It’s opposite day.
For most fans, the hope that their own team actually loses a game of football is an alien concept. It simply does not compute. But it’s not really an impossible scenario.
For instance, there have been numerous cases in the final few games of a season when a team essentially has nothing to play for – but their results could have an adverse effect on a fierce rival.
But bang in the middle of a season, when your team is nine points off the top of the league, and only being edged out of the top four via the metric of goal difference, it is very odd indeed.
Alas, that was exactly the case for a surprising number of Manchester United fans ahead of their away game with Stoke City. The logic is that it would be a necessary hit for the greater good.
These fans are so desperate for Louis van Gaal to be removed as the manager of their club, that they want him to face failure in a make-or-break game that could ultimately seal his fate.
A completely reasonable point of view, or spiteful nose-cutting to the extreme? Here are just a few expressing this unusual sentiment…
Don't want to see utd lose but if it means lvg goes then so be it one more loss won't hurt us https://t.co/7fjdrFDZwM
— gary Milton (@Celtic67G) December 26, 2015
https://twitter.com/MarcoMorgan1/status/680708381322178561
Can't wait to watch Man Utd lose to Stoke and go out and shop. Van Gaal out 😩
— The Happy MC (@Eddy_Acquah) December 26, 2015
Not sure if I want United to win as winning is great or if I want us to lose 2 speed up the process of securing Mourinho whilst he is free
— Nik (@NikolasBianchi) December 26, 2015
Hopefully we lose to stoke so LVG can be out the door
— SVO (@JoshFabio) December 26, 2015
I guess we just have to lose on Saturday for the greater good
— …. (@ladoyin_) December 22, 2015
https://twitter.com/SameOldAnt/status/680705275561676800
Can watch the match today w/o the usual nervousness. 3 points if we beat Stoke, LvG sack if we lose. Win-win either way. #mufc
— Lucas 🔴 (@Lucas_MUtd) December 26, 2015
