Lesson Delivered

Well, could you write a better script for demoralizing The Middle Eastlands?

What a stunning last-gasp victory for United and punishing defeat for City. Oh the joy in footballing lessons delivered, eh Wazza, when City are made to watch Vidic lift the Community Shield. “Brilliant, that is!”, says The Boy Wayne.

First, let me digress for a moment with a true confession.

I watched the match on tape delay after spending the weekend at a beautiful cabin on a lake in central Minnesota. Our summers are short and we simply couldn’t give up the opportunity to truly get away. Private lake. No motorized boats. Ah, peace and quiet with good friends. And besides, I’ll have to duck-out on future weekends for much more meaningful fixtures during the EPL campaign.

Thus, watching in the evening, knowing the result’s bagged hours ago only adds another strange temptation into the mix, especially when City go ahead 2-0 without playing particularly well.

Part of me wants to fast forward through another repeat of last year’s FA Cup semi-final. Part of me can’t stand to miss a minute, as football hath finally started.

Thank God the Red Devils didn’t try to fast forward their way through this “meaningless” match.

Yes, you can use six subs in the FA Community Shield.

Yes, it’s the pretense to something much bigger and better to come.

Yes, it’s a one-off, "friendly" Cup, if you will.

Yet, it’s City for the love of God, and you just can’t imagine the noisy neighbors gaining any sort of confidence from this game. No way. No how.

Thus, it’s with much delight that I report I caught the match; including watching another page turned in United’s storied history books.

With the substitution of Carrick, Rio, Vidic , and later Evra, the average age of the United squad was reported at 21 or 22 years old. Remarkable. Today’s young squad outplayed the current version, hands down.

And all the more incredible, Tom Cleverly appears to hold part of the answer to United’s central midfield questions.

Today he impressed yet again with abundant energy, purpose, and creativity moving forward, after his very own MOTM performance against Barcelona’s albeit reserves.

Sometimes the best moves in football can be non-transfers, where the manager provides the time and space for youngsters to take the mantle.

Cleverly helped Rooney dictate play in the second half during a real derby match, which make this accomplishment all the more impressive. It’s still early days, but Fergie appears to have caught lightening in a bottle at the most opportune of moments, immediately after Scholes’ retirement, with this lad.

Speaking of electricity, we must give Nani his due, after his two goals clearly and rightly earned him MOTM honors.

Nani’s performance bodes well for the up-coming campaign precisely because he has taken the challenge presented to him by the addition of Ashley Young. No pouting at all from the gerry curled one. Only commitment.

Nani can be as mesmerizing as anyone on the planet out wide with the ball at his feat, but this isn’t new news, as consistency of decision-making robs this player of opportunities.

Yet, step-by-step Nani’s end product progressed noticeably this past campaign and during this summer’s pre-season. It appears he's finally got it, much to our collective relief.

Thus, United appear primed for another Premier League campaign, with a new influx of youth to a title-winning side.

Surly, with youth comes mistakes, but you can really feel the power that rests within this side, as United were quicker, sharper, and more decisive than their blue counterparts.

A gulf in class still exists in Manchester. Consider it a message delivered.

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Back at you after the Weat Brom match. Cheers.