A strange feeling of apprehension

Sitting in my office this morning and like recent days, my heart races. I don’t like the nervous sensation, which has been pulsating, throughout my body in the last few weeks. I’m a fan of many things, but none come close to the way I feel about Manchester United. The Red Devils have always been my pillar of strength and stability.

At the helm of the world’s greatest club is a man who must be feeling likewise. They say it’s always tough to replace a legend, but the word “legend” is almost a disservice to Sir Alex. For the younger generation of United fans like myself, he IS Manchester United. Fergie’s retirement announcement seemed like a funeral for an aging loved one: You know the day will arrive, but when it does you still seem caught off guard and entirely unprepared for it. Fergie epitomized stability and success. Moyes may be successful with the Red Devils one day, but for now he represents change and uncertainty. 

The shoes he has to fill are more like footprints from a Sasquatch and I don’t envy the position he is in one bit. Personally, I think David Moyes was the perfect man for the job. Nonetheless, he isn’t Fergie. He never will be and I hope the fans remember that. The pressure Moyes will be feeling to win and win often must be unbearable at times. The standard demanded of him is almost unfair for a mere mortal, which is why Fergie was so, so special. The expectations seemed to rise for Sir Alex every year and yet somehow he almost never left us disappointed.

New players haven’t arrived yet and their absences are only making my anxiety worse. The current squad we have were runaway Barclays Premier League winners last season, but somehow that fact is not allowing me to rest easy. Chelsea and Manchester City have new managers, new players, and a new resolve to fight for what they’ve each tasted in the last five years. The bookmakers seem to believe the departure of Sir Alex makes United third favorite for the crown this season. I understand the rationale, but I remain hopeful these Red Devils will rise to the occasion for their new manager. The one thing, which can never be debated, is United’s resolve to fight until the end and as long as Moyes is able to reinforce this virtue I fully expect the Red Devils to be competitive on all four fronts.

The clock is ticking. The new Barclays Premier League season begins in just five days. August and September are incredibly difficult months as far as the fixtures are concerned, so there is no doubt Moyes’ baptism of fire will begin almost immediately. I think everyone recognizes the squad needs to be tweaked and I have every confidence some players will be in very soon. Ronaldo and Bale have returned to the radar screen and either superstar would make the Red Devils significantly better, but I still believe the center of midfield must be the most urgent area of concern. An offseason of questions regarding new players and the new manager will persist unless this year’s United squad does the one thing I was always certain of in the Fergie era: win. Winning cures everything, including my anxiety.