Fratton farce puts title hopes in melting pot

THIS is a Europe-free zone today and not just because I am writing before the Roma match kicks-off (literally or figuratively).

As ironically, Paul Scholes said on the morning of the ill-fated first leg, it’s the Premiership that is his and his teammates bread and butter, not the “bonus” of the Champions League.

That “bread and butter” is suddenly looking rather rancid coloured after the humiliation at Fratton Park. Last week I had an email from a reader chastising me for even mentioning Shevchenko’s challenge-extending stunner at Watford and suggested I drop the caution and “embrace United’s inevitable title”.