Introspection.

When talking about the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, I said that Manchester United were my favourite hate team - but why?  Since I wrote that, I've been thinking about it, and come to the conclusion that perhaps I am treating them as a scapegoat for the sins of the many.  But they seem to encapsulate all that (in my opinion) is wrong with modern football.  Their fans (or most of them) owe no real allegiance to Manchester or the club as such - they are simply hanging onto the coat-tails of their success.  And that success brings money which can be used to buy more success.  And so it goes on.  But the one incident I remember which turned me against them was many years ago when they were playing a team containing Eusabio - a Portuguese player of the old school.  Man U's goalkeeper (Stepney??) made a marvellous save of a shot from from Eusabio, and he, being the gentleman that he was, continued his run to go up to the goalkeeper and congratulate him. The goalkeeper simply ignored him and moved out of the way. Perhaps unfair to judge the whole club on the basis of the actions of one man, but that did it for me. I wanted nothing more to do with them.