5 Things for Manchester United Fans to Do on Champions League Nights This Season
Tuesday and Wednesday nights will be a bit confusing this season for Manchester United fans. With no Champions League football at Old Trafford for the first time since 1995, the Red Devils' faithful will be looking for ways to fill their time.
Here are five suggestions for how to spend what will hopefully only be a season-long sabbatical from Europe's premier footballing competition.
Watch Ex-United Players in Action
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Not too many players leave Manchester United in a manner which makes fans feel hostile toward them.
With the exception of Carlos Tevez, ex-United players are generally welcomed back at Old Trafford with a round of applause, rather than a chorus of boos.
This season will see former United players ply their trade for clubs in the Champions League from Portugal, Spain, Germany, France and Italy.
Keeping an eye on the fortunes of Patrice Evra at Juventus, Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid, Shinji Kagawa at Borussia Dortmund and Bebe at Benfica, as well as plenty of others, might just keep us entertained.
Take Up a Hobby
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"Really getting into knitting!!! Helps me relax after high-pressure world of the Premiership
— Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) January 24, 2012"
Rio Ferdinand, sadly, did not actually turn to knitting, and this tweet was part of a promotional campaign.
However, assuming United would have reached the final of the Champions League—and allowing for two hours of watching per game—that is 26 hours of free time you now have.
Learn that musical instrument you always wanted to have a crack at! Take up a craft! Perhaps hit the gym, or join a five-a-side team. The options are endless.
United being out of the Champions League (for one season only, we hope!) could be the best thing that ever happened to us.
Remember the Good Times
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Nostalgia is a dangerous business. For players and coaches, it is important not to dwell too much on past glories. It can distract from the matter of producing new ones.
However, for fans, a little harmless nostalgia might be a pleasant way to pass those midweek moments. For younger fans, perhaps take the time to watch Roy Keane's career-defining performance in Turin in 1999.
Take the time to learn more about United's remarkable run to the 1968 European Cup, or relive, over and over again, the magnificent Moscow magic of 2008.
Then when the weekend comes around again, and Radamel Falcao and Angel Di Maria are doing their stuff on the pitch, dreams of future success will be set in their proper historical context.
Lead United to Virtual Glory
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There are a myriad of ways to get some virtual European glory at polygonal Old Trafford.
With management games, huge-budget video games and all manner of free web games, there are plenty of ways to pretend that you are responsible for rekindling the European fires at the Theatre of Dreams.
Just remember that victory in the Champions League in a video game does not come with the win bonus it would in real life.
Bask in the Neutrality
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Sometimes watching football without a vested interest in who wins can be a really enjoyable experience.
International competitions in which your team has either been knocked out, or is not competing, are a good example of this.
You can find yourself rooting for players with whom you had no previous connection. Covering Greece for Bleacher Report this summer, I found myself developing an affection for the excellent centre-back partnership of Kostas Manolas and Sokratis Papastathopoulos.
Sometimes, neutrality can be fun. Given that—with the exception of the games involving United's rivals—we do not have much choice, we might as well enjoy being a neutral for a change.
With all that said, roll on next season, when normal service will hopefully be resumed.
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