Man Utd "is" or "are" In The Prem??

[joggerjayne]

Which is correct?

Man Utd ARE going to be playing in the Premiership again next season.

or

Man Utd IS going to be playing in the Premiership again next season.

[razza]

Who cares wether its is or are.

[albaqwerty]

I like Mayviabelle's answer. But then I am a wimp.

I'm going for 'are'

When you telling us the correct answer JJ?

[redman41]

If you combine ARE and IS you get ARSIE which makes sense to me ! :-))

[mightyWBA]

Well don't answer then Razza.. we are enjoying it..or We is :-S

[joggerjayne]

alba ...

I don't know the correct answer.

I think ARE "sounds" right, but IS seems more logical.

[Old_Geezer]

I suspect it sounds right to you at least partially because of the words you chose to follow it in your example sentence.

[albaqwerty]

The English language is never logical, which makes it good fun :)

[sidkid]

Reminds me of Fawlty Towers: Major..."Surrey won yesterday" Basil..."Did it"?

[DTCwordfan]

Manchester United is a collective phrase, as in collective noun and hence is.

The fact that it comprises of a whole bunch of strange men with their brains in their boots is neither here nor there. You don't say, "The Army Camp are on the move to Liverpool" - it should be "The Army Camp is on the move to Liverpool." Same principle for Man Utd, bless their little cotton socks.

[rowanwitch]

Man United is a load of (have repetitive strain injury of the wrist patients)
Man united are a load of (have repetitive strain injury of the wrist patients)
Doesn't matter they are still (have repetitive strain injury of the wrist patients)

[joggerjayne]

Well, take another example, OG ...

Man Utd have won several league titles.

Man Utd has won several league titles.

Well, it can't be "have" ... because that would refer in plural to the group of players. Some of the players who joined this year have never won anything!

[joggerjayne]

sidkid

"I took her to see India ...

... at The Oval."

[Old_Geezer]

I believe you may be correct. Man Utd has won several league titles over the years.

[albaqwerty]

Wouldn't 'have' implied previous seasons and 'has' implies this current season ?

Why are you picking on Man Utd, (I'm not complaining, someone's gotta :) )

[sidkid]

She's still got my wallet!!

[FredPuli43]

No wonder foreigners find English difficult. Which is chosen depends on how the speaker is thinking of the people. "The committee were arguing among themselves" sounds more logical than "the committee was arguing among itself" ! But 'the committee has retired' sounds better than 'the committee have retired'.
In the instant case, there's no harm in thinking of Manchester United as the various individual players who represent the club on the field . They will be playing in the premiership. The legal entity which is Manchester United is not physically playing anywhere. It's the choice of the verb that makes the plural apt and appropriate: 'they' are going to be playing. But if you think of it as the entity, the company or the club, then ' it' will be eligible for, or listed in , or a member of, or, if you will, 'playing' in the Premiership.

[Ric.ror]

How about Man Utd are going to win the premiership for a record 20th time
Is just does not sound correct when spoken out loud

[FredPuli43]

Man Utd are going to win? Man Utd is going to win? Matter of choice; I see it as the players winning, so 'are', but others may see it as an expected victory for the whole organisation, the company (or club, if it is legally a club) employing the team, so it ' is ' going to.

"Manchester United look tired in this half" or "Manchester United looks tired.." ? Which would you prefer? The speaker means ' the players' look tired, so could use the plural.

[Duncer]

You are all wrong, it is "Unfortunately Man United is going to play in the Premiership again next season".