United apparently considered signing former Stoke City striker, Marko Arnautovic. AFP Photo

Paul Kennedy

To laugh, and mock, those less fortunate is wrong and should not be tolerated. If someone has fallen on hard times and is struggling to keep their heads above water, there is no way this should be a form of amusement. 

If anyone does think it’s OK, especially as the world wakes up in all walks of life, to take the Mick out of someone, or something, that is having a tough old time right now, well I’m sorry. Your actions are abhorrent and cannot be tolerated on any level.

Any level, except maybe one. 

If you’re laughing at Manchester United right about now, you get a pass. Because let’s face facts, football supporters everywhere, except of course the Old Trafford faithful, are literally splitting their sides and rolling around on the floor at the goings on at this once giant of English football.

United are, for want of a better phrase, screwed. Day after day, I am reading stories and seeing video clips of what’s going on in the red half of Manchester, and despite my prologue to this column, it’s pure comedy gold.

Now before you all jump on my back, if it was Liverpool in such a state of disarray, then the flak would be coming in my direction at warp speed. And that’s OK, that’s football. It’s banter, right? And it’s allowed.

After losing at home to Brighton in the opening game (not good), the noises coming out of United have left their fans gobsmacked and up in arms.

Following the defeat, two clips emerged on social media that were extremely telling. One was a row that almost turned violent on the terraces of United supporters arguing among themselves.

The second was a clip of their captain, Harry Maguire, not knowing the right place for the team to stand in the tunnel ahead of the kick-off.

Throw into the mix, the current situation with want-away superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, and on top of that, United’s supposed interest in washed-up, injury-prone, Austrian striker Marko Arnautovic, then it’s all adding up to a storyline worthy of the final episode of Australian soap opera Neighbours.

United fans rightly kicked off after hearing they were being linked with former Stoke City and Shanghai Port (it’s in China) forward Arnautovic, 33, and the club have supposedly shelved the deal. 

But what next? Where do they go from here? 

The latest snippet of news I read about United is that Michael Knighton (Google him) is supposedly fronting a takeover bid.

For those that don’t know, Knighton, back in 1989, appeared on the pitch at Old Trafford before a game dressed in a full Manchester United football kit as a public relations exercise intended to convince the club's supporters he was a genuine football fan. Famously, he showed off his football skills by completing a long series of "keepie uppies".

It was a laugh then (his bid failed) and it’s hilarious now. 

Who knows what will happen at Old Trafford? I don’t, and I doubt very much ardent United supporters do either. 

But one thing I’m certain of, it’s a really great watch.

Now where’s my popcorn? VNS