TERRACE TALK: Man United - Stylish display offers hope for the future

A fortnight ago, pondering ‘The LVG Question’ then being universally asked, I cautioned: “One might suggest waiting until the Derby County match to come to a conclusive judgement” about whether the crowd had finally, definitively turned. That night, the lads provided an answer of sorts: “Not quite yet, pal.”

Indeed, the United end’s vocal performance was probably the best we’ve heard this season, and the three Red goals were the very least they deserved for their endurance.

In the midweek days before the cup-tie, it became clear to everyone that Ed Woodward was simply not going to let Louis go, no matter how hard the mobs hollered, and no matter how crucifying the headlines.

During those heady and perhaps historic 72 hours, the manager gave a self-pitying but defiant display at his pre-match press conference, and somehow the moment of maximum danger perceptibly passed. Fans appeared to be resigned to the situation, and reacted in the only sensible way left: shoulders to the wheel, voices up, and crack on. LVG’s going to be here for a while yet, so get used to it.

Ironically, as I write these lines after a Chelsea match that, in conjunction with the win over Stoke, has seemingly confirmed a partial United revival, the papers have once more been full of headlines questioning Louis’ future.

A week of newspaper stories all over the continent alleging ongoing discussions between United and José Mourinho about a possible summer takeover culminated in the hallowed BBC unusually adding their imprimatur — and all without a whisper of denial from MUFC.

Contrast that with the club’s haste to deny an earlier story that LVG offered to quit after the Southampton match. You might almost feel sorry for old Louis, left alone to stutter he “didn’t believe” the latest stories. Though not quite as sorry as we felt for ourselves after being robbed of two points in the last minute. Granted, a draw was a fair result, especially given the blatant penalty the Blues were denied. But being ‘Fergied’ is always a killer, after so many years of being perpetrators rather than the recipients.

Nevertheless, it would have felt a lot worse had the previous 90 minutes not offered further pleasing evidence that the ‘old LVG’ era may be over. The style and approach over the past three matches contrasts with almost everything that preceded it. Metaphorically speaking, it’s as though United have had a sex change. Which makes it all the more hilarious that Louis has been trying to deny any change has been deliberately effected: adjusting surgical metaphors, it’s been about as convincing as someone pretending they’ve not just had a three-cup size boob job.

Instead, public comments of Rooney, Lindgard, and Mata last week all implied what we could clearly see: the leash has finally been taken off, just as we had all been begging for.

Pace, risk-running, taking potshots, flair, imagination, ‘non-system’ movement, sacrificing boring possession for exciting counter-attack...yes, all the forbidden treats that nanny had stashed away in the locked larder were finally ours once more.

Derby, Stoke and Chelsea are all either poor sides or in poor form, so we shouldn’t get carried away. But the manner in which they were delivered has offered us what we thought had gone: hope.

And if, as some whisperers assert, this ‘new’ LVG United is indeed the result of a de facto players’ coup, then sign us up for the revolution, comrade. No matter who rules us in the future, we don’t want to see any trace of the ancien régime again.