Manchester United 3-1Totteham Hospur

FA cup 4Th round

A flattering scoreline it has to be said, we probably just about deserved to win, but i don't think we have been carved open as easily as we were in this game for a long time at Old Trafford. It was a bit puzzling to be honest, that with two defensive midfield players in Carrick and especially Hargreaves in the side, we could be caught on the counter attack and what's more be out manned on those counter attacks. I had watched the Spurs semi final against the Arsenal and had noticed that all the second half goals had come on the break. But at the time they were two goals to the good and Arsenal had to attack leaving themselves exposed, but after watching yesterday it looks like this is going to be the Ramos way of playing. That was certainly the best Tottenham performance against United at old Trafford in a long time, i am not counting the displays where they came for a draw and got everybody behind the ball, this was a proper we think we can beat you display.
I would be worried if i was Liverpool fan, not so much for this season, although i think they are going to struggle to finish fourth this season as well, but if they can make a couple of decent purchases and keep Berbatov i think Tottenham are going to really threaten the big four next season. And Liverpool are easily the most vulnerable to slipping out of the top four, which that would be financial meltdown time for them at the moment.
It must have been a good game for the BBC to have picked as one of their live games, as both sides really went for it. We had the rare sight of Rooney preventing a goal on the quarter hour as Berbatov climbed higher than Wes Brown to power a cracking header goal wards only to see that man at the far post heading it clear. Spurs had started well, but United seemed to have settled and had started to get a grip on the game when Lennon managed to get a cross in that Robbie Keane bundled home to put the London club one up. This provoked United into their first concerted period of pressure, but United couldn't convert this pressure into chances, though Giggs was unlucky when the Spurs goalie Cerny tipped over a fierce strike. When the equaliser did come it was worthy of the game as Giggs involved again, managed to put Tevez through, and from a widish angle the Argentinian struck it home superbly. Then came one of the vital moments of the match as Jenas found himself clear through on goal with only Van Der Sar to beat. He went for placement aiming for the far corner, thankfully for United, Van Der Sar was up to the task as he made a tremendous save getting just enough on it to send it past the post for a corner.
You would have thought this would spur United to out and make them pay for that miss, but it was Spurs who had two more great chances at the beginning of the second half. As Lennon and Evra chased a through ball it seemed that Evra was a the least going to force him towards the corner flag until he slipped leaving the flying Lennon clear through on goal. Fortunately for United he proved that whilst he is a good player he is nowhere near the finished article as he hit his shot over the bar when at the very least he should have hit the target. Next Jenas found himself clean through again, but this time he couldn't even hit the target. Ferdinand gave Hargreaves a piece of his mind after this. Although he had a lot of good moments in the match, i don't know how we were cut like a knife through butter at times, with him supposedly guarding the back four. At the end of the day, he was bought to stop this happening.
United now finally got a grip on the game although you couldn't say the chances were coming thick and fast. Ronaldo did have a good chance, but hit a poor shot as he went for power and the near post instead of hitting it across the goalie, following a a magical Tevez pass. The second goal was a bit basic when it did come, a long punt from Van Der Sar caused confusion in the away sides defence as the goalie stayed on his line. As the ball was going to fall beautifully for the feet of Rooney, Dawson panicked and handled it away. The referee thankfully saw it, and had no option but to send him off, deliberate hand ball or last man take your pick. Ronaldo had no qualms about taking the resulting penalty after his miss at West Ham, and coolly slotted home to put us 2-1 up with 20 minutes to go and now against 10 men.
Now the game really did become end to end, and Spurs didn't give up to the surprise, i thought, of United who did seem to ease off for a time. And it could have been fatal as a poor attempt at a clearance from Wes Brown almost put spurs level, but came back off the post instead. The game was sealed with a second goal for Ronaldo as he hit a powerful shot, that Cerny seemed to have saved until it wriggled under his body and into the net with two minutes remaining.


Don't you just love City, you watch United win, get back to the Throstles and then watch the finest comedy any football club could ever provide,
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article3261616.ece

United in grief and hope, the aftermath of the disaster
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/sport/story/0,,2247754,00.html

No more Tevez transfer fiasco's
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml;jsessionid=VODJMEEUM5HQRQFIQMFSFF4AVCBQ0IV0?xml=/sport/2008/01/27/sfnwee127.xml

Hicks on talks with DIC
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article3259636.ece

American dream spells nightmare for Traditional supporters by Nick Towle
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml;jsessionid=152OTSOPE1FBDQFIQMFSFF4AVCBQ0IV0?xml=/sport/2008/01/27/sfngue127.xml

Will Hutton in the Observer decries the world's financial system
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2247583,00.html

William Keegan on why the US economy still matters above all others, despite the rise of China and India
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jan/27/useconomy.businesscomment

Larry Elliot on the 5 fantasies still prevalent in the financial community
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jan/28/davos2007.economy

An opportunity for Egypt
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2247568,00.html

Another article on the shyster that is Richard Branson
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2247552,00.html

John Pilger on Suharto, a man we could do business with
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2248012,00.html

Charlie Brooker, the voice of common sense
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2248015,00.html