Daley Blind

Buying High

The World Cup can be unpredictable, but there are always a few guarantees.

Expect a worldwide drop in workplace productivity (including technological innovations designed to hide your time-wasting from your boss).

Your World Cup pool will include casual fans who will pick Brazil to win simply because they remember seeing Pele or Ronaldo play once. Or Argentina and Maradona/Messi.

Finally, there will be several players who parlay an impressive performance at the tournament into a big-money transfer to a top club.

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Monday’s 3-0 victory over Brentford at Old Trafford was all about saying farewell. A farewell to this nightmare of a season. And, specifically, a farewell to outgoing players Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic, Edinson Cavani, and Phil Jones, each of whom received a warm ovation from the fans. They’ll be joined at the exit ramp by at least three players who didn’t play: Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, and most likely Eric Bailly.

It will be a long overdue housecleaning for United, which has lacked a coherent, consistent identity on the pitch and in the transfer market over the last eight years — a period that began when Mata helicoptered into Carrington looking like a cross between James Bond and a guy who sells bonds.

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Master of None

It’s probably fair to say that Daley Blind was kind of an afterthought when he was unveiled alongside Radamel Falcao on September 11, 2014. El Tigre had been one of the best strikers in Europe, and his arrival on a loan/option-to-buy deal generated real excitement among the United faithful. Blind, on the other hand, was a good player but hardly a marquee star. A £13.8 million signing from AFC Ajax, he was, seemingly, only bought because of his rapport and familiarity with then-Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal.

Four years later, as Blind prepares to return to Ajax in a deal worth, potentially, £18.1 million, it’s fair to say that he contributed far more to United’s cause than either Falcao or Angel Di Maria, the other major acquisition in the summer of 2014. With three trophies to his name, as well as many instances of professionalism, heads-up play and selfless determination, he will always be remembered fondly by the United faithful.

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Manchester United Win Europa League

The Europa League Final was already shaping up to be the biggest match of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson Era at Manchester United. And that was before Monday’s terrorist attack in Manchester at an Ariana Grande concert.

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Goal of the Year?

I don’t know if RVP’s diving header against Spain in the World Cup was the best goal of 2014. In fact, I don’t even know if it was the best goal of the World Cup (the James Rodriguez goal made my jaw hit the floor as if I were a Looney Toons character). That being said, it might have been the most impactful goal of the year. The goal seemed to break Spain’s spirit (Spain was headed towards halftime with the lead until Daley Blind passed it to Van Persie) and signaled the end of La Roja’s dynasty which saw them win an unprecedented two Euros and a World Cup from 2008 to 2012.

Anyway, I couldn’t get enough of this goal. Be it as a coin, flipbook or Internet meme.

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Browsing Category

Buying High

Farewell To The Special Juan

Master of None

Manchester United Win Europa League

Goal of the Year?