Sorry Rafa, it's all over now
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ALL SMILES
IT was probably the day when Manchester United won the Premier League title.
Yet with 11 minutes of normal time left, they looked as if they had lost it.
Had Aston Villa held on to their 2-1 lead, United’s confidence would have been in shreds after a defeat by a side that had not won at Old Trafford in 26 years — and who were thrashed 5-0 on their previous outing at Anfield.
It would have been the first time United had lost three consecutive league games since December 2001. And they would have trailed cock-a-hoop Liverpool by two points with just one game in hand.
All that now has changed.
Many people will still say there is a long way to go. But having come back to win a game that looked out of their control — and, until that last frantic push, playing as badly as they had all season — they won’t let it slip now.
It wasn’t just United hauling themselves off the canvas but the way in which they did it. Despite huge holes in their own defence that left them open to the counter-attack, they still went for broke.
In the finest traditions of the club. But what a way to do it.
With two minutes left and United hunting a winner, Ferguson sent on Danny Welbeck, 18, to join 17-year-old Federico Macheda in attack.
We all know United is a club that encourages youth, but this was taking it to extremes.
Perhaps, it was just making the right choice through luck.
Whatever the cause, the magnitude of this victory cannot be under-estimated.
Defeat would not only have convinced a Liverpool side who had also left it late at Fulham 24 hours earlier that this was finally their year. It would have also sent United into tomorrow’s Champions League home game with Porto with renewed doubt.
As it is, they can now watch Liverpool and Chelsea tear themselves to pieces over the next fortnight followed by Arsenal making the trip to Anfield on April 21.
Meanwhile, most of the players they missed yesterday — Rooney, Ferdinand, Scholes, Vidic and Berbatov — will be back.
Though after the stunning entry of young Macheda yesterday, who needs Berbatov?
In one outrageous movement that turned the clock back to the days of Johan Cruyff, the Italian wrote himself into United folklore.
Like Michael Owen’s goal against Argentina at France 98, it’s hard to see this young man ever bettering it. It was an extraordinary outcome to a game in which so many things had gone wrong for United.
Ferguson appeared to have blundered by selecting Gary Neville alongside Jonny Evans at centre-half. The defence — and Neville in particular, until he was switched to right-back — were all over the place.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who had given United the lead, was feeling extremely sorry for himself, his head apparently already in Madrid.
But Ronaldo responded with his second goal of the match with his weaker left foot to set up United for a win that still defies belief.
Liverpool, of course, will plough on. But if there was a day when a team’s spirit was going to be broken it was yesterday.
For so long it looked as if that team would be United.
But if they can get out of the sort of hole they found themselves in yesterday, it’s unlikely they will stumble into any more between now and the end of the season.
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still early days.
its not won until its over.
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good to get wins now...time to ram it up..
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Liverpool still have a good chance providing they win all their remaining 7 games...
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liverpool have no chance if they and man u win all their remaning games.
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Originally posted by Rock^Star:
liverpool have no chance if they and man u win all their remaning games.
man u don't need to win all remaining, just 7 of them will do.
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No, it is not over for Liverpool yet!!! The title race has only got more interesting...
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I was watching the match yesterday and it was fine performance from Man utd. True comeback quality and never say die attitude of true champions. Good for them. I prefer man utd to win the title than pool, because i dont believe in miracles hahaha... at least in this season.
But man utd wiining aston villa is not the most important point. The most important point is man villa losing which means my arsenal is 6 points ahead of fucking villa.
Wooooooooooooo this is so shiok!! Man Utd and Arsenal all the way!!!
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Originally posted by MaNyZeR:
I was watching the match yesterday and it was fine performance from Man utd. True comeback quality and never say die attitude of true champions. Good for them. I prefer man utd to win the title than pool, because i dont believe in miracles hahaha... at least in this season.
But man utd wiining aston villa is not the most important point. The most important point is man villa losing which means my arsenal is 6 points ahead of fucking villa.
Wooooooooooooo this is so shiok!! Man Utd and Arsenal all the way!!!
man villa sounds like a nice club.
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well, it would be a miracle if Poo were to win it, and definetly,a disaster if MU were to lose it, but end of day, the deserving team on top of table after 38 games, win it.
table never lies.
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Oh man, its definitely not over even by a long shot... The season is about to get more exciting and nervous as well for palyers and fans... Pool are quite lucky that the fixtures is setting up quite nicely for them...
Next week against Blackburn I feel they won't have a problem as its at Anfield... I believed had this next week's match been Fulham away, it could cost them as CL football starts again and Rafa might start to rotate his squad as well... But Blackburn at Anfield, would be too easy...
Another area to note is, the weekend after their 2nd leg CL match, they don't need to play so can rest all their players... Arsenal whom they are meeting next, have an FA cup game against Chelsea 3 days before so I am guessing the gunners would be more tired when they take on Pool... Therefore I am not expecting the gunners to get any points from that match.
So looking at the fixtures line-up for the next few weeks... Pool are in quite a strong position... United cannot afford to drop any more points if they are to win it this season... Yesterday's points had to go down as a bonus cos with 10 mins to go, they looked like they would be losing all 3 and at best could only hope for 1. Thats why I say it was a big bonus points...
LIVERPOOL
April
8 Chelsea (H) (CL QF)
11 Blackburn (H)15 Chelsea (A) (CL QF)
21 Arsenal (H)
25 Hull (A)29 Champions League (SF - 1st leg) (A)
May
2 Newcastle (H)
5 Champions League (SF - 2nd leg) (H)
9 West Ham (A)
16 West Brom (A)
24 Tottenham (H)CHELSEA
April
8 Liverpool (A) (CL QF)
11 Bolton (H)14 Liverpool (H) (CL QF)
18 Arsenal (N) (FA Cup)
22 Everton (H)
25 West Ham (A)29 Champions League (SF - 1st leg) (A)
May
2 Fulham (H)5 Champions League (SF - 2nd leg) (H)
9 Arsenal (A)
16 Blackburn (H)
24 Sunderland (A)ARSENAL
April
7 Villarreal (A) (CL QF)
11 Wigan (A)15 Villarreal (H) (CL QF)
18 Chelsea (FA Cup)
21 Liverpool (A)
25 Middlesbrough (H)29 Champions League (SF - 1st leg) (A)
May
2 Portsmouth (A)5 Champions League (SF - 2nd leg) (H)
9 Chelsea (H)
16 Man Utd (A)
24 Stoke (H)MANCHESTER UNITED
April
7 FC Porto (H) (CL QF - 1st leg)
11 Sunderland (A)
15 FC Porto (A) (CL QF - 2nd leg)
18 Everton (N) (FA Cup) (Wembley)
22 Portsmouth (H) - (Replacement for Postponed match)
25 Tottenham (H)
29 Champions League (SF - 1st leg) (H)
May
2 Middlesbrough (A)
5 Champions League (SF - 2nd leg) (A)
9 Man City (H)
13 Wigan (A) - (Replacement for Postponed match)
16 Arsenal (H)
24 Hull (A)
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why all talk so much
still got games to go leh
its not like its the last 2 games and 21 points separation
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Lolx Plz it onli a 3-2 tyco win for Man Utd
If Man Utd has draw that match would u believe Man Utd can win the title? -
man u home leh
wat to do
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if man u draw with villa, i wld say psychologically, it's a heavy blow for united. Title can be lost. But this sort of fightback spirit convinces me that man u can win the title. But race will be tight, cos liverpool are on form.
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i think man utd will win it