Still Following the Trawler

I don’t really know where to begin. I don’t really know why I’m even bothering with this to be honest. But I’ve hidden away from it all day and as much as I thought it would help to mentally remove myself from the realities of last night, it really hasn’t. So here it is. It arrived, and then, somehow, we forgot how to play. Nothing happened, nothing went right, a performance didn't even occur; and then we lost. Convincingly. Dethroned and embarassed. But it was all unquestionably our fault, and only our fault. I fully, completely and utterly deny any talk of Barca being ‘amazing’, ‘scintillating’, ‘incredible’ and ‘spell-binding’ (all words I’ve read describing them last night). Barca were good, at best, but the big difference was that Manchester United were awful. That is why they looked good and that is why they are European Champions. Not because of Xavi’s passing or Iniesta’s outstanding vision and play-making, and certainly not due to Messi’s God-like football presence (NB: I&

This is it. 10 hours to go till our boys line-up like gladiators in the Colosseum. Hungry, prepared and ready for battle. The ultimate decider. The ultimate prize. The European crown. This is it. I am already feeling sick with nerves, but i have faith. Good luck my stars. Millions of Reds are with you tonight. This is your time to shine. This is the one. 'Sent to me from heaven...you're my world'. BELIEVE.

As the season came to a close at 6pm on Sunday night, I couldn’t help but think that it all ended up a bit anti-climatic. What I’ve realised, this season more than any other, is that the season is not so much about your final position, well, technically it is, but more so than that all important points total, its about the moments that get you there. For the teams who had a memorable season, they will remember the good times (Liverpool: 4-1 against United; Arsenal: Arshavin at Anfield; Chelsea: 4-1 at the Emirates; Fulham: 1-0 Arsenal, 2-0 United; and Everton: the cup final), and for those who have had a season to forget…well, then they will try there hardest to forget it. The season therefore is about those moments: the ones that, as a fan, emotionally effect you, and on the pitch, those crucial victories, powerful team performances and individual strokes of genius. Where you end up is just a culmination and result of these moments. The way you end it may in fact, as was witnessed in

My lovely, tolerant girlfriend knows me and understands me better than anyone in the world – eccentricities and all – and somehow still decides to like me, after seeing me struggle and slowly over-come possibly the hardest moment of my life: the end of the Sopranos box-set. The loss and utter devastation I felt after completing episode 86 a couple of months ago is indescribable…but blatantly I’ll give it a try! It was kind of like discovering, falling in love with, and finally embracing into every part of your being, the most perfect, custom-made-for-you thing…and to then have it taken away from you. You knew it was going to leave you, that was always the deal, yet even when you were completely aware (i.e. approaching the end of season 6) you were still not ready. Nothing can really prepare you for the horrifying void created at losing your true love.....Wow! It got a bit weird there…any who, I suppose my point is that I really liked the Sopranos and was a bit gutted when I fini

Done and dusted with a game to go. THATS the united way. Here are my key moments in the league, the ones that made me (and everyone red) smile, cry and sigh in utter contentment at being the best. Again... 10 18th February. Fulham at home. 3-0 The result of this game-in-hand put us 5 points clear as ten days earlier we claimed top spot (and stayed there till the end of the season) with a 1-0 win at Upton Park; youngster Ryan Giggs showing that he can still anialate defences without the need of a Vieira assist. Not the most memorable game, but truly special for those who witnessed that other whipper-snapper Paul Scholes pass the ball like Jesus Christ. Also Berbatov scores the goal of the season. 9 11th January. Chelsea at home. 3-0 Our one and only win against the other 'top four', but this solid, comfortable and fairly flattering result (for Chelsea. It should have been 5) showed for the first time this season that we truly have what it takes to retain our title. 8 21st April

SHOT Tevez's goal. Fletcher's looping, perfectly aimed pass; Berba's sublime touch (noone better in the world at it); and the shot, from 20-yards, to match the build-up. He had a point to prove after some 'EXCLUSIVE' tabloid news emerged today suggesting he's about to leave us (a scarily real prospect, regardless of how real the story is). SAVE Van Der Sar's against Petrov. Beautiful shot (only 1 on target), utterly top corner-bound before the ridiculously agile Dutchman (38 yrs old!?) rose effortlessly to tip away. MAN : Rafael. Had £34million Robinho right in there all game (I'm pointing to my pocket). SITE Tevez celebrating in front of the bench (above). 'Fergie, sign him on!'...seriously. WHINGE Ronaldo. Grow-up, child. You knew EXACTLY what was happening, and so did we as the camera's were on you just before being subbed...so why the petulance? (Almost) enough to ruin a perfect derby win and again raise unnecessary questions and conc

Well there you have it: after about 75 clear-cut penalty shouts and 1 single, stinging shot on target for Barca , Chelsea are out. Am I happy that they lost? Definitely. Am I happy that we have Barca in the Final? Hmm . I celebrated like a psycho when Iniesta belted it into the top corner (an absolute beaut), but is this what I, and therefore Man United, actually wanted? At least the extra motivating agenda of 'Chelsea and John Terry getting revenge' is wiped out, but then Chelsea we know. As a result, we know that we can beat them. In terms of the way they line-up, they are almost identical to the team we annihilated at Old Trafford (minus Alex, who would have missed the final). But Barcelona can pull out all sorts of unexpected stops. They can pass, keep the ball and shoot better than anyone (2 out of 3 of those were proven over these 2 legs); but then again, so can we. It'll be interesting; probably not exciting, special or spectacular. Just interesting.  Possession w

Here it is. My no.1 (2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10) favourite things for the merry old month of May... 1. Almodovar and post-unification German cinema - Living and breathing it for 10 more days 2. Brighton - Camden's classic punk-cool mashed-up with a twist shoreditch's urban townhouses...on-sea 3. The 27th... 4. Rooney - modern day Gazza/Bobby. Has completely come into his own on the left, just in time. 5. Piers Morgan - where the HELL has his GQ Interview gone!?!?! 6. My knees - took a bit of a bruising after my run the other day, making me realise how special they are. 7. This Sunday (10th) - Manchester derby. Win this and we're 4 points away. 8. Redman - earlier stuff...of course! 9. The Wire - OK, I'm blaitantly a shameless trend-follower as I havn't actually watched a single episode, but I DO own Series 1. It's still in it's glossy plastic shield and knowing it's there waiting for me after my revision helps a stupid amount 10. Ronaldo - See below

To quote my hero Ron Burgendy, I am in a glass cage of emotion. Although Ron, sorry, Lord Burgendy was most definitely not referring to waking life as a Football and/or Manchester United fan, He is the worlds greatest prophet of life and wisdom; to question this absolute powerhouse of knowledge would therefore be foolish and ignorant beyond belief. This divine being knows and can tell you EVERYTHING you ever need to know about everything: the ladies, diversity (a Spanish ship), San Diego (Def: a whales vagina), hair, sharp suits, scotch and jazz-flute. Football, you’d assume, has to come somewhere in the mix of it all; however after tonight, in fact, after a month of immensely proud, powerful and ridiculously determined performances by United, I feel the worlds greatest living philosopher has perhaps, only this once, maybe, just slightly, undermined the sheer magnitude of how this stunningly beautiful game is able to alter your emotions. (for those of you who are at this point thinkin