Hopes For 2018: Trophies Are All That Matter

In our 'Hopes for 2018' series, a host of club reporters look forward to the New Year...

My hopes for 2018? Simple really - trophies! Now I know that for some people, football is all about playing “the right way” and picking up the odd memorable result along the way.

For me, it’s about actually winning things. Surely, that’s what we play football for? The times you tend to remember the most are the days when your captain lifts a trophy heigh above his head - moments that are woven into the fabric of the club.

And if winning silverware is your thing, then we’ve got just the right man in charge. Jose Mourinho is a serial collector of winners' medals - 25 at the last count since 2003. When you reflect on the stand-out moments of any season, it’s surely the finals that leap out at you. 2017 saw two major trophies head to the Old Trafford cabinet.

Who could possibly forget the pure elation of seeing Zlatan Ibrahimovic rise to plant that header past Fraser Forster and clinch the League Cup for Manchester United? That crazy, rollercoaster ride of a game at Wembley summed up why these occasions are the ones that matter most when you reflect on seasons past. And then that magical, emotional night in Stockholm when United eased past Ajax to complete the full set of major trophies and apply a little soothing balm to a city that was hurting.

So, greedily, I want more of those moments. What adventures await us in the Champions League in 2018? Jose is a master at getting through these two-legged ties - could United make it to Kiev? And then of course, there’s the mighty FA Cup - Arsenal have stolen our crown as the most successful team in the competition’s history - let’s reclaim that record. Two trophies in 2017 - more please this year!

The opinions in this story are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Manchester United Football Club.

Credit: Manutd.com