Champions United show no mercy to doomed Blackpool

IT WAS a rousing send-off fit for kings of Europe. Whether Alex Ferguson’s side deliver against Barcelona on Saturday remains to be seen, but the countdown to Wembley is well and truly underway.

With a record 19th domestic title secured the previous week, the focus was on events at the other end of the table. By sending Blackpool back to the Championship, United played their part in what was a gripping last day relegation battle.

Yet one statistic was lost among the heartache and tears shed by supporters of Blackpool and Birmingham on the most dramatic conclusions to a Premier League season.