Not sour grapes at all - a clear penalty, which is why Giggs ended up on his knees sliding into Cech. A goal shouldn't have been given but a penalty should. A one man team ? They don't win the league - ask Liverpool. As for the pragmatist winning, that's why he'll be out of a job next. year. RA hasn't spent all this money to be bored and have his team hated. A sort English Porto, dive, cheat, bully refs, take any little advantage going. How unlovely they are.

Manchester majority, Manchester,

marcus, the current team may not have the steel or charisma of earlier uniteds, but you are going too far to call the title fortuitous. without the entire back four and our target man, united were always going to struggle towards the end of the season (and yet chelsea, with their squad, complain about a couple of injuries). the truth is that chelsea have been lucky in the past couple of years to find united and arsenal in such disarray. they have spent their money unwisely on mediocrity and it has just about been enough (lucky for them scholes missed most of last season). they play turgid football and they cheat whenever they think they can get away with it. unless they spend a lot of money over the summer on much better players, they will struggle next season. they might not even qualify for the champions league. no, really.

you're right about united's performances in the big games. sadly, the obvious solution is prevented by the fact that the old duffer won the league.

jem, london, uk

I'm not a UTD fan but I love the way they approach the game and even with their success, Fergie no doubt will be looking to strengthen. They need a centre foward maybe two. Not sure what's going to happen to Saha, but I think this is a critical area. No goals in their last four games: Milan, Chelsea twice and West Ham. Rooney needs someone to play off and a good forwardis needed bring the rest in. Saha was sorely missed and when Larssen left it affected Utd and especially Rooney and Ronaldo. Utd can't go long and change up their game. Milan West ham and Chelsea knew that. Curbishlsey, in the seconfd half, squezzed the space between the back four and the midfield and denied Utd the abilty to play the clever combinations. I'm sure Fergie's aware of that. What about that Ajax forward?

the guru, dallas, usa

One mistake that Ferguson made in the game was to pick Heinze over Evra. Ronaldo had a poor game in this game (and in the 2nd leg against Milan) partly because Chelsea doubled up on him. The way to counter that is to get the full back running past Ronaldo when he has the ball. That diverts the attention of one of the 2 people. Heinze was not fast enough/tactically aware to do this. Evra would have been perfect for this job. So in the FA Cup final as in Milan Ronaldo was nullified. SAF should have anticipated this. Gary Neville has spent ages helping out his winger (Beckham, Ronaldo etc) by simply making a surging run past the winger which diverts the attention of one of the two defensive players and gives the winger that little bit of time and space he needs.

UtdForever, Oxford,

Hardly a tactical victory for Mourinho as a lot of people seem to imply when ManU created so many chances. What was Mourinho's special tactical plan that won the game - plan to have Peter Cech stop so many excellent attempts on goal? Football pundits talk such nonsense sometimes.
It was simply a hard fought game between two teams of equal abilities with the result hingeing on a moment's inspiration / lapse in concentration.

Rick, Basra,

Not sour grapes at all - a clear penalty, which is why Giggs ended up on his knees sliding into Cech. A goal shouldn't have been given but a penalty should.
A one man team ? They don't win the league - askLiverpool.
As for the pragmatist winning, that's why he'll be out of a
ob next. year. RA hasn't spent all this money to be bored and have his team hated. A sort of English Porto, dive, cheat, bully refs, take anylittle advantage going. How unlovely they are.

As for not being able to beat Arsenal etc, their two wins were the first in the league since 2002 against us. Funny how United are always 'lucky' when they win the league, lucky 9 times in 15 years.

DJB, Manchester,

um... attack, attack, attack is the fergie way as well as the united way? come again? it used to be, but in every big game recently, fergie has choked and gone 4-5-1, which is both shameful and unproductive. united played some fantastic football earlier in the season against teams of which fergie is not scared, but against milan and chelsea (not to mention liverpool and arsenal), fergie shackles his side and puts players in roles that don't suit them. united looked tired, but the real problem is fergie's attitude. I could complain about the fact that it should have been 1-0 to united, but it would have been nearly as sad a victory as it was a loss. I would have preferred to see the real united irrespective of the result. as it was, the game was unwatchable rubbish. it wasn't even the teams cancelling each other out; in the first half, it was more a case of neither team even trying anything remotely risky. if only saha had been fit.

jem, london, uk

Great achievement by Man U to eclipse the league from Chelsea. But let's put the win in some perspective. They have been extremely fortuitous in the league. During the run-in, they were the beneficiaries of some good fortune - penalties not being awarded against them in consecutive games, the mistake by a rookie goalkeeper following Utd and Everton's 'Gentlemans agreement, and Chelsea failing to capitalise on draws and slip-ups. One could also go back and point to the lucky 1-0 win at Anfield, that effectively ended Liverpool's (very slim) title chances.
I don't think this team is anywhere near as good as the '94 or '99 vintages, and I don't believe the win enhances Fergie's reputation by any margin. If anything, this season has exposed the fact that he is tactically short in the big games. The much-admired cavalier charges occur against Watford, Sheff Utd, Wigan et al. 2nd leg in Roma aside, how good were they against Celtic, Milan, Chelsea, Arsenal, L'pool, Lille etc etc?

Marcus, Richmond upon Thames, UK

The game hinged on one clear chance each for both sides Chelsea scored theirs, united missed theirs.

Make no mistake about it Giggs miss was crucial. A perfect ball into the box & on rushing forward with the whole goal to aim at, Essien in his wake.

For Ferguson to suggest that Giggs was fouled was churlish to say the least, more likely sour grapes at his side's inability to do what it should have done.

It is telling that Giggs did not feel he was fouled.

The assertation that the ball was over the line is also clutching at straws. Giggs momentum pushed Cech & the ball close to the line, maybe over it. Nat Lofthouse & Tom Finney football thankfully doesn't work like that anymore.

It sure was not a Roy Caroll moment.

So come on united, you lost a close tactical & skill-less game to a better organised side on the day. Just be gracious enough to accept that.

Your big name players didn't turn up. Mourinho won the tactical battle & in the end that was just enough.

Jeremy, Farnham,

£18 million for hargreaves,you are havin a laff,you are a one man team,that is when he isn.t diving like Polaris!!!!!!!!!

Jethro, London,

How can you say Ferguson has had his day, when he has managed to win the Premiership off the Chelski juggernaut that had just added a £30m striker and a world class midfielder, both of whom if signed would have been starters for Man Utd if they had been signed at the start of the season?

This is arguably the greatest league title Ferguson has won, everyone had written Utd off at the start of the season, being able to keep Rooney & Ronaldo in the same team and make them friends after what happened takes world class man management. To win the title in such style, playing positive football rather than the anti-football of Chelsea and Liverpool is no small acheivement.

This current team isn't perfect, it needs another 30 goal a season striker and someone to grap the game by the scruff of the neck and drag the team through game like Keane or Gerrard is also needed and if these players are added you will be looking at one of the greatest teams assembled in the modern era.

J Purcell, London, UK

To Padraig Donnelly:
As a United fan, I am afraid there's a lot of truth in what u said. I wouldn't go as far as 'he's had his day'-that's a bit harsh to b fair, but he is below par when it comes to tactics.
It is true that, realistically, only 3(MUFC,CFC,LFC) of the 'Big 4' had a chance to win the EPL.Luckily LFC didn't quite meet expectations in the EPL or we'd b in for a tough battle.
It's also true that, it will be even tougher to win trophies next season. It's feasible that the only thing we might end up with is the Carling Cup. Afterall, it is getting tougher every season.
The tactical berth was there to c against Milan-I keep sayin it, y was Kaka given so much space?Y have Fletcher on the right wing?Y nt have the Roma formation with Carrick & Flether sitting in front of the defense?Against CFC-Y have Fletcher on the right again?
Cups live longer in the memory than a thrashing of Roma.Our away record in the CL speaks volume of our weakness.
On our 'good' days,we r the best...

V, Watford,

Padraig, I remember reading at the start of this season that United would finish outside the top 4 (with Spurs taking their place in the C's league). United may not win anything next season (there is always that chance) but they will yet again be competitive in everything they enter as they have been year after year after year. This is what Ferguson has achieved and what none of his contemporaries can match.

You're right in that Ferguson is no tactician, and never really has been. His strength lies in team building rather than one-off matches. This is why his cup record is patchy and European record so modest. In this he's the antithesis of, say, Benitez. With an extraordinary ninth league title in 14 years in the bag, however, I know who I'd rather have.

Ben, Stockport,

With regards to "I don't think United will win anything next season" I would bet that that person was saying the same last year. SAF believed they could win the title and this transferred to the players - guess what? They did win it! You'll definitely win nothing if you don't believe in yourselves and that is why there are a lot of under performers out there (and I'm not just talking about football players). Achievements need to be coaxed out by other methods as not everybody has a 'Cantona mentality'. SAF was written off 2 years ago by the majority of the media obsessed with 'the rich London club' - funny how he takes the long term view to look at the bigger picture.

Peter Kelly, Beverley, UK

Padraig you must be a City or Scouse fan!! Comments like that about the most talented manager in the world. Drink your Guinness and shut up

Ginger Jesus, manchester, UK

to padraig donnely. i think you need to realise that the attack attack attack philosophy is not only Ferguson's its what all Manchester United fan's believe in. We do not want to play boring football like chelsea or liverpool to score tactical victories. we want to win by 3,4 or more goals that is what manchester united is all about and that's why i love the club.

Matthew, Manchester,

The fact of the matter is quite simple,Ferguson has had his day,United need a manager with a wider appreciation of modern day tactics.He may have won the title but realisticly only a few teams can,I don't think United will win anything next season,but the bookies wont quote me a price I wonder why.

Padraig Donnelly, Dublin,