United would be worthy champions
So after another round of matches, there’s only 5 weeks to go before the champions are crowned again and we are left with a 3-month gaping void in our lives that no amount of beer or women can fill. Instead that time is spent by us alpha males furiously debating the outcome of the following season and who is going to buy who from who and who will be good and who is crap and not worth one of your lightly salted Nobby’s Nuts.
But rewind to early April, for this season is not over yet, not by a long way and there’s plenty more debating to be done in the football support churches known locally as “pubs” and plenty more discussion to be had.
For the first time in years, with 5 games to go, there are 3 teams in with a shout, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool…no, sorry, my mistake, of course not Liverpool, I meant Arsenal, silly me. Liverpool have no chance.
Of course, the first name on that list is the one on everyone’s lips at the moment, Manchester United, back to playing the scintillating, silky and sublime football that, love them or loathe them, we all know they can do.
This season they have been tremendous, ok, mainly down to the fact that Ronaldo has had the season of his life, who would have thought that he would better his marvellous effort of last season? (Certainly I didn’t as I questioned the £31m I spent on him for my dream team at the start of the season) but there’s no denying that he has been the catalyst for them this term.
But it’s not just been him, Tevez, although not setting the premier league alight, has scored some crucially valuable goals, the first against Chelsea, the equalizer against Spurs and the winner against Liverpool. Without those 3 goals alone United would be 3rd in the table. Wayne Rooney too has fired in some vital efforts, most recently of course the leveller against Boro at the weekend.
Other unsung heroes have been the defence, obviously Rio and Nemenja have been rocks at the back, conceding only 15 league goals in 32 games before yesterday is second to none throughout the league, Wes Brown, although not excelling in England colours, has had an excellent season and Evra on the other side is fast becoming one of the best left backs in the league.
Nani and Anderson were not considered big name signings when they arrived in the summer for large amounts of money but they have been successful signings, Nani showing that whatever Ronaldo can do, he can pretty much do too and Anderson is becoming the new Paul Scholes with the ability to control a match and force the opposition to play at United’s tempo. And Scholes himself is still going strong, with his sixth sense for finding gaps that aren’t there time and time again. Previously, he and Giggs would have been sorely missed after their impending retirements, but I don’t think so as much now, in fact, aside from the obvious changes in appearance, business will pretty much continue as normal once the transition has been made.
The only stumbling block I can see to halt United continuing their dominance is the lack of youth coming through; the best names on the Reds books are mostly out on loan to lower league sides but between them all there should be enough there to compete with the Premiership outside of the other big 3, with the likes of Rooney, Nani, Ronaldo and Tevez providing the experience to shore it all up. With Foster, Steele, Cambell, Pique and Simpson all making progress in the ranks it looks like Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are going to be left wanting for quite a while yet.
