Man United could be frozen out like Green Bay Packers

It’s almost a year now since this column fulfilled a near life-long sporting ambition with a trip to Chicago to see the Bears host the Green Bay Packers at the iconic Soldier Field.

Years spent watching games on TV embedded images of frozen fans sat huddled in countless layers watching a team with a blue-collar tradition that had always leaned on a mean defense and an offense that was gridiron’s version of stuff-it-up-the-jumper.

It felt a little odd then — and positively wrong — to make for the stadium that Sunday under blue skies and in temperatures that would reach a positively balmy 21C to watch a game that delivered a welter of fireworks with seven touchdowns. Green Bay did extract full payment for the unseasonal warmth and excitement. They cakewalked it 38-17. The Pack have featured heavily in our thoughts again this week.