Manchester United: The FA charge against the club is ridiculous

Manchester United have been charged by the FA following their defeat to Liverpool last week but it is unwarranted and should be overturned.

Liverpool against Manchester United is one of the fiercest and most contested derby matches in the history of the English game. Two of the nation’s biggest clubs have fought to dominate English football for years.

It is a rivalry steeped in tradition and lore and rightly the games come with an increased level of intensity both on the field and in the stands. The fans roar on with all their might. The chanting is more frequent. The noise is boisterous from both sides.

On the pitch the pace of the game increases.

The paces and the tackles become more fierce. Both sets of players are desperate to prove a point and make their mark. A goal in a game like this can give you instant cult hero status.

The stakes are extremely high.

And that was exactly the case when the Red Devils visited Anfield last week.

If anything the stakes were even higher than usual for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his side. In Liverpool, United were facing not just a rival but a team who have been in unprecedented form this season. The Red Devils have perhaps never faced such a strong Liverpool side since the 80s.

When Virgil Van Dijk leaped to head the ball away from David De Gea and consequently knocked the Spanish keeper on the floor, the United players were rightly upset about referee Craig Pawson ignoring the incident.

In the game of football goalkeepers are offered more protection than outfielders. The role of a goalkeeper is more vulnerable and tenuous, therefore that protection is necessary. In the eyes of the law Virgil Van Dijk barging David De Gea away was without a shadow of a doubt a foul.

United’s players swarmed the referee only to protect a fellow teammate. The passions were running high. They were merely being human.

Ye despite this the FA via the BBC have charged United with a failure to ensure their players ‘conducted themselves in an orderly fashion.’

The charge is ludicrous. The United players were simply acting out of passion. That kind of passion is what makes football a joy to watch and so entertaining. The FA should not stifle it, they are simply sucking the life out of the game.

What do you think did Manchester United deserve their FA charge?