So Manchester United defender Patrice Evra was right all along. The Old Trafford University graduates made the Arsenal training centre schoolboys look like – well, schoolboys, in the top of the table clash which finished 1-0, should have been 2-0 and could have easily ended 3-0. Looks like the Training Centre schoolmaster Arsene Wenger needs to go back to the drawing board – once again! Meanwhile, Chancellor of the world famous Manchester United University of Football Sir Alex Ferguson can sit back and look forward to his approaching record breaking tenure on the weekend with a bottle or two of fine red.
Make no mistake, crucial encounters like the one at Old Trafford on Monday night are all about getting the three points, the winning margin is immaterial and above all else, knowing how NOT to lose is what counts most. The unbeaten run being so impressively put together by United may not be a spectacular one but the table shows that with the half way mark of the Premiership race fast approaching, Ferguson has his side two points ahead of the chasing pack with a game in hand.
That may or may not change with United’s visit to champions Chelsea on Sunday in what will be a red letter day for Sir Alex, an occasion when he will surpass the legendary Sir Matt Busby as the longest serving manager of a football institution. Whether United remain in pole position after that is immaterial, being on top of the ladder at Christmas means absolutely nothing unless they still have their nose in front at the end of the race.
It’s enough for Manchester United fans to enjoy a great Christmas however. Being in such a dominant position with the traditional assault on the title still to come in the second part of the season augers well for another memorable campaign.
The Old Trafford University under Chancellor Ferguson is still leading the way in English football – and shows all the signs of continuing to do so for many years to come.
How pivotal were the three points taken from Arsenal in the title race?
