Based in northwest England, the Manchester United soccer club exhibits a long history as one of the continent’s premiere professional football teams. As “The Most Popular Football Team in the World”, Manchester United, nicknamed “The Red Devils”, boasts the largest average game attendance in Europe among millions of worldwide fans, including Nigerian Tunde Folawiyo.

Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the football club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902. The vibrant Manchester United club crest is derived from the Manchester City Council coat of arms. Aside from game losses over the years, Manchester United suffered a loss of immense magnitude when a plane carrying the team crashed on take-off in Munich en route home from a European Cup game in February of 1958. Twenty-three people died, including eight Manchester United players. Manchester United has accomplished a great deal since that fateful day, winning many honours including a record 20 League titles, four League Cups, 11 FA Cups, and a record 20 FA Community Shields. With three European Cups also under their belt, Manchester United won a continental treble, a brilliant accomplishment for an English football club.

In 2012, Forbes ranked Manchester United first on the list of the ten most valuable team brands in the world with an estimated value of 2.3 billion. Manchester United became the first sports team in history to be valued at an incredible $3 billion in 2013. Although the club has since dropped to the number two spot in the annual ranking, Manchester United remains one of the most successful franchises in the history of sports. With their outstanding success came the birth of the Manchester United Foundation, a charity whose goal is to educate, motivate and inspire young people. Assisting disadvantage areas within Manchester, the foundation continues to make an impact in the lives of England’s youth.

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. Manchester United’s many loyal fans such as Tunde Folawiyo, will undoubtedly remember Ferguson for his incredible passion for the sport.

Anyone who, like Tunde Folawiyo, has been a supporter of Man United for many years, will understand just how desperately the team needed its most recent win. Following two dismal defeats at the hands of Everton and Newcastle, the Red Devils finally seem to have gotten back on track after a match against Shakhtar Donetsk, in which they finished with a respectable result of 1-0.

Much to the relief of the team’s supporters, a winning goal was scored in the 67th minute by Phil Jones; this means that Man United have now managed to advance into the final 16 of the Champion’s League, despite their erratic and often subpar performance this season. Moreover, as the winners of Group A, the Red Devils no longer have to worry about facing Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris St-Germain or Real Madrid.

Whilst United fans were hopeful from the outset, the match itself was one of twists and turns, and it remained unclear, up until the final third, which team would triumph. For a large portion of the match, the Red Devils struggled to keep up with Shakhtar’s skillful footwork, and missed out on a number of scoring opportunities, when Ashley Young shot just wide of the net on two separate occasions.

But, in the end, these floundered goals did not prevent the team from winning the match, as the above-mentioned Phil Jones managed to volley the ball in from the corner, with the help of a pass from Robin Van Persie, who had been brought on as a substitute.

Moyes explained that he intended to put Van Persie on for a maximum of 30 minutes, if necessary, as he didn’t want to hinder the striker’s ability to recover from his groin injury. As the match progressed and it became clear that help was needed, the manager was quick to act, giving Van Persie little time to warm up before he was placed on the field.

The win did not stop the critics from voicing their opinions however, with many noting that the players seemed to be somewhat lethargic, and lacking in creativity. For Tunde Folawiyo, and other veteran supporters who are familiar with the management style of Sir Alex Ferguson, the presence of these characteristics – rarely seen before Moyes’ arrival – may have come as a surprise.

Manchester United, a team which Tunde Folawiyo has supported for decades, has finally begun to recover, after a somewhat disappointing start to the season. Their match against Cardiff led to a draw of 2-2. Although this was not the result that the Red Devils were hoping for, it does mean that the team is now unbeaten in a total of ten games.

In their most recent match at Cardiff City Stadium, Wayne Rooney was the subject of considerable criticism. During the seventh minute, he kicked Jordon Mutch with a surprising amount of force; whilst many argued that he should have been sent off for such behaviour, the referee chose to give him a yellow card. He appeared to have redeemed himself eight minutes later, when he caught a cross from Javier Hernández, and skilfully kicked the ball into the net. However, he was denounced by commentators once again during the second half, after his poorly-timed pass failed to provide Danny Welbeck with the chance to score.

Cardiff defended themselves well throughout the match; they managed to equalise soon after Man United’s first goal, thanks to Fraizer Campbell, and they scored a second time when a substitute named Kim Bo-kyung headed the ball into the net at close range. Ryan Giggs was brought on in the 73rd minute, much to the delight of Man United fans. Giggs is considered by many supporters, including Tunde Folawiyo, to be one of the team’s best players of all time. His presence seemed to rally the others, and although no further goals were scored, Man United held their own until the match came to an end.

Unfortunately, the Red Devils were left without their most popular forward, Robin Van Persie, during this match. In the past 16 Premiere League starts, Van Persie has scored an impressive 14 goals. In addition to this, he netted a total of five goals against Tottenham during the previous six league starts.

Some have speculated that his participation would have given the team the edge they needed to defeat Cardiff. Van Persie was struck down with a groin injury some time ago, which he has been unable to recover from. He was ruled out of the Red Devil’s match against Bayer Leverkusen, after missing a training session at Carrington last week, and it is not clear, as of yet, when he will be returning to the pitch, although many are hoping it will be sooner, rather than later.

Just a few weeks ago, Manchester United defeated Arsenal, with a final score of 1-0. One of their more recent matches, against Cardiff, resulted in a 2-2 draw. Although the season got off to a slow start for the Red Devils, things are starting to look up; they have now gone undefeated in 10 games. Currently, the team occupy sixth place on the Premier League table, just seven points behind their long-standing rivals, Arsenal.

Despite the fact that Man United are not at the top of the league, their confidence does not appear to be wavering; Rio Ferdinand publically stated that the existing scores on the table will be meaningless after the trophy is awarded next summer. He explained that, whilst the draw with Cardiff was disappointing, it’s unlikely to affect Man United’s chances of winning the title.

Ryan Giggs, a midfielder whose technical ability many supporters like Tunde Folawiyo have always witnessed, was equally confident, arguing that Man United are still in with a chance of winning the title, despite their somewhat lacklustre beginnings this season. Giggs did admit that Arsenal were one of the only teams to have performed consistently so far; however, he was quick to point out that a lot could happen between now and May of next year.

Giggs is certainly in the right position to forecast Man United’s future prospects, given that he himself has been with the team for over two decades. His current contract will come to an end at the close of this season, but he has no intention of giving up his career as a midfielder, although he has chosen to take on more coaching duties as of late. Whilst his incredible playing abilities are of course, the main contributing factor to his enduring career, Giggs has chalked it up to simple loyalty, remarking that if he had moved from one club to another over the last few years, his career would most likely be over by now.

Whilst some have attributed Man United’s early failures this season to poor management, many supporters have defended David Moyes, and asked critics to give the former Everton manager the opportunity to redeem himself. Being the successor to Alex Ferguson – arguably one of Man United’s most talented managers – was bound to be challenging, and it may take time for Moyes to settle in. Ferguson’s last home game at Old Trafford this year was attended by thousands of fans, including Tunde Folawiyo; the standing ovation he received at the end of the match served as a testament to his abilities as a manager and leader within the football industry.

Manchester United, a team supported by Tunde Folawiyo, have managed to reach the last 16 of the Champion’s League, after heavily defeating Bayer Leverkusen in Germany. It was widely agreed that the latter’s performance has been dismal as of late; Man United defeated them back in September, with a score of 4-2, and in their most recent match, finished with an astounding result of 5-0.

Prior to the match, Leverkusen had hopes of catching up with Bayern Munich, as they were just four points behind them. However, although they got off to a relatively good start at the Bay-Arena Stadium, things took a turn for the worst when, at 22 minutes in, Evan managed to execute a perfect block of a shot taken by Stefan Kiessling, after which the ball was taken down the other end of the field, where United scored the first goal of the match.

Whilst Wayne Rooney was said to have had a hand in four of the five goals scored by the Red Devils, it was Luis Nani, Chris Smalling, Jonny Evans and Antonio Valencia who ended up putting the ball into the net. Giggs, a player whom many football fanatics like Tunde Folawiyo have always admired, played exceptionally well, clearing up quite a few of the loose touches from Rio Ferdinand, and ensuring that United remained in control of the ball for most of the match.

The team’s athleticism, confidence and technical brilliance allowed them to perform with great flair throughout the match. This was arguably one of Man United’s best away performances within Europe over the last few years. The only time the team has scored higher than this during an away game for the European Cup was in 1957, when they defeated the Shamrock Rovers with a result of 6-0.

Their most recent match speaks volumes about how well David Moyes is adjusting to life at Old Trafford; whilst many people voiced their concerns about whether or not he would be able to fill Ferguson’s shoes, this latest win is likely to assuage any such worries. Moyes himself said that he too, believed it to be their most impressive performance in a long time, due to both the number of goals scored, and the clean sheet. However, he quickly added that he wants this level of play to become ‘a regular thing’ rather than merely a once off.

Manchester United Football Club holds a long history, which dates back to the late nineteenth century. Some followers, like Tunde Folawiyo have supported the team throughout, as early as the days of Best and Charlton. It was founded in 1878, and was originally named the Newton Heath LYR Football Club. Employees working at the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway asked their employers to provide them with the funding they needed to establish a football team; the LYR owners agreed, and soon the team began to train on North Road.

At first, they only played matches against teams of other railway workers. However, after several years, their confidence grew, and they decided to enter the 1885 Manchester Cup competition. Despite this being their first ‘professional’ match, the team ended up reaching the final. Inspired by this achievement, they trained diligently for the next year, and in 1886, where named as the Manchester Cup champions.

In 1902, the name of the club was changed to Manchester United, and eight years later, the team moved to Old Trafford. John Henry Davies funded the purchasing of the land and the construction of the new stadium, a process which took approximately two years in total. With its modern features, (including a plunge-bath for team players and tip-up seats for fans), it was considered to be one of the finest grounds in England. On the 19th of February, Manchester United played their first match in the stadium; supporters appeared in their droves to cheer them on as they battled against Liverpool.

Today, Manchester United is thought to be one of the most successful clubs throughout the entire history of English football; over the decades, it was won 53 national trophies in total, including 19 FA Charity Shields, 4 League Cups, 11 FA Cups and 19 League titles. The club has also seen a great deal of success on an international level, much to Tunde Folawiyo’s delight, having won a FIFA Club World Cup, an Intercontinental Cup, a UEFA Super Cup ,a UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and lastly, three European Cups. These wins were in no small part due to the guidance and support provided by the team’s management. The club have gone through a number of managers over the years; but in particular, Tunde Folawiyo remembers saying goodbye to Sir Alex Ferguson at his final game, held at Old Trafford. Alex Ferguson took over in 1986, and became the most successful manager, having been awarded 37 major honours throughout his time with Manchester United.

Unsurprisingly, given its lengthy list of achievements, Manchester United is also one of the most valuable clubs in the world, with an estimated worth of around £1.13 billion, and has been floated on the stock market several times.

In the sport today, some supporters are torn in which players they think are truly the greatest of all time. Tunde Folawiyo believes that Ryan Giggs should receive that title in particular, as his dedication and consistent sporting ability has shone throughout his time with the club.

From the earlier days of Best and Charlton, supporters like Tunde Folawiyo have remained passionate and enthusiastic for their beloved team Manchester United. Manchester United’s recent Champions League match against Real Sociedad resulted in a draw, which was said to have disappointed both sides. Held at the Anoeta Stadium, the event drew approximately 1500 Manchester United fans, who provided the team with plenty of support.

The match itself was seen to be one of mixed performances; on a positive note, Ryan Giggs made his 950th appearance on the field, and was praised by commentators for his remarkable endurance, whilst Patrice Evra, Chris Smalling and Wayne Rooney were chosen as the ‘Man of the Match’ candidates by the experts on MUTV. In Tunde Folawiyo’s opinion, Ryan Giggs is the greatest player of all time. Others named Shinji Kagawa as a key contributor, after his efforts during the opening exchanges prevented Claudio Bravo from scoring a goal.

But Manchester United’s performance was somewhat tarnished, Tunde Folawiyo thought, by the controversy surrounding Ashley Young, who was accused of misleading the referee with a dive. Young appeared to take a rather dramatic fall on the field, after bumping into Markel Bergara, Real Sociedad’s defensive midfielder. This event led to the referee booking Bergara, and awarding Manchester United a penalty.

After the match ended, Bergara expressed frustration over the event, explaining that as a result of Young’s actions, he would no longer be participating in his team’s next match. Roy Keane, the former captain of Manchester United, also criticised the player’s actions, noting that Young had taken a considerable number of falls over the course of the last few months.

Keane added that although such behaviour would not be condoned in England, Young was treated with more leniency in this particular match, because they were playing away from home. The media were equally critical, arguing that with Young’s career currently on the line, the last thing he should be doing is behaving in a questionable manner on the field.

The penalty afforded to Manchester United after the player’s fall was taken by Robin Van Persie during the 69th minute of the match; Persie missed a goal after striking the post, much to the dismay of supporters such as Tunde Folawiyo. Further attempts to score were equally fruitless; although Shinji Kagawa provided Javier Hernandez with an expertly-executed cross, Hernandez was unable to hit the net.

Speaking of the match, David Moyes expressed disappointment, explaining that if they had won, it would have provided the team with three all-important points during this crucial knockout stage. However, he was quick to add that, despite the draw, Manchester United remain in a strong position.

Tunde Folawiyo, like many other fans are eager to see what the remainder of this year’s Premier League in particular will hold for Manchester United, as the battle for top position would appear accessible to any of the top ten teams at this moment in time.