Believe

It was just another Saturday night. Nothing to do. But, an important Football game to look forward to. The squeaky bum time has arrived. Every game is like a cup final. Every win, every loss changes the whole picture dramatically. Manchester United were cruising towards yet another Premier League title in March with ten points advantage over Liverpool. But, I have learned over the years that Man United love to do things the hard way. This season is no different. Two consecutive losses meant that the lead was slashed to one point with a game in hand. Everyone had one question in mind: Will Manchester United make a come back?

The answer is - Yes. A sensational win against Aston Villa was followed by victories over Sunderland and Portsmouth. Liverpool's dramatic draw against Arsenal gave United some breathing space. As United prepared to entertain a rejuvenated Tottenham side, the news of Liverpool's win over Hull City filtered through Old Trafford. The onus was on United to wrest the top spot back from Liverpool's grasp.

The match started slowly. Both teams were playing safe, trying to settle down. Pacy Aaron Lennon has always troubled Patrice Evra so it was a surprise to me that Sir Alex opted for Nani instead of Park who is better defensively. Lennon was having another great game against Evra. It was his move that drew first blood. A seemingly harmless cross fell right between Vidic and Ferdinand and Darren Bent out muscled Ferdinand to stab the ball home. Unexpectedly, the advantage was doubled when United couldn't deal with another cross from the same side and Luka Modric bundled the ball in.

Here I was, sitting at my 'lucky' seat, shell shocked. The 'lucky' seat has won me many games but it seemed that the luck finally ran out. To add salt to the wounds, everyone around me was enjoying the proceedings. I have a strange feeling. Whenever my team is in a precarious position, people around me seem to enjoy every bit of it. I had the same feeling during last year's IPL and Saturday's match further strengthened my belief.

Then, I remembered last season. A huge mosaic showing 'BELIEVE' used to appear at Old Trafford during Champions League matches. It really fired me up every time I saw it. I had only seven letters in my mind now: Believe.

The second half began. Carlos Tevez came out in place of Nani. It marked a rare occasion when United's 'Fab Four' were out on the pitch. Slowly things started to fall back in place. The passing improved. The hunger to win the game was clearly visible in United's game. But, Tottenham's defense was stubborn. It required a lucky break to get the first goal. Carrick was brought down in the box by Tottenham's goalkeeper Gomes and Howard Webb pointed straight to the spot. Replay showed that keeper got the ball too as he took out Carrick but the referee had given his verdict.

Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up to take the penalty. I closed my eyes. Even Ronaldo, knowing the importance of the penalty, closed his eyes for a moment and then calmly slotted the ball past Gomes. The great escape had begun. Wayne Rooney, who had been a live wire on the pitch, beat Gomes at his near post to equalize. Then, he delivered a great cross which was duly headed home by Ronaldo. In ten freaking minutes the tables had turned. Tottenham couldn't believe what was happening. Their misery was compounded when Rooney and Berbatov added to the scoreline. I loved the look on the face of all who were enjoying 15 minutes ago. They left the room even before the match ended.

United's display reminded me again of the meaning of the word believe. You may be down and out. The World may be laughing at you. Don't bother one bit. Just believe in your abilities. You will always find a way out.

A Star is Born

It was simply magical. A seventeen year old boy, virtually unknown outside Old Trafford, roared his way into Premier League football with a sensational goal in perhaps the most important game of the season for Manchester United. Federico Macheda: If you don't know this name, make a note of it now because you'll hear a lot about him in the future.

The build up to the game wasn't ideal. Manchester United had lost the last two games in demoralizing fashion. The impregnable defense suddenly started to look vulnerable. To add to the woes Vidic, Scholes and Rooney were suspended for this game because of their recent sending offs. When I thought, it can't get worse for Manchester United, it did. Rio Ferdinand picked up an injury on International duty while Dimitar Berbatov failed to recover from his ankle injury. This left United desperately short in numbers at the back and up front. Skipper Gary Neville made a come back after a three months lay off. He was joined at the back by young Jonny Evans. Carlos Tevez was the only recognized striker left (until Kiko Macheda came on) but he had travelled from high altitude of Bolivia and was clearly fatigued. To add salt to the wounds, Liverpool scored a last gasp winner at Craven Cottage on Saturday to pull clear at the top of the table although United had two games in hand.

Aston Villa had problems of their own. After leading Arsenal for most of the season, they went through a slump which left them trailing the Gunners by three points. But, unlike United, they had all their big guns fit for this game. The likes of Carew, Agbonlahor and Young were up against a patched up defense. It looked like a mismatch on paper.

The game didn't start too well for Manchester United. Aston Villa enjoyed possession in the early stages of the match. Carew's header was cleared off the line by Fletcher. United needed some luck to break Villa's defense and they got their chance when a mix up between James Milner and Brad Freidel resulted in Freidel handling a back pass. This gave United a free kick inside the penalty area. Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up and blasted the free kick past a crowd of Aston Villa players into the back of the net. But, even the opening goal failed to spur United. Aston Villa kept on pressing and soon got their equalizer through John Carew who easily out-jumped Neville to head past Edwin Van Der Sar. Half time arrived with the score 1-1.

Same pattern was followed in the second half. Aston Villa were playing some impressive football. They got their reward when Agbonlahor got ahead of the defense to give Aston Villa the lead. With time running out, the hopes of rescuing something from this game started to diminish. Then, Sir Alex made an interesting move. On came Italian starlet Federico Macheda in place of unimpressive Nani. I had heard a lot about him after his goals for the Reserves but this was the first time I was watching him play live.

As United had to play catch up, Aston Villa went defensive to hold on to their lead. Wave after wave of United attack was met by a wall of Villa defenders. United badly needed some inspiration from one of the few experienced heads left on the field. Cristiano Ronaldo, the World Player of the Year, rose to the occasion. His left foot shot from just outside the penalty area found the narrowest of gaps left by the huge frame of Brad Freidel in Aston Villa's goal. United suddenly got the belief to go on and they stamped their authority over the game. Sir Alex threw another teenager Danny Welbeck on the pitch in search of a winning goal. He was denied by Freidel's heroics in dying moments of the game. Five minutes were added on for injuries and stoppages. The announcement was met by a huge roar from Old Trafford crowd. Then came the big moment for the young man. He received a pass from Ryan Giggs inside the box. He had Luke Young for company but a wonderful first touch meant that Young could only watch as Macheda curled a magnificent shot past diving Brad Freidel. It was a moment of magic from the young Italian. It doesn't happen often when Ronaldo's fantastic efforts are overshadowed by a teenager's goal but last night was something special.

The win means that United moved back to the top of the table with a game in hand. Most importantly, United won the game from a position of no hope. The manner of victory will give the squad a massive lift for the upcoming fixtures. It was fascinating to see Macheda and Welbeck lead the line for United in such a massive game. It is heartening to see youngsters like Macheda, Welbeck, Evans, Rafael etc come through the ranks. They certainly are at the right club under the right manager who is not afraid to give them their big break. It is a tradition at Manchester United to groom young players and make them superstars. After seeing last night's performance, I am sure that the tradition will continue.

It is because of games like this, I love Football. It is because of games like this, I love Manchester United.

A Weekend to Forget

I was desperate to spill out a lot of stuff after going through Saturday's nightmare and there is no better place to do it than this blog. When Ronaldo scored that penalty, I thought Liverpool's title challenge will be buried at Old Trafford. But, then the unthinkable happened. Liverpool got back in it and eventually managed to breach the watertight defense not once or twice but four times.

After witnessing United play some uninspiring football in some of the previous games as well, I sensed a loss might be coming. Unfortunately, it came against a fierce rival who are challenging for the league title as well.

In the midweek, United defeated Mourinho's Internazionale despite a sub-standard performance but luck finally ran out on Saturday. I have never seen players like Scholes as sloppy as he was against Inter or Vidic as poor as he was against Liverpool. But, it proves one thing only that these guys are humans after all and they too can make mistakes. It is wrong to blame the players because they are the reason for Manchester United's success so far this season. You just cannot expect to win each and every game no matter how good you are. That brings us to another point. For the last few weeks, all the pundits across England were tipping United for an unprecedented Quintuple winning everything that was there to be won. Although, Sir Alex played down the speculation but I think it got into players' head. They needed to come back down to Earth and that result on Saturday will serve the purpose.

As far as the last game is concerned, Liverpool surely deserved to win but not because they were exceptional or played some free flowing football. It is because United gifted them the game with some uncharacteristic mistakes. Credit to them for accepting those gifts. It was a repeat of the previous meeting between the two sides when United threw the game away after taking the lead at Anfield.

This defeat will surely wipe off any complacency that may have been there in players' minds. I expect them to come out all guns blazing in the next fixture at Craven Cottage. The important thing is that its still United's title to lose. Four points gap and a game in hand gives United the advantage over Liverpool and Chelsea. A victory over Internazionale in the midweek meant that United joined the other three English sides in the Champions League Quarter Finals. The draw for the Quarter Finals will be made tomorrow. I am praying that United draw Liverpool and knock them out. That will be a dream come true.

The Season So Far

When I woke up on 22nd May 2008 I pinched myself to be sure that last night wasn't a dream. Manchester United were indeed crowned the Champions of Europe on a dramatic night in Moscow. I could barely watch the proceedings after Cristiano Ronaldo missed his spot kick in the penalty shoot out. Edwin Van Der Sar came close to saving two Chelsea penalties but it wasn't to be. But then John Terry slipped, I had a feeling that trophy is in touching distance. Ryan Giggs, making a record 759th appearance for United, calmly struck his penalty and then the long awaited moment followed. Nicolas Anelka, former Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City player, saw his penalty saved by the big Dutchman and ecstasy followed. I don't remember what crazy things I did to celebrate the victory but surely that night will remain etched in my memory forever. The victory took a long time to sink in but when it eventually did, I thought, what next? Winning a trophy is hard but to keep it is even harder. Also, no team has successfully defended the Champions League since the format changed in 1992.

The dream season was followed by intense speculation of Ronaldo leaving for Real Madrid but he stayed at Old Trafford to give himself a better chance of winning more silverware. United completed the high profile signing of Dimitar Berbatov to bolster the already lethal attacking line. There were departures as well in the form of Louis Saha, Mikael Silvestre and Gerard Pique but the team looked strong to start the defence of the Premier League and the Champions League.

As always, United were slow to start and their cause was not helped by injuries and a strange fixture list. United had to face all the top teams away from home in the first half of the season. A draw at Old Trafford in the first game of the season was followed by loss in the European Super Cup final and a loss at Anfield. A draw at high flying Chelsea was considered as a good result but United had a lot of catch up to do so early in the season. Then, Ronaldo returned from injury and provided momentum along with Wayne Rooney to kick start a series of good results.

In Europe, United were put in a tricky group with Villarreal, Celtic and Aalborg. Good form at Old Trafford carried United through to the knockout stages of the competition without much fuss.

Sir Alex likes to give young players a run in the first team in the Carling Cup to give them some experience. This strategy backfired in the last two seasons as United were knocked out by Championship sides. But, this time the youngsters grabbed their chance. Players like Rafael, Danny Welbeck, Darron Gibson, Rodrigo Possebon, Nani and Anderson improved with every game and took the team to the final of the Carling Cup.

In December, United had to travel to Japan to take part in the FIFA World Club Championship. It was expected that hectic schedule and travelling will take its toll on the players and United, who were already trailing Liverpool and Chelsea, will fall apart. The tournament in Japan brought the first piece of silverware this season for United and they earned the right to be called the World Champions. This proved to be a huge morale booster for the players and their fortunes changed after coming back to England.

Liverpool and Chelsea failed to take advantage of United's absence as they dropped points. A resurgent United put together a string of 1-0 wins and more importantly solid defensive performances that were absent at the start of the season. There were injuries to key defenders like Ferdinand, Evra and Brown at this point but Nemanja Vidic held the defence together along with Edwin Van Der Sar. As a result, United put together an amazing string of 14 consecutive Premier League clean sheets that saw them smash plenty of records. As United blossomed, Liverpool and Chelsea faltered. Chelsea were demolished at Old Trafford and Anfield while Liverpool drew too many home games to hand the advantage to Man United. Chelsea sacked Scolari, their manager, after a series of poor results.

Yesterday's draw against Man City left Liverpool 7 points adrift of Man United while Chelsea lie third in the table trailing United by 10 points. Arsenal haven't been involved in the title race at all and they are struggling to break into the top four due to their inconsistency. Aston Villa have been superb this season and are looking set to break the Big Four monopoly.

United have progressed to the quarter final of FA Cup after beating Southampton, Tottenham and Derby County. With the Red Devils marching on all fronts, talks of improbable quintuple have surfaced in the tabloids. I think it is a bit early to speculate what will happen in the next three months and we'll get a clear picture at the end of March. The Carling Cup is only one game away and United have established an healthy lead at the top of the Premier League table. But the two other trophies are a long way away. The most difficult of the lot is the Champions League. United have a big test coming up against Internazionale, the Champions of Italy, with Mourinho factor adding spice to the intriguing tie. It is make or break time with big games coming thick and fast.

Come May, we'll know how United progressed after a dream season. The signs have been positive. The squad was pushed to the limits in January but the players came out with flying colours and are still in contention for all the trophies. The way old warhorses Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes have performed in recent months goes to show that they still have the hunger and desire to win trophies even now. Ryan Giggs has been deployed in the central midfield this season which has proved to be an ace from Sir Alex. Giggs has been one of most influential players in the United side so far and his display against Chelsea, when he overshadowed Lampard and Ballack, was majestic. Scholes has been running the show single-handedly as well in recent weeks. The defense has been watertight with Vidic at his best. He certainly is in the running for Player of the Year award. Van Der Sar, Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra have played their part in the amazing run of successive clean sheets. Captain Neville returned from a major injury this season and his presence in the side is inspiring. The emergence of Rafael and Johnny Evans has been wonderful to watch and it seems that United's future is secured with quality young players. Carrick and Fletcher have cemented their positions in the squad in the absence of Owen Hargreaves. It was always going to be difficult for Cristiano Ronaldo to replicate the success of last season and it certainly has been the case. But, the Portuguese winger is still United's top scorer this season. Wayne Rooney has been scoring tap ins for a change and Carlos Tevez still possesses the knack of scoring crucial goals. Dimitar Berbatov was slow to start his United career but he has gelled in really well now. He has scored and created many crucial goals for United in the last couple of months. Nani, Anderson, Park, O'Shea, Gibson, Welbeck, Fabio and Brown have done their job and this United side looks set to break a few more records before May.

There will be a lot of twists and turns before the season comes to an end. But, with the squad that United have, it is safe to say that United will add a few more trophies to their bulging trophy cabinet. It has been a wonderful experience to watch golden oldies performing at their best at one hand and youngsters not showing any sign of pressure at the other. These surely are exciting times at Old Trafford. Winning the quintuple seems next to impossible but if anyone can do it Manchester United can do it.

Money Rules

Buffon...kicks it towards Terry...aeriel ball to Kaka...great one two with Villa...Kaka is through on goal...and its a clinical finish...what a strike by Kaka after fantastic build up involving David Villa.

This is neither a piece of commentary from FIFA 09 nor a fantasy football team. This is the wish list of a small club based in Manchester who have an owner with deep pockets ready to bring every superstar in this world to The City of Manchester Stadium. Ever since Abu Dhabi United Group bought Manchester City in summer, they have been linked with some of the best players in the world with transfer figures touching astronomical heights. The take over took place on the deadline day of the summer transfer window and the new owners made their intentions clear by snatching Robinho from right under the noses of Chelsea. The transfer fees paid was £32.5, a new English record. The transfer window closed too soon for them to make a bigger impact.

As the January transfer window arrived, Manchester City were expected to be in the limelight again. They started with signing Chelsea bench warmer Wayne Bridge and were linked with the likes of Craig Bellamy, Roque Santa Cruz and Scott Parker. Everything was fine until one fine afternoon when a City delegation landed in Milan and put a massive bid of £108m for 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year, Kaka. At present, the offer is on the table and it is up to AC Milan to decide whether they accept it or not. AC Milan have shrugged off Real Madrid's approaches in previous seasons but in difficult financial times these days, will this offer prove to be too good to reject? We'll have to wait to find out.

This is not the end of the deal. An additional £25m will be paid to the player's agent who happens to be his father, for his role in the deal. Kaka has been offered £500,000 per week for kicking football which is more than the wages of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Cristiano Ronaldo put together. The ball is in Kaka's court now. The figures involved in the deal have never been heard before. So, it won't be a surprise if the deal goes through. Anyways, those days are gone when players played their heart out for a single club. If Kaka joins Man City then it will open the door for other superstars to join the Eastlands revolution.

But the point remains, are these types of deals good for football. What if the owner decides one day that enough is enough. They can't continue this madness forever. When Roman Abrahimovic took over at Chelsea, he bought some of the best players in Europe and subsequently won two English titles. He even bought players against the wishes of his manager. Now, he is not even willing to buy players who Chelsea desperately require. Same thing may happen at City and if the owner leaves, then the club may struggle to pay their superstars' wages. In that case, the squad will disintegrate.

Another thing that may be affected is dressing room morale. What would the other players be thinking? If Kaka is getting £500k then why not the others. It may create a divide among the squad. Also, the role of the manager is in question. I am not sure if Mark Hughes knows who City will be pursuing next. When the manager doesn't have total control over the squad, he usually struggles. It is not easy to carry the weight of expectations when you have infinite resources to choose from and Hughes is certainly feeling the pressure. Man City position in the league table is far from flattering and the owner's patience will be tested if there is no improvement in terms of results.

In my opinion, it will be an absolute disgrace if Kaka joins Man City and is paid that much. Its not that Kaka is not good but the money involved in the deal is just disturbing and that too at a time when the World is going through a financial crisis. It is really painful to see players run after money but thats the way it is these days. To step up and sign for a bigger club is one thing but to leave one of the biggest European clubs to join a mid table side just for the sake of money is plain greedy in my opinion. If Kaka stays at Milan, he will be idolized there for life and the money he'll earn will be enough to live with all the comforts that a man can desire. So, what is the need to join City? If City were one of the top European sides then letting such on offer pass by might have been a mistake but why join them right now when they are fighting for survival in the Premier League?

Before the offer was made, Kaka told the press that he wants to become Milan's captain one day. Will he remain true to his word? Is money the only thing that a player desires? What about the emotions of the fans who travel the length of the country to cheer for their heroes? What about the trophies that Kaka may win if he remains at AC Milan? Ten years down the line, will his name be taken in same breath as that of Paolo Maldini, Francesco Totti, Alessandro Del Piero, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes?

These are the questions that will be answered in a fortnight's time. The world of football is changing but the change better for football or not remains to be seen.

Promised Land Revisited

Another year has passed. 2008 was memorable and will stay in the heart of every Red Devil forever. It was one of those years when nothing could stop Manchester United juggernaut.

The expectations were high when 2008 started. United and Arsenal were neck and neck in the Premier League title race. In Europe, United had drawn Olympique Lyonnais, the French Champions, in the Round of 16. New year kicked off with a nervy and controversial 1-0 win over Birmingham City but there was no looking back after that. Ronaldo enjoyed the new year with an explosive display against Newcastle claiming his first hat trick for the club. February marked the 50th anniversary of the Munich Air Disaster but United, perhaps overwhelmed by the occasion, lost against arch rivals Manchester City on the weekend following 6th of Feb. This result, coupled with a last gasp draw at White Hart Lane on the previous weekend left United 5 points adrift of league leaders Arsenal. Then came the turning point of the season. Arsenal came to Old Trafford for the FA Cup 5th Round match. They were outclassed by a young United side and it certainly dented Arsenal's spirit. In the very next game, Eduardo Da Silva suffered a horrific injury against Birmingham which ended 2-2. Arsenal's players were hurt psychologically. They desperately needed a leader to inspire them but they had no one to look upto. United took full advantage of unrest at Arsenal and put together a winning run.

In the midst of all this, Champions League resumed. Another last gasp Tevez goal gave United a precious draw in Lyon. The tie was put to bed at Old Trafford by Cristiano Ronaldo. Back in England United had won four in a row while Arsenal were struggling to get points on board. United were controversially knocked out of the FA Cup at the hands of Portsmouth. But the league form improved as the season reached it climax. Finally on Grand Slam Sunday United regained the top spot destroying Liverpool 3-0 as Arsenal lost to Chelsea. Arsenal's poor form meant that Chelsea had become United's closest competitor.

In Europe, United had drawn familier foe AS Roma. in the Quarter Final. An emphatic display in Rome was followed by a comfortable victory at Old Trafford as United wrapped up the tie 3-0 on aggregate. In England, United came from behind to beat Arsenal and ended their hopes of winning the title. Draws against Middlesbrough and Blackburn meant that United had 3 points advantage over Chelsea prior to the game at Stamford Bridge. This game was sandwiched between high profile Champions League Semi Final ties against Barcelona. Big games were certainly coming thick and fast. At Nou Camp, the scene of United's Treble win, Cristiano Ronaldo missed a crucial penalty proving that he is mortal after all. A nervy night ended in a 0-0 scoreline. United lost 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in the following game but still remained at the top of the table thanks to an impressive goal difference. In the home tie against Barcelona, Paul Scholes rolled back the years as he scored a trademark screamer to hand United the victory. It was an emphatic display at the back as well to deny the likes of Messi, Eto'o, Xavi, Henry etc a glimpse of goal.

Ryan Giggs equaled Sir Bobby Charlton's record of most appearances for United in the last league game of the season at Wigan. He scored a goal as well to celebrate the occasion and most importantly hand yet another Premier league trophy to Manchester United. Then came the most awaited night: Champions League Final against Chelsea. Ronaldo scored his 42nd goal of the season but Chelsea equalized through Frank Lampard. Cech made an amazing double save to deny United while Chelsea hit the post on the other end twice. Heroic defending by John Terry in extra time took the game to penalties. It was certainly the most nervous 10 minutes of my life but the joy at the end of it just can't be described. Manchester United won the biggest prize in football to end the season as English and European Champions.

It isn't the end of it all because the challenge of defending these titles is even bigger. After an eventful summer United signed Dimitar Berbatov from Tottenham and crucially persuaded Ronaldo to stay at the club when Real Madrid came calling. United haven't been at their best this season but the rivals have faltered as well. A couple of nights ago United annihilated Chelsea to spark new life into the bid for the title. Last night Cristaino Ronaldo won the FIFA World Player of the Year award. This gives United the much needed morale booster as the season approaches its business end. The success of 2008 can't be emulated easily but with the squad and belief that United have, it is certainly not impossible. I hope that the big guns start firing all cylinders when it matters most. I hope that the Promised Land is revisited again and again.

6th February 1958

People often ask me - "Why are you so passionate about Manchester United? Is it because they are the best? Is it because they are the champions?" But I don't love Manchester United because of these reasons. Manchester United are more than a football club to me. They are a source of inspiration, something that teaches you to keep trying your best even when it seems that everything is lost.

The story began after World War II. Old Trafford was destroyed during the war and United had to share Maine Road Stadium with Man City. Enter Matt Busby, former Manchester City and Liverpool player. He had the opportunity to be a part of the coaching staff at Liverpool who were champions at that time. But he chose Manchester United. Man United under Matt Busby started to play a brand of free flowing attacking football which was new to English football. His innovative ways started to reap rewards as the club climbed its way to become one of the best clubs in England.

He soon realized that he needed young blood to replace the players who had served the club for a long time. He developed youngsters like Bobby Charlton, Duncan Edwards, Bill Foulkes and brought them into the squad at the age of 17-18 years only. Soon, the team full of youngsters popularly known as the "Busby Babes" started to win trophies. They won everything that was there to be won in England. With the players still improving, sky seemed to be the limit for Busby Babes.

At that time, the European Cup Competition had just started which is now known as the Champions League. Busby took his team to Europe even against the wishes of the Football Association. In their first tournament, Man United reached the semi finals and were beaten by eventual winners Real Madrid. In the very next season, United were marching on all fronts when the European tie against Red Star Belgrade arrived. After winning the home leg 2-1, Busby Babes were confident of marching on. The away match proved to be a thrilling encounter as Man United threw a 3-0 lead away. The match ended 3-3 and United were through on aggregate.On 6th February 1958, the plane that was bringing the players back stopped in Munich for refueling. The weather was bad but the pilot decided to take off. After two attempts failed, he went for it the third time. But the plane crashed through the fence and caught fire. 7 members of the squad (Geoff Bent, Roger Byrne, Eddie Colman, Mark Jones, David Pegg, Tommy Taylor and Billy Whelan) died on the spot. As goalkeeper Harry Gregg dragged the survivors out of the wreckage, the biggest tragedy in English football had occurred and the team that was supposed to achieve new heights had perished.

Matt Busby and Duncan Edwards were fighting for their lives as assistant manager Jimmy Murphy took charge at Old Trafford. He went to Munich. Duncan Edwards asked about the next fixture to know if he would be able to take part in it. Goes to show the character of the lad. Busby told Jimmy to keep the red flag flying high. After 15 days of struggle, Duncan Edwards passed away. Man United had a match coming up in 13 days but there wasn't a team left to participate in it. A few survivors, a couple of new signings and some academy players accumulated to form a team that defeated Sheffield Wednesday 3-0. For the first time, nobody was happy even after a win.

The flowers of Manchester had been lost but the spirit with which they played wasn't lost. Miraculously, Matt Busby recovered from his injuries and came back to pick up the reins at Old Trafford. He built yet another great side with Munich survivors and new talent like Denis Law and George Best. This side won the European Cup in 1968, 10 years after the crash. Matt Busby was knighted following the cup win. We can only imagine what Man United could have achieved if the disaster hadn't occurred.

26th May 1999 would have been Sir Matt's 90th birthday if he was alive. Manchester United won the Treble on that day as if they were paying tribute to the man popularly known as Mr. Manchester United. 6th Feb 2008 was the 50th anniversary of the Munich Air Disaster and the club commemorated it in a splendid way. Fans played their part as well. One minute silence was peacefully observed in the Manchester Derby the following weekend. Even the rival fans came together to mark the event as I sit here typing my own remembrance with a tear in my eye.

United's flag is deepest red
It shrouded all our Munich dead
Before their limbs grew stiff and cold
Their heart's blood dyed it's ev'ry fold
Then raise United's banner high
Beneath it's shade we'll live and die
So keep the faith and never fear
We'll keep the Red Flag flying here
We'll never die, we'll never die
We'll never die, we'll never die
We'll keep the Red flag flying high
'Cos Man United will never die