Let's not beat around the bush. For the last decade or so, we've been stuck in a rut in Division One, fighting to keep our heads above water. And yet since Harry has come along, suddenly there have been things that only used to happen to other clubs. "Those games" that people will talk about decades later, remembering every minute detail. When we got promoted, it was teams like Derby, Burnley and Rotherham; last season there were so many to pick from - Liverpool, Southampton, and indeed today's visitors Manchester United - but I truly don't think it will ever get any better than this.
The most pleasing factor about this victory is that it wasn't lucky, it didn't come because of a sudden mistake - we deserved and earnt three points. The midfield was solid and dependable - letting United have the ball in their own half, but closing down when they dared venture forward. The defence was absolutely solid and Shaka was in the right place at the right time; against a team with the likes of Smith, Rooney, Saha, Giggs, Scholes, Ronaldo (and more!) he needed to be.
And then there's the front line.
Many eyebrows were raised when Harry said he was going to play three strikers, myself included. Admittedly if you go defensive against a squad with their talent you're asking for trouble, but even so. Three strikers? Are you SURE, Harry? And then to throw a spanner further in the works, Kamara gets hauled off with an injury. And yet, it turned out to be a work of complete tactical genius. With such pace and ability throughout our forward line, quality defenders such as Ferdinand were left chasing shadows. So much so, of course, that the England defender resorted to bringing down Fuller and giving away the penalty for the first goal.
Even if you put out a team on top of their game, as we did today, you still need one key factor. It's a factor that has deserted us a fair bit in the Premier League - and it's called luck. The moment I'm referring to is when, with the score at 1-0, Ronaldo rose to head a Phil Neville corner. The ball spanked the post and fell to Alan Smith - an England international striker, two yards out. With the goal at his mercy, he ballooned it into the Fratton End. Alright, so you could go through every game saying "what if?", but this was as clearcut a chance as you'll ever get. Who knows what result I'd be talking about if Smith had turned it in? Maybe we would've held tight for the draw, maybe they would've pushed on for another; we'll never know, but it was a big turning point.
To be honest, I've only begun to scratch the surface of this result here. This truly is one of those games that we'll sit down round a pint in 2024 and think, "Hey! Remember when we beat Manchester United two years in a row, and the second time was bloody fantastic?" Especially that second goal - such noise and emotion at a football match I haven't seen in a while.
On a wider scale, it just goes to show what we're capable of. Here were a team 14 games unbeaten, naming their strongest squad and on the back of a huge confidence building victory against the reigning champions - and yet, we deserved to beat them. It's just down to us now to keep up such a fantastic level of performance week in, week out, get that little bit of luck that we got today, and who knows where this club can be in five years time. In the short term, let's enjoy what is a truly fantastic result; but long term, it's a warning to the other teams in the Premiership.
The most pleasing factor about this victory is that it wasn't lucky, it didn't come because of a sudden mistake - we deserved and earnt three points. The midfield was solid and dependable - letting United have the ball in their own half, but closing down when they dared venture forward. The defence was absolutely solid and Shaka was in the right place at the right time; against a team with the likes of Smith, Rooney, Saha, Giggs, Scholes, Ronaldo (and more!) he needed to be.
And then there's the front line.
Many eyebrows were raised when Harry said he was going to play three strikers, myself included. Admittedly if you go defensive against a squad with their talent you're asking for trouble, but even so. Three strikers? Are you SURE, Harry? And then to throw a spanner further in the works, Kamara gets hauled off with an injury. And yet, it turned out to be a work of complete tactical genius. With such pace and ability throughout our forward line, quality defenders such as Ferdinand were left chasing shadows. So much so, of course, that the England defender resorted to bringing down Fuller and giving away the penalty for the first goal.
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To be honest, I've only begun to scratch the surface of this result here. This truly is one of those games that we'll sit down round a pint in 2024 and think, "Hey! Remember when we beat Manchester United two years in a row, and the second time was bloody fantastic?" Especially that second goal - such noise and emotion at a football match I haven't seen in a while.
On a wider scale, it just goes to show what we're capable of. Here were a team 14 games unbeaten, naming their strongest squad and on the back of a huge confidence building victory against the reigning champions - and yet, we deserved to beat them. It's just down to us now to keep up such a fantastic level of performance week in, week out, get that little bit of luck that we got today, and who knows where this club can be in five years time. In the short term, let's enjoy what is a truly fantastic result; but long term, it's a warning to the other teams in the Premiership.