Krishnan Sreekumar
Manchester United join the calls for peace in Ukraine along with Watford before Premier League clash
According to the Daily Mail, Manchester United players and interim boss, Ralf Rangnick held up a banner calling for peace in Ukraine before their Premier League game against Watford, with the Hornets players joining them as the two clubs displayed their solidarity against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
It was a genuine show of solidarity displayed against the recent invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces, which has been condemned the world over. Football took a stand against the events as well, as Old Trafford witnessed both sets of players coming together to request peace.
Rangnick held up a banner that had the peace sign in the middle, and the word ‘peace’ in Russian, Ukrainian, German, French, Spanish, and English displayed around the sign. The gesture was warmly applauded by the crowd.
The game, however, did not please the home crowd as Man United played out a drab 0-0 draw against Watford, as the Red Devils missed countless opportunities to fire the side ahead. The forwards were terribly wasteful as the home side fell to yet another draw in the Premier League, dropping two precious points.
A United front
Watford were put to the sword by Man United’s attackers, but in the end, goals were lacking all around the pitch. David de Gea was rarely troubled by the Hornets, while Ben Foster stood tall and strong against the combined forces of Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, and Anthony Elanga.
The only memorable moment in the game happened before kickoff, as Rangnick rallied his troops around to hold up the peace banner. The German had the idea to hold the sign and was also pictured wearing a ‘NO WAR’ badge during the match.
It was encouraging to see both teams put up a united front against the terrible situation happening in Ukraine, as the footballing world decided to take a stand against Russian forces. War should be avoided at all costs, and sport seemed to be a powerful way to send the message across.
Not just at Old Trafford, but the Premier League saw many other instances of footballers displaying their support for Ukraine. Crystal Palace displayed a banner on the big screen in Selhurst Park reading ‘WE STAND WITH UKRAINE’, and a banner saying ‘NO WAR’ was also displayed ahead of Brighton’s match against Aston Villa.
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The gestures pre-game in Manchester received much applause, but boos rang out at full time after Man United were held to a goalless draw. Fans were frustrated by the players failing miserably to put away chances, as the Red Devils dropped two more points in their race to finish in the top four of the Premier League table.
They will need to be at their very best next weekend against Manchester City, as we travel to the Etihad Stadium to face off against the defending champions. Both attack and defence will be tested against the Cityzens, and Rangnick will hope that they put in a better display in the next game.
