United have seen their eight point gap cut to three- with Manchester City next. They couldn’t blow it, could they?
Even Manchester City fans and players had given up hope after their miserable Easter Sunday.
Mario Balotelli’s red card appeared to symbolise the implosion of a side that many felt had the title sewn up.
United went eight points clear, bookies BetFred paid out on a 20th league title, and fans started printing commemorative t-shirts.
Much is made of Kevin Keegan cracking on live television back in 1996, and Newcastle United blowing their 12 point lead.
This would surely be worse, and far more embarrassing.
The reasons here are two-fold.
The Magpies 12 point lead was in January, and United slowly ground them down.
United’s eight point was opened up in April, after Easter, at a time when it should have been unassailable.
Secondly, Newcastle were a talented, yet inexperienced side, full of players and a manager who had never won a title before.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United side have no such excuses.
And after Ferguson himself rattled on and on about ‘experience’ and how it would prove decisive in this year’s title race, it would be the ultimate embarrassment if they surrender their title now.
Not only that, but he would see their ‘noisy neighbours’ Manchester City win their first title since the later 1960s.
This fear of failure and embarrassment might just make United more determined not to let it slip from their grasp, but at the same time it may just inspire City that little bit further.
There are still plenty of twists and turns to come we are sure, even after the Manchester derby, with City having to travel to Newcastle, and United facing Sunderland.
Either way, it will go down to the wire, and former Manchester City boss Kevin Keegan would surely ‘love it’ if United slip up
image: © edwin11
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