We've been down this road before! This all looks familiar albeit with a slight twist. When you've lived a circumstance over and over, you grow numb to it no matter how promising the new narrative may be. It took David Moyes 10 months to destroy everything Ferguson built for years. His permanent replacement, Van Gaal came in with a reputation for having the 'balls' to lead United out of the darkness they wandered into.
Van Gaal's first year was about steadying the ship after Moyes led a disastrous Premier League defence. Second year was meant to show progress, but all we got was a team stuck in the past trying to play the Dutchman's brand of football - a brand that produced many boring draws. It was a disaster all through but an FA Cup win gave a glimmer of hope. That glimmer was brightened when Mourinho led the team to two major trophies in his first season - though Jose will argue it's three. Since then, United never won a trophy until last Sunday.
In that six year span, club legend Solksjær came in, led the club to a second place league finish, three semi finals and one final appearance. He started with an impressive unbeaten run that restored hope. The addition of Ronaldo to a team that finished second the previous season was supposed to be the last piece to get the club back to winning ways. Instead, it all fell apart in incredible fashion. When Solksjær left, I asked myself when salvation was going to come for United. I wondered who was out there capable of saving this suffering, storied football club.
Ten Hag's acquisition was greeted with little fanfare compared to that of Mourinho and Van Gaal. He started disastrously too with grumblings from unconvincing preseason displays heightened by two opening season losses to Brighton and Brentford. Instantly, the jury was out on the Dutchman. Pundits dragged him to no end, ridiculing both his ability to adapt to his new surroundings and the Ajax alumni he convinced to join in his rebuilding process at Old Trafford.
Last Sunday, the negative critics were forced to bite their tongues. Those who ridiculed him for being disrespectful towards Ronaldo and waiting patiently for him to fail so that they can mock him now have the joke on them. Despite the relative success, I was impressed but not moved. I didn't celebrate either of the two goals scored against Newcastle. During the second half, I stared at my tv screen but wasn't looking. My mind already wondered what possibilities lie ahead after the Carabao Cup triumph.
While everyone around me was celebrating I was asking myself important questions. Is this a new dawn? False hope? Are we going to sincerely compete for the league title next season? Or, will we hide under the pretence of being a team in transition and get contended with struggling for a top four finish once again?
For years, Arsenal fans celebrated a Champions League spot like it's a victory. In 18 years they only have 4 FA Cups and The Community Shield to show for their efforts. That explains why there is so much enthusiasm and excitement towards them as they close in on a Premier League title in nearly two decades. It will be exactly a decade this May since Man U last held aloft a trophy of utmost importance. Since then, the two times they came second the title race ended before April.
Will Ten Hag bring back the good old times that we've longed and panged for? Some people already think he will. For me, this looks all too familiar. It looks like a movie I've seen before but with different actors. I am not pessimistic, but I don't want to get my hopes so high that it ended in a familiar form of disappointment. With years of false hope and unending agony under my belt, I've learnt to manage my expectations. I'll review those expectations at the end of May!
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