Ten and counting….

Manchester United snatched their 17th English title and the 10th in last 16 Premiership campaigns under Sir Alex Ferguson on the weekend. In one of the most thrilling Premiership seasons, Manchester United displayed their array of the young and the old in their 2-0 victory against Wigan. 23-year old Cristiano Ronaldo playing his 5th season in England scored the opening goal from the penalty spot thus increasing his tally for the season to an incredible 41 goals, while the coup de grace was delivered by veteran 34-year old Ryan Giggs who was playing in his 758th game for Manchester United equaling the legendary Sir Bobby Charlton’s record for maximum games played in the Manchester United jersey. Chelsea failed on the final hurdle ending their game to Bolton Wanderers at 1-1 and are also worried about John Terry’s availability for the Champions League final after his clash with Cech left him being taken off the field on a stretcher. And even though, Chelsea have a chance to turn this season into a special one if they manage to get the upper hand on Manchester United in Moscow, as far as the English Premiership is concerned few will disagree that the best team has clinched the title.
With 80 goals scored and 22 goals conceded, Manchester United have been sensational on all areas of the pitch consistently through the season. And even though they had one of their worst beginnings to the 16th Premiership season (2 points in 3 games), a run of eight successive wins after that and another run of six successive victories as they reached towards the end, coupled with Arsenal’s dismal run at the finish line pushed them closer towards the top. Chelsea stood firmly between them and the title of Champions, however, and a 2-1 victory for the Blues at Stamford Bridge tied the two teams on points with just two matches remaining. But there is no better team around Europe that knows how to get the job done than Alex Ferguson’s team and that is what they did in their final two matches of the season thus claiming back-to-back titles. The up-front trio of Ronaldo (31 goals), Tevez (14 goals) and Rooney (12 goals) have been nothing short of breathtaking most of the times, but the part played by center-back Rio Fedinand, Vidic, Evra and Hargreaves to keep the opponents at bay is of no less value. A team effort it truly has been and another feather on their illustrious cap they truly deserve….
A look at the manner in which the Big Four of the Premiership fought for the Premiership title.

On the final day there was another winner, one from London, the team of Fulham who completed an unbelievable comeback and will be playing Premiership football next season for the 9th consecutive year. Roy Hodgson indeed carried out a remarkable turnaround since joining the club in December 2007 when they were deeply rooted in the relegation zone. But three consecutive victories at the end of the campaign has pulled them out of the mire and ensured a great escape. Reading who finished eight last season are back into the Championship after only two years in the Premiership. And they will be joined by Birmingham City and Derby County who conceded 89 goals and managed just 11 points to earn the status of the worst team to have ever played in the Premiership. Everton clinched the UEFA Cup spot with a 3-1 win over Newcastle United.

In the end there are tears of joy for some, tears of sorrow for others, ecstasy for some, while pain for others, as yet another Premiership season concludes in style! Well done, Manchester United, the worthy champions of England!