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The Review Online
Manchester United - Dead and Buried?
14th November 2009
Following a controversial 1-0 defeat against Chelsea, Manchester United now find themselves five points behind the current league leaders. They will drop further down the league should Arsenal win their game in hand over the reigning champions. Despite it still being early days for this year’s Premiership campaign, will the gap prove to be too large for United?
Although Manchester United are notorious for starting slowly before leading an almost flawless run of results in the second half of the season, prospects are looking grimmer this year. Having lost the irreplaceable Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer, United now lack the flair and creativity to surprise their rivals, as shown by the performances against the big teams of the Premiership so far – defeats against Chelsea and Liverpool, and unconvincing, narrow wins against Manchester City and Arsenal.
Under Ancelotti, Chelsea boast a much more mature squad with players capable of winning matches single-handedly in nearly every position. With Anelka and Drogba scoring for fun and in the form of their life, Chelsea don’t seem like they’re going to drop one point, let alone five.
Similarly, Arsenal also brag impressive form of late. Having scored 20 goals in their last six Premiership outings, Arsenal have shown that on their day they can rip any team apart with their free-flowing football; and Fabregas’ 9 goals and generally outstanding form this season also show that he is now growing into the world class central midfielder that many fans dreamed he’d become.
It’s not all doom and gloom, however, for United. Despite some poor displays they’ve shown that they have the ability to win games even when playing badly, the sign of any true champions. Also, they matched Chelsea even with several key players missing, and if not for some questionable refereeing decisions, we could be seeing United at the top of the table.
If one thing’s certain, it’s going to be another exciting year in the Premiership!