“This team is not good enough,” says one tired and grumpy United fan sat in the departure lounge at Porto airport. “I blame Fergie, he bought too many average players in the summer,” he moans to anyone who’ll listen.
It’s gone midnight and in keeping with the mood that developed during the second half of the Reds 1st leg defeat to Porto in the Stadio do Dragao, there’s arguing and disagreement over the causes of United’s continued slump.
“You’re wrong,” barks a fan wearing a United shirt and Porto scarf. “They’re just off form. It’s only 2-1 anyway, they can win the second leg at Old Trafford. No problem.”
The argument continues. “This season is a write-off. Since Rio started his ban the defence has been s*** and the rest of the team has no faith in them. Now they are all off form and Fergie can’t buy anyone to sort it out. He F***** up by not buying a defender in the transfer window.”
“I’m not bothering on Saturday,” chipped in another fan sat further away, “they don’t seem bothered so why should we?”
It’s not nice to see supporters arguing amongst themselves but sadly this wasn’t an isolated incident. There were many such rows inside the ground after the match, on the coaches back to the airport and on the flight home too. The majority using far more colourful language, with everyone from Sir Alex to David Beckham ( bizarre or what?) being blamed for the team’s current predicament.
It was certainly a far cry from earlier in the day when there was plenty of optimism around Manchester Airport as fans gathered for their flights to Portugal. United have shown in the past that they can raise their game when required and there was a belief that they could do it again. In fact, many expected them too.
So when Quinton Fortune scored from close range to put United ahead inside 20 minutes of the match, the 3,650 Reds in the corner of the Bancada Norte celebrated as if this was a release from the nightmare of recent weeks, and not just the first goal of the tie. The excitement was short-lived, however, with Benni McCarthy volleying in a Porto equaliser shortly before half-time. Then in the second half McCarthy scored again, this time a fine header to put Porto ahead, and depression set in amongst United fans. That’s when the arguing started.
A small pocket of Reds began urging those around them to “get behind the team.” A neighbouring group took exception to being told what to do and a bout of ‘handbags’ ensued. It wasn’t a violent exchange but it was certainly heated. Sadly other such arguments took place in other sections of the away end. Not what you need when your team is trailing and crying out for encouragement.
Tempers were frayed on and off the pitch and as Porto fans celebrated on three sides of the stadium United fans continued to bicker amongst themselves. There was some encouragement and a few chants but overall the atmosphere was poor. Roy Keane’s red card for treading on Vitor Baia merely put the seal on an abject second half for the Reds.
The mood was not helped by the treatment meted out to supporters as they attempted to leave the stadium. Seeing that fans in one half of the away section had been able to exit the ground the main bulk of United supporters tried to leave too. Except the stewards and police had other ideas. In scenes that were sadly reminiscent of seven years ago when the Reds visited Porto’s old ground, the Stadio das Antas, fans were kicked, shoved and hit with police batons amidst chaotic scenes. Confusion reigned under the stand as fans near to the exit gates were pushed forward by the sheer weight of the crowd behind them. People at the back pushed forward wondering what the hold up was and those at the front were thrust forward into the lines of stewards. They were severely dealt with by the police.
Back in March 1997 United fans had been indiscriminately attacked as they entered and exited the ground, and some were shot with rubber bullets. These latest scenes, though not as serious, were still unacceptable and if this game was indeed being used as a test run for Euro 2004 then the local authorities in Porto have still got a lot to learn. Not all United fans are angels and the dangerous combination of defeat and copious amounts of local brew Super Bock didn’t help matters, but it was a situation caused by a lack of information and yet another police over-reaction. It happens far too often at European matches and bodes ominously for this summer’s tournament.
As fans settled into their seats for the flight back to Manchester the post mortem continued. Individual players were singled out for criticism and others discussed the probability of a full-scale riot when England play in Portugal later this year. It had been a long and unsatisfactory night but then in the early hours of Thursday morning I heard the most sensible comment of the last few hours. It’s just a shame that more fans weren’t around to hear it.
“We’re United supporters, right?” said an exasperated fan in his forties to those sat across the aisle. “Why then have we forgotten how to support the team? Things aren’t going well right now and there are problems that can only be sorted in the summer, but isn’t the time to rally behind your team when they need you most? By Christ they need us now. So instead of everyone slagging each other off and calling the manager this name and that, why don’t we remember that following your team is about doing so through the good times and the bad. Fergie and those players have given us so much joy over the past decade that it’s about time we repaid them by getting behind them in every match that’s left this season.”
On the evidence of this night, some United fans in Porto would do well to heed this advice.
< <<< c´est la crise pour les supporters . ... Ils sont en furie . et reproche a fergie de s´etre plante dans les transferts .
