United Ends Season In Style

Manchester United 4 - Blackpool 2
Scorers
Manchester United: Park (21), Anderson (62), Evatt (og 74), Owen (81)
Blackpool: Adam (40), Taylor Fletcher (57)


Team: Van der Sar, Vidic (Rooney 84), Evans, Rafael (Smalling 46), Evra, Scholes, Anderson, Fletcher, Park (Owen 63), Nani, Berbatov

We finished the season in style with a convincing win against a dogged and feisty Blackpool and with a tinge of regret, sent them back down to the Championship. Blackpool had deserved more for their enterprising style of play but were eventually found wanting at the final hurdle.

The game itself was an awesome spectacle. Blackpool came in knowing that they needed the points to have any chance of survival while in keeping with the integrity of the game, we had to field a team strong enough to compete.

It all started well and dandy for the away side but they squandered two early opportunities before Park latched on to Berbatov's true ball to lift the ball over Gilks and into the net. The celebrations were muted and almost apologetic. Blackpool was not the type of team you root against.

To their credit, they never hung their heads and came with renewed endeavour and eventually found an equalizer via a Charlie Adam freekick before the break.

The game was thrilling but what was more thrilling were the side plots that were emerging from all the current scores at that point from the other relegation candidates. At one point it seemed like 4 teams were stuck on 40 points and goal difference would be the deciders.

Blackpool got their reward early in the second when Taylor-Fletcher gave them the lead and sent their crowd into raptures. Even the Old Trafford crowd were applauding their efforts.

Unfortunately, their joy was shortlived. Anderson scored his first Premier League goal of the season to draw level for the home faithful. To compound matters, Evatt then diverted Smalling's cross into his own net. It was painful and cruel for a team that won the hearts of many during the course of the season.

As Blackpool pushed men forward to find the points for survival, Owen, coming on as a substitute, came on to punish Blackpool with a 4th to effectively seal their doom.

After the game ended, both Ferguson and Van der Sar came forth to address the crowd before the trophy celebrations. I missed most of it as I was busily scrambling to check the scores of the other games. Long story short, we lifted the trophy for the 19th time and now look forward to Neville's testimonial on Tuesday and more significantly, a battle against Barcelona in the Champions League on Saturday.

19

Blackburn 1 - Manchester United 1
Scorers
Blackburn: Emerton (20)
Manchester United: Rooney (pen 73)

Team: Kuszczak, Rio, Vidic, Fabio (Scholes 62), Evans, Carrick, Giggs, Valencia, Nani (Berbatov 81), Rooney, Hernandez

The title says it all. We finally knocked Liverpool off the fucking perch. Let's hope we keep it that way in the years to come.

This game was anything but a walk in the park. We started off well and Nani hit the crossbar early in the game, but we didn't score and Blackburn took advantage of Kuszczak's poor keeping to score 20 minutes into the game. With Van der Sar leaving at the end of the season, Kuszczak probably himself out of the team. It was a jittery performance of epic proportions and we were lucky to not to be down more with some dodgy handling and poor decision making.

Once Blackburn got their goal, we never really looked like scoring. In fact throughout the game we looked second best for most of the night. Most the the threat came from Blackburn while we laboured to create chances against a parked bus in front of the goal.

The breakthru came from the most unlikely source. Hernandez broke free of the offside trap and was fumbled over by Paul Robinson, resulting in a consultation between the referee and his assistant. The decision was a somewhat harsh penalty. Whilst the ball was running away from Hernandez after a heavy touch, Robinson did bring him down. Rooney took the responsibility and smashed the penalty home to our 19th title.

The remaining time was spent by both teams settling for the point and mucking around with the ball.

Hernandez was no doubt the player of the game if not the season. He's determination and goals this entire season has brought us to the title. And it's a title to cherish in more ways than one.

Firstly, as mentioned earlier, we knocked the scousers off the fucking perch. Secondly, we did it with a somewhat thin looking team on paper. What carried us thru was the whole mental setup Ferguson has instilled in the team. At the start of the season, I would never have expected us to be anywhere near the title challengers, let alone win it with a game to spare. Of course it helps that all the title aspirants managed to somehow fuck up along the way, but take nothing away from the mental strength of this team.

Irregardless of how the Champions League plays out, this has been a special season.

Epic!

Blackpool 2 - Manchester United 3
Scorers
Blackpool: Cathcart (15), Campbell (43)
Manchester United: Berbatov (72, 88), Hernandez (74)

Team: Van der Sar, Vidic, Smalling, Rafael (Anderson 80), Evra, Scholes, Fletcher, Gibson (Giggs 46), Nani, Rooney (Hernandez 66), Berbatov

What a game! As a football fan, you can't ask for more. 100 minutes of football, 5 goals, an epic comeback! The only downside was a worrying injury to Rafael who spent a good 5 minutes on the ground with a suspected concussion and subsequently sent to hospital. Word out is that he should be fine which is a relief.

This was literally a game of two halves. The first half was a downright diaster. Barring Van der Sar, no one played an average game. Everyone was rubbish. Credit however has to go to Blackpool who brought the game to us. They were absolutely brilliant and their hardwork paid off with two good headers from corners. It was nothing more than they deserved.

At the end of the half, I had already resigned to defeat, half wishing we had the type of fight and endeavour Blackpool showed. I was almost glad that our first defeat would be to add to Blackpool's wonderful fairy tale story so far. They really impressed me and believe me, I'd be rooting for them the rest of the season. Good, hardworking, honest team.

The thing here about United is that you can never write us off. We just never backdown, never give up. And today's game is the biggest indication of our desire not to go into the night with our heads hanging down.

The Giggs' subsitution at the half was inspirational. As Blackpool began to tire, we began to stamp our authority on the pitch, and really piled on the pressure in the last 30 minutes of the game to not only draw level, but to take off 3 points.

As industrious as Blackpool were, we showed that the game is played for 90 minutes. The Tangerines gave too much in that first half rampage and left themselves totally exhausted in the last quarter of the game, completely exposed to our pressure. Berbatov grabbed a brace and Hernandez's goal in between those gave us an unlikely win. In the added 10 minutes for Rafael's injury, we looked the most likely scorers and Blackpool were almost, sadly, reduced to walking pace. They had given their all, but in the end, it wasn't enough.

The win moved us 5 points clear at the top of the table. It also marked only our third away victory in the league this season, which is clearly not good enough for a team with title aspirations. Anyhow, I'm feeling alot more relaxed with this win. It was a great game and a real down and up experience. A great way to start the day!