WHY SAY ANYTHING?

WSA recently watched a very interesting documentary about how scientists are hoping to work out why certain species of sharks attack human beings and, consequently, put a stop to it.

We have a very much simpler and cost effective way to prevent humans from being attacked by sharks. STAY OUT OF THE WATER! It isn’t the human’s natural habitat anyway and it is only total curiosity which makes them venture into the oceans in the first place. 

When was the last time you saw a shark walking down the high street? Never? That’s because sharks know their place. Humans don’t. Sharks are not interested in where we live and nor should we be interested in where they live. When all said and done, what’s wrong with a decent swimming pool?

By now, the more discerning readers among you will be starting to wonder what the heck all of this has to do with anything football related. Well it has.

Real Madrid is a shark. Manchester United is almost human. Manchester United should not go anywhere near the waters inhabited by Florentino Perez and other such predators.

In the past, Real Madrid have successfully entered Manchester United territory and left with Ruud van Nistelrooy, David Beckham, Gabriel Heinze, Javier Hernandez (on loan) and, most famously, Cristiano Ronaldo, to name but a few.

Whenever Manchester United have entered Madrid waters they have come away with nothing other than a bite mark or two and Angel Di Maria, an unwanted piece of flotsam.

They have been linked with many players in the past but have only ever managed to sign one.

The latest one being linked is Alvaro Morata who, now that the Lukaku signing appears to have happened, will shortly be replaced in the rumour mills of this world by James Rodriguez. But will the transfer ever be agreed? Not if history has anything to do with it!

Cristiano Ronaldo is rumoured to be going back to Old Trafford on a regular basis. Will it ever happen? No, it won’t.

Gareth Bale has the rumourmongers in meltdown occasionally and is frequently linked with Manchester United. Will he ever go there? No he won’t.

Sergio Ramos famously used United’s interest in signing him to negotiate an improved contract at the Bernabeu, but that’s all it was.

Even Raul was of interest to Sir Alex Ferguson, but he couldn’t sign him.

So the transfer highway between Manchester and Madrid is really a one-way street. Only one player has ever left the Bernabeu to go to Old Trafford and that was against his will!

The reason for this is very simple. In a nutshell, playing for Real Madrid is considerably easier than playing for Manchester United and who, for the same amount of money, wouldn’t take the easier route?

This topic of playing in the “easier” European leagues was discussed at great length in this article from two years ago, if you are interested.

The simple fact is that Real Madrid can spend most of their season preparing for a tilt at the Champion’s League in the full knowledge that they will only be really tested in La Liga when they play Barcelona or Atlético. The same applies to their domestic cup competitions.

When players get used to this routine it becomes increasingly difficult, some would say virtually impossible, to get them to accept that they will have to play through the winter without a break and give 100% against ALL opposition. No wonder they don’t want to move to England!

So the sea around Madrid remains choppy and more than a little unforgiving for Manchester United. Maybe James Rodriguez will change all that. Maybe the Colombian will become only the second player to make that move.

Until he, or somebody else, does so then United should steer well clear of venturing into the shark infested waters of the Bernabeu, nothing good has ever come of it.