Letter to the blog

Below is a letter from a reader of this blog who goes by the moniker, A Diehard MU fan.

Blame yourselves, not sue MU

By A Diehard MU fan

Apparently relegation candidates Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Sunderland have threatened to sue Manchester United if the Devils field an under-strength team against Hull this weekend. By doing so, Hull may grab a point or three that will condemn three teams into the Championship next season.

Paragraph E20 of the EPL rules says each team in the league must play their strongest team in every match. No team was reported breaching the rule but this doesn't mean that no team has broken it before. The top six teams have been doing it season-in season-out by resting their key players during weekend EPL matches ahead of mid-week European games. So why pick on MU? They might as well sue all the top six clubs.

With the Champions League final less than a week to go, Fergie will not expose his star players to injuries and risk failing to retain the European crown. Not for Toon, Boro and the Black Cats, at least. And the three teams could lose 30 million pounds of revenue each if they are relegated.

Having won the league, Barcelona fielded an entire second team last weekend with Samuel Etoo the only recognisable player. Pep Guardiola is expected to do the same this weekend. It will be a huge disadvantage for MU not to rest their starting eleven. Can MU file a counter suit to the three teams if the Devils lose the Champions League?

The three North-East clubs are also assuming Hull can get something out of the game against a second-string MU team. They forget that the young Devils almost beat fifth place Everton in the FA Cup semifinal last month that was eventually decided on penalties. With Hull in a free falling form, they might even lose to MU's youngsters.

The three teams fighting relegation - Newcastle, Middlesborough and Sunderland - had the whole season to gather enough points to avoid the drop and trying to sue MU with one league game left is just an easy excuse. They have only themselves to blame for their predicament.