Wigan 0-2 Manchester United

Well that's the title done and dusted as we didn't have to rely on our vastly superior goal difference as United did their job, not as easily as i or many others had expected, whilst Chelsea didn't do theirs conceding a last minute equaliser at home to Bolton. So United proved yet again they are the best team when it really matters, when the pressure is on. I won't pretend United have been at their best during the last month, but what has gone unmentioned by virtually the entire press and assorted pundits is that the rentboys form hasn't been that much better. Drawing at home to Wigan and then Bolton when they had nothing to play for were not title winning results. And they haven't been that convincing in the games that they did actually win. Chelsea's away form has remained good but when they have to take the game to the opposition they don't seem to be able to produce the goods as easily.
The good news started before the kick off when Rooney was announced in the starting line up, i had been worried that if things weren't going that well we wouldn't have him to come on and change things. So to see him named in the starting eleven was an absolutely brilliant surprise. You have to give full marks to Steve Bruce his team came out and really took it to United and United didn't get into their stride for the entire first half if truth be told. Ferdinand was lucky to escape giving away a penalty as he learnt his arm into a shot from outside the box from Koumas. On first sight it seemed innocuous but when the replay was shown it was a blatant penalty, so we got away with that.
The injustice must have seemed even worse for the pie eaters when United were awarded a penalty as Boyce was adjudged to have brought Rooney down, absolutely correctly in my opinion. He may have got a touch of the ball but that was after he had took Rooney out. Up stepped Cristiano Ronaldo, and i have to say i wanted him to stick it to the goalies left as you just knew Kirkland would go the other way after the Barca miss. So Ronaldo proved he has a cute gamblers brain as well as the bottle that we already knew he possessed. Where Wigan were proving surprisingly good was in midfield, and Scholes had been booked for a foul on Palacois after about 20 minutes. It was from behind and it was a foul, but the Honduran didn't hesitate to make the most of it and the ginger prince was booked. Then with half time not that long off Scholes diced with death blatantly obstructing Palacios again as he looked to break. I and almost every other red dreaded what was going to happen next as it looked like an action replay of his sending off last season in Rome. Thankfully for some reason referee Bennett decided on a course of leniency and just gave him a ticking off. The way the game had gone up to that point i can't say the thought of playing the remainder of the game with 10 men was a prospect i would have looked forward to much.
The second half saw United come out and without ever really playing anywhere near their best at least start to get hold of the midfield and start to keep some good possession. The heavens had opened at half time and the game was now being played in torrential rain but the much maligned JJB pitch stood up to it surprisingly well. Bennett seemed to decide to make up to the Wigan fans for not sending Scholes off in the first half by denying him a stone wall penalty 7 minutes into the second half that would have killed the game stone dead. Kirkland made two tremendous saves one from a Ronaldo free kick the other from a fine run and shot from Rooney that looked to be beating him until his outstretched right arm pushed it past the post.
With 25 minutes left Scholes was unsurprisingly brought off and replaced by Hargreaves and a couple of minutes later Park was replaced by Giggs who came on to equal Bobby Charlton's all time record number of appearances. And with 10 minutes it was the record breaker Giggs who went on to score the crucial goal that secured United their 17th title( not 10th ). And in so doing he recorded himself a record 10 title winning medal. It will be some feat for someone to equal that never mind beat it. It was a lovely goal as well, Rooney kept the ball until he saw Giggs find himself some space at the edge of the box before feeding him an inch perfect pass. Giggs took one touch sized the situation up and coolly slotted it past the out coming Kirkland. Cue pandemonium as we all recognized that was the goal to clinch the title. When the news came through that Bolton had equalised that was the icing on the cake. I have to admit i wanted Bolton to go down, but i have to ask myself why as they always seem to pop up with some big results for us against Arsenal and now Chelsea.
So now onto Moscow and the really big one in this the 50th anniversary of Munich. It would be dream time if we can commemorate that in the most appropriate way winning that trophy playing football in the Manchester United tradition. If we really turn up that day and play proper Manchester United express yourself attacking football i really cannot see us being beat. I know they beat us at their place only a couple of weeks ago but United didn't perform in any shape or form that day. And that wasn't down to their performance but out team selection and tactical approach. Lets just hope that our players are not sent out there with one arm tied behind their back again in a big match.


Ronaldo has been the star man, according to Sam Wallace i the Independent
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/uniteds-supreme-stylist-writes-new-chapter-in-champions-saga-826324.html

Fergies dancing in the rain, the James Lawton column
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/james-lawton-giggs-goal-cues-managers-familiar-dance-of-delight-826328.html

Bobby Charlton applauds record breaker Giggs
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/12/ufncharlton112.xml

Henry Winter on a thrilling title race
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/12/sfnwin112.xml

Hansen salutes a great United team
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/12/sfnhan112.xml

8-1, ouch on the day we won the title as well. Cheer up Shinawatra, o what can it be, from the land of the ladyboys and a shite football team. Not very good i know
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/middlesbrough-8-manchester-city-1-eriksson-demands-urgent-talks-after-mauling-826315.html