UNITED are top of the league again courtesy of the weekend's results which saw Arsenal (sans players on African Nations Cup duty, arf) draw at home with plucky Birmingham City, while the Red Devils thrashed hapless Newcastle United 6-0 at Old Trafford. As far as many Reds fans are concerned normal service has been resumed, but for supporters of many other Premier League clubs the story is quite different with nine managers having so far parted company with their respective clubs.
Few will have been surprised at the United result and performance given the plight of the Magpies who are in danger of going into free-fall if Mike Ashley the Newcastle owner doesn't quickly find the right man to replace sacked Sam "loads of money" Allardyce. So how funny was it to read that Kevin "the messiah" Keegan is being linked with a return to St James Park? Let us not forget that it was Keegan who allegedly resigned in the old Wembley toilets when in charge of England. Let us also not forget that it was Keegan who gave us one of the funniest post-match football interviews ever when he snapped in retaliation to Fergie's comments in the title race run-in that eventually ended with the Geordies Devon Loch like collapse as United went on to romp home in a two horse race. So yes, many Reds have fond memories of Keegan and so surely many will welcome him back - especially if Shearer is his nodding dog sidekick.
The off the field antics at Anfield haven't yet quite reached the comedy levels of those at Newcastle, but it's warming up nicely with George Gillette and Rafa "darling of the Kop" Benitez falling out in a very public way. It doesn't get much more bizarre when your employer let's it be known that they've been interviewing for your job. It's a wonder that Gillette didn't post an advert in the Liverpool Echo "We're hiring - Yes man manager wanted".
Many United fans cannot abide the Glazers who have a policy of saying nothing - they treat Reds fans like mushrooms when it comes to communication, we are collectively left in the dark for long periods but every now and again someone throws a wheelbarrow full of **** upon us in the form of huge price hikes. But oh, how the Scousers laughed at United with their witty "USA, USA" chants whenever the Red Devils visited Anfield. However, the laughing stopped earlier this week when George Gillette delivered his own brand of US culture to Rafa in the form of the threat of a bullet from his proverbial Colt 45. Now that was funny.
Liverpool, the club that was once a model for managerial stability now looks like it could soon be another soap opera - one could be forgiven for making comparisons with the Muppet Show and Statler & Waldorf dishing out untimely edicts from the comfort of the top tier. Let this show run and run say United fans.
Then of course there's England with their new manager who cannot speak English. This looks like being another comedy caper and personally I cannot wait for Capello's honeymoon period to end because it is guaranteed to end in tears.
If you were looking for final confirmation that the world of football has truly gone mad. United have only two fully fit strikers and Louis "man in bandages" Saha - yet according to the Reds CEO David Gill "we do not need to buy another striker". Go figure.
I reckon that many of the owners of the the clubs have to be more patient with the managers. They are giving them too little time to adjust to the league and the club especially the league if they have just come in from another such as the Serie A or the Primera Division. And anyway, who chooses these managers any way... I wonder......
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