Let me start by saying this: I didn’t watch the match, and I am thankful I didn’t, as a 0-0 against a side like Blackburn is about as welcomed as a fart in church. But with that said, a third consecutive clean sheet IS welcomed, as is a 500th appearance as a Red from Captain Fantastic, Steven Gerrard.
Recent quotes in the media by Gerrard make me kind of sad, however. He recently stated, “I am not a legend… not now.” I get what he is trying to say, but it is so depressing! He wants to win a title first, but Stevie… you would be a legend even if we finished 5th or 6th every season. You have scored spectacular goals, have picked up a mediocre team by the scruff of the neck and won trophies we had NO BUSINESS winning, and you have been one of the best players of the new millenium. Not just one of the best, either… probably THE best when you really get down to it.
But not all fairytales have happy endings, or storylines, and this particular milestone moment for him underlines just how unusual this season has been. It seems as if in the past few seasons, we would have won this match, or that David Ngog’s strike from six yards would have nestled into the top of the net instead of careening off of the woodwork. Like I said, though, I didn’t see the match and cannot commentate or analyze it.
When you accidentally see a scoreline, like I did this time when I was at work with the match being taped at home, it often tends to spoil your day, and I honestly cannot think of a time this has happened to me when the scoreline was in my favor. Usually it is a loss, or a tie, or something where I’m thinking, “great… not only is it spoiled, but now I won’t want to watch it!” Whenever this happens, though, I have to remind myself that watching it would have been worse, and that it wasn’t my fault… and as fans, we are often far too superstitious! Am I right or am I right? 
Anyhow, we are now 7th in the league with just 24 points after 15 matches, which puts us on pace to accumulate approximately 60 points by the end of the season, which generally places you in between 4th and 6th by year-end. This season, though, seems to be shaping up far differently than a typical campaign, with quite the gulf between the “almosts” and the “relegation dogfighters.” The likes of Tottenham, Aston Villa, and Manchester City are giving it a real fight, and are much closer to the top 4 than normal (if not already within it!) and will probably change the typical figures required for European qualification. And to be realistic, that is all we should be hoping for in this already disjointed and injury-interrupted season. Manchester United are going through an injury crisis, which has been well-documented, but ours is worse in my opinion because of who has been injured as opposed to the quantity of injuries. The pre-hamstring-injury Torres had scored 10 goals in his first 12 matches, a feat that not even five-in-one-match Defoe cannot boast… nor Wayne “Everyone Kisses My Arse in the Media” Rooney (though I have to admit he is an excellent player). Without Torres, we struggle. Simple as. Not to mention Gerrard’s injuries and having to be forced into playing when not entirely fit because an unfit Gerrard is STILL better than the alternative.
Injuries aside, it is time to start getting results, and I believe with Aquilani being given his first start tomorrow at Fiorentina, and with Torres coming back into action, that we will regain our winning ways. Three straight clean sheets is certainly progress, and hopefully we can put a run together. Starts at home to Fiorentina, though, and we cannot look too far beyond that. My prediction is that we’ll win 2-0, thanks to our fantastic duo of Gerrard and Torres.
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