In years to come will you be able to recall where you were when Wayne Rooney drew level with Denis Law on 237 Manchester United goals?
Probably not, but one thing is certain: you didn’t watch it live on TV3.
The broadcaster took the ballsy and (in hindsight) correct decision to show Real Madrid’s 1-0 win over Paris St Germain at the Bernabeu.
It’s the match that I chose to watch and I was delighted at TV3’s choice, but also more than a little bit surprised.
Manchester United are Manchester United. It’s one of those incontrovertible facts of football.
Our football knowledge bases expand while our horizons now stretch far beyond the British Isles but when it comes to primetime midweek television – which broadcasters acquire at a very high price – Manchester United have always trumped Real Madrid and the cream of Ligue 1.
Even in a shrinking global football world where we can all drool over sensational golazos in the Mexican second division and laugh at a referee being chased off a pitch in Russia, Manchester United are still more likely to put bums on couches than Real and PSG.
Or so went the conventional thinking before last night.
@TV3SportIreland @TV3Ireland why show us that now , didn't you now that most irish people support PSG & Real Madrid
— 🔰 M.C ☘️ (@ThisIsMcoyle) November 3, 2015
Some within the Irish television industry admitted surprise at TV3’s editorial decision. Manchester United are far and away the best supported of the English teams in the Champions League, so choosing not to broadcast one of their three Tuesday night matches is not an insignificant decision.
Without ITV’s coverage to compete with on terrestial television and a longer preview and highlights programme either side of the live match, TV3’s head of sport Kieran Holden was comfortable with the gamble.
“We did notice a drop off since the first season under David Moyes,” Holden told SportsJOE. “United will always have the dyed in the wool supporters but they are not the same draw to passing fans.”
Holden confirmed that, even with a small drop in numbers, around 200,ooo viewers still tuned in to watch one European giant with a conservative manager huff and puff their way past plucky visitors.
Instead of watching another European giant with a conservative manager huff and puff their way past plucky visitors.
At least on TV3, the role of plucky visitors was played by PSG, who absolutely battered Rafa Benitez’s Real for long periods of an entertaining match, with former United man Angel Di Maria hitting the crossbar with a freekick and making men fall over, for shits and giggles.
Meanwhile over on Setanta – who must have been astounded at TV3’s choice of game – you could listen to Manchester United fans in the stands desperately appeal for more attacks against a CSKA Moscow team with very little ambition to do likewise.
The boos rang out when crowd favourite Anthony Martial was replaced with Marouane Fellaini and even if a sour evening was sweetened somewhat by Rooney’s close range header, there is no doubt the football at the Theatre of Dreams is not as aesthetically pleasing as it was under Alex Ferguson.
Under the Scot it would be difficult to imagine RTÉ or TV3 passing up on the right to show any Manchester United match during the Champions League group stage.
So what has changed?
In the Ferguson era we can all remember asking why we were being subjected to Manchester United giving Sturm Graz or some other minnow a slapping when we could be watching a genuine clash of continental heavyweights.
It was still Manchester United, potential winners of the tournament, boasting players like Cantona, Keane, Van Nistelrooy, Giggs and Ronaldo. They might beat those Austrians black and blue but there would most likely be something memorable.
Under Louis Van Gaal, United might be outside bets to win the tournament but their matches are quickly gaining a reputation for being utterly forgettable. Rooney’s header prevented a fourth 0-0 draw in a row but it is unlikely TV3 regretted their decision.
Louis van Gaal Acknowledges Fans Boos – 05/11/2015: https://t.co/YOH9nrlLcX via @YouTube
— smtm_VIDEO (@smtm_VIDEO) November 4, 2015
Back in September Van Gaal said he considered his side’s football in the stupefying and scoreless first half of Manchester United’s 3-1 win over Liverpool superior to what they played in the wildly entertaining second period.
Damn right, you say. Van Gaal is in the results business and if United win the league or the European Cup nobody will remember how they did it.
Bullshit. Van Gaal is in the entertainment business, same as every other football manager.
The Dutchman craves possession and control but how does that play with United’s shopping list of commercial partners, which include suppliers of diesel engines (Yanmar), vitamins (Cho-A Pharm) and paint (Kansai)? Did these corporations get on board with the Red Devils because of the club’s ability to twice-a-week suck the joy out of 90 minutes?
Do the good folk over at Kansai pay attention to which matches are most in demand among Champions League rights holders? Do they care?
You bet they do and you don’t get to the top of the paint business by hitching your wagon to an entertainment company whose product has become about as interesting as watching your own product dry.
Fair play to TV3 for a ballsy call. It’s unlikely they will be the last to make the switch.
