUFC fans worldwide but I just felt that this would give me that open forum to publish my own content and opinions with no restrictions on character length and what not. I will keep this initial post short and sweet so that I can begin the process of building my blog using all of the great capabilities this will afford me. Hopefully I will be able to meet some new fans along the way as well as bring some of the friends/fans I've already met via social media to my blog to provide their valuable insight and feedback. Eventually I'd like to even have a few guest bloggers who are from Manchester and are on the front lines daily and have the luxury to be able to experience Old Trafford and Manchester United matches up close & personal. With that being said, I'm going to get to work, as I already know what my first blog post will entail. Until then, we've got less than 2 months before the Red Devils embark on their summer tour of the United States in preparation for the 2015-16 Barclays Premier League season as well as the crucial 2-leg UEFA Champions League qualifying round so that we can proceed to the Group Stage.  You all should expect to hear from me again very soon, and as always "Come On You Reds!"

Cheers,
BK