Manchester United collected Sir Alex Ferguson's 30th piece of silverware yesterday when they beat Portsmouth 3-1 on penalties. United were the first club to win the Shield in 1908 and were rightful winners in its Centenary year. Just as it was in the FA Cup last year the fixture was a quite simply attack vs defence(in training), and just as it was last season, United huffed and puffed but could not blow the Pompey house down. Tony Adams must be the only coach at Portsmouth doing a job. The stats show that every time Pompey went ahead last season, they defended that goal and won the game. So I feared the worst when Darren Fletcher sat on the ball instead of thumping it past James. The final scoreline coupled with the number of chances we created and missed has given lazy journalists a field day. Today's columns are dominated by every so called pundit predicting doom for United if Sir Alex fails to sign a striker before the start of the season. Well what can one do but believe them, the chances were there but nobody was at hand to finish. Now care must be taken here because I do not want United to return to the Ruud days whereby it was almost a rule that the Dutchman had to be passed to. In his time at United, we won one league title but since his absence,with the goalscoring burden shared, we have won two in a row. I'm not saying that a new striker would do United bad, but rather, I'm pointing out the importance of having a free scoring squad. It was not until we lost the box predator that Fergie reverted to the 4-4-2 formation that has suited us over the years.
More on the game now: Fraizer Campbell came on and missed a chance that would have pencilled his name in the starting line-up next Sunday. But the kid did show that he could live with the big boys(at least Distin can testify to that). Carlos Tevez will be my player of the season if he continues doing what he is doing. The ANIMAL was a constant thorn in the Pompey defence and he should have capped his man-of-the match performance with a goal-in open play that is. The last time United took penalties at the right hand goal from television view, we lost-and that was against Le Arse... in the 2005 FA Cup final. I was kind of hopping that we took them at the left -hand goal. So nobody was more relieved when the two keepers made their way to what was our Stretford End on the day. The one thing that United will miss when EVDS hangs up his gloves at the end of the season is his experience. The Dutchman has a habit of taking his time to enter goal during shootouts and that only heaps more pressure on the one to take the penalty-the result being a saved kick or a miss-kick. How I wish he was 27 instead of 37! A 30th piece of silverware for Fergie at United. He has the chance to add to that on August 29th in the UEFA Super Cup against Zenit St Petersburg. Meanwhile its the big kick-off next for United-Newcastle United at home!
