United Need To Comply Or Die!

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Middlesbrough 2 - 2 Manchester United

This was a game United were expected to win, but one they could so easily have lost. If that had happened the Premiership title might have gone with it! As it is, the draw could just be good enough, but that is by no means certain with Chelsea knocking at the door. United have potentially hard games to play against Arsenal, Blackburn, and Chelsea, so it could all depend on their game at Stamford Bridge on the 26th April.

True to the script, Cristiano Ronaldo put his side ahead after 10 minutes. A Ryan Giggs corner was centred for the Portuguese wizard to nab his seventh goal in six matches, and his 37th in all competitions this season. Recalling that Boro' are fourteenth in the Premier League you might have thought that an early goal would have knocked them for six. However, they came back strongly with Aliadiere and Alves, in particular, making their presence felt. Brazilian, Alves, is settling in well and his persistence was rewarded, in the 35th minute, when he cleverly slotted a ball from Aliadere past Van der Sar to level the scores.

United now had a fight on their hands and tried to respond after the break. But it was Boro' who remained the bigger threat, and in driving snowfall, the ball came off Aliadere's head to Alves, who smartly put it away, in the 56th minute. Not bad these Brazilians are they - even at £12.5 million a throw! He could have got his hat trick but Rio Ferdinand was available to clear off the line, after 59 minutes.

The game appeared to be slipping away from United, when Sir Alex seemed to decide that enough was enough. He replaced Tevez with Park, O'Shea with Hargreaves, with Pique coming on for an injured Ferdinand. All credit to the United team, who responded well to their manager's changes, which paid off, when Wayne Rooney levelled the score in the 74th minute.

There is little doubt the Boro' had the Premier League leaders rattled. They would have been even more so if they had lost. Sir Alex aptly summed it up in stating that it had been a great game of football. With Chelsea snapping at their heels there is no room for complacency. United will need to be at their best to secure back-to-back Premiership titles. In a sense they will need to Comply or Die, until they are past the winning post, just like the Grand National winner!

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Middlesbrough Vs Manchester United
soccer and football
Middlesbrough Vs Manchester United