Manchester United… 3
Reading… 1
One night what is a scarily long time ago, yours truly was making his way home from the one and only house party I’ve ever been at. It was the time of the night/next morning that my main concern was trying not to bump into my brother on his way out to work. Now read on…
It was a night like no other. For a start, the host had to tunnel a way into the house for me through their garage after discovering that wheelchair into house wouldn’t go by conventional means.
This was highly surprising because normally the individual in question would be like a cross between Captain Mainwaring and McGyver for coming up with solutions. Anyway, by the time the night’s revelling was concluded, it was well into the next morning.
So far into it, in fact, that on the way home we encountered the ‘local’ Brazilians on their way down to start the morning shift in Kepak. At the time, the meat plant’s staff were accommodated in what is now Dunboyne Castle Hotel And Spa and their route to work was the same as my pathway home.
Anyway, one of them had a radio with them and while we were parambulating/rolling along, the Don Henley hit Boys Of Summer came on. From that moment on, whenever Brazilian football or footballers, the old song always resonates.
Between the brightness of their yellow and blue kit and, more pointedly, the colouful way in which natives of that land play the game. Lately, the thought has recurred to the occupant of this seat that there may be a little bit more than coincidence to the increased influence from the South American country in Erik ten Hag’s side and their upturn in form.
Look no further than Manchester United’s FA Cup victory over Reading on Saturday night. Not only did the three goals come from their South American contingent (two for Casemiro, one from Fred) while the unfairly maligned Antony also played his part.
While being mindful of what a fellow United fan said on one of the myriad fan forums online, they haven’t won anything yet, but the boys of summer are making the winter shorter for this spectator.