In 2005, and probably for years afterwards, plenty of football supporters still described the United States as a footballing desert.
That was never entirely accurate.
If anything, the United States represented one of the largest underdeveloped football markets in the world. Asia was another, with Japan and South Korea leading the way, but the commercial potential of the American market was enormous. Every major European club understood that sooner or later, somebody would find a way to tap into it properly.
Ethan and Mark Davey had been thinking about that for years.
Ethan also understood that simply repeating the traditional methods of European clubs would not be enough. Flying to America for a few exhibition matches, selling shirts and returning home might create short-term revenue, but it would not build a lasting presence.
That was why New Manchester United had chosen a broader approach.
Instead of travelling alone, they had arranged a summer programme in conjunction with Real Madrid and AC Milan, with Audi and Adidas supporting the project. The intention was to combine high-profile pre-season matches with commercial appearances, community events and longer-term football-development programmes.
It would not be a one-off.
The club intended to return to the United States repeatedly over the coming years.
Establishing football schools was one part of the strategy. Signing an American player could be another.
Manchester United had already demonstrated the logic when they brought in Tim Howard. Ferguson had undoubtedly rated the goalkeeper, but the commercial value of having an American international at Old Trafford had also mattered.
Now even Manchester United's ownership was American.
If New Manchester United wanted someone who could genuinely attract attention in the United States, however, Howard was not necessarily the strongest option.
Landon Donovan remained the most recognisable American outfield player of his generation. Claudio Reyna, the national-team captain, carried enormous respect as well.
Among goalkeepers, though, one name stood apart.
Kasey Keller.
American football had actually produced several strong goalkeepers. Brad Friedel had established himself as one of the Premier League's most underrated performers at Blackburn, while Howard had already reached Manchester United.
Keller possessed something the others could not quite match.
Longevity.
Reputation.
International standing.
At thirty-six, he was still the United States' first-choice goalkeeper and one of the most experienced active internationals in the country.
He had played in Spain and England, accumulated enormous experience and remained in good physical condition.
More importantly for New Manchester United, he no longer expected to be guaranteed first-team football.
Keller was currently at Southampton, where Antti Niemi had established himself as the preferred goalkeeper. Southampton's relegation the previous season had prevented the move Keller had once expected to make during the winter, and he had subsequently spent much of the campaign as a reserve.
His contract was approaching its end.
The club's scouts had watched him closely.
Their conclusion was straightforward.
He was still good enough.
Perhaps not good enough to displace Čech, but certainly good enough to cover for him.
That was precisely what New Manchester United needed.
When contact was made, Keller's interest was immediate.
He knew exactly where his career stood.
At thirty-six, after spending most of the season on the bench for a second-tier club, he could not assume another major opportunity would simply appear.
Joining the Champions League finalists was different.
Even as a deputy, it offered European football at the highest level, the chance to compete for trophies and a final opportunity to add something significant to a long career.
Keller did not make unreasonable demands.
He understood Čech was first choice.
He accepted the role.
The financial terms were agreed without difficulty.
For the commercial department, the attraction was obvious.
Keller was still the starting goalkeeper for the United States national team, which meant he carried far more recognition in America than a conventional veteran backup would have offered.
With New Manchester United preparing to expand aggressively into the US market, the timing could hardly have been better.
That did not mean Ethan or Mourinho were prepared to sign someone purely for marketing purposes.
Every player in the squad had to justify his place on footballing grounds.
Keller did.
The point was reinforced only three days after the agreement was reached.
Droylsden were hosting Southampton at the Butcher's Arms in an important league fixture. Southampton's first-choice goalkeeper, Niemi, was unavailable through injury, which meant Keller would start.
Ethan, Mourinho and several members of New Manchester United's staff travelled over to watch.
They had another reason for attending.
Droylsden were closing in on promotion.
Under Pellegrini, the team had developed a distinctive identity. They retained the physical competitiveness expected of an English side, but the football had become more technical, more patient and far cleaner in possession.
It was not South American football transplanted into England.
It was an English side shaped by South American ideas.
Micah Richards was one of the clearest examples.
The young defender had developed enormously over the season.
Physically, he had always been exceptional. He was powerful, quick and explosive, capable of recovering ground that most defenders would never regain.
Now his positioning had improved.
So had his anticipation.
His technique was cleaner as well.
The benefits of coming through Newton Heath were obvious. Even while on loan, Richards remained closely monitored by New Manchester United. He returned regularly for physical testing and specialist training, while Pellegrini had worked extensively on his decision-making.
The result was a player capable of operating at right-back or centre-back without looking uncomfortable in either role.
Southampton tried to attack down his side.
They achieved very little.
Richards repeatedly shut down their left winger and used his recovery pace to cover centrally whenever Droylsden's centre-backs were dragged out of position.
Mourinho was particularly impressed by that aspect of his performance.
Džeko was equally influential.
The Bosnian had become Droylsden's first-choice centre-forward and was enjoying an excellent season. By the time Southampton arrived, he had made thirty-nine league appearances and scored twenty-one goals.
He added two more.
Droylsden won 2-0.
Keller conceded both, but nobody watching him could blame the goalkeeper.
If anything, Southampton would have lost by far more without him.
He produced at least five high-level saves and was comfortably their best player.
That performance killed most of the speculation that New Manchester United had signed him simply because he was American.
Keller might not challenge Čech for the number-one shirt, but he looked entirely capable of replacing him when necessary.
That was enough.
After the match, Ethan sat down with David Pace.
Droylsden's victory had effectively secured promotion, and Pace wanted clarity over several players whose futures remained tied to New Manchester United.
Mascherano was the first major discussion.
Mourinho rated the Argentine highly.
So did Ethan.
But both had reached the same conclusion.
Mascherano's greatest qualities were defensive.
He read danger superbly, protected the back four, recovered possession and imposed himself physically.
In New Manchester United's current midfield, however, Mourinho increasingly preferred more complete players.
Essien could defend and drive forward.
De Rossi could win the ball, pass progressively and make delayed runs.
Mascherano was not inferior.
He was simply different.
Under Pellegrini, that difference had become an advantage.
Mascherano had flourished at Droylsden and had already been made captain.
He was also beginning to attract attention from other Premier League clubs and had broken into the Argentine national team.
Ethan believed his future would be better served by remaining where he was central to everything.
After speaking with the player, the decision was made.
Mascherano would join Droylsden permanently.
David Pace was delighted.
So was Pellegrini.
Mascherano himself welcomed the certainty.
Ethan gave Pace one piece of advice.
"Get the contract finished quickly."
He smiled.
"Because if you hesitate, somebody richer will notice him."
Pace understood.
Mascherano had the personality and ability to become one of the faces of the club.
If Droylsden wanted to establish themselves in the Premier League, players like him could not simply be temporary guests.
The situation was different with Joe Hart, Micah Richards and Džeko.
Ethan was not prepared to sell any of them.
They were younger, still developing and highly valued by New Manchester United.
He was willing, however, to extend their loans.
That arrangement suited everyone.
Droylsden gained three players already familiar with Pellegrini's system.
The players received regular first-team football.
New Manchester United retained control of their long-term futures.
David Pace accepted the decision.
He understood better than most how much Ethan had contributed to Droylsden's rise.
Without that support, the club would never have reached this point.
But he also understood that dependence could not continue forever.
Promotion to the Premier League changed the scale of the challenge.
Droylsden needed their own recruitment structure.
Their own identity.
Their own players.
Pellegrini and the scouting staff were already searching for reinforcements, with another striker among the priorities for the summer.
Ethan knew about the plans and deliberately stayed out of the way.
That was necessary.
If Droylsden remained dependent on New Manchester United for every major decision, they would never become a serious Premier League club.
A permanent satellite could only rise so far.
Sooner or later, David Pace had to run his own club.
Ethan had to let him.
The alternative was eventually creating a conflict neither man wanted.
In truth, Ethan also lacked the time to remain deeply involved.
New Manchester United alone demanded more attention than any one person could comfortably give.
There was the summer commercial programme.
Contract renewals.
Recruitment.
The stadium.
The academy.
The Champions League final.
And before that, the FA Cup final.
Droylsden's success made Ethan proud.
It no longer needed to occupy every spare hour of his life.
With their promotion secured, Pellegrini and Pace could begin preparing independently for the Premier League.
Ethan, meanwhile, travelled south with New Manchester United.
The destination was the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Manchester United were waiting.
The 2004-05 FA Cup final would be another Red Devil derby, and the occasion carried significance far beyond the trophy itself.
It would also be the first major match since the Glazer family had completed their takeover of Manchester United.
For the first time, the new owners would appear before the wider football world with complete control of the club.
Manchester United supporters remained furious.
Months of protests had failed to stop the transaction.
The takeover had been driven by financial leverage, with the club's own revenues expected to support debt taken on in the acquisition.
Reports were already suggesting ticket prices at Old Trafford would rise.
Matchday income had effectively become part of the security behind the financing.
For supporters who had spent years believing Manchester United belonged, in some emotional sense, to them, the takeover felt like something much deeper than a change of shareholder.
It felt like losing control of their club.
New Manchester United refused to involve themselves in the dispute.
Ethan had already made his views on the structure clear.
There was nothing to be gained from turning the FA Cup final into another public argument about the Glazers.
Mourinho had two matches on his mind.
The FA Cup final.
Then the Champions League final.
That was enough.
The stakes were obvious.
New Manchester United had already lost the Premier League title.
They had reached two finals.
Win them, and the season could still become the greatest in the club's short history.
Lose them, and all the praise for their football, their young players and their extraordinary Champions League run would suddenly feel very different.
A club could reach three fronts and still finish with nothing.
Leverkusen had learned that lesson painfully only a few years earlier.
Mourinho had no intention of allowing New Manchester United to become the next cautionary tale.
(To be continued.)
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◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)