Category: Champions

Paul Scholes is expected to make Sunday’s game with Swansea more emotional that in it was already going to be, by announcing his retirement from football. This is of course the sequel to his first retirement, which hit United fans in May 2011 to unhappy reviews and this time it is expected to stick. There had been rumours of a coaching role with the incoming manager David Moyes when the current Everton boss brings Pip Neville back to the Theatre of Dreams on his staff (employed staff, that is, not some sort of long stick thing with Phil sat on it).

It marks the end of a quiet few months for Archie, when news broke that he would not be included in the squad to face Real Madrid in the first leg, Given to Score was first to break the news that he was off buying a kitchen. It is perhaps fitting that a man who spent most of his career happy to be in the background, bows out in the last home game under Sir Alex Ferguson, whilst the spotlight will be on Fergie, the midfielder may think he can sneak off without being noticed; Manchester United noticed you, Paul and in a week where thank you seemed woefully inadequate, I’m afraid it’s all we have.

Thank you for your contribution, thank you for coming back, thank you for Port Vale in the League Cup, Bradford, Man City and all those magical bits in between.

He may have preferred life out of the spotlight but thank heavens his football put him in it.

One last thing, no-one else is allowed to retire now. Has anyone checked Ryan Giggs’ contract? Is it signed? That’s what they said about Mark Hughes and then we found out there was pension issues and he leaves for Chelsea. Even if it’s signed, get him to go over it.

No one else is retiring, surely the kitchen isn’t that nice!

GTS

SAT in the car on the way to Old Trafford last Monday was the first time in a long time I had absolute confidence in Manchester United. I mean simply, I didn’t anticipate Aston Villa throwing any spanner into the works. I had a feeling Manchester United would not let them do so on this night. There were no thoughts of well if they score first we will score two, and we’ll get there eventually… last week I had a feeling we would destroy Aston Villa and enjoy doing so.

For a long time we have not been playing for title, it’s been ours, it’s just a case of when we were going to be confirmed Champions. The ‘keep ticking matches off’ mentality was beginning to do my head in if I’m honest, so I’m glad the maths got really easy and it looks like the team think so too: win this match, win the league. Sorry, Villa, you didn’t stand a chance.

Continue reading “Arms Aloft”

IT may be me out here on this limb by myself but I think that winning the Premier League title, should we do so, may lose some of its gloss if we limp over the line like a pathetically wounded gazelle instead of striding away like a magnificent stallion. Some may be happy just to win, but it looks like we’re dragging ourselves across the finish line. Believe me, I waited to write about this, I waited through an epically painful International Week and one or two  games either side to see if the team proved me wrong and I’m sure you can guess where I am going with this; they didn’t. Two nil up against Chelsea and the collective foot comes off the gas, worst still; we’ve not been cutting edge since those goals went in.

Continue reading “Out of Gas”