After another round of matches,we find ourselves at the half way stage of surely a historically weak Premiership. What do we find?
Incredibly, the Mancs find themselves within two points of the top of the table, despite being not a patch on the team which won it last season, despite selling the World player of the year in the Summer, and despite having the whole back four other than Evra injured. It's amazing to me how they've done it, they aren't even a very good team never mind a great one, yet here we are with the distinct possibility they could overtake us in league title wins.
Despite comfortably being the best team in the division, Chelsea seem hellbent on giving it away. After a good start Ancellotti worries me, and it appears he's worrying the Chelsea players as well. Constantly mentioning how "tired" they are after "so many matches in quick succession" gives me overwhelming feelings of deja vu, and seems to be now filtering through to their players as inevitably it must. Previous managers of the same team would probably have talked about how the FA were "desperate for Chelsea not to win it" and were doing everything in their power to put obstacles in their way. Those same managers would have moaned that the football establishment was lined up against his team, but would have assured all and sundry that it made no difference, the best team wins the league and Chelsea are the best team. It worked for him anyway.
Arsenal are now within range too. Despite being powder puff down the centre of defence and despite having a goalkeeper who our own Leon could give a run for his money, they are right in the mix. They sold their best striker and best defender in the Summer, have their best striker still at the club inured for the whole season but still are right in with a shout.
Meanwhile we are long since out of it. Long since have we lowered our sights, looking for that top four slot. Our rivals aren't currently the Mancs, Chelsea and Arsenal, but are Villa, Tottenham and Man City. The more optimistic amongst us won't hear of the possibility of us finishing below Birmingham, Fulham, Stoke etc, but we are still in a four way dogfight for fourth spot. We could still conieveably finish in seventh spot, even if we do see off the challenge of mighty Birmingham and Fulham.
How did it ever come to this? How does a team which includes Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Pepe Reina, Javier Masherano and the like find itself in such a jam? Will we ever forgive if this Manc team, with all it's vulnerabilities wins the league? I know I couldn't, not in a million years.