Sports Journalism piece

I wrote this in my final year of my sports journalism unit

GUIDING THROUGH TROUBLED WATERS?
Scholes double puts West Brom nearer to the drop- but Shepherd claims United’s problems have been long-evident

In the world of English football, it seems the playground’s still scattered with its own characters. There are those who happily tag along quietly in mid-table and those who battle against their own (or teams’) mistakes. Amongst them, you can be sure, lie a few who have to make themselves heard, even at the expense of others.

Yesterday’s comments by Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd in the wake of a comfortable 3-0 win for Manchester United will send a series of raging reminders from the sandy surroundings of Dubai to Lancashire. Reminders that not only are Sir Alex’s class nine points behind Chelsea, they still face an uncertain future. Saturday’s game, to start with, would echo that.At first, West Brom, the newcomers to the top-flight school had adjusted well. But first-half injuries to Darren Moore and Cosmin Contra proved costly for Bryan Robson’s side however and the bullies from Old Trafford came out in force.

Paul Scholes sent a reminder to an old mentor that, when his confidence is high, he needs no re-education in finishing, scoring from a fiercely driven shot after 53 minutes. The remaining 37 were a detention for the hosts, confined to their own half. That said, the treatment given out was not even close to the bruised beatings that United are suffering. As the Chief from Newcastle pointed out, it’s been written on the chalkboard for months. The theatre has to stop acting to its audience and wake up to the reality.

Why would Shepherd, a man currently locked in a dispute with Sir Bobby Robson, and whose club experiences regular player unrest call his northern neighbours “a ship without a sail”? The answer lies not so much in Manchester United’s present, but the mistakes of their past. Not convinced? Two words: Arjen Robben. United could have bought him months before Chelsea, yet dismissed him. His early form for the Londoners suggests it could be the biggest missed opportunity since spurning a young Thierry Henry for being “too raw”.

That “lack of stardust”, as Shepherd calls it, isn’t the only ghost haunting United. The public tantrums between Sir Alex Ferguson and Magnier over the rights to Rock of Gibraltar threatened to chain the club to the demands of the tycoon. A shake-up of its agents and the removal of agent and boss’ son Darren Ferguson at least, and those outside Salford’s walls were laughing. Uniteds’ their form slumped and the grip on the league was lost. The belief this year is now there, as shown by Ferguson’s “judge us in January” comment last week. With Roy Carroll currently choosing not to extend his contract and John O’Shea’s future in doubt, I wonder if the judgement will be from another failed season.

Am I being over-pessimistic? Whatever your thoughts, the priority now for Chairman David Gill and the remainder of Manchester United may be Wednesday’s Carling Cup game, but long-term, at least to Shepherd, the focus needs to be less on financial gain and more on the fans. Will the board offer the apple out to anyone with the funds and more on resolving the confusion that chains the club? Shepherd, a “fan through and through”, surely would hope not. He may be outspoken, but he has a point, don’t you think?