For all the stoppage time heartbreaks we gave to City, they gave us the biggest one! United ended their season at the Stadium of Light as champions, the only problem was that the season was far from over at the Etihad. Watching United in the second half was an emotional roller coaster of epic proportions, as City continued to trail, United missed chance after chance and you just wondered if we were going to pay for it. All the customary match superstitions were being played out by United fans all around the globe - from their seating position, to some who did not switch channels to catch the City-QPR score, to those who were controlling their celebrations till the title was done - just to ensure they don't 'jinx it' for their beloved team. It was heartstopping at times, when the clock reached 80 minutes - the nervousness was reaching fever peak, subconsciously we were preparing ourselves "for the biggest celebration of our lives". But the sucker punch came only after the final whistle, when 'that goal' happened at the Etihad.
As Nick Coppack at manutd.com brilliantly wrote "sunday's events made us fall in love with football all over again, and sometimes love hurts". And boy, did it hurt! Those 'neighbours', finally have something to shout about and we must standup and congratulate them. For its not an easy title to win. When the two Manchester giants were knocked out of the Europa League, people questioned the quality of this league - for these people May 13 will forever be a reference point. Brian Kidd had said last year that "Mancini is a lot like SAF", i am starting to see why. They both have the same battling qualities, while for SAF these qualities came from his upbringing, for Mancini its a desire to prove that his achievements in Italy were no fluke.
But SAF stands out for his sheer dignity in the face of adversity. First, to inspire his troops to put in a professional performance at Sunderland, then to have the vision to use the experience of Scholes and Giggs and let them stay on till the final whistle. And lastly, to accept the result at the Etihad and then immediately lead his team to the away section to thank the supporters. Handling bad news with calmness and class, is what separates the great from the rest and SAF is among the greatest you get. For he knows, United's league performance is nothing to be ashamed about.
United have improved on their away form from last season. We have scored more goals than last season and kept a good number of clean sheets as well (a tremendous achievement given the absence of Vidic for large parts of the season as well as the retirement of VDS). But most importantly take heart from the fact that even in a season of great transition our crown has only be snatched away from us on goal difference. Remember this season, for a lot of our stars of the future have shown they are capable to play at this level. The much-maligned De Gea has showed since the turn of the year, that he is more than just a great shot stopper. For a young man from Spain, it would have always taken time to adjust to the physical side of the premier league, but he once he did - we could see what he was all about. Competition from Lindergaard would have surely helped, the Dane an unkown commodity at the start of last year - has been brilliant when called into action. Moving forward young Evans has shown his mettle - criticized after the derby defeat at OT - he has bounced back and been a rock at the back - and given the injury to Vidic, Utd certainly needed one. Smalling continues to improve and to see him and Evans defend so confidently at Arsenal in January made you realize that the future of our defence is secure. Jones is another youngster who lived up to his promise, for a 19 year old he has done exceptionally well to play wherever need in some really big games (and to think we thought he was going to be only a bit part squad player in his first season).
In midfield, had it not been for that Kevin Davies tackle, Cleverley might have scooped up a few player of the year awards. He is no Scholesy (but then who he is!), but he is a quick mover of the ball, a clean passer and a neat tackler. The way he started the season he added a new dimension to United's attack. Last season's loan spell certainly helped him. The same can be said about Welbeck, who has established himself as Rooney's first choice strike partner. For a tall lad, he has great ball control, and his understanding with Rooney is exceptional. Keeping Chicharito out of the first team is no mean feat.
With these youngsters as the crux of the squad, United's future looks in safe hands. Add to that the ever impressive Valencia and a more consistent Wayne Rooney - we have plenty of positives to take out. A lot of praise must be rolled out for Rio and Carrick - for they used their experience, raised their performances - and showed the way for the younger lot. And lastly, we got to see the magic of Scholesy and Giggsy on a football pitch again. Could the younger lot, need any better role models than these two.
Unfortunately, this is Manchester United and the bar is pretty freaking high. When you want to be different, you must be prepared to live by a different set of rules. So we have to admit the season was a failure in terms of trophies. But a decade down the line, this will be the season we will look back on and say 'we took two steps back to take a giant leap forward'. For now, City have thrown the gauntlet, we have a new kid on the block who is rich and tenacious. However, with the foundations United have in place, all we can say is "CHALLENGE ACCEPTED".
As Nick Coppack at manutd.com brilliantly wrote "sunday's events made us fall in love with football all over again, and sometimes love hurts". And boy, did it hurt! Those 'neighbours', finally have something to shout about and we must standup and congratulate them. For its not an easy title to win. When the two Manchester giants were knocked out of the Europa League, people questioned the quality of this league - for these people May 13 will forever be a reference point. Brian Kidd had said last year that "Mancini is a lot like SAF", i am starting to see why. They both have the same battling qualities, while for SAF these qualities came from his upbringing, for Mancini its a desire to prove that his achievements in Italy were no fluke.
But SAF stands out for his sheer dignity in the face of adversity. First, to inspire his troops to put in a professional performance at Sunderland, then to have the vision to use the experience of Scholes and Giggs and let them stay on till the final whistle. And lastly, to accept the result at the Etihad and then immediately lead his team to the away section to thank the supporters. Handling bad news with calmness and class, is what separates the great from the rest and SAF is among the greatest you get. For he knows, United's league performance is nothing to be ashamed about.
United have improved on their away form from last season. We have scored more goals than last season and kept a good number of clean sheets as well (a tremendous achievement given the absence of Vidic for large parts of the season as well as the retirement of VDS). But most importantly take heart from the fact that even in a season of great transition our crown has only be snatched away from us on goal difference. Remember this season, for a lot of our stars of the future have shown they are capable to play at this level. The much-maligned De Gea has showed since the turn of the year, that he is more than just a great shot stopper. For a young man from Spain, it would have always taken time to adjust to the physical side of the premier league, but he once he did - we could see what he was all about. Competition from Lindergaard would have surely helped, the Dane an unkown commodity at the start of last year - has been brilliant when called into action. Moving forward young Evans has shown his mettle - criticized after the derby defeat at OT - he has bounced back and been a rock at the back - and given the injury to Vidic, Utd certainly needed one. Smalling continues to improve and to see him and Evans defend so confidently at Arsenal in January made you realize that the future of our defence is secure. Jones is another youngster who lived up to his promise, for a 19 year old he has done exceptionally well to play wherever need in some really big games (and to think we thought he was going to be only a bit part squad player in his first season).
In midfield, had it not been for that Kevin Davies tackle, Cleverley might have scooped up a few player of the year awards. He is no Scholesy (but then who he is!), but he is a quick mover of the ball, a clean passer and a neat tackler. The way he started the season he added a new dimension to United's attack. Last season's loan spell certainly helped him. The same can be said about Welbeck, who has established himself as Rooney's first choice strike partner. For a tall lad, he has great ball control, and his understanding with Rooney is exceptional. Keeping Chicharito out of the first team is no mean feat.
With these youngsters as the crux of the squad, United's future looks in safe hands. Add to that the ever impressive Valencia and a more consistent Wayne Rooney - we have plenty of positives to take out. A lot of praise must be rolled out for Rio and Carrick - for they used their experience, raised their performances - and showed the way for the younger lot. And lastly, we got to see the magic of Scholesy and Giggsy on a football pitch again. Could the younger lot, need any better role models than these two.
Unfortunately, this is Manchester United and the bar is pretty freaking high. When you want to be different, you must be prepared to live by a different set of rules. So we have to admit the season was a failure in terms of trophies. But a decade down the line, this will be the season we will look back on and say 'we took two steps back to take a giant leap forward'. For now, City have thrown the gauntlet, we have a new kid on the block who is rich and tenacious. However, with the foundations United have in place, all we can say is "CHALLENGE ACCEPTED".
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