Manchester United football club is currently in a state of disarray. After a disappointing campaign in the last Premier League and failing to grab a post to participate in the forthcoming UEFA Champions League, the Red Devils from Manchester are placing their faith in the new Dutch manager Ten Hag. The Dutch manager had a blissful spell at Ajax Amsterdam and is now hoping to repeat his success at Old Trafford. His job is not an easy one considering that other adversaries in the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Tottenham Hotspurs are doing their utmost to reinforce their squads and repeat the success they had during the last football season.
Despite its dismal performances during the last few Premier League seasons, the Red Devils are still considered one of the biggest clubs in the football world. The domestic and global fan base is probably one of the biggest in the world, and it is estimated that almost seven hundred million football fans support Manchester United. Many Manchester United fans still head over to bookmakers at www.bookmakers.bet to place bets on the might Reds to date. Also, the club has been the house and home for some of the most prominent football players in England and across the globe. Some of the great names that had the honour to wear the club’s shirt include – Bobby Charlton, George Best, Cristian Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, David Beckham, and Ryan Giggs.
The transition from Newton Heath to Manchester United
Initially, the club’s name was Newton Heath LYR football club. In 1902, the club was renamed Manchester United and has retained the same name until today. Over time, Manchester United grew into one of the biggest clubs in England and the world. Under the successful managership of the great man himself – Sir Alex Ferguson – the club has had a spell of success with trophies marching to Old Trafford. The club also holds some of the most significant records in England.
A football club that sets and beats the records
Some of the biggest and probable unbreakable records established by the Red Devils are:
- No other team in the English Premier League has been playing at the highest and top tier football like Manchester United. The club has been active in top-level football in England since 1975, and they have never gone below the second division level.
- The Red Devils were the first English football club to participate in the UEFA European Cup in 1956/1957. The European Cup of 1956 was the second edition of the competition organised by the European competent football authorities. It was won by the Spanish club Real Madrid for the second time when they beat the Italian club Fiorentina by 2-0. In the first leg of the competition, Manchester United played against the German club Borussia Dortmund beating the Germans 3-2 in England and drawing 0-0 in Germany. In the quarter-finals, the Red Devils were drawn against the Spanish club Athletic Bilbao and won on an aggregate score of 6-5. Unfortunately, in the semi-finals, Manchester United lost to Real Madrid on an aggregate score of 5-3 and was knocked out of the competition.
- The club currently holds the record for the most top-division titles tallying twenty. With football clubs like Manchester City, Arsenal, and Chelsea hot on their heels, the Red Devils are still at the zenith of the titles league.
- Together with the London club of Arsenal, the Red Devils hold the record of winning the most Football Association Cup (eleven times) and the number of appearances in the final of the same competition with eighteen appearances.
- The club’s unfortunate campaign in the European Cup of 1956 was followed by winning the cup in 1968, thus becoming the first English football club to win the tournament. The Red Devils beat the Portuguese club Benfica 4-0 in the final, played at Wembley stadium in England.
- The club is also the most successful football team in the Community Shield, having won the trophy sixteen times.
Other records only Manchester United could achieve
Other records set by Manchester United worth noting are the club’s unbeaten record in all major competitions of forty-five matches between 1998 – 1999; a record win against the Belgian club of Anderlecht in the European Cup competition (the Red Devils beat the Belgian side by 10-0) and; beating Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers by a similar score of 7-0.
At the players recording setting level, Manchester United is also at the forefront. The club’s product hailing from Wales, Ryan Giggs, has set the club’s record of appearances. Giggs has made over nine hundred appearances for the club since his first debut in 1991. Eventually, in his retirement from football, Ryan Giggs also had a short spell as the club’s manager.
Bobby Charlton, the true Manchester GOAT
So far, the club’s top scorer is the legendary football gentleman in the name of Bobby Charlton. Charlton, who scored almost three hundred goals in seven hundred and fifty-eight games, is a keen supporter of the Red Devils and is always seen at the stands when Manchester United play at Old Trafford.
The dazzling skills of the late George Best and the goal-scoring skills of Wayne Rooney and Cristian Ronaldo have made Manchester United a force to be reckoned with. George Best, the naughty man from Ireland, and Harold Halse hold the record for the most scored goals in one game. He scored six goals against Northampton Town in 1970. The goal scored by Ryan Giggs against Southampton in 1995 after fifteen seconds makes this goal one of the fastest goals in the Premier League. The prolific striker Denis Law holds the record of scoring the most hat-tricks between 1963 – 1971. In all, Law scored eighteen hat-tricks.
The Dutch goalkeeper singed from Juventus, Edwin van der Sar established the record of the longest goalkeeper not to concede a goal for one thousand, three hundred and eleven minutes during 2008/2009; a record that is very hard to imitate or break.
Premier League stardom like no other
Manchester United is the only club in English Premier League to win the title three successive on two occasions. Although their opponents will do their utmost to overcome this record, it seems improbable that the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool are capable of overturning the record in their favour. We all have heard of Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola, or Antonio Conte, but the impressive spree of success that Sir Alex Ferguson has had at Old Trafford is very difficult to achieve or break. The Scotsman won thirteen Premier League titles, the Manager of the Season award eleven times and the Manager of the Month award twenty-seven times. Records can be easily termed as unbreakable.
The Red Devils have always been at the forefront of English football, and their recent performances will only serve the club to re-organise and look for a better campaign in the coming football season. With the introduction of the Dutch manager and the influx of new players, the prospects are good. However, stiff opposition is always expected from other strong teams like Manchester City and their eternal rival, Liverpool.