Man U may consult its vision expert to get rid of its title blues

The management at Manchester United is reportedly thinking of consulting their vision expert to see if the colour blue is a bad luck charm, and needs to be replaced.

According to sources at Old Trafford, Man U reckons their title blues are down to the colour of Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar’s shirt.

Van der Sar has worn blue in United’s last two Premier League games, which have seen them beaten 4-1 by Liverpool and 2-0 by Fulham.
 
Research by a contributor to United fanzine Red News has brought the information to the club’s attention.

It reveals Van der Sar has worn yellow in the league 17 times this season. In those games, United have conceded just four — with a goal difference of plus 21 — winning 12, losing one and drawing four, gaining 40 points from a possible 51.

However, the figures take on a different hue when Van der Sar wears blue, reports The Sun.
 
In 10 games, United have conceded 13 for a goal difference of plus seven, winning six, losing three and drawing one — 19 points from 30.

United leaves nothing to chance and they have employed optometrist Gayle Stephenson to advise them on correct colour combinations.
 
She contacted the club back in the 1995-96 season after United were beaten at Southampton.

They had worn grey shirts in the first half and went 3-0 down. United swapped them at the break because the players said they could not pick each other out. They did not concede again even though they lost 3-1.

Stephenson wrote to boss Alex Ferguson explaining that she could help with vision issues in the future. She has since advised them to wear white socks for night games rather than traditional black so players can pick each other out more easily under lights when they are running with their heads down.

The attention has now turned to Van der Sar and the defence, despite them keeping a record 14 straight league clean sheets earlier this season.

Their first back-to-back league defeats since April 2005 has seen Liverpool cut the gap at the top to just one point.

But blue is not the only shirt problem for United. The club could lose the final £14m instalment of their lucrative shirt sponsorship deal with AIG.