....AND FINALLY-----MAN UNITED VS STOKE, THE SEASON FINALE PREVIEW!


Sir Alex is still offering his pre-match thoughts as I pen this so I'm not completely informed about the team news ahead of this game but at least I can confirm that Antonio Valencia will sit out the final game of the season. It must be that ankle injury he sustained against Spurs in our previous home game. Thankfully he's 'chosen' the right time to get injured--when the season is more or less done. If he needed any praise, Wayne Rooney has certainly heaped enough on him. Our footballer of the year has said that the reason for his success infront of goal this year is because of our Eucadorian winger.

So the whole season boils down to Sunday. In all probability, Chelsea will go on to beat Wigan at Stamford Bridge and clinch the title but I feel that we ought to do our job as well. It will be less painful to finish one point behind them---I mean if you look back at people's prediction in August, majority thought United would finish behind Chelsea and Liverpool, and who knows what might have been if injuries had not targeted our strength the season before--defence!

That we have scored more goals last season (when we had Tevez and Ronaldo et al) and that we have the best defence in the league this year is testament to how the lads have played to their potential this year. Granted, most of the season it didn't look like it but the stats don't lie.
Even Champions elect Chelsea cannot claim to have won more games than us this year if we beat Stoke. Victory for both teams would mean that both finish with 27 wins out of 38 games. In the past, that has won us the title.
The reason it might not this year is down to the horrific injury crisis we had mid season and the two defeats to Chelsea this year--both of which were handed to them by the officials. I know we all get lucky at any point in a season but for Chelsea to get lucky twice against us was really hard to take. Ultimately though, we've only left the ABU's with just the one point to base our decline on. How embarrassed they'll be to utter than even after selling two of their best players including the best player in the world at the time and replacing them with what at the time was nothing, United have only fallen short by a point or so.

Funny that the preview has already given Chelsea the title and yet they still have to avoid defeat and a draw against Wigan on Sunday. The reality is that United's victory at Sunderland last week made sure that Chelsea will have little margin for error in their final home game. I know how nervy we've performed when we were in their position for three or more times so it goes without saying that the times might just choose United ahead of Chelsea.
Stranger things have happened!

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