EPOCH II
In 1993, Manchester United competed in Big Cup for the first time since 1969. It was the romantic denouement to an epic saga of hope and yearning, an old club finally reconnecting with the competition that had become intertwined with its very identity. They beat the famous Honved 3-2. These were giddy, emotional and epochal times. And tonight, younger supporters will be able to experience for themselves just how it felt for their forefathers to scratch an itch that had been nagging for the best part of a quarter of a century. For United haven’t played a game in Big Cup for nearly 17 months now, which is a similar sort of wait for modern fans, really, isn’t it, when you factor in the pace of life in the information age, everyone’s raging sense of entitlement, and other self-centred vileness. But tonight their success-starved fanbase will be rewarded for their infinite patience as United make another long-awaited return to Uefa’s premier bloated cash cow. Let the good times roll! Again!
Back in 1993, of course, it wasn’t long before United’s bubble was well and truly burst, and they were shipping three goals at home to unfancied Galatasaray. However it’s unlikely that they’ll concede another three at home against underdogs this time round. Club Brugge, who are from Belgium and the 1970s, should be the champions of their country right now, having topped the league at the end of last season. But there’s some convoluted post-season play-off system in place over there, and Brugge conspired to make a proper balls of that bit, losing at home to Gent, who had never won the Belgian title before but, thanks in no small part to Brugge, certainly have now.
So whether they have the moxie to grind out a favourable result at Old Trafford, before next week’s return leg in Belgium’s most picturesque Ralph Fiennes-approved city, is debatable, even if they can boast the talents of Costa Rica centre-back Óscar Duarte, Colombian winger José Izquierdo, and Belgian beanpole Obbi Oularé. They’ve not started the season particularly well, having already lost in the league against newly-promoted Sint-Truiden. Yet United boss Louis van Gaal isn’t taking them for granted. “You cannot say it is not any pressure because Brugge are a good team,” he says, ostentatiously pronouncing the word Brugge with several hard g’s, like someone raking a golf club across a radiator. “We have to show our quality.” The Fiver is sure United will indeed show their quality, making it through to the group stage one way or another. Whereupon younger supporters may soon share another of their forefathers’ experiences from the mid-90s: what it feels like to get skelped 4-0 by Barcelona.
LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE TONIGHT
Join Barry Glendenning from 7.45pm BST for MBM coverage of Manchester United 2-0 Club Brugge.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“They cock about with the offside rule every year and they don’t make it any better” – Gary Neville drops the C-bomb (sort of) on Monday Night Football.
FIVER LETTERS
I see that Kevin (“I, Kevin De Bruyne will definitely play this season at VfL Wolfsburg”) De Bruyne takes self-importance to a whole new level by referring to himself in both the 1st and 3rd person in the space of two words. Claudius would be proud” – Noble Francis.
“It was good to see that Adam Smith came on for Bournemouth in the 81st minute yesterday against Liverpool. Is anyone else hoping that at the end of his contract he ignores the moral sentiments of the fans, takes advantage of the free market and gets a huge contract somewhere else (which he naturally signs with an invisible hand) and accumulates the wealth of nations? No? Just classical economists then?” – Noble Francis.
• Send your letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. And if you’ve nothing better to do you can also tweet the Fiver. Today’s winner of our prizeless letter o’the day is: Noble Francis.
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BITS AND BOBS
West Brom have told Tottenham to do one after rejecting Spurs’ offer for Saido Berahino. “We have no interest in selling Saido which is what I have told Daniel Levy,” roared Albion chairman Jeremy Peace.
Barcelona’s Gerard Piqué could be suspended for nearly three months after shouting Very Bad Words at an assistant referee.
Nicolás Otamendi excruciatingly slow arrival at Manchester City seems to have inched forward another nanometer after the defender was dropped from the Valencia squad to face Monaco in the Champions League.
Asmir Begovic says Chelsea need to keep their collective chins up. “A couple of things are not quite going our way right now but this is no time to start feeling sorry for ourselves,” sobbed the goalkeeper, reaching for a Smiths CD. “We have to pick ourselves up quickly, improve and pick up points.”
Florian Thauvin is expected to cough for Newcastle doctors on Wednesday as he nears a £12m move to Tyneside.
Real Madrid have dotted the ‘i’s and crossed the ‘t’s on Mateo Kovacic’s €35m move from Inter. (Pretend you knew all about him already by reading Paolo Bandini’s article on the midfielder here.)
RECOMMENDED VIEWING
Manchester United’s Memphis Depay gets the Photoshop treatment in this week’s Gallery. Next week we want your efforts on the glorious return of Claudio Ranieri.
STILL WANT MORE?
Niall McVeigh went wandering down memory lane, plucking the blackberries of nostalgia from the thorny bush of history, and came back with this piece on Malmo and Club Brugge’s European adventures of yore.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLs of the week.
How has Manchester United’s Champions League team evolved over time? Find out here in graphic style. No, not that kind of graphic style.
Get them while they’re lukewarm: tickets are still available for Football Weekly Live in Manchester on 3 September, plus another date in Brighton on 16 October.
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