The Athletic's Manchester United team reporter Andy Mitten wrote an article to analyze why Manchester United, whose performance is so poor, can still attract stars like Cunha.
Andy Mitten's original text is as follows:
Why are there anyone surprised that Manchester United is still attractive to players? Even though they just had their worst season since the team was relegated in 1973-74.
Manchester United is known as the three major football clubs in the world together with Barcelona and Real Madrid. The glory and hardships of this club's history constitute the most fascinating chapter in football history and always show amazing resilience. When they were relegated in the 1970s, their attendance rate increased instead of falling. In 1949, while Old Trafford was temporarily stationed at Maine Road Stadium due to bombing and damage, Manchester United's FA Cup match against non-league team Yoville City attracted 81,565 spectators.
Although it only ranked 15th in the Premier League last season, Manchester United's genes have always been fascinating: offensive football, promotion of youth training, and never giving up. The attendance data of 73,815 players per game last season and the club's lofty status are proof of this. When I met club CEO Bellada at Old Trafford last week, I asked him if he was "will be difficult to attract new players when the team was in recession and missed the Champions League"? He shook his head and said that he valued more whether the players truly agreed with the club rather than being obsessed with European qualifications, and emphasized: "If someone rejects us because of the Champions League qualification, then such players are not considered."
' Romantic sentiment for Manchester United and the ambition to help the giants revival always touch the players' ambitions. Although high salaries (so high that even considering the team's poor performance or even overly generous) are still important factors, there are many clubs in football today, and Manchester United's appeal is obviously more than that.
made a weekly appearance on the full stadium of the World League One, an opportunity that teams such as Brentford or Bournemouth cannot provide, although both well-run clubs beat Manchester United last season. Even if it only plays for Manchester United for a short time, it will be enough to enhance the players' global reputation. As the new Red Devils aid Cunha said in the joining statement: "Watching the Premier League at Brazil's grandmother's house in childhood, Manchester United is my favorite English team, and I dream of wearing the Red Devils' jersey one day." The 26-year-old player who transferred from Wolves did experience Manchester United's golden age.
Of course, there are hidden worries. If you miss the league championship for 12 consecutive years, new players may lose this emotional memory in the future, but the glorious history cannot be erased, even though the times have changed. Hoylen is not Haaland after all. Tottenham can beat Manchester United on the court now, rather than handing over the core players to Manchester United as they did in the past. Manchester United rarely signs world-class stars in their peak years in recent years, but in the past, even if they tried to introduce super-high-priced players, such as Peron, Pogba, Anthony, Sancho and Lukaku, most of them failed, and Manchester United has never achieved all transfer goals. From Glen Heisen to Ronaldinho, the list of players who reject Manchester United is long.
But these cases are in the minority. Cunha and Mbemo, who is eager to join this summer, both prove that Manchester United still has the strength to attract popular Premier League stars. Looking back at the late 1980s and early 1990s, although Manchester United had not had the taste of a league championship for more than 20 years, they could still attract the leaders of small teams such as Erwin, Schmeichel, Lee Sharp, Dion Dublin, Cantona and Kancherski. During the 26-year period without championships from 1967 to 1992, Manchester United failed to maintain the highest average attendance rate in Britain in only two seasons.
Traveling earlier history, two Manchester United legends Bobby Charlton and Duncan Edwards grew up at Tyneside and Dudley respectively. Newcastle was right next to Charlton's doorstep, and he received invitations from 18 clubs across the country. Edwards' hometown team Wolves claimed to be the best in the world in the mid-1950s, but both of them chose Manchester United without hesitation.
I traveled around the world to observe football culture. Although I dare not say that the conventional atmosphere of Old Trafford can be compared with Boca Youth or Riverbed, please take a look at these numbers and sustainability, sold out tickets year after year, home and away games. Barcelona and Real Madrid? Sigh, look at the number of fans accompanying the team in their away league, I am afraid that I can just call a large online car to carry it.
This is not a deliberate emphasis on "we are more special", so leave this statement to Liverpool. Every club has loyal fans going on an expedition with the team, but Manchester United has a larger base. I know some fans who have gone bankrupt by following Manchester United to fight everywhere. This is not something to be boastful, and it can even be said to be sad, but no one can question their support for the club.
I remember when I went to see Kevin Keegan of Newcastle in January 1996, the proud Newcastle coach admitted: "We are a great club, and Manchester United is a dynasty."
Manchester United's huge size sometimes becomes a burden. Want to buy away tickets? On average, 13,000 people are competing for 3,000 regular quotas, and you have to pass five levels and win six generals just by obtaining subscription qualifications. Thousands of young fans in Manchester are eager for season tickets, but the current situation of each game is dissuading them, which in turn triggers conflicts between season ticket holders and new generation fans.
This influence is far more than Manchester. In 2019, Manchester United's friendly match with Inter Milan in Singapore, 53,000 of the 58,000 spectators supported the Red Devils. Even if the friendly matches were arranged at world-class stadiums and sold at far higher ticket prices than Old Trafford, Manchester United could still sell out easily.
Fans around the world have their own reasons for love. Some people are connected with Manchester United because of George Best, while Pakistani fans who met in Islamabad shouted David Beckham. I have witnessed the grand occasion of thousands of people surrounding Ottoman Solskjaer and other celebrities at Indian airports. When Manchester United returned from the Rio Club World Cup in 2000, the plane was in the midst of refueling in Senegal, four ground crew members approached and asked: "Is Dwight York on the plane? Where is Roy Keane?"
Even my Manchester City fans who hate Manchester United have to admit that their mortal enemy is indeed a football giant. Perhaps it is difficult for outsiders to understand this charm, but Manchester United fans never care because this attraction really exists.
Manchester United staff member Gordon McQueen in the 1970s and 1980s once said: "After players leave Old Trafford, they can only go downhill."
These heartfelt words have been confirmed by countless later generations. Although the situation in today's football world is different, Manchester United's attractiveness has indeed spanned generations and spreads to the world.