The 4 Emotional Stages Which United Supporters Undergo When A New Kit Is Revealed

Another season, another kit. United have announced that the new kit will be revealed on the 7th of July. We've all seen the rumoured kit for next season and we're all disappointed. Whether we're reigning champions or whether we've finished 7th, United supporters always expect the best of everything. We expect the best transfers, we expect to have the best manager and we expect to have the best, or one of the best, kits. 

Let's face it, Nike have been poor in producing good looking home shirts for the past couple of seasons. The last kit which everyone liked was the 08/09 one. Nike also have a knack of making United's away shirt look better than the home one. Whether or not this is to intimidate opposition when we travel, who knows. Below I've compiled 4 emotional stages which every United supporter undergoes when a new kit is to be revealed. 

1. Denial

We deny the heck out of it. "I'm sure it's just a rival supporter trolling us". "Haha! No way would that be OUR kit!". Yes, this is what happens when the very first pictures of the new kit surface, usually a couple of months before the season ends.  We console ourselves with the thought that Nike couldn't possibly make a worse home kit than the one they made for the current season.

2. Anger

This stage usually involves all of us voicing our outrage about how we absolutely will not spend our hard earned money on another bad looking shirt. I mean, really now, what are the people at Nike thinking? If you're consoling yourself with the thought that maybe they're doing this with all the teams which they have shirt deals with, take a look at AS Roma's kit for next season. I would also like to know who at United is in charge of approving the new kit designs and if they need some help with their lack of ingenuity.

3. Preparation

All United supporters know this one all too well. We all think, "Maybe it isn't that bad at all. Maybe it looks different in reality. Maybe if I see it, and touch it, I'll like it better". We try to convince ourselves that maybe, just maybe the new home kit isn't that bad and that it will grow on us. We do have to watch our players play in it for the entire season so if they can grow into it, maybe we can too.

4. Acceptance

By now, we're all fed up. Once the new kit is launched, we see it at our local sporting goods store, we go into said store and have a proper good look at it. We touch it, feel it, see that club crest that we've all fallen in love with and then suddenly think, "Why not?". We end up buying it, we end up wearing it on the next match day and we end up being more proud than ever of our beloved team.

Have you reached the stage of acceptance yet? If you have, allow me to refresh your memory:

 Cheers :)

Five Reasons As To Why United Are Not The New Liverpool

I'm not going to talk about yesterday's defeat. After much ranting and raving on Twitter, I have moved on. What I am going to talk about is the fact that many people think that Manchester United are the new Liverpool. That isn't going to happen. Let me tell you why. 

1. Football Has Changed, A Lot

When Liverpool fell from grace, money in football had not yet fully developed. It was there, but it was not a serious matter. Inflation rates were not high at all. Most of all, club owners were not a greedy bunch, and they were not a particularly "rich" bunch either. Players did not move to clubs for the money, they moved because they liked the badge, and they wanted to play for the badge. However, the same cannot be said today. Money talks, and in the next transfer window, United will have money. If rumours are to be believed, David Moyes will have a budget of 200 million pounds. In addition to that, some of the senior players in the squad will be leaving, which frees up some nice wage packages.

2. The Glazers Won't Let United Fall From Grace

As I have stated above, money is important in football. I don't think you'll find many football owners who are greedier than the Glazers. United are a money making machine for them. What happens when the club starts falling apart? Sponsorship deals also fall apart. Ticket sales suddenly plummet. No European football, so that's no European exposure, no European sponsors. I honestly do believe that the stingy Glazers would rather invest in United so that the club can continue to make billions for them, rather than sell it at a cut price, watch the club rise from the ashes, and start to make money for someone else. We might see this investment in the next transfer window, and possibly the one after that.

3. United's Philosophy

There has always been a philosophy about the club, no United supporter can deny this. From the time that the club was established, it has always been, "Success, or nothing". Sir Matt Busby, Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Alex Ferguson, and the strew of fantastic players that this club has had since its inauguration have made sure that this philosophy has been set in stone. The fact that so many former great players and Sir Alex are still very much a part of the club means that it's hard to see United just suddenly stop achieving the club's philosophy. What Wayne Rooney said earlier this week, about this season being a one off, is true. It certainly will not get easier but this is as bad as it gets. I truly believe that. For no matter how loyal United are to the manager, Jose Mourinho has stated that at United, no one touches the manager, the club and the board still has the power to sack the manager if it needs to be done. David Moyes will be given another season or two at most, because he signed a six year contract, but if this continues he will get sacked. That's just it. There are so many great managers available at the moment, Jurgen Klopp being the one with the most impressive CV, so no, United will not suffer if they decide to sack David Moyes.

4. United's Good Youth Structure

Young players from all over the world still hold United's youth academy in very high regard, for if you are a product of the United Academy, you will undoubtedly have a future as a football player. The likes of Becks, Phil and Gary Neville, Giggsy, Scholesy, Robbie Savage, Paul Pogba, Adnan Januzaj to name a few, emerging from the academy has not hurt its reputation. Sir Alex worked his socks off to make sure that United's youth academy became one of the very best in England and that has not changed 21 years down the line. He also instilled a very clear philosophy for this world class youth system, "Our youth, are the club's future". A philosophy which remains today. 

5. It's One Bad Season

It's just one bad season for crying out loud. If United had 10 of these, in succession, then I would be able to look at you with a straight face and say, "Yeah, maybe United are the next Liverpool". You know what's even more sad? The Chelsea supporters that I have spoken to are convinced that United will be back, and some of our own supporters cannot even see that far ahead. Arsenal supporters have, of course, written us off for entire lifetimes because they're bitter that we've been winning things for the past 20 years and so now, they can have their fun. Liverpool supporters, well, they're Liverpool supporters. Anything that has to do with United failings makes them jump up and down like little girls on a sugar high. City supporters are obviously enjoying this but they, more than anyone, know that Manchester United never die.

United will never be able to replicate the success that Sir Alex brought to the club, so if that is what you're expecting, you're delusional. Every single thing from here on out is going to be a battle. Moyes will be given time, and money, so who knows if anything will change next season. What I do know, from this club's illustrious history and from this club's philosophy, is that United will be back.