United Need Boost For Early Games

There is something about early kick-offs that every match-going supporter acknowledges - that sleepy starts often fail to engender the same atmosphere as other games, particularly evening games under floodlights. It is an issue that probably affects every club, not just Manchester United.

It always seems to be the case that fans are a little more lethargic and the play itself can be slow to come to life. Saturday's 1-1 draw with Bournemouth may have featured a fast-paced opening by the Reds, and there was undoubtedly plenty of action and incident but for me, there was still a certain spark missing from the occasion. 

As Jose Mourinho has stressed regularly this season, the Old Trafford faithful will play their part and roaring the team on is a necessity. Undoubtedly, things can click in these early kick-offs, as they did gloriously against Leicester City in September, when United ripped the champions apart.

Four first-half goals torpedoed the Foxes and the ground was rocking but this has been the exception to the norm in lunchtime league games. The first early start, the home derby with Manchester City, produced a luckless 2-1 defeat as the Reds took time to get going and could not claw back a two-goal deficit. The following Premier League game began even earlier, at midday, and Watford inflicted a 3-1 loss at Vicarage Road.

Although the Leicester game proved there is no hoodoo when it comes to these fixtures that begin between noon and half past, the very next outing was a disappointing 1-1 home draw with Stoke City as Joe Allen's equaliser pegged Mourinho's men back after a midday start. November's game against Arsenal at Old Trafford started 30 minutes later and featured an impressive display by the hosts, only for Olivier Giroud to rescue an unlikely point for the outplayed Gunners.

There were no early kick-offs in December, January or February in the Premier League - the lunchtime rout of Reading was in the Emirates FA Cup of course - but there are more of them looming on the horizon in the wake of the setback against Bournemouth. The away meeting with Middlesbrough later this month will kick off early on Sunday, at midday, only 62 hours after United's clash with Rostov ends at Old Trafford (assuming extra time isn't required). Thankfully, the Europa League draw was favourable in some respects because if the second leg had been in Russia, the short turnaround would have been extremely problematic.

There is another noon fixture on 30 April, when Swansea City come to Old Trafford. By then, we really will be at the business end of the season, and the home crowd will need to be spurring United on to achieve the remaining objectives. Who should lead can be debated - is it the players or the supporters who have to perform in order to elicit a reaction from the other group? The truth is that everybody needs to be united as one on this front.

Mourinho wrote to the club's loyal season-ticket holders last week and insisted: "The crowd at Old Trafford must play its part. I have to say I've been impressed by your dedication and commitment, as season-ticket holders here at United. I've managed several clubs and I have never seen such unrivalled passion. The stadium is full every time we play and the support the players receive is special."

The United players are rightly proud of the backing received in every game, with the support on the road exceptional, but an extra push can make all the difference. Let's hope, even when it is traditionally harder to generate a terrific atmosphere in the early kick-offs, the supporters can help inspire the team in the closing stages of the season and ensure we all have plenty to celebrate.

The views expressed in this article are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Manchester United.

Credit: Manutd.com