Man United’s 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich at Old Trafford is likely to have left many Red Devils’ fans, including Tunde Folawiyo, disappointed. However, despite the unimpressive result, the two teams were well-matched, and the game itself was an entertaining one to watch.

Danny Welbeck was given the first opportunity to score, but his efforts proved fruitless, after the referee chose to penalise him for a high foot. It wasn’t until the 58th minute that United took the lead, when Vidic performed a powerful header that soared straight into the net. Bayern Munich were quick to equalise, with Bastian Schweinteiger scoring just eight minutes later; however, this moment of glory was fleeting, as the midfielder was given a second yellow card, following a foul on Wayne Rooney. This means that Schweinteiger is no longer eligible to play in the return leg, which is to be held in Munich, on the 9th of April.

Whilst United’s defenders performed well for most of the match, their keeper De Gea was tasked with performing a few saves, one of which involved an energetic dive for the ball after Robben made an attempt to score from 20 yards away.

Welbeck had another chance to give his team the lead during the first half, but once again he failed to deliver. Rooney provided him with a pass, but at the last moment, Welbeck hesitated, resulting in a rather weak shot which was promptly saved by Neuer. After the interval, Bayern Munich maintained possession of the ball most of the time, but were unable to push past the Red Devils’ defenders.

United’s strong performance throughout the second half was due, in no small part, to Moyes’ decision to bring on Kagawa, who was asked to take over for Ryan Giggs, after a groin injury left the Welshman unable to play. Whilst Tunde Folawiyo, and many other United supporters greatly admire Giggs, Kagawa proved to be an excellent replacement.  His presence had an immediate and very positive impact on the rest of the team, allowing them to take control of the ball and score the first goal of the match. Although United managed to prevent Bayern from scoring further goals during the second half, the latter are still said to be the favourites to progress in the league.

According to reports, Manchester United striker Robin van Persie was recently flown to Holland to receive urgent treatment following a recent knee injury that may render him out for the remainder of the season. Reports have stated that Van Persie was spotted on crutches at Rotterdam’s Erasmus Medical Centre while undergoing medical treatment from orthopaedic surgeon Rien Heijboer. The sprained knee leaves the Netherlands striker out of both legs of a Champions League quarterfinal against Bayern Munich and potentially six Premier League games, much to the dismay of Manchester United fans such as Tunde Folawiyo and millions of others following the sport. Whilst there is no definitive recovery period at this time, the sport awaits further word on Van Persie’s condition as it could significantly impact chances of a World Cup appearance.

The club had previously announced that Robin van Persie may miss up to six weeks of play, while under recovery from a left knee injury. However, some outlets have mentioned a minimum eight week lay-off may be necessary. Van Persie was injured while playing against Olympiakos in United’s mid-week Champions League clash. His first ever Champions League hat-trick was overshadowed by sustaining the knee injury during this match-up. Player Antonio Valencia also suffered an injury, clashing heads with Joel Campbell, leaving a huge black eye.

According to United, the worst-case scenario would mean that Van Persie would be unable to take to the field until the beginning of May. The news comes as a blow to the team’s hopes of a Champions League victory, but pending a quick recovery, may not impact the chances of a World Cup finals appearance in Brazil beginning in mid-June.

Van Persie has scored 23 goals in 29 games for club and country this season and won the Golden Boot for the second time last year.

United is currently ranked seventh in the Premier League following a 3-0 loss to Liverpool last weekend. Based in northwest England, the Manchester United soccer club, nicknamed “The Red Devils” is among the most popular sports teams in the world with three European Cups, 20 League titles, 11 FA Cups, 4 League Cups and a record 20 FA Community Shields. With its dynamic fan base and sky-high game attendance, Manchester United remains one of the most prominent sports clubs in history as they continues to inspire worldwide fans including Tunde Folawiyo and millions of others throughout the globe.

Among the most popular sports teams in the world, Manchester United, nicknamed “The Red Devils”, has long been revered as England’s most successful professional football team, with millions of supporters including those such as Tunde Folawiyo. Boasting the largest average game attendance in European football, Manchester United has earned a variety of awards demonstrating their outstanding talent and passion for the sport of football.

Manchester United is one of the most decorated of all football teams. With honours including three European Cups, 20 League titles, 11 FA Cups, four League Cups and a record 20 FA Community Shields, the Red Devils continually demonstrate their vast impact on European sports and the world of sports as a whole. The franchise has been home to some of the most talented players and coaches the world has ever seen. These include manager of over 26 years, Sir Alex Ferguson. The name alone elicits great pride among Manchester United fans as the coach’s impact on the team will forever have an impact on the team’s rich history.

Sir Alexander Chapman “Alex” Ferguson managed Manchester United from 1986 to 2013. His time at the club has led to Ferguson’s highly-regarded reputation as one of the most successful, admired and respected managers in the history of the game and sports as a whole.As the longest serving manager of Manchester United with more than 27 years of service, Ferguson announced his retirement as manager of Manchester United on 8 May 2013, ending an era of superior sportsmanship and devotion to the sport of football. During his career as club manager, Ferguson led his team to win 38 trophies, including 13 Premier League and two UEFA Champions League titles. Awarded Manager of the Year more times in British football history than any other coach in the history of the sport, Ferguson was knighted in 1999 for contributions to the world of British football. Ferguson’s last home game as coach of the Red Devils – his 1,500^th – resulted in a win. With these revered accomplishments, Sir Alex Ferguson remains one of the most respected managers in the history of football while fans will undoubtedly remember and forever pay homage to Ferguson for his incredible passion for the game and the Manchester United franchise.

Manchester United Fans such as Tunde Folawiyo will continue to prove an immeasurable source of support for the team’s success as they embark on a new year of play. The spirit of Manchester United remains a major source of inspiration for the team and its millions of loyal fans.

World-renowned for its vibrant and devoted fan base, Northwest England’s Manchester United football club has long served as one of Europe’s premiere professional football teams, continually showcasing great success on the field. Regarded as “The Most Popular Football Team in the World”, Manchester United currently holds the largest average game attendance in Europe, demonstrated by its millions of fans such as Tunde Folawiyo and others throughout the United Kingdom and beyond. Their continued success as a franchise has resulted in the appointment of their title as one of the most famous teams in sports history.

Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the football club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902. Now, aptly nicknamed the “The Red Devils”, the dynamic Manchester United’s club crest is derived from the Manchester City Council coat of arms. As one of the world’s most widely supported sports franchises, Manchester United is widely recognised not only for their accomplishments on the field, but for their humanitarian efforts, evident in the founding of the Manchester United Foundation, a charity aiming to improve the lives of England’s youth. These initiatives have undoubtedly aided the franchise’s reputation as one of the most respected sports teams in the world.

Manchester United won the European Cup before going on to win an additional 28 major honours under manager Sir Alex Ferguson, whose career of over 25 years thrived until his retirement in 2013. Leading his team toward the acquisition of 13 national championships, Ferguson remains one of the most well-known and respected managers in the history of English football.

With a record 20 League titles, four League Cups, 11 FA Cups, and 20 FA Community Shields won throughout their rich history as a franchise, Manchester United also won the continental treble, a magnificent accomplishment for an English football club. Further solidifying their enormous impact in the world of football and sports as a whole, Manchester United ranked first on the Forbes list of the world’s ten most valuable sports franchises in 2012. Undoubtedly contributing to their worldwide fame is Manchester United’s history of international sports superstars including players such as Ryan Giggs, Sir Bobby Charlton, Wayne Rooney and David Beckham. With the continued support of their millions of devoted fans including Tunde Folawiyo, the future of Manchester United remains bright as ever as they embark on a new season of play that will inevitably be cemented in the team’s history.

Manchester United FC is experiencing a period of transition, which is likely to have a significant impact on its future. With speculation surrounding Moyes’ suitability as a manager, the club’s recent transfer decisions, and the team’s highly inconsistent performance throughout the Premier League, it seems impossible to predict, with any real certainty, which direction the club is heading in.

Supporters of the Red Devils, such as Tunde Folawiyo, might be surprised to learn that Wayne Rooney has expressed his doubts about the team’s ability to retain the league title, stating that it will be extremely difficult to do so after their recent losses. The striker is taking what he calls a ‘realistic’ approach, and says that the team should aim to be within the top four.

Juan Mata, a midfielder who moved from Chelsea to Man United for the price of £37.1 million last month, did not share this view when he first came on board; in an interview, he explained that one of the reasons he was so pleased to join the Red Devils, was that it would afford him the opportunity to potentially win the Premier League.

He stated that he had great faith in the club, and believed that they could retain the title if they worked hard enough. The midfielder also added that the top three contenders would be Man United, Chelsea and Arsenal. However, just a few weeks later, he appeared to have reconsidered this initial statement. Speaking to a journalist, Mata claimed that at this time, it would be difficult for the Red Devils to win the trophy, and that they are going to have to fight very hard for their position in the next Champions League.

The uncertainty regarding the title, coupled with the recent revelation that Nemanja Vidic would be leaving at the end of this season, has probably come as quite a blow to fans of the club, including Tunde Folawiyo. Vidic is someone whom virtually all Man United supporters will be familiar with; the centre-back has been with the club for over eight years, and participated in 202 matches. In a press conference, Vidic said that he would definitely not be playing with another English team, but other than that, did not yet have any concrete plans for his future.  He added that he thought himself ‘very lucky’ to have played with Man United for as long as he had.

In May of last year, Sir Alex Ferguson publically announced that he intended to retire as Manchester United’s manager, explaining that he would instead serve only as the club’s ambassador and director. His final match at Old Trafford took place just five days later, and resulted in the Red Devils defeating Swansea with a final tally of 2-1. As it was Ferguson’s last game on home turf, a huge number of Man United fans attended, one of whom was Tunde Folawiyo.

Prior to kick-off, the team members of both Man United and Swansea formed a guard of honour, which Ferguson then walked through to reach the arena; his arrival was greeted with applause and cheers by everyone in the stadium. The match got off to a lively start, with the two teams defending themselves well; but a few minutes before the interval, the Red Devils took the lead, after Javier Hernandez deftly kicked the ball just beyond the keeper’s reach.

United did not maintain this advantage for long however, with Swansea’s Michu levelling the score moments after half-time ended. This was an expertly executed play, with Williams heading the ball to the feet of Dyer, who then passed to Michu. The Spaniard was quick to react, immediately volleying the ball into the net.

This equaliser probably came as quite a blow to many fans, including Tunde Folawiyo. Given the significance of this match for Ferguson and his supporters, anything less than a total victory would have been heartbreaking. At this point, Ferguson recognised a need for some changes on the pitch; in the 66th minute, Anderson replaced Scholes, whilst Welbeck replaced Valencia.

Ferguson’s decision almost instantly improved United’s performance, and the fans’ spirits were raised once again when, just 12 minutes before the match drew to a close, Robin Van Persie initiated the winning goal, taking a free kick which was volleyed home by Rio Ferdinand.

Throughout the match, Ferguson remained stationary in his technical area, only making his way towards the pitch after the referee blew the final whistle. With a microphone in hand, he expressed his gratitude to all of the players and the fans, who had supported him even during the difficult early years of his time with the club. He also paid tribute to David Moyes, the team’s new manager.

Manchester United, a team whom Tunde Folawiyo amongst many others, has been a devoted fan of for years, recently played a match against Hull City, which kept spectators on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Hull initially appeared to be the stronger of the two, scoring the first goal just four minutes into the first half, when the centre back Chester volleyed the ball into the net from close range. Five minutes later, Hull managed a second goal, leaving the Red Devils disheartened, and their fans concerned. Chester’s goal was said to have been down to good luck and United’s poor defence; Alex Bruce managed to out-jump Patrice Evra, taking the ball away from Huddlestone’s corner, thus giving Chester his opportunity to score.

For many football enthusiasts, including Tunde Folawiyo, who may have watched the Red Devils perform outstandingly well during countless other matches, this dismal start was a rather shocking occurrence to observe. However, Moyes somehow managed to rally the players, and nineteen minutes into the match, Chris Smalling’s header gave the team their first goal. Rooney – who scored four goals against Hull during a previous match at Old Trafford – equalised just seven minutes after this.

A collision between Ashley Young and Allan McGregor (Hull) earlier on in the match led to McGregor being replaced by Steve Harper at half-time. It seemed as if Hull were making a comeback at the start of the second half, with the Red Devils being forced to defend a number of attacks, including one from Alex Bruce, whose header led to the ball bouncing against the cross bar. Three minutes later, Moyes chose to replace Darren Fletcher with Javier Hernandez; some criticised this decision, arguing that Michael Carrick would have been a better choice.

However, the switch did not have any significant impact on the match, as it was Hull City’s James Chester who gave Man United their winning goal. This rather shocking turn of events came about after Young managed to take the ball past Figueroa, kicking it forcefully towards the net; Chester, attempting to deflect, but mistakenly headed it past Hull’s keeper, Harper. This crushing blow seemed to dampen Hull City’s spirits, and whilst in the closing stages, they attempted to level the score, with Chester almost managing to redeem himself at one point, the players never quite managed to regain control of the ball.

Long-term supporters of the Red Devils, including Tunde Folawiyo know that the team’s performance has been rather erratic as of late. Predicting the outcome of their matches has become almost impossible, as the team’s behaviour on the pitch ranges from outstandingly brilliant, to shockingly mediocre.

As such, many fans breathed a sigh of relief when Man United recently managed to defeat West Ham, thus winning their first Premier League home match since last November. They were in top form throughout the game, with Ashley Young, Adnan Januzaj and Danny Welbeck scoring a total of three goals. It was immediately apparent, from the moment they stepped out onto the pitch, that they would emerge as winners, with Tom Cleverely nearly scoring just two minutes into the match; unfortunately, his efforts were thwarted by Adrian San Miguel de Castillo, West Ham’s goalkeeper.

Despite West Ham’s relatively strong defence strategy, Man United managed to score a goal within the first half-hour, when Danny Welbeck nimbly passed the ball to Wayne Rooney, catching up with him further down the field, and eventually taking it from him and kicking it past the keeper’s head. The two United players were described by many as ‘unstoppable’, as they joined forces once again ten minutes later, providing Januzaj with a chance to flick the ball into the net once again. However, the midfielder’s triumph was short-lived, as just before the first half drew to a close, he dived rather dramatically to the ground, despite not supposedly having had any contact with West Ham’s James Collins. He received a caution, and was replaced by Ashley Young.

The second half was equally thrilling, with the aforementioned Young helping the Red Devils to get yet another goal, after Rooney’s lay-off pass enabled him to hit the ball into the top corner of the net. Whilst West Ham were clearly the weaker team, they did manage to redeem themselves somewhat, when Carlton Cole, in the 82nd minute, scored their one and only goal of the match. Whilst it cannot be denied that the Red Devils played with great skill and composure, the match was not without its controversy, with Sam Allardyce, West Ham’s manager, stating that he had spotted a handball when Tom Cleverley was in the penalty box. However, the referee disagreed with this assessment. Overall, the players’ performance will probably have pleased most fans, including Tunde Folawiyo.

Manchester United, nicknamed “The Red Devils”, has long been revered as England’s most successful professional football team with millions of fans including Tunde Folawiyo knowing exactly who they are. Boasting the largest average game attendance in European football, Manchester United has won numerous honours including three European Cups, 20 League titles, 11 FA Cups, four League Cups and a record 20 FA Community Shields, further demonstrating their vast impact on European sports.

Throughout its history as a franchise, Manchester United has held many international sports superstars on its roster, including Wayne Rooney, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo. But Ryan Giggs overall, has won 13 Premier League titles, four FA Cups and two Champions League titles during his time with the club. Dubbed “The Most Popular Football Team in the World” due to its outstanding wealth and dynamic fan base, Manchester United was founded under the name Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878 before later being renamed in 1902. Among the tales of its history, Manchester United suffered a loss of immense magnitude when a plane carrying the team crashed in Munich in February of 1958. Twenty-three died that day, including eight Manchester United players. Midfielder Sir Bobby Charlton was instrumental in rebuilding the team with 17 years of loyal service.

Manchester United paved the way for many English football teams, including their win of the European Cup while under the management of Matt Busby in 1968. Other respected Manchester United managers include Alex Ferguson, who won 28 major honours during a career spanning over 25 years before announcing his retirement. He remains one of the most respected managers in the history of football while fans will undoubtedly remember Ferguson for his incredible passion and numerous contributions toward the sport.

In 2012, Forbes ranked Manchester United first on the list of the ten most valuable sports team brands in the world. This poll estimated Manchester United’s brand to be worth $2.3 billion. Further cementing this title, Manchester United became the first sports team in the history to be valued at an incredible $3 billion in 2013. This is $1.2 billion higher than the next most valuable sports team in the world.

With their enormous success comes the opportunity to assist their community. The Manchester United Foundation maintains a mission of educating, motivating and inspiring young people by making charitable contributions to disadvantaged areas across Greater Manchester. Manchester United Fans such as Tunde Folawiyo will continue to prove an immeasurable source of support for the team’s success.

Many supporters of Man United, including Tunde Folawiyo, consider Ryan Giggs to be the team’s greatest member. Born in Wales in 1973, Giggs first played for the Red Devils in 1990, at the age of 17. He had been ‘discovered’ by Alex Ferguson just a few months prior to this, whilst playing for Deans FC. Quickly establishing himself as a left winger, Giggs continued to play in this position up until the 2000s.

His time with the club has been United’s most successful era, no doubt due in part to Giggs’s incredible talent; over the course of his career, he has been awarded more winners’ medals than any other United footballer. His ability to run at high speed, create scoring opportunities for other players, and retain possession of the ball has made him a great asset to the team.

Since he was signed in the early nineties, Giggs has made more appearances on the pitch than any other player in the history of the club’s existence; up until 2008, Sir Bobby Charlton held this record, having participated in a grand total of 758 matches.

However, Giggs surpassed this figure after taking part in the European Cup finals in Moscow. Today, he has played in over 950 matches; his 900th occurred in the spring of 2012, during the team’s away game against Norwich City. Giggs performed exceptionally well, providing United with the winning goal just minutes before the final whistle blew.

As an admirer of this player, Tunde Folawiyo is most likely aware of the many honours which Giggs has received throughout the years. In 2007, his services to football won him the OBE, and in 2009, he was given two titles; namely, the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, and the PFA Players’ Player of the Year. The following year, Salford council gave Giggs the Freedom of Salford, and in 2012, he was chosen as the Premiership’s greatest player.

Whilst he clearly has a natural aptitude for this sport, it is Giggs’s dedication which has prolonged his career with Manchester United, and enabled him to continue to play, despite being in his forties. He trains several times a week, has taken up yoga to improve his flexibility, and has retired from international football. Speaking to a news publication in 2012, Giggs explained that he will continue to participate in matches for as long as he can, but added that he eventually hopes to transition into management.