Back down to earth

Just in case any of us were getting carried away with two wins and seven goals, we were promptly brought back to earth by another soporific away performance. I probably wasn't alone in being optimistic about the possibility of us securing a point, but by the hour mark it was clear that I should have stayed in bed. The 2-0 scoreline flattered us enormously and it could well have been another hammering in Lancashire with some more clinical finishing from United.

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect was conceding a goal so close to half-time (though I suspect it wouldn't have changed the overall outcome). As with the Arsenal game, we looked relatively comfortable until a soft goal changed the entire context of the game, forcing us to be more expressive thus leaving gaps at the back. However overall we were lightweight and off the pace, none more so than recent starlet Jerome Thomas who barely got a touch.

Having been comfortably beaten by Liverpool, Arsenal and now Man Utd, a decent tally of 18 points from 14 games implies what most of us probably already knew ie. we are in a mini-League of ten or so teams, with the most optimistic outcome being 5th place and the most pessimistic 15th. It has all become rather boring in truth but the gap in wealth and resources within the 'Premier' league makes it entirely unsurprising.