I'll start off apologising to all the posters who'll immediately criticise me for making another "doom and gloom" thread, so, I'm sorry. 'lil bitches.
On to the real point of this thread, having started getting into football, and United in particular by finding a football cap on the floor in a park (yes I was poor and I kept the cap) I then managed to watch a game and I was completely drawn to the side and SAF, read up the history about Manchester United and I was hooked from there, the sort of rags to riches story appealed to me giving me hope as a poor kid wanting to achieve something great, and the football, I'd just have to watch 'til the last second because I knew for a fact that if we were 1-0 down in the 85' minute we'd still have a good chance of winning because we'd do everything in our power to win, I'd see the opposition sit deeper and deeper into their half because they knew of that power all to well, and as a young lad I was content in the knowledge that even if we didn't score, or only managed to draw, we threw everything at them so you couldn't really come away feeling disgusted, only inspired by the fight and the belief that they could win.
Now fast forward to 2017, that win at all costs attitude, players with fight and determination to give their all to the final whistle has sadly gone, and like it or not as an adult I still support this club, like a marriage I made a commitment as a boy and they stole my heart then, but the football and the ethos of this club now are making me wonder who's hearts are we stealing? I can't think of any reason why a youngster would give up his Saturday or Sunday afternoon to watch us, then spend the days later talking to his friends about how amazing we are, all they'd be doing after watching us now is defend the undefendable, kids don't look behind the scenes at the Galzers etc, kids should be entertained and drawn in by what's happening on the pitch and shouldn't concern themselves with the politics, and that thought has really worried me.
So in the end, maybe the next generation of United supporters will come from the nut sacks of the current one, but I'm afraid that we lack the magical spark to obtain these youngsters from a pure footballing standpoint.
Thoughts?
On to the real point of this thread, having started getting into football, and United in particular by finding a football cap on the floor in a park (yes I was poor and I kept the cap) I then managed to watch a game and I was completely drawn to the side and SAF, read up the history about Manchester United and I was hooked from there, the sort of rags to riches story appealed to me giving me hope as a poor kid wanting to achieve something great, and the football, I'd just have to watch 'til the last second because I knew for a fact that if we were 1-0 down in the 85' minute we'd still have a good chance of winning because we'd do everything in our power to win, I'd see the opposition sit deeper and deeper into their half because they knew of that power all to well, and as a young lad I was content in the knowledge that even if we didn't score, or only managed to draw, we threw everything at them so you couldn't really come away feeling disgusted, only inspired by the fight and the belief that they could win.
Now fast forward to 2017, that win at all costs attitude, players with fight and determination to give their all to the final whistle has sadly gone, and like it or not as an adult I still support this club, like a marriage I made a commitment as a boy and they stole my heart then, but the football and the ethos of this club now are making me wonder who's hearts are we stealing? I can't think of any reason why a youngster would give up his Saturday or Sunday afternoon to watch us, then spend the days later talking to his friends about how amazing we are, all they'd be doing after watching us now is defend the undefendable, kids don't look behind the scenes at the Galzers etc, kids should be entertained and drawn in by what's happening on the pitch and shouldn't concern themselves with the politics, and that thought has really worried me.
So in the end, maybe the next generation of United supporters will come from the nut sacks of the current one, but I'm afraid that we lack the magical spark to obtain these youngsters from a pure footballing standpoint.
Thoughts?