I’m actually of the opinion, and have been all year, that United’s standard of play has been well down for much of the year (the second game against Chelsea excepted), and it was only in the last month or so that they started showing some semblance of the attacking verve of previous years. Think of all the one goal wins they ground out in unconvincing fashion, very unlike the United we know and love. That, and a few blips like the one against Liverpool, were what accounted for the superior goal tally from the scousers, which is unlike them. Think back to last year, just to the two games against Newcastle, for examples of what was really missing this year from United.

As well as Liverpool claimed they played this year, the fact of the matter is that United won the championship because of the poor standards of the opposition and the fact that the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal didn’t take advantage of the situation. Look at the poor patches Liverpool had, the dreadful state Chelsea was in under Scolari, or the way Arsenal got gutted due to injuries. Yet the first two didn’t finish far behind United at all.

Bottom line: I’ve never seen United amass so many points in a season (if they win tomorrow they’ll only be a point off their record total) yet do so in such unconvincing fashion. It’s been a real head scratcher of a season in that regard.

As for next season? Given everything I’ve said, I actually think United will street the opposition next year, given that they surely can’t put in another patchy season like this one. The likes of Rooney and Ronaldo (who looks like staying) should be approaching their playing maturity, Berbatov should finally have a proper pre-season to help him gel with his fellow forwards, Anderson looks ready to really blossom in midfield, and the new wave of kids (Rafael, Fabio, Possebon, Macheda, Wellbeck, etc) should benefit from the year’s worth of additional experience they’ve just received. On the other hand Liverpool can’t get any better with the squad they have, in fact they overreached this season, just as Arsenal did last year only to fall back this time around. The only serious challenges will probably come from the money Chelsea and City’s owners will probably throw at their respective teams during the off season.

2. Who gives a fuck what those dipper scouse bastards say. Win that Champions league.

I don’t know about the rest of you but god am I getting those butterflies hairs on the back of my neck thinking about wednesday.

thanks, mate.
the worrying point for me is 67 goals to 74. that’s really strange.
but if we talk about the number of points we’ve done ok. 87 points and our record number is 91, nope ? the standard of EPL is higher than it has been before.

You can rest assured that if Liverpool do win tomorrow while United draw or lose, the scousers will be out in force claiming a phantom championship win based on the old scoring system. After all, this is the same lot who suddenly decided in the latter part of the season, when it became obvious United were going to claim the championship, that Liverpool actually had claims to additional championships played out in the early part of the war, when so many men were taken up with the greater task of winning a far more important battle.

Of course, the fact that United will be fielding a near reserve side, having won the championship already, whilst husbanding its strength for the Champions league title game on Wednesday, will be beside the point as far as the Spanish waiter and his blinkered cohorts are concerned.

Oddly enough though, as far as some research I did a season or so ago is concerned, the 3 point system for wins would has made no difference to United’s results in the championship over the years, despite their much lauded reputation for playing an attacking and enterprising brand of football through the years. Were United to lose or draw this weekend while Liverpool win, it would be the first time that the 3 point system has worked to their benefit. I could be wrong on this and will happily stand corrected if someone proves me wrong. I am after all casting back to research I did about 14 months ago.