So much for "crisis"

Manchester United is not in crisis and has not been in crisis at any point in the last few years since their last Premiership title. A team in the top 5 of the most widely watched soccer League in the world can never be said to be in crisis. And really, why all the talk about a crisis at Old Trafford? Sure, exiting the Champs League and drawing with Everton in the same week is less than ideal. But hardly a crisis.

Want to talk about crisis? Go have a chat with Harry Redknapp down in Portsmouth or poor old beleaguered Mick McCarthy and his seemingly doomed Sunderland outfit. These are teams elbow-deep in crisis.

Man Utd has had a rough time of late. That's about as apocalyptic a pronouncement as anyone can and should make about the team. Results in the Champions League have not been ideal, but their league form is more than decent. They had a bit of a kerfuffle over the Roy Keane thing, but this is one player in a squad brimming with internationals. I think they can survive the loss, and the repercussions of Keano's MUTV interview. As they proved this morning with a 4-0 trashing of Wigan, reports of their demise have been grossly exaggerated.

In the same spirit, Arsenal is not in crisis, despite their recent losing streak. They will survive the season with Premiership status guaranteed, which is more than can be said for many other teams at the wrong end of the table. They are still in the Champions League and still favoured to seal up one of the top 4 spots in the Premiership. Let us not forget that their two losses were to Boltin and Newcastle, two teams that have some reason to believe themselves capable of mixing it with the big boys. It is not a disgrace to lose to these teams. NOT a crisis.

Soccer is so transient that the prophets should really refrain from pronouncements of doom. Not too long ago, Frank Lampard was off-form, Chelsea was facing a player revolt, Everton was doomed to relegation and Charlton was second in the table. It's not even Christmas yet and see where they are now.