Among the various anecdotes in circulation after Bobby Charlton’s loss of life, there’s one the place older brother Jack barged into the Manchester United change room to share the news of his England call-up. This was moments after Jack’s Leeds United had overwhelmed Bobby’s Manchester United within the 1965 FA Cup semi-final. “Well done,” Bobby is claimed to have reacted. “Now, f**k off.”
Manchester United’s goalkeeper Andre Onana, proper, celebrates with teammates after makes a save penalty shoot through the Champions League group A soccer match between Manchester United and Copenhagen(AP)
The story, informed in The Guardian, got here to thoughts as Manchester United, hanging on to Harry Maguire’s headed aim, conceded a penalty in opposition to FC Copenhagen deep in stoppage time. Setting up the transfer for the guests was Ninetieth-minute substitute Oscar Højlund, youthful brother of Manchester United’s Rasmus Højlund who, by then, had completed an uneventful night time. As Mohamed Elyounoussi stooped to overcome, he got here up in opposition to Scott McTominay’s excessive boot. Up stepped Jordan Larsson, son of former Manchester United striker Henrik, and fired what could be the sport’s final kick in 90+7.
André Onana ensured there could be no pleasure for the youthful Højlund, or Copenhagen, on an evening Manchester United paid a tribute, becoming and shifting in equal measure, to Bobby Charlton who died on Saturday aged 86. The bagpipe taking part in “United will never die”, the impeccably noticed minute’s silence, Charlton’s teammates Alex Stepney, Brian Kidd and Paddy Crerand, supervisor Erik ten Hag and youth staff skipper Dan Gore linking the previous, current and way forward for the membership because it mourned the passing of its biggest, the wreath on his seat within the director’s field and the message beneath, “Loved, Adored, Never Forgotten” made for a memorable montage.
Theatre of desires, Charlton had known as Old Trafford. It felt that.
“It is fair to say that for decades “Bobby Charlton” had been two of essentially the most extensively used English phrases throughout the globe,” Manchester United had stated of their assertion. Pele had known as him “the spirit of soccer”. It would be a hard act to ace the remembrance of such a colossus but Manchester United did it before kick-off in their first home game after Charlton’s death.
That it would be on a European night was some coincidence. Charlton was the club’s strongest link to such nights: the survivor of the 1958 air crash, the hero in 1968, a significant presence in the audience on the two other occasions when United bested the continent, in 1999 and in 2008.
Seeking their first Champions League win of the season, Ten Hag had spoken of the need to channel emotions into a performance that would be worthy of the night. The boos at half-time told their own story. Then, it needed a top save from Onana to deny Lukas Lerager and prevent the night from becoming a nightmare. Christian Eriksen’s arrival for Sofyan Amrabat made United look less flat and it was fitting that a delivery from the Dane would be the assist for Maguire’s 72nd minute goal.
Tuesday was Maguire’s third start in as many games in all competitions, the header his first goal in nearly 20 months. In a season the centre-back has lost the armband and almost moved away, this was some comeback. A man so abused by the terraces that David Beckham, who knows a thing or two about being vilified by a country, had reached out in support, had given United hope. More proactive in possession, defending on the front foot, Ten Hag said of Maguire.
“When you are not on your game it gets picked up, but I am really proud and pleased how I have acted over these six to 12 months,” said Maguire.
Like Maguire, Onana has struggled with the scrutiny that comes with being a Manchester United goalkeeper. Especially if he is worth £47 million. He had been brought to help move the game forward faster but as Bayern Munich and Galatasaray showed, it was in his main job that the Cameroon international was found wanting. Maybe that will change.
“He showed personality,” said Ten Hag of his goalkeeper. “They brought me here for this moment,” said Onana on CBS Sports.
“It was meant to be,” Maguire told TNT Sports after the 1-0 win. “We were meant to win the game — a magnificent save and a win dedicated to Sir Bobby and his family.”
Repeatedly carved open in the middle, their game strewn with errors and looking flat have been Manchester United’s problems through the season. There was enough of that on Tuesday too, United’s third successive win in all competitions. Progress in Champions League is far from assured, the Premier League campaign, where defending champions Manchester City are up next, is floundering but stories of redemption did add depth to a night of remembrance.
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