Manchester United’s Corner: Let My Bebe Be

Webster defines “failure” as failing to perform a duty or expected action. However the media seems to have formulated something new. Manchester United’s new signing Bebe is the synonym for media ridicule even before he stepped foot on the British Isles. So much press space for a 20 year old youngster, who hasn’t yet dawned the famous red shirt makes one cringe at the obsessive nature of the print media. Agreed that Bebe’s rags to riches story is worthy of the odd newspaper column, but it’s completely baffling and rather annoying to find the  media still hung on about the unexpected arrival at Old Trafford.

The obituaries have already been prepared in various media outlets about how the young Portuguese will make the inevitable fall to oblivion and how the Master has made a real transfer goof-up in wasting that kind of money on an unknown youngster. But hang on a moment; has anyone actually seen him play yet? Cant we all just hold on to our prancing horses and let the lad step a foot on the football field in a real match? Let him fail first, before branding him as a failure.

Bebe- not off to a flying start?

One of the most annoying aspects of this whole saga is the price of the transfer being quoted on our face at every given opportunity. Frankly this media tirade is now getting infuriatingly embarrassing, as quoting $7.4 million on a 7.4 million times doesn’t make it worth anymore than the actual value. Just a small thing to add to the whole “transfer value”, the price of the transfer remains undisclosed. So probably Sir Alex whispered the “$7.4 million” price tag in a journo’s ear in a dream of his or it’s just a rumor that has gained strength from being repeated for the umpteenth time. If however, one even assumes the price to be anywhere close to “that” amount, one would still have no clue about the nature of the contract and surely the wages would be included in the transfer fee. So United fans who seem to get a little touchy these days with the quote “no value in the transfer market” should breathe a sigh of relief and remember the man at the helm still knows what he is doing, just as he has known for time immemorial.

The press got further encouragement when Sir Alex confessed that he hadn’t seen much of the youngster before he signed for the club. However one must remember that the United manager doesn’t always follow every youngster making the headlines because it would be practically impossible to do so. There are club scouts that keep a keen eye on these youngsters from every knook and corner of the globe and are handsomely paid to do so. In Bebe’s case, it was Sir Alex’s former assistant, Carlos Quieroz, who recommended the boy and the club was quick to pounce on it.  No one paid much heed to the fact that the much maligned Bebe was also under Real Madrid’s radar and even made it to Marca’s front page. But that shouldn’t stop the media from mocking the signing, should it?

Sir Alex and Carlos Quieroz – partners in crime!!

Wait – it gets even better or rather worse. A tabloid recently reported that Bebe’s performance was so freaking poor that he was omitted from United’s reserve team. Now presumably, one would not be so naïve and think that the men with the mighty pen in their hand would have done their homework and have had a conversation with the reserve team coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on Bebe’s progress. However, to be omitted from a team you need to be picked first; but Bebe’s fitness was nowhere near the level needed to be  incorporated in the squad. Sir Alex mentioned that the Portuguese would be eased into the squad, as he needs time to bed in to his new surroundings. But we would be foolish to expect common sense from the British press, as such a story wouldn’t quite sell like hot cakes.  However, after regaining some semblance of fitness Bebe received a call up from the coach of Portugal’s under 21 national team and has since gone on to represent his country and even scored. But let’s play that down.

Life isn’t always Black or White, – it shouldn’t be that way. There is always a bit of Grey that balances the extremes. Similarly, opinions shouldn’t be so heavily biased that they cloud any semblance of righteous thinking. Give the guy a break, well he hasn’t shot anyone! Bebe might well turn out to be failure or he might just make it at this level. To fail one must try, but one must not fail to try. Let my BEBE be.