Let me first of all emphasise that it is not an easy job being a Manchester United fan these days. The month of April started in just about the same fashion as it is ending for United. After losing two back to back league games towards the end of March. United were starring at the real possibility watching Liverpool take their throne at the summit of the league having led from mid-January. We were conceding goals left right and centre and so you can imagine the mood inside OT when Aston Villa led us 2-1 with a few minutes to win the game. Somehow, we won the match. The FC Porto match might have just come too early for our players as the team nearly threw me into cardiac arrest with pathetic defending that had the Portuguese side take 2 away goals for the second leg. Somehow, we managed to get just about the only result that could take us through! We then had to negotiate past Sunderland in the lead but again United did not seem to be up for the challenge. Another late goal would ensure that we win the match though.
Yesterday was another one of those memorable game at OT bit how I wish we could start making it easy for ourselves. United defended so poorly in the first half that Spurs would have been too embarrasses not to put away the chances they got. Darren Bent got the opener when there were three red shirts free in the box. Vidic and Ferdinand both failed to connect with defensive headers. If that was a one-off, then the second was really a goal from schoolboy errors. Rafael was in centre half position when Modric got the ball unmarked in the six yard box! He couldn't miss from there. So there you had it, OT, shell shocked and I personally cursing the day I made a lifetime contract with the sport. Liverpool and their followers couldn't believe their luck. What a sorry half-time interval it was. United came out in the second half looking better and once we got the first goal, it was a case of game, set, match! Spurs might claim the penalty was a fluke but I guess it would be more wrong if it was not given. I don't think they could have seen out the match without conceding anyway given the performance in the second half.
The thing is, United do really have to work on their defending if they are to be a force in these last few weeks. Evra looks a little short of what he was a few months ago. But for as long as we continue to score more than our opponents, I won't be complaining much--just a little!Labels: REVIEWS
