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Dear Manchester United players,
How does it feel to be in that Manchester United dressing room right now? I can't imagine anything other than being downright distraught. It should hurt, should definitely hurt somewhere deep down inside after that humiliation from our neighbors. Not to mention what happened a couple of weeks ago against our fiercest rivals.
We thought that mauling against Liverpool would have ignited some fire inside all of you. But here we are just two weeks down the line and we have gone even worse against Manchester City. If this doesn't get your blood boiling, then nothing will.
Anyways, I am not here to give sermons on how you should or should not feel right now. Rather, through this letter, I want to let you know how I, along with millions of United fans worldwide, feel at this very moment in time. And why?
The season started with the talismanic signings of Cristiano Ronaldo and Raphael Varane and young sensation Jadon Sancho. In addition to the galaxy of stars we already have at our club, we could not help but feel excited for the future. This is the best squad Manchester United have had since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
This re-ignited the spark that lay extinguished for several years, that Manchester United would finally be able to mount a serious title challenge this year. The spark turned into burgeoning flames when we dismantled Leeds United on the opening day. And also when Ronaldo weaved his magic yet again on his second debut at Old Trafford against Newcastle United in early September.
We were all in wonderland. We can't help but believe that, on paper, we have the best squad in the Premier League.
And alas, here we are, just two months from that beautiful sunny day in September, suffering two back-to-back home hammerings against our biggest rivals. The teams might have been from the same city, but the gulf between them was of different galaxies. The Manchester rain yesterday at Old Trafford extinguished those flames of hope from early in the season.
It seems the only thing that caught fire from these flames was the 'paper' that said Manchester United had the best squad in the league.
The signs were already there in the games earlier against Wolves, Aston Villa and Everton and almost all the Champions League matches. However, what happened in the last couple of weeks was just unfathomable.
Liverpool almost stopped playing after 65 minutes so as not to embarrass us further. Manchester City didn't even give us the ball, let alone a goal when we were 0-2 down at home. After more than 20 years of supporting this club, this was the worst we have ever seen from Manchester United.
In most of the matches that we have won, what was worse to watch other than the defeat itself was that we have been outplayed by the opposition.
Somehow it's the opposition team who almost always seem to have the more desire, determination and will to win. This is just downright unacceptable from the players playing for a club which has been 13-time champions of the Premier League.
We, as fans, feel gutted. We feel absolutely frustrated. We feel helpless. We feel angry. We feel let down. We feel betrayed.
Sometimes we start watching a Manchester United match and after 15 minutes we think why are we even watching this. It's the same story every single week. But alas, we are blinded by our unadulterated love for this football club. We just can't help but support whatever we see. We are helpless.
We don't know what you, as players, think about this club. But let me tell you what we, as fans, feel about it.
Manchester United is not just a football club for us. It is a religion. Manchester United is a place of worship where we visit every weekend and the result defines our week. And more often than not, that feeling has always been jovial. We have always seen our shrine (Old Trafford) bouncing no matter what the scoreboard says.
There was always a unanimous and inevitable sense of belief that we would score. Wave after wave of United attack, players dying to get on the ball. Fighting for every loose ball, winning all those fifty-fifty battles, turning the luck into their own favor by sheer grit and determination.
All of this, coupled with pieces of brilliance and inspiration, used to suck the ball into the back of the net, no matter what. Manchester United stands for its ethos and history, for its indomitable spirit.
Manchester United stands for that never-say-die attitude even when all hope is gone. The resilience it offers in the face of adversity. The umpteen number of times it gets itself up after falling apart. The way it always rises is like a phoenix from the ashes. It just doesn't accept defeat. It only learns until it wins.
You have let us all down. Terribly.
You can blame tactics, formations and strategies sometimes but what wins you football matches most of the time is your desire and hunger to win it more than anybody else out there. Believe in yourself, to believe in every one of your teammates so that you can pull through anything if only you are prepared to give it your all.
Run that every blade of grass, fight for every inch, cover each other for mistakes, wear your heart on your sleeves and play for that Manchester badge.
All you players need to look in the mirror individually and ask yourself if you have done justice to your own abilities? Justice to the belief that every fan and staff member of this club has put into you?
If the answer comes out to be a 'no', the only thing we expect from you is a genuine and honest Manchester United players' performance where you give it your all for the entire ninety minutes. Showcase that desire and hunger to win games more than your opponents.
We would love to see all of you ready to run every blade of grass and prefer to die out of breath than to lose. We would be the first ones to laud you off the pitch, regardless of the score.
There are millions of people across the world who would give away anything to play for Manchester United, but fate has favored you. So from now on, don't ever let yourself down. Do it for yourselves, if not for us!
Note: All views expressed in this article are personal opinions and are not necessarily endorsed by Sportskeeda.
