I think we can safely say i have had better Sunday afternoon's than yesterday. Although to be fair it isn't hurting as much as i thought it would. For that i can thank resigning myself all last week to the thought that the title had gone, City wouldn't blow it at home.
Surely you might then say that the events of yersterday must make that even worse. Not really, even when it was 2-1 to QPR, i was just waiting for City to get the equaliser, and once they got it for them to go on and win it. When the news hit the fans at Sunderland that they had equalised in the last minute, i just knew they would go on and get that winning goal. When it came i just felt numb, as if throwing away an eight point lead wasn't bad enough, it was the final kick in the bollocks for a season that started so brightly.
Fergie's team selection was pretty conservative, but unlike plenty of other reds i couldn't argue much with it. We saw against City and Arsenal at times that even at home, Sunderland like to get men behind the ball and try to play on the break. So the decision to play with Giggs in a 4-3-3 made sense to me, United bossed the possession and bossed the game almost completely. The home team had a couple of little spells, but if United had took their chances this would have been a far more comfortable three points than the scorline suggests. I had put a fiver on Rooney to grab a hatrick before the game, so i was less than thrilled that he had left his scoring boots in the dressing room.
It was a fine cross from Jones that led to the only goal of the game and a ice reminder that a fit and confident Jones does put a decent ball over from right back. He seems slowly to have ragined his form over recent weeks which is nice to see. I was very impressed with Jonny Evans as well yesterday, next season will be a big test for him, can he kick on and repeat this form over a season with Vidic alongside him. We need him to because i have long thought that Ferdinand is on his last legs and Jones and Smalling aren't the finished article yet.
It's hard to assess this season, given the injury nightmare of the first half of the season and the crucial loss of Vidic for the season, so for us to have got so close to winning the title is some achievement. But of course that has to be balanced with the throwing away of an eight point lead when almost all of us thought City had gone and title was as good as ours. I still think the return of Scholes was vitla to our title challenge, if he hadn't returned i don't think City would have had to wait for the last day of the season. But that highlights yet again our failure to strengthen in the midfield, yes we were unlucky to lose Cleverley for the season and some might same of Anderson, though don't count me amongst them, but this summer just has to see us invest in this part of the squad.
I'm on as much of a media blackout i can follow without going to deepest Siberia for the next week, i haven't actually seen any of the other games and don't intend to, i still haven't seen the sending off or the two late goals from the boo camp. I suppose i'll be unfortunate enough to see them eventually, but it won't be this week that's for sure.
Daniel Taylor reckons that Paul Scholes might be open to the idea of returning the international fold this summer. I'm not sure Hodgson will go for him myself as he seems to be a stickler for 4-4-2 and i'm not sure that at the very highest level that would suit Scholes any more.
So much for those rumours that Vidic might return before the end of the season was over, he still won't be fit for the first part of United's pre-season apparently. The 64 million dollar question for the summer to me is whether he resumes his career next season the same top quality centre half we have missed so badly. He is 31 and at an age where injuries could start to affect his game, and let's face it that's the last thing we need with Ferdinand's problems and Evra's seemingly permanent decline.
Daniel Harris highlights the urgent need for midfield reinforcement this summer, whilst despairing of the cancer to the club that are the Glazer family. Mark Ogden warns United that Wayne Rooney's contract stand off was an early warning sign to the club that the rise of Manchester City was going to be a challenge as United come a distant second best in the transfer market.
It's going to be a happy time for the nation's press as transfer speculation hits fever pitch and United and City are linked with everybody, City realisticly, United ahem, less so. The Mail link us to Fulham's Dembele, a pretty good player, though i'm not sure he's good enough for us. Let's face it we can't really afford to get this summer's transfers wrong. Harry Dillon profiles Dortmund's Shinji Kagawa who seems to be the man who Fergie has targeted. I have seen a bit of him and he looks as though he could be a useful addition the squad. I'm not sure he's at the very highest level, but then he's young so there could be further improvement. Obviously being Japanese tick lots of boxes for the gimps, but i'll leave the cynicism alone, hard as that is for me.
Andy Mitten interviews ex red Louis Saha who has what likes an interesting new book out and talks about his injury problems during his time at the club.
Fellow ex red striker Ruud Van Nistelroy has announced his retirement from football this morning, what a player he was, definitely my favourite Manchester United centre forward. As he himself has said, it was a shame the way things ended at the club for him and for us.
I finally got around to watching the documentary Inside job by Charles Ferguson last week, and this piece by Matt Taibi reminds me of the final part of the film where he lists the people Obama chose to form is economic strategy, the same old faces who's disastrous action had led to the debacle of 2008.
Simon Jenkins warns that George Osborne's calamitous reign as chancellor of the excheqeur risks turning British cities into Detroit UK. Still who cares as long as the city of London gets what it wants, hey. One has to look after one's own, after all.
The Independent looks at the city trader who lost $2 billion and warns that he was the risk expert who was meant to play it safe.
Thanks for the memories Ruud, apologies for the abysmal music
Surely you might then say that the events of yersterday must make that even worse. Not really, even when it was 2-1 to QPR, i was just waiting for City to get the equaliser, and once they got it for them to go on and win it. When the news hit the fans at Sunderland that they had equalised in the last minute, i just knew they would go on and get that winning goal. When it came i just felt numb, as if throwing away an eight point lead wasn't bad enough, it was the final kick in the bollocks for a season that started so brightly.
Fergie's team selection was pretty conservative, but unlike plenty of other reds i couldn't argue much with it. We saw against City and Arsenal at times that even at home, Sunderland like to get men behind the ball and try to play on the break. So the decision to play with Giggs in a 4-3-3 made sense to me, United bossed the possession and bossed the game almost completely. The home team had a couple of little spells, but if United had took their chances this would have been a far more comfortable three points than the scorline suggests. I had put a fiver on Rooney to grab a hatrick before the game, so i was less than thrilled that he had left his scoring boots in the dressing room.
It was a fine cross from Jones that led to the only goal of the game and a ice reminder that a fit and confident Jones does put a decent ball over from right back. He seems slowly to have ragined his form over recent weeks which is nice to see. I was very impressed with Jonny Evans as well yesterday, next season will be a big test for him, can he kick on and repeat this form over a season with Vidic alongside him. We need him to because i have long thought that Ferdinand is on his last legs and Jones and Smalling aren't the finished article yet.
It's hard to assess this season, given the injury nightmare of the first half of the season and the crucial loss of Vidic for the season, so for us to have got so close to winning the title is some achievement. But of course that has to be balanced with the throwing away of an eight point lead when almost all of us thought City had gone and title was as good as ours. I still think the return of Scholes was vitla to our title challenge, if he hadn't returned i don't think City would have had to wait for the last day of the season. But that highlights yet again our failure to strengthen in the midfield, yes we were unlucky to lose Cleverley for the season and some might same of Anderson, though don't count me amongst them, but this summer just has to see us invest in this part of the squad.
I'm on as much of a media blackout i can follow without going to deepest Siberia for the next week, i haven't actually seen any of the other games and don't intend to, i still haven't seen the sending off or the two late goals from the boo camp. I suppose i'll be unfortunate enough to see them eventually, but it won't be this week that's for sure.
Daniel Taylor reckons that Paul Scholes might be open to the idea of returning the international fold this summer. I'm not sure Hodgson will go for him myself as he seems to be a stickler for 4-4-2 and i'm not sure that at the very highest level that would suit Scholes any more.
So much for those rumours that Vidic might return before the end of the season was over, he still won't be fit for the first part of United's pre-season apparently. The 64 million dollar question for the summer to me is whether he resumes his career next season the same top quality centre half we have missed so badly. He is 31 and at an age where injuries could start to affect his game, and let's face it that's the last thing we need with Ferdinand's problems and Evra's seemingly permanent decline.
Daniel Harris highlights the urgent need for midfield reinforcement this summer, whilst despairing of the cancer to the club that are the Glazer family. Mark Ogden warns United that Wayne Rooney's contract stand off was an early warning sign to the club that the rise of Manchester City was going to be a challenge as United come a distant second best in the transfer market.
It's going to be a happy time for the nation's press as transfer speculation hits fever pitch and United and City are linked with everybody, City realisticly, United ahem, less so. The Mail link us to Fulham's Dembele, a pretty good player, though i'm not sure he's good enough for us. Let's face it we can't really afford to get this summer's transfers wrong. Harry Dillon profiles Dortmund's Shinji Kagawa who seems to be the man who Fergie has targeted. I have seen a bit of him and he looks as though he could be a useful addition the squad. I'm not sure he's at the very highest level, but then he's young so there could be further improvement. Obviously being Japanese tick lots of boxes for the gimps, but i'll leave the cynicism alone, hard as that is for me.
Andy Mitten interviews ex red Louis Saha who has what likes an interesting new book out and talks about his injury problems during his time at the club.
Fellow ex red striker Ruud Van Nistelroy has announced his retirement from football this morning, what a player he was, definitely my favourite Manchester United centre forward. As he himself has said, it was a shame the way things ended at the club for him and for us.
I finally got around to watching the documentary Inside job by Charles Ferguson last week, and this piece by Matt Taibi reminds me of the final part of the film where he lists the people Obama chose to form is economic strategy, the same old faces who's disastrous action had led to the debacle of 2008.
Simon Jenkins warns that George Osborne's calamitous reign as chancellor of the excheqeur risks turning British cities into Detroit UK. Still who cares as long as the city of London gets what it wants, hey. One has to look after one's own, after all.
The Independent looks at the city trader who lost $2 billion and warns that he was the risk expert who was meant to play it safe.
Thanks for the memories Ruud, apologies for the abysmal music
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