Ruthless United leave Rafa feeling shirty
The temporary stage in the centre circle at Old Trafford, where United’s jubilant players had stood to collect their medals, had long been dismantled and tickertape lay scattered on the damp surface along with remains of fireworks used to celebrate Alex Ferguson’s latest blue riband achievement.
All was quiet inside this vast arena but, outside, it was a different story.
Reluctant to leave the scene, thousands of fans were milling on the concourses as they digested their team’s third successive title success, many drinking champagne straight from the bottle while others headed for the souvenir stalls in the surrounding streets eager to invest in something to remember another momentous day in the club’s history.
The 18th title tops were already printed and doing a roaring trade yet there was another garment which was selling twice as fast.
This T-shirt did not even feature Ferguson’s face on it or the names of any of his outstanding players, who have once again proved themselves superior to any of their rivals over the last nine months .
The shirt United fans wanted most did not include the names of Matt Busby, Bobby Charlton, George Best or any other of the club’s long list of legends.
Instead it featured the face of a sombre-looking Spaniard with a long list of words next to it, affectionately known in these parts as the ‘Rafa Rant’.
Like many football observers, United fans believe that the day Rafael Benitez took a handwritten list of grievances from his jacket pocket and proceeded to launch a public character assassination on Ferguson back in January was the day Liverpool’s title challenge died.
United were seven points behind Liverpool at the time, albeit with two games in hand, and Benitez had also declared that if the Merseyside club were top at Christmas – as they were – they would be 80 per cent of the way towards a 19th title.
Benitez insists he does not regret the outburst but a close look at the club’s respective squads should have told him he ran the risk of hubris.
Of course, it would be wrong to suggest Ferguson’s 11th title in 23 years at Old Trafford was achieved on the back of another man’s ramblings.
United are champions for the third successive season because they have the best manager in England, the best players in England and the best work-rate in England.
But no one doubts that Benitez got his timing all wrong when he dared to launch a war of words with Ferguson, for it provided the long-serving Scot and his side with an added incentive to defend their crown with a game to spare.
With the 2008-09 Premier League under lock and key in the trophy cabinet, Ferguson was offered countless opportunities to rub Benitez’s nose in it on Saturday afternoon.
What was the defining moment of the season? When did you realise you had won the title? What about Liverpool’s challenge? The questions kept coming but Ferguson remained dignified and refused to bring up the ‘Rafa Rant’.
And why should he? This was not a day for grudges. This was a day for his players to marvel in their latest achievement, enjoy the plaudits before setting their sights on another coveted prize and another record as they look to become the first side to successfully defend the Champions League.
It is five years since Arsenal last won the title and it could be another five years before they win it again judging by the inconsistency they have shown this season. Yet Arsene Wenger’s side deserve credit for the way they made United fight right up to the final whistle.
As the scoreline indicates, this was not a classic and failing to win at home for only the third time is not the way Ferguson planned to wrap up the league. But United had done all the hard work earlier.
The scruffy win at Portsmouth back in August, the seven-goal thriller with Hull, the derby win at Manchester City after playing with 10 men for the final 22 minutes, the narrow home victory over Wigan in January, pretty unspectacular results to the untrained eye at the time.
Yet without them, the joyous scenes which erupted around Old Trafford at 2.42pm on Saturday would not have happened.
Then there was the seven-match winning run after others had dared write them off following back-to-back defeats to Liverpool and Fulham in March.
In the end, it did not matter that United failed to beat Arsenal, that Cristiano Ronaldo, the Premier League’s leading goalscorer, was not at his best, that Edwin van der Sar had to make a fine late save to prevent Cesc Fabregas from spoiling the party.
What does matter is that Ferguson, who turns 68 in December, has no intention of quitting in the near future, Ronaldo insists he is happy at Old Trafford and that the future of Carlos Tevez will be resolved by early June.
Now that really is enough to have Rafa ranting.
REFEREE: Mike Dean (Wirral) 6 Left Old Trafford with the satisfaction that the biggest boo of the afternoon was reserved for Ferguson – not the referee – for daring to substitute cult hero Tevez.
MATCH RATING: *** Considering what was at stake this was never going to be a classic – and it wasn’t. Credit to Arsenal though for keeping everyone on the edge of their seats right up to the end.
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