Manchester United’s Week From Hell

It was coming. It was definitely coming. A week ago Manchester United sat top of the Premiership and within touching distance of the Champions League semi-final. But in the space of seven crazy days, Manchester United‘s hopes of silverware have taken a massive blow to the jugular.

When Bayern Munich‘s Ivica Olic scored an injury time winner in last Wednesday’s quarter-final first leg, Manchester United fans held their breath in disbelief. But it wasn’t the sight of Van der Sar conceding a late goal that had silenced the Red Devil faithful. Rather Wayne Rooney‘s physio-assisted departure from the Munich pitch had everyone associated with the club in a dither.

With the business end of the season in full-swing, Wayne Rooney‘s absence has created question marks during a time when stability is the safest road to glory. Are Manchester United a one-man team? Who will step into the void? When will Wayne Rooney return?

The visit of Chelsea to Manchester on Saturday proved too much too soon for Sir Alex‘s exhausted ensemble. With the injured Rooney failing to make the grade, Chelsea‘s superior energy levels exposed the home team’s lack of attacking invention. Notwithstanding a series of shameful refereeing blunders, Chelsea deserved the victory and subsequently leapfrogged their rivals into first place. With alarm bells ringing, cue Sir Alex‘s hairdryer treatment.

But it gets worse. Desperately apparent against Chelsea was the fact that Dimitar Berbatov is not the man to fill Rooney‘s boots. So Sir Alex put in motion the next best thing – a half-fit Rooney. Sticking to a strict regime of non-stop physiotherapy, oxygen healing tanks and pain killing injections, Wayne Rooney returned to United‘s starting line-up for yesterday’s quarter-final second leg against Bayern Munich.

A one-nil win would have put Sir Alex‘s side through to the semis and having gone 3-0 up against the Germans with an hour to play you would have bet your car that United would see the tie out. Not so. A strange chain of events unravelled, first allowing Ivica Olic to score Bayern‘s opener from the most acute of angles and then seeing former Chelsea winger Arjen Robben (great when he plays, rarely plays) strike a dagger through the heart of United‘s European dream with a stunning volley.

But the damage might not stop there. During the 55th minute of yesterday’s match, Wayne Rooney felt a recurrence of his ankle injury and was substituted. (Incidentally, United were on their way through to the semis when Rooney limped off.) With tricky trips to Ewood Park and the City of Manchester stadium up next, Manchester United‘s week from hell doesn’t look like ending any time soon.

Fans watch Wayne Rooney's season and Man United's go down in flames