Manchester United Off the Hook Again

Filed in archive Premier League on January 5, 2010

Last week when Liverpool travelled down the M6 to Birmingham, a city plagued with almost 3 weeks of deep snow, the decision as to whether the players should go on and play in the treacherous conditions there was left up to the referee, who made the call less than an hour before KO when all the players had already travelled. And yet, when Man Utd have no further distance to travel than across the city, the call to postpone their Carling Cup tie against Man City, a game which all the City players and football fans across the world were clearly ready for, has been made more than 24 hours before KO.

How, when it could have been left to the last minute even without making the players travel, did the FA see fit to make this call? For an average wage of around £150,000 you would expect the players could take a little snow. But, rather predictably, only days after a truly embarrassing and humbling defeat at home to Leeds Utd in the FA Cup, this match which surely City were favourites to win in the mind of any thinking fan has been called off, yet again giving Utd the time they need to get more players back to full fitness. This is more than a little reminiscent of the postponement of two matches last season, when both Rooney, Ronaldo and Ferdinand just happened to be injured.

Off the hook, again, Ferguson?....