Manchester United are unbeaten in five league games. They sit above old rivals Liverpool in the table. The new signings have settled in well. Even Amorim’s system is starting to take shape.
And yet the mood around Old Trafford is still mixed.
A man’s refusal to get a haircut has somehow become the strangest subplot of Manchester United’s season.
Is Frank Ilett – better known online as The United Strand – to blame?
For those of you who have been living under a rock, The United Strand is a United fan famous for his “Not Cutting My Hair Until Manchester United Win 5 Games in a Row” challenge. The fan, whose actual name is Frank Ilett, has amassed global attention for his series and has gone on to feature on major platforms such as Sky Sports News, BBC, CBS, ESPN and even Score 90.
This attention reached a climax after United’s third consecutive victory, which came against Brighton in the league at the tailend of October. The whole eyes of the football world were on The United Strand – he was two victories away from what will be the most iconic football haircut since Ronaldo’s 2002 World Cup monstrosity.
As it turned out, United were held to a 2-2 draw by Sean Dyche’s resurgent Nottingham Forest. Despite fighting back from 2-1 down and avoiding defeat in a thrilling game, United fans were devastated. Gone was Frank’s chance of a haircut anytime soon, and all the positivity that had built up around United’s winning streak was gone.
Now, we’re not saying this one content creator is directly affecting results on the pitch. The United Strand has been name-dropped by players such as Diogo Dalot; they’re aware of the challenge. But given the extensive media training every professional is subjected to these days, they’re experts in tuning out the noise from the media.
Frank Ilett has not been the cause of the two consecutive draws.
However, he has certainly been a significant factor in the United fan’s perception of recent games.
Five wins in a row used to be regulation for Sir Alex’s United teams – they went on a 12 game winning streak between March and August 2000. Even under Erik ten Hag they achieved the feat between January and February 2024.
The aghast reaction to this current United team failing to string together five consecutive wins was undeniably as a result of The United Strand’s challenge. Despite picking up a point against Forest, it felt like a loss because of the delay it has put on the eventual haircut.
It is one year into Amorim’s reign and things have never been better. They are close to playing the football that attracted the Portuguese manager so many suitors during his time at Sporting.
The United Strand might not be getting a haircut anytime soon, but Manchester United fans shouldn’t let this detract from the progress Ruben Amorim and his side are making.
