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WE CAN DO IT AGAIN !
m4m - Tue, 26 Dec 06 :
oh wot an excellent day ;)
only comes on for half the match and collects the champers yet again.
TB / Flack
It's not in your hands anymore i.e. we still have to go to your place and you could win all your remaining games yet are not guaranteed to be crowned champs.
Jewell: Title Race Too Close To Call 26/12/06
Wigan manager Paul Jewell has predicted a Premiership title dead-heat between Manchester United and Chelsea.
Four days after his team suffered injury-time heartbreak against Chelsea, Jewell saw the Latics go down 3-1 to Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Not for the first time against one of England's 'big four' Wigan held their own for long spells.
But, as on every other occasion, they ended the contest empty-handed as Cristiano Ronaldo came off the bench to spark a second-half blitz that allowed United to claim a four-point advantage at the top following Chelsea's unexpected failure to beat Reading.
"It will be a dead heat," said Jewell, when asked who he thought would emerge as champions in May.
"Today Manchester United were better than us in all departments. They are a brilliant team, who play magnificent football.
"We plugged away in the last 20 minutes but United had taken their foot off the gas."
Jewell admitted the introduction of Ronaldo changed the course of the contest.
The young Portugal winger, one of five big names left out of Sir Alex Ferguson's starting line-up, replaced Darren Fletcher at half-time and headed United in front with his first touch 69 seconds after the restart.
Ronaldo then drilled home the rebound after Chris Kirkland had saved his penalty, before Ole Gunnar Solskjaer rammed home a third just before the hour mark.
However, along with Ronaldo, Jewell identified Wayne Rooney as the major source of United's present power.
Rooney did not have the best of games in front of goal, wasting three gilt-edged first-half opportunities before blasting against the crossbar near the end.
However, it was Rooney's dash back to defence when Wigan tried to break forward when the contest was still goalless which really caught the Latics boss' eye.
"Cristiano Ronaldo is brilliant," observed Jewell.
"Not only is he quick, he is also a fantastic footballer. He is good in the air and he lifted the crowd.
"But Rooney was amazing as well. We had a three-on-one situation when he got back to clear. The lad does not know the meaning of the phrase 'lost cause'.
"The difference between being good, very good and world class is desire. He has that in abundance."
Although Ferguson claimed Darren Fletcher had done nothing much to deserve being hauled off at the break, the United boss admitted he could not afford to waste any time launching a concerted assault at the Wigan goal.
Desperate to take maximum advantage of Chelsea's surprise slip-up at Stamford Bridge, Alex Ferguson turned to Ronaldo and, for the second time in four match, he netted a brace.
"I had a feeling he would change the game," said Ferguson.
"We needed a quick response to what happened in the first half and Cristiano is in such great form, it was an obvious move.
"He lit up the crowd and got us two goals, which is just what we were looking for."
After attacking Mourinho for his bold claim Chelsea would be top on Christmas Day, Ferguson now knows whatever happens this weekend United will be the ones who see in 2007 at the Premiership summit.
Eight title-winning campaigns have generated too much experience for Ferguson to start shouting from the rooftops himself, although he does anticipate both title rivals will stumble a few times before the outcome is decided.
"No-one is getting carried away at this club," said Ferguson, whose own team host Reading on Saturday without suspended duo Paul Scholes and Nemanja Vidic.
"What we have done is prove we can bounce back from results like the one at West Ham.
"I know Jose said we would drop points but I don't think he realised his team will be dropping some as well.
"That is the nature of football. It happens to all sides. Overall, you just hope to get the consistency you need to win it."
Caption:
MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM - DECEMBER 26: Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United after scoring his second goal during the Barclays Premiership match between Manchester United and Wigan Athletic at Old Trafford on December 26, 2006 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
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