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Will it Turn Topsy Turvy for United?
Between December and mid-March it looked as though this season was going to be the greatest story of Manchester United's long and illustrious history.
The club were proudly sitting as Champions of England, Champions of Europe and Champions of the World with many bookmakers believing the club could walk away with every trophy they were left competing for.
Tottenham Hotspur were defeated on penalties in the League Cup final to start United off in the hope of a domestic treble and in the Champions League, the Special one was dispatched in such a manner that would have been unthinkable in Jose's prime and pomp.
Manchester United have lost out on nothing yet and this season could still be the greatest ever but the wheels are threatening to come off the Red Devils bandwagon in the most spectacular fashion.
Sunderland Up Next for United
Next up for United is a trip to the Stadium of Light to face a Sunderland side whose season could be compared to a Katy Perry song and we don't mean the one about kissing girls.
Hot and cold has been the soundtrack to the season for Sunderland with the team flirting between relegation zones to the outskirts of European places and back again in a shorter space of time than it takes a young female pop starlet to make her name and then disappear from the pop charts.
Yes, this seasons English Premier League has been crazy with the way the bottom teams have concertinaed together but Sunderland have been one of the more inconsistent sides. Their fans will revel in the defeat of Newcastle United but will bristle at the manner with which Roy Keane walked out on the club and will despair at the amount of money that was wasted on average players who haven't proved their worth.
One thing that could improve the outlook for the average Mackem, apart from Alan Shearer taking Newcastle United down to the Championship, is to defeat Manchester United and to manoeuvre their own club away from the relegation dogfight and local rivals Middlesboro and Newcastle.
In Ricky Sbragia, Sunderland have another hard-faced, tough looking Scot like Alex Ferguson but that is pretty much where the comparison ends with Sbragia being considered a softer touch, especially when compared with Roy Keane. Sbragia will need to inspire some fire in the stomach of Sunderland players but if any inspiration is needed, it will surely come in the fact that United are not as invincible as they looked merely a month ago.
Kenwyne Jones and Djibril Cisse have not the heights that were expected of them in this campaign but both are still a handful for any defence and given the shakiness of United at the back, could be able to exploit any nerves.
Can United Win in Portugal?
Another reason why United may be vulnerable to a Sunderland attack on Saturday is that the Red Devils will surely have one eye on their second leg Champions League quarter final tie against Porto.
United have to win in Portugal or draw by a minimum of 3-3 or draw 2-2 and win on penalties to maintain their dream of being the first club to retain the Champions League. Any one of they scores is a tall order and no English side has defeated Porto in Portugal in a competitive match. If the omens are not looking good for Alex Ferguson and his side, they will at least point to the fact that they are World Champions and that no result should be impossible for them.
It is also impossible to deny that Manchester United are looking extremely shaky and although Porto snatched a late equaliser at Old Trafford, it was the very least their attacking sense of play deserved. Porto took the lead and were fully in control of the game before a disastrous mistake by Alvez allowed Wayne Rooney to nip in and level the score. The hard working Tevez looked to have given United a lead for the Portuguese trip but Old Trafford was stunned as the Portuguese champions levelled the tie at 2-2 and their two away goals could be the deciding factor.
Everton Could Give United Blues at Wembley
And the tricky ties do not stop there for United as they return from Portugal to face Everton at Wembley in the FA Cup semi final. When this draw was made, only the most fervent of Toffees fan would have suggested that the Blues would make United blue but now, who knows?
Fatigue may well be a factor and Everton boss Davie Moyes will have a full week to focus his players on the task at hand. This ability to concentrate fully on the Wembley tie may give Everton the edge in what is likely to be a close affair.
The last time these two sides clashed at Wembley was an FA Cup final when Everton pulled off a shock by beating United 1-0 in a scrappy game. Everton fans will not care how poor the quality of the game is if they are smiling at the thought of returning to Wembley in May for a cup final day out.
In just under two weeks, United could be looking at a season left in tatters or they could be considering a return to form with the struggles of March and April being merely a blip. With so much hope and expectation having been placed on United by their fans and the media, anything less that complete domination will be considered a failure by some. For more realistic United fans, the league remains they key objective as this would see them pull level with Liverpool with regards to domestic league titles.
Long Way to Go
Before Alex Ferguson's glorious period coincided with the emergence of the Premier League, not even a United diehard could believe it was possible to emulate Liverpool's achievements so quickly and this is what surely drives Alex Ferguson on.
Chelsea's destruction of Liverpool at Anfield indicates that Rafa Benitez hasn't turned his team into an invincible force just yet so there is still reason for optimism and hope at Old Trafford but the Red Devils really need to focus on their own team and cut out their own mistakes. After all, you can't rely on a debut making 17 year old to dig you out of trouble every single week.
by Andrew Reilly
for The Silver Circle at www.footballtip.co.uk
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Dear Greg,
I've been a member since July 2003, maybe one of the first to join the Silver Circle.
2004 was a good year but I really enjoyed the long run we had in, I think, July 2005. It was exhilarating! 2006-2007 was not as exciting although still quite profitable and so far 2007-2008 looks quite good. I'm wondering if we're going to hit a long one again soon. Anyway, it's been a pleasure as always with your service, Greg. Armstrong and you are one of the few people I trust on the internet. You have made my retirement so much more fun and financially happy!
Best Wishes, Trent Wrayford, Sidney
