Waking up this morning to check the results (Saturday afternoon games kick off about 4am here) the one thing that leapt out was that Manchester United have racked up yet another 2-2 draw. Reading more to learn that they threw away a 2-0 lead...at home...to West Brom, and the over-riding conclusion was that Alex Ferguson will not have been a happy bunny.
The fact that Chelsea were held by Aston Villa and so have not extended their lead is some comfort, but this is very un-United. The teams with whom they have shared 4 goals are not exactly stellar rivals either, but lesser lights of the Premier League; teams they would usually expect to take 6 points from over a season and crush into submission from a position of 2-0 up.
It may well be a little bit Neejurk to suggest that they have big problems. United are notoriously slow starters, and many years have looked shaky coming into Autumn only to put on a ludicrous winning run from Christmas onwards, to make fools of anyone who forecast their demise a few months before. That being said, it is impossible not to notice the current slump.
With their talismanic leader Rooney in all kinds of trouble (he has been a shadow of his best since his injury in March) and a reliance on two midfielders with a combined age of about 89, it is clear that United are not - on paper at least - the terrifying prospect that they were throughout the 90's and 00's. But they are still Manchester United and, crucially, they're still Alex Ferguson's Manchester United. The current habit of throwing away winning positions will surely not continue because if nothing else, those players will be getting almighty grief from their boss. And no-one likes that.
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