The Devil In Me

The spirit of generosity is alive and well this Christmas time and the presents under United’s tree have been particularly lovely this holidays. If it hasn’t been our rivals dropping points, it has been a kind fixture list or a card happy ref. Truly ‘tis the season to be jolly.

Having said all that, the best give we have received was something we had all along, Dimitar Berbatov. The Bulgar is the only player in the league who takes a leisurely sip of cognac before scoring a goal, he is pure class and I love seeing him play. He himself is not to blame for the poor 2011 he has endured. Simply he has been a victim of Hernandez’s excellence.

The Mexican fared less well at Old Trafford on Boxing Day but it mattered little as we racked up an aggregate score of 12-nil for a week’s work. Not bad for a side who were being written off about five minutes ago.

The way United field teams is quite imaginative at times. All season long we have been hearing about a lack of midfielders yet in this fixture we had one playing at centre half. What’s more we finished the match with five forwards on the field including one Wayne Rooney playing passes from the centre. 

Dimitar Berbatov

The more you look at it the more our dressing room looks like a collection of footballers rather than a collection of specialists. One might suggest that improves the team ethos around the place if everybody is ready to pitch in where necessary.

Wigan were horribly unlucky with the sending off. It can only be considered a harsh decision although I doubt it robbed them of a comprehensive victory they are entitled to feel aggrieved.

There are others in this league who are likely to feel distressed as this year draws to a close. There is an argument to say that City, having played brilliantly all season, deserve to be more than goal difference in front. Whatever.

Liverpool and Chelsea have also had a tough week of it. This concerns me greatly as there is now the distinct possibility that I might die laughing. My guess is that the impartial neutral would like to see Spurs finish top of the league and I would heartily agree they are an entertaining side.

This New Year though, United are still right there in it. Hope you are all enjoying your holidays.

Follow Mark on twitter.com/markjpayne

There are many fond memories for me at Loftus Road. I was fortunate enough to be there for wonder goals from both Cantona and Giggs and once sat in front of George Best at the ground. This weekend, Michael Carrick of all people added his name to an illustrious list.

This would not be the first time a previously maligned player has made me eat a slice of humble pie. Carrick has got pretty short shrift from me over the years but it must be noted that he has been one of our better performers this season. In addition, Johnny Evans played very well in west London and one can only hope this proves to be a watershed moment for him.

There appears to be quite a lot of water passing under the bridge between Sir Alex and Roy Keane at the moment. I read both the manager’s programme notes last week and this Sunday’s interview in the Times. The whole situation is very disappointing.

Fergie has done unbelievable things for Manchester United, but he is not a perfect human being. Keano has done incredible things for Manchester United, but he is not a human being. It doesn’t surprise me in the slightest that they are rubbing each other up the wrong way.

However, I would far rather they weren’t bringing us fans into it. As a Manchester United supporter I do not want to be drawn into a ‘who do you love more’ debate about the two of them. If this situation was playing out in my personal life between two friends I would refuse to pick sides and probably give them both a wide berth until they calmed down. That’s just me though.

It’s good to see an in form Antonio Valencia in one of United’s wide berths at the moment. He plays well with Rooney and the early goal here was, I hope, part of an on-going partnership.

Alas, further back on the field Patrice Evra is starting to look every one of his 106 years. He has been a great player for us but now more than ever we need a fit Da Silva twin to step up to the plate.

Still, ‘Crisis Club Manchester United’ are doing alright at the moment. It is, as always, a busy Christmas period coming up. During the next month though our fixtures look a lot nicer than those of our main rivals. This weekend though, I am just delighted we didn’t lose any more players and put more points on the board. Who knows, things might even be looking up…

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Sometimes it is difficult to tell exactly what is governing our emotional responses. All I can tell you at the moment is that I am not overjoyed with what I am seeing from United. Whether this is because the current side is poor, is playing poorly or simply a wider malaise in society is at work I am not sure. Either way, things ain’t right.

It was horrible seeing Chicharito fall to the floor at the start of the game. Get well soon Javier, let’s hope the injury is not as bad as it looked. He is the guy who has been scoring the majority of our goals recently so it is particularly bad news. Wherever Rooney plays from now on he’d better have his scoring boots on.

United’s level of play cannot afford to drop any lower. Whilst this certainly hasn’t been a vintage week for the club, it is nice to collect another three Premier League points and another clean sheet. We are however, hugely indebted to how lousy Aston Villa were.

Despite Fergie’s protestations prior to the match, if I were a Villa fan right now I would be seriously unhappy. They were abject and clueless in a home game against opposition who had just lost to a lower league club. Aston Villa are the fifth most successful club in the history of this country. They should have had a go and didn’t.

United were little better and instead of winning by the healthy margin all of our main rivals posted at the weekend we stuttered over the line. The club are still on course for 90 points this season but I am a football fan not a mathematician. The games are simply a little turgid to watch right now. There is zero chance of my support and faith in the club or the manager wavering but the glum observation remains the same.

We have had it very good for a long time as United fans yet, if there is one regret I have from the last 20 years, it is that I was too nice to the City fans I know. At the moment they are being intolerably smug. Their fixtures over the next eight weeks do look pretty gruesome though, so perhaps some points will get dropped somewhere.

In the meantime of course, we face the citizens in the FA Cup third round. This is the kind of draw that can only focus the attention. Off the top of my head I can’t remember when United last went out of the cup at the first hurdle. It definitely doesn’t happen often and I definitely don’t want it to happen this year.

Another thing it would be nice to avoid is crashing out of Europe early and in ignominy. Our performance at St. Jacok Park against Basle this Wednesday will decide the outcome of our fate on the continent in this year’s Champion’s League group stage. The Swiss are surely going to be a sterner test than Villa and if we don’t buck our ideas up we’ll be humiliated. Sorry to be glum, but right now, our performances give me few other emotions to display.

Follow Mark on twitter.com/markjpayne