Manchester United can never accuse rivals of choking after letting Manchester City overtake them.
As February rolled into March, Manchester United became increasingly buoyant.
They saw City’s grip on the title slip and slip, letting them back in it and opening up a chasm of an eight point gap.
Confidence turned into arrogance and complacency struck.
Complacency, bottling it, choking, whatever you want to call it.
Never in Premier League history has a side let an eight point gap slip with five games remaining.
United have gained just four points from the last four games, losing their footballing identity along the way.
Experience was the buzz word Ferguson said would win them the title, offering little explanation for their late collapse.
It can only be put down to over-confidence, tactical errors, and having an unbalanced squad.
Patrick Vieira was right, Manchester United were desperate to bring Scholes back.
It was an inspired decision, but also a desperate one, brought about because of the lack of a driving force in the club’s midfield.
The past month will be a chastening one for United and all their fans, and likely one of the worst Sir Alex Ferguson has endured, with the fact Manchester City are the benefactors from their collapse making it even worse.
There is no getting away from the fact they have bottled it.
United still revel in Newcastle’s 1996 collapse, well this is more intense, more sudden, and coming from a more experienced side.
The title was thrown away in the 20 minutes against Everton where they let the 4-2 lead slip, and it will haunt them just like the final day ay Upton Park in 1995.
If City chuck it away now, United will get a reprieve, and a title they hardly deserve.
Should it happen, City themselves will go down as the Premier League’s biggest bottlers.
If not, United will deserve the humiliating tag more than anyone in recent history.
Watch City fans celebrate their crucial victory below…
– Why have United collapsed so pathetically? Was it over-confidence?
image: © nasmac
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