UK Edition
The Beverly Wilshere is one of the world's most iconic and luxurious hotels, immortalised in the hit film Pretty Woman starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts 25 years ago, and is currently housing a large number of Manchester United's staff on their pre-season tour of the US.
It is not a bad place to spend a couple of weeks but the downside is it doesn't do much for your bank balance. United's staff are on expenses in Los Angeles but 'The Blvd' bar off the lobby of the Wilshere is so expensive that club officials have been discouraged from drinking there. A small beer will set you back $14 while even a lemonade costs an eye-watering $12.
United's squad flew in and out of Salt Lake City for their second tour game against Real Salt Lake, rather than stay overnight in the city.
As such, it meant eating on the hop as they raced to catch their flight back to their Los Angeles base after the match at the Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah.
United's chef and staff were spotted carrying piles of pizza boxes from Little Caesars through the mixed zone where players stop for interviews. One suspects they were hungrily wolfed down on the coach to the airport.
Jose Mourinho may be facing a frustrating wait for United's third summer signing, with the club yet to agree a fee with Inter Milan for Ivan Perisic, who has now flown to China with his team-mates. And he was angered by referee Allen Chapman's harsh decision to send off Antonio Valencia against Real Salt Lake in the early hours on Tuesday.
But organisers at the International Champions Cup (ICC) who have been accustomed to welcoming Mourinho to the US down the years with Chelsea, Real Madrid and Inter Milan, claim this is just about the most relaxed and happy they have ever seen the Portuguese. Mourinho is a huge fan of the UCLA campus where United are training and said last week that he was still waiting to discover a fault with the place after 13 years.
Valencia's red card forced United to play the last 22 minutes against Salt Lake with ten men. But in a nice gesture, Salt Lake coach, Mike Petke, told Mourinho he could put another player on to replace Valencia if he wished. The United manager appreciated the offer but wanted to respect the game's rules and persist with 10 men, despite his sense of injustice at the sending off.
United have a heavy security presence here in the US. Paul Pogba, for example, has been flanked by four security men whenever the midfielder has walked through the assigned mixed zones, where scores of fans have managed to sneak in and request autographs and pictures.
But the security presence reached new heights in Sandy when four security guards were stationed behind United's dug out and at one point asked local stewards to tell some enthusiastic fans to quieten down.
Sir Alex Ferguson loves the US and has made a habit of attending previous tours since retiring as United manager four years ago. But the 75-year-old Scot has been forced to skip this summer's visit to the country because it clashes in part with a charity golf event he has committed to. One friend said this week that he could not believe how active and busy Ferguson remained, even in retirement.
- Manchester United in the USA diary, part one
- Manchester United in the USA diary, part two
- Manchester United in the USA diary, part three
- Manchester United in the USA diary, part four
- Manchester United in the USA diary, part five
- Manchester United in the USA diary, part six
- Manchester United in the USA diary, part seven
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Manchester United in USA diary, part eight: Happy Jose Mourinho, heavy security and $14 beers