As Manchester United stumble to the title, the gap closing but maybe not fast enough for Manchester City to snatch it away again, the general play continues to disappoint.

Brilliantly consistent rather to consistently brilliant sums up United. A rather odd formation with Robin van Perfect on top of a midfield 5, emulating City, just didn’t work.

Phil Jones and Michael Carrick did ok, Wayne Rooney looked like a striker out of position and Shinji Kagawa and Antonio Valencia didn’t create enough danger from wide. All too predictable and pedestrian.

Conceding 2 goals, one with Rio Ferdinand pulled wide and roasted, the other questioning the two defensive midfielders not covering inside proves we still haven’t fixed the lapses that have hurt us this season.

Andy Carroll showed me why he is a danger man, he battered Nemanja Vidic and terrified David De Gea, he is a battering ram with a good touch. I like him and my recent suggestion thatwe could do worse than buy him proved to be good.

West Ham dominated large periods of possession and made us look average. 

This season the goals have come and this game was rescued by an offside goal and one piece if brilliance. In between we only a couple of headers on target to show for our play.

City won again thanks to a late goal against Wigan. The gap closes a little and we are lucky the games are running out as we limp across the line.

With Arsenal and Chelsea to play we could find the final margin to be just 3 or 4 points. That’s a scary prospect for a team that remains weak in midfield with Sir Alex Ferguson trying all sorts of combos against inferior sides.

Anderson must wonder if he will play again for United, Tom Cleverley is missed from the starting line-up. We need to buy a top midfielder.

West Ham was the scene of one of our championship failures and we should have tripped again, but this year RVP – has been the difference between success and failure – did it again.

I’d prefer not to rely on him alone next season.

By Steve Burrows CBE @ifollowsteve