‘And then there was one. Talk of quadruples was always fanciful at Old Trafford but in the space of a fortnight Manchester United's chances of procuring a trophy this season have, realistically, been modified to a case of European Cup or nothing.
Yesterday could be the first time a club has gone out of two competitions in the space of two hours. Perhaps it was the news from Highbury, 10 minutes before kick-off in Cardiff, that Arsenal had stealthily moved eight points clear at the Premiership's summit that explained why United's fans were so subdued compared with Liverpool's.
Certainly by the close of play the galling truth for anyone connected with Old Trafford, not least the club's accountants, is that United now face the possibility of two seasons without silverware for the first time since 1987 to 1989, when Sir Alex Ferguson was just a plain Mr, Michael Knighton was doing keepie-ups in front of the Stretford End and Manchester was Madchester.
Ferguson will be loath to admit it but winning a trophy this season is now a possibility rather than a probability.’