The Alex Factor

There is something about Manchester United. It's like the whole world conspires to help them win. A lot of people would argue (the sort that has read ‘The Alchemist’), that the whole world helps when you want something bad enough. I won't argue with that and Manchester United players certainly want to win every match, every time, but so does every other team in the Premier League. Agreed some, don't have the luxury of having gifted footballers like Rooney, on their teams but the top five or six English Premier League clubs certainly have top quality players. So how it then, that Manchester United have been winning the premier league for the past 3 seasons despite having lost more games than second place Liverpool last season? Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that Manchester United aren’t a great team. They are or rather were, the perfect mix of talent, youth and experience and had till the last season perhaps the best player in the world at the time in Cristiano Ronaldo who hit unbelievable form. His magic seemed to rub off on the team and they were unbeatable on their day. On their off-days however, they like any other team always had a touch of green. But on such days luck was with them. It was like Lady Luck favoured them above all the rest. Understandable, because ‘Luck’ wouldn’t be called ‘Lady’ if it remained unaffected by the charm of the talented Cristiano Ronaldo! But now that Cristiano has finally moved to Real, I was hoping Lady Luck would follow him there, going by the ill-fated Derby match which looked like it's already doomed, it seems like Manchester United are still the favourites with ‘her’.
I can't help but feel bad for Manchester City, who spent so much money on bringing in top (may be slightly overpaid) players with the one of the aims being to beat Manchester United in the derby matches. Carlos Tevez, Robinho and Roque Santa Cruz, very talented players, capable of beating Manchester United are all injured and unavailable for the ‘doomed derby’. Like, things weren't bad enough for Manchester City, their in-form striker Adebayor did what he did last week and now has to serve out a well deserved 3 match ban. Does this sound like the world conspiring to help Manchester United to win? Manchester United have evened out the odds already and they haven't even played City yet. It’s like the curse of the Red Devils!
Surely, there has got to be more to this than just luck. Luck can't always work. I have a feeling; maybe it has something to do with the aura around Manchester United. Their ‘never-say-die’ spirit; try-till-the-end reputation and push-the-limits image that they have worked very hard to acquire and maintain, definitely has something to do with their incredible record. No one, goes to Old Trafford to play 11 men in red, they go there to play Manchester United - the Champions, the Legends, the unspoken Kings of the Premier League headed by the best manager in the world Sir Alex Fergusson. This image and spirit of Manchester United has remained at the core of the team’s self esteem even when individual player have come and gone. Sir Alex really is a genius. He has managed to create a Loch Ness monster of sorts in Manchester. It exists because you buy into the hype, or else it’s just a myth. If you believe the hype, even for a second, it takes control of your psyche. Too bad, most teams buy into the whole 'Nessie' of Manchester and, either get too over-awed or too pumped up about playing Manchester United. Sir Alex knows how to use the rival club's fear as well as their enthusiasm to beat them. It's not Lady Luck, its Sir Alex. I hope Manchester City go to Old Trafford to play 11 men (some of them past their prime) in Red and not the 'Champions', 'The Red Devils', Manchester United.

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