UPS AND DOWNS

 

 

Well it wasn't quite the Xmas period yet but everyone was saying that this was when was when United should be going through the gears. That we should expect a long unbeaten run stretching into the second half of the season. Slight problem - we found ourselves getting battered by injuries - and Chelsea were already five points clear of us at the top of the Premiership table. My preseason sense of foreboding at the Reds attempting to be the first English team ever to win four league titles in a row was possibly being borne out. However, we still had football matches to play and see how many points we could pick up in seemingly impossible circumstances.

First up came West Ham at Upton Park. No proper defence? No real problem. It was the Hammers that were on the back foot for most of the first half and though they held held to start with, Scholesey opened the scoring just before halftime. After that though, the Hammers had no resistance. Gibson made it two, Valencia three and then just when the Hammers thought we were done, Wayne joined the party right before the end. Well, given the way the Hammers tend to give us a headache at their place this was a seriously impressive result and it gave Chelsea a lot to think about. Was now the time to believe the hype? Still too early to tell.

Next up came Aston Villa at Old Trafford. Well we had a few of our guys return to full fitness but it was Martin O'Neill's crew who opened the scoring through Gabriel Agbonlahor. We had no intention of lying down but certainly couldn't find an equaliser before half time. Our over-defensive starting lineup wasn't working so we were going three up front before the end of the match. United's attacking play got nowhere this time around though. It was Villa's first win over United at Old Trafford since 1983! I suppose I have to give some credit to Villa for their general performance this season but still, it's rare that anyone leaves our turf with three points. Annoying.

Elsewhere, Chelsea weren't doing so well. First up, they lost 2-1 to Man City at the City of Manchester Stadium. Then they drew 3-3 with Everton at Stamford Bridge. I think Ancelotti needs to train their defence a bit better. In the meantime Villa were already on form coming into their match against us, having already grabbed a 3-0 win over Hull at Villa Park with two of the goals grabbed before half time in a dominant display. That leaves United still 2nd in the Premiership, now three points behind leaders Chelsea while five points ahead of Villa who have risen into a Champions League preliminary spot. Despite our bad form we're still well in the mixer.

North of the border, Aberdeen were in SPL action. However it didn't go so well. First they got hammered 3-0 by Celtic at Celtic Park with the Dons cause not being helped by the fact that they finished the game with ten men. Then came a 2-1 defeat to Hamilton at Pittodrie. The visitors led at half time and though the Dons were able to equalise the Accies came back with what has to be a seriously embarrassing result for Mark McGhee's side. Still, the Dons remain 6th in the SPL, nine points behind Dundee United and a Europa League spot and just two points ahead of Hamilton and the bottom half of the table. They could do with breaking out of the nosedive.

Back south of the border and down a few levels, L1 Leeds faced BSP side Kettering in an FA Cup 2nd round replay at Elland Road. Luciano Becchio opened the scoring for the sleeping giants and a reality check for the non-leaguers were on the cards. However Kettering once again proved a stubborn side and Anthony Elding equalised and though theoretically Leeds should have buried their opponents, their goalie had other ideas. The whistle blew on the second half with Kettering having bought themselves another lifeline. Extra time would be needed to settle a contest that was already proving to be one of the stories of the round.

Leeds continued to have the attacking edge in extra time but again the Kettering defence held firm and it looked as though this Cup fairytale might go on for even longer than it was already, despite it being one-way traffic. However eventually Kettering crumbled and Mike Grella gave the home side the lead. Tresor Kandol them sealed the game but by that point Leeds were in steamroller mode. Grella adding his second before Jermaine Beckford finished things off. In the end, Leeds got the result they were looking for but the final scoreline did flatter them quite a bit. Credit to Kettering for giving them such a rough ride but ultimately they're journey's over.

So, next up is the 3rd round and MUFC lock horns with Leeds at Old Trafford. A Cup fairytale? Depends on your definition of fairytale. This will be their first meeting since Leeds dropped out of the Premiership in '04 but the Reds and Whites do traditionally have one of the more uglier rivalries in English football. Still, the Whites have been emaciated by the money men and though they may be L1 leaders, you have to say that the Reds will win this rumble. Elsewhere, Brentford face Championship Doncaster at Griffin Park. This is not an unworkable tie for the Bees, particularly at home but given their league troubles I'm not overly optimistic for my old local side.

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