"I grew up with the team of George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton. "My affinity for United goes a long way back," he explained. Smith is based in Los Angeles now and is a season ticket holder at Major League Soccer side LAFC, but United are never far from his thoughts. Their latest single, the title track from their new album, is out now and they will be touring the UK in 2022 At roughly the same time, Curt and I got back together after a long hiatus, and we had this thing in common." In September, Tears For Fears were honoured with the Outstanding Song Collection Award at the 2021 Ivor Novello Awards, to recognise their 40 years in music. That's how I realised I was becoming a fan. "I just noticed myself that when I was watching Manchester United that I would get really depressed when they lost. All of a sudden the whole world opened up for me, so I started following all the top clubs - except Arsenal, because they were my elder brother's team so I couldn't have that. "And then suddenly in 1998, I am watching these beautiful colour renditions and this guy called David Beckham was placing the ball on a dime. But the last time I'd watched anyone regularly was the days of Billy Bremner and Norman 'Bites Yer Legs' Hunter, and it was all muddy pitches and long balls. "Part of football for me as a kid had been the player cards you used to get, so I knew all the teams. "When I moved to Bath I lost interest in football completely for decades and it was only in 1998, when I was dragged by my neighbour in the west country to watch the World Cup, that things changed. "Curt was a boyhood United fan, but I was born just outside Portsmouth, so they were my first love," Orzabal told BBC Sport. He supported his local club Portsmouth as a young boy before he moved to Bath as a teenager and met his bandmate, drifting away from the sport until the late 1990s. Smith grew up a die-hard United fan, but Orzabal converted much later. Scores from the big chair - Smith and Orzabal are both Manchester United fans, but do they think Ralph Rangnick's side will have anything to shout about this season? The duo have sold more than 30m albums since they formed Tears for Fears in the early 1980s and are back in February 2022 with The Tipping Point, their first album for almost 18 years. This week it's Tears for Fears' Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal, who are both Manchester United fans. Lawro is making predictions for all 380 top-flight matches this season, against a variety of guests. Pep Guardiola's side were eight points behind leaders Liverpool at Christmas 2020, but finished 12 points clear of everyone else Those three will end up clear and it could be their games against each other that decides who finishes where." Results/fixtures between the Premier League top three in 2021-22ĭefending champions City hit top spot for the first time this season after beating Watford 3-1 on 4 December, and have stayed there ever since. "The way it is poised at the moment, the picture could look very different after just one set of results.