Done and dusted. Despite a muscular second-half effort, Chelsea were simply outplayed at Old Trafford. The Premier League engraver can start practicing his lettering now.
United’s devastating opening, established by a typically slotted finish from “Little Pea” set the tone for a first-half showing that stamped on any plans Chelsea may have had to assume control. The second from Nemanja Vidic exploited the superiority; Frank Lampard’s second-half prod amounted to a nice little bonus for his Fantasy owners, but little else.
Congratulations must go to United on a commanding display but the neutrals amongst us will need to move on swiftly. Fantasy Managers must now consider the impact of today’s “settlement”.
United will go to Blackburn next weekend requiring just a point. Chelsea must go full tilt against Newcastle and hope for the best. Gameweek 37 is still on then – rotation shouldn’t be a major factor.
While next weekend looks stable enough, the final gameweek is now in flux. United will face Blackpool at Old Trafford, six days before they take on Barcelona in the Champions League final. Ian Holloway’s side will surely need a result from the match – United will likely just require a clean bill of health.
Owners of Wayne Rooney now have a major dilemma. Feasibly, Rooney could help spank Blackpool’s behind on their way to the Championship, but it seems unlikely. Given the circumstances, we seem set to witness the languid talents of Dimitar Berbatov against the Tangerines; possibly for the last time in a United shirt. Rooney will likely play some part but it could be just to soak up the applause and parade the trophy. Counting on Rooney to earn minutes and fetch returns looks a risk. With no goals or assists in his last four league games, the decision may already have been made.
We need to assess the United situation carefully – if Ferguson’s lineup against Blackpool can be anticipated, there’s every chance that there will be heavy profits on offer. Berbatov could even be a factor, Nani may come back into the equation. While United effectively ended the title race with today’s performance, they’ve thrown us Fantasy Managers a late curveball on our own quest for glory. It’s far from over around these parts.
