#52 - Drama

After a first half of football that could have resulted in another blog like I posted in January 2010, United cunningly waited, like Homer Simpson boxing (pictured), for Blackpool to wear themselves out after going 2 goals ahead as well as squandering other chances to make a bigger margin. Blackpool even had a penalty denied by the referee before perhaps tiring themselves out.

Craig Cathcart, ex-United reserves captain, who for some reason never got a game and was sold for apparently 28x cheaper then Charlie Adam's corners (of which he scored from). MC GM DJ Campbell got the second after a clever flick-on (similar to O'Shea's assist for Berbatov's first goal against Birmingham) by the disappointing Darron Gibson.

Sir "Evergreen" Ryan Giggs - in a brilliant advert for his new fitness DVD - came on for Gibson for the second half, adding more to United's play. More than the very little of Gibson at least. It's harsh on Gibson, and I rarely like to get on a United player's back (except maybe when we had Kieran Richardson) but this surely has to be his last season to impress. Hernandez came on later for the below-par Wayne Rooney and not long after the goals for United began to flow. 71 minutes gone as Berbatov pounced on Fletcher's cross. Just 3 minutes later and Chicharito scored after an excellent bit of control from Ryan Giggs, who then put in the through-ball for Hernandez to score from. And in the 88th minute, Scholes ball to Berbatov, who stayed calm to smash it home. Not before 10 minutes of extra time, which many ABUs might refer to as "Fergie time" had United not already been winning at that point.

Rafael da Silva's serious looking injury, followed by extra sad close up camera shots of Fabio da Silva - isn't too bad. The brilliant youngster may only miss Saturday's FA Cup match against Southampton which he probably would have been rested for anyway.

It was important for United to get rid of one of the games in hand we've been so complacent about since the league table started looking so good after Chelsea's large blip. Putting us 10 points clear of Chelsea (although yet to play them, twice), 6 points ahead of Manchester City (with a game in hand) and 5 points clear over Arsenal. It's looking good already, but there's still a long way to go. Oh, and if you'd like to know, we're 22 points clear of Liverpool.

Danny Drinkwater has been recalled from Cardiff City. The United staff are apparently big on the young lad's talents, and loaned him to Cardiff to relinquish his thirst for first team football but he's only managed 12 appearances for the Welsh club.

In spite of United not going to sign anyone, we're still linked with dozens of players of the transfer window. Luc Castaignos from Feyenoord, and Romelu Lukaku (here by now always referred to as "Lulu"). In a slightly more surreal take, United (and other clubs) have been linked with two players from Galatico club Dulwich Hamlet. According to Sky Honestly-We're-Not-Sexist-Look-At-Our-Pretty-Female-Presenters Sports, Quade Taylor and Paul McCallum are both under the microscope for Dulwich's blockbuster game against that scummy lot over at Romford FC.Interestingly, the game will be played in the Isthmian League Cup, which is also the Championship Manager Cup. Meaning players who lift the trophy may well get a free copy of the game, which they can then sell in exchange for Football Manager instead.

So until the game against Southampton on Saturday let's turn our attention to Andy Gray and Richard Keys and laugh. We should laugh a lot. Although, in the mists of all of this, especially with Richard Keys' using the phrase "Smash It" many have forgotten just what Jamie Redknapp once said about Cristiano Ronaldo.

This blog has been brought to you by;

• Tooth ache and then good people of Nurofen.
  
• Feeling bored by FIFA 11.
• Annoyed to have been snubbed by the Oscars. Again.