With J Hutcherson -- For those of you that missed Hull City's game against Manchester United on Sunday, it was pretty much as expected. For all the talk of changes at and near the top of the Premier League table, Hull basically gave us the standard account.
We had the near miss (Seyi Olofinjana in the 28th), the questionable call (United's Patrick Evra should've been sent off), and the mistake (Hull's Andy Dawson putting the ball into the back of his own net in the 73rd). Or, to put it Hull manager Phil Brown's way, all of that and an earlier penalty that wasn't called.
"To get one penalty against Manchester United is a blessing, to get two in the same game I think would be a miracle. But yes, it was a penalty in the first-half."
Hull exposed their keeper too many times. They made just enough mistakes. They also gave up their first goal in what was an almost perfect breakdown of what they was showing. For any club, that sends a clear message. Stick to this style and you will lose.
To Hull's credit, they adjusted. Unfortunately, that's where the depth and talent level of a Manchester United really shows. Wayne Rooney had as much of a reason as anybody on the field to be frustrated with his performance, yet he was the difference for United.
It's not a question of United looking like the better team. They didn't. Brown's post-game comments weren't grandstanding for the sake of the home crowd. His squad performed well enough to get a result against most of the clubs in the Premier League. They were even good enough to take points off a top four club if they caught a few breaks.
Straight up though, it simply wasn't happening. United were first choice at too many positions. Unlike Hull, they corrected their breakdowns rather than relying on reflex saves or simply trying their luck. For all of the time United manager Alex Ferguson spends drifting toward the fourth official with something on his mind, they also weren't going to leave three points to referee discretion.
Whether or not this ends up on the highlight reel for how to get a result when things aren't working as planned, United put on a show of their own on Sunday. They showed the basic difference between a team good enough to expect better than 19th-place and the climb out of the relegation zone and one challenging for yet another title.
United have shown that they won't be dropping points to non-contenders without a very good excuse. Their worst game of the season with close to a first-choice eleven was also the only game they've drawn. Their losses aren't instructions for how to beat United.
This time around, we could have a Premier League champion with more than five losses. That hasn't happened since the 2000-01 season when United won with six losses. No team has won the title with more than six losses since the switch to a 20-club league. As unenviable as it might seem, United are in position to change that.
At the wrong end of the table, Hull gets to refocus for another attempt at their fifth win of the season. Their last win was the third week of November, a turnaround month where they beat Stoke City, drew West Ham, beat Everton, and then drew Manchester City. With that City result exhibit A for what Hull can do, this is quickly becoming a season of real rather than rhetorical disappointment.
On TV
EPL on Fox Soccer Channel: Spurs - West Ham United at 7:30am and Blackburn - Sunderland at 10am. On Setanta: Chelsea - Fulham at 10am and Everton - Burnley at noon (10am on Xtra). On ESPN2: Wolves - Manchester City at 2:30pm. All Times Eastern
Europe
Maurice Edu aiming for treble after win sets up Rangers for crucial week -- from The Herald's Michael Grant: "It would be a continuation of what is going on."
No sympathy for Mark Hughes as fans buy into Manchester City's new look -- from The Guardian's David Conn: "It's the nature of football now."
Celtic vulnerable to crosses from opponents and raids from rich English clubs -- from The Telegraph's Roddy Forsyth: Hence the foreboding among the sorely depleted ranks of home supporters.
Dear Jeff Stelling, Sepp Blatter and Phil Brown, thanks for the memories -- from The Independent's Sam Wallace: Good job no one believed them at the time.
Americas
Part 2: A vision for the future of MLS -- from Soccernet's Jimmy Conrad: Here are the two questions that acted as the driving force behind my proposal.
Many memorable moments on the pitch in '09 -- from The Miami Herald's Michelle Kaufman: "There is a way to treat people."
What makes a good MLS referee? An inspector speaks -- from The Examiner's L.E. Eisenmenger: "A referee without an ego will never succeed."
CONCACAF's ups and downs in '09 -- from FIFA.com: For nearly two decades now, USA and Mexico have been virtually indistinguishable at the pinnacle of CONCACAF’s football.
Comments, questions, solutions to problems that have yet to present themselves. Please, tell me all about it.
