The Dragon At Manchester United
The devil at Manchester United is a common piece of folklore, because of the red devil symbolism, but the developmental archetype is a real one. In Revelation the `woman clothed with the sun and with the moon at her feet`, for which we might substitute the ball, gives birth to the `New Redeemer` , while the red dragon waits in vain to devour him.
In archetypal terms, Welshman Ryan Giggs, the devil at Manchester United for twenty years, and whose symbol from Wales is the red dragon, rejected his father and took the name of his mother. The archetypal son of Revelation isn`t devoured because he eludes the red dragon, which is a symbol of the father who, jealous of his success, would prevent it. In other words, the red devil is a symbol of development, and the `devilling` of those who would hinder its progress. As the dynamic winger has done at Manchester United for a generation.
Players like George Best, European Cup winner in 1968, and alcoholic, devoured themselves. Lee Martin, F.A. Cup winning goalscorer, in 1990, felt that was enough and never fulfilled his potential, while Ruud Van Nistelrooy fell into the trap of scoring easy goals against inferior opposition and didn`t achieve against better quality opponents.
The danger for Manchester United is archetypal, because if the red devil grows into a red dragon it`ll devour where previously there had been development. In simple terms, as long as the players on the pitch elude the snapping of the dragon at their heels and continue going forward, devilling their opponents, they`ll defeat the red dragon, which is whatever is inside or outside of them that would prevent them from being successful at the `Theatre of Dreams`.
The woman of Revelation gives birth to her son who protects her before she leaves Earth for heaven, which is why Ryan Giggs played for Wales, where the national anthem is Land Of My Fathers:
This land of my fathers is dear to me
Land of poets and singers, and people of stature
Her brave warriors, fine patriots
Shed their blood for freedom.
Because protecting their mother is what fathers do, whether they`re married or not. If the rose is not in heaven, then they`re not heroes. Mickey Thomas was criticized at Manchester United for being aloof and praised for being elusive, which amounted to the same thing for Ryan Giggs` Welsh predecessor on the wing. Mickey was later imprisoned for laundering counterfeit currency, that is, the red dragon devoured him. Imogen Thomas is a Welshwoman and a heavenly rose, because it says so in the Welsh hymn Land Of My Fathers; `freedom on the wing` to Giggs but a developer of talent prepared to `devil` at Manchester United.