VIEW: United vs Birmingham City (a). 1-1

Going into Tuesday's game, I decided to cast my mind back to last season's fixture. Why? Because I'm sadistic like that!

For those who don't remember it, I don't blame you. Dull, uneventful and wasteful were probably the best words to describe the 1-1 draw at St Andrews. However as a representation of our season, it was probably as significant a game as any. We consistently struggled last term - rather than going for the more conventional, sporadic 'drop-in-form' - and in the away game against Birmingham in January, which came six days after our embarrassing FA Cup home defeat at the hands of League One Leeds United, we demonstrated exactly why we were unable to win an unprecedented fourth title on the trot.

All the words I have used to describe our season in 2009/10 - dull, wasteful and struggle - applied to that game. And if it wasn't for our third top scorer, O.G, equalising with half an hour of play left, we would have recorded what would have been our eighth defeat of a meagre season (another viable adjective there to throw into the mix). An average game. A nothing game. There will be 15-20 more like it in a season. And whether the result is a bore draw like that one, or a 'won by not getting out of second gear' style victory, they are all the same in terms of performance. But, perhaps more obvious than many people realise, it is these, the run-of-the-mill, unmemorable games, that have the most significant and underestimated impact on the season.

Last year, thanks to this draw, we were able to take the title to the wire, and as much as our four draws, seven defeats and many more unconvincing performances shouldn't have, the Championship would have been ours had Chelsea not beaten Wigan in the last game.

As for this season, its all much of the same...except to a more extreme level than many ever anticipated. The main reason you could argue that United were able to still be in the race right to the end of last season was Chelsea's inability to walk away with it, and in turn our ability to capitalise on the poor results by others. And now, although we have won only one of our seven away games, we are in a shockingly comfortable position that we really shouldn't be allowed to be in.

Sorry, make that one win out of eight away games! The uneventful encounter at St Andrews was once again, however this time more heartbreaking than last season was the final minute Birmingham equaliser (the fifth time this season we have lost the lead) that was also completely illegitimate. Although our unbeaten status is still intact, it was a horrible way to end a game that was routinely withering and was going to be deservedly remembered for Berbatov's 15th of the season instead of more dropped points on the road for United.

However to conclude the match report in such a negative manner would ignore my ample and rather irrelevant pre-blurb about the previous season! As the inevitable (inevitable for this season, anyway) happened and United, somehow, got away with it. Again.




Arsenal, playing the might of newly promoted West Brom, also dropped points. And although citeh and Chelsea won their games this week, the reasons as to why such an average and often wasteful United side, a side unbeaten yet almost incapable of winning outside of Old Trafford, are being allowed to prosper and appear solid is being established week-in, week-out. More points are being dropped and will continue to be dropped. And as long as the number of points United win are either matched or worsened by our title challengers...does it really matter if the style of football we play is, yet again, dull, uneventful and wasteful? I think not.

Last season was fairly poor to say the least. And this season, the football we are playing is of a worryingly similar standard. However, because our head is down, because we are not letting the staggering loss of form of last seasons best player affect us, and because we are able to enjoy and benefit from the points lost around us, you feel that the words 'unbelievable', 'freakish' and 'number 19 and that's a fact!' will be ones used to summarise this season.