Fergie will not be doing any favours
WHEN Sir Alex Ferguson sits down to pick his team to visit Hull City for Sunday’s season finale, you can rest assured that the plight of Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough will not be entering his thought process.
With the Champions League final against Barcelona just three days away, you can perfectly understand Fergie being deliberately selective with his squad. But then again, if he picks a team which doesn’t resemble a United side – much like he did in the FA Cup semi-final against Everton – then you would have sympathy for the north-east trio who need United to beat Hull to boost their survival bid.
We seem to debate this every season, but the fact is that with the Premier League title in the bag and the Champions League final looming, United’s is a pretty unique situation and it would be wrong to pass judgment until the team has been named.
Whatever is said, however, you can guarantee Fergie won’t care a jot, or be persuaded either way. He, quite rightly, will have one focus, and that’s selecting a side to defend the Champions League trophy in Rome on Wednesday night.
To be quite honest, after watching Hull lose to Stoke last Saturday, I really can’t see Phil Brown’s men beating whichever United side is in front of him. The Tigers look dishevelled and lacking in confidence, and I have a feeling that one more defeat on Sunday could spell the end for them.
In order for Sunderland to go down, two teams below them would need to win and I really can’t see that. For me, Middlesbrough look to have too much to do and I can’t see them beating West Ham anyway, leaving Newcastle and their tricky trip to Villa. Call me an old romantic but I really can’t see Alan Shearer going down. I think Newcastle can get a draw at Villa Park and stay up by the skin of their teeth.