Manchester United 1-0 Lyon

Well we won, that's about the only good thing i think i can say about last night. We have to watch another negative tactical boreathon in Europe, whilst Arsenal go away to Milan and play there usual way and win convincingly. When the scoucers sing about winning it 5 times, i like to think yes but the two times we won it we played exciting exhilarating football that captured peoples imaginations not the dull negative crap we have seen from them. But it has to be said, if we did happen to win it this year, i couldn't place it the same company as the 68 or 99 triumphs. I used to really look forward to European nights , the atmosphere was always electric and United always played the right way, taking the game to the opposition. Sometimes we would be out-manned in midfield, but we still managed to create enough chances, so that if the opposition did score we always felt we would get enough chances to put things right. Plus obviously, this is the tradition of the club, started by the great Busby babes.
I can't pretend i look forward to them now, in fact i don't look forward to them at all. When the team is selected mainly with the intention of stopping the other team from playing when you are at home, i can't accept that being the Manchester United way. I mean we were playing Lyon not Barcelona, a decent side with a potentially great centre forward, but nothing special and definitely nothing to be scared of. I still don't think that we are very good at this style of play anyway. The team is full of attacking players and yet we are asking them to go out and play like Benitez's Liverpool or Mourinho's Chelsea. Which is basically how they play week in week out anyway. When they score a goal you know the opposition is going to have to play really well to get back into the game as they will just get everyone behind the ball and stifle the hell out of the opposition. Are we really any good at that and do we even want to be? Sure there are times when you will have to be, when you are down to ten men and you have got your backs to the wall, the Villa park replay in 99 springs to mind. But as a tactic for every game, it's not how i want a United side playing.
I also think there was too much made of the 50th Munich anniversary and how it would be fitting if this side went on to win the trophy. I don't think that's fair to the players, they should be going out to enjoy the game, not worrying if they make a mistake that could ruin the 50th anniversary. Whatever the reasons for the derby result, none of the players really looked like they were enjoying their football that day. Compare that to Everton game after Sir Matt Busby died, the players responded superbly, playing brilliant football with a smile on their faces. It helped it was a crap Everton side of course, but there wasn't as much pressure or maybe that was a just a more mature bunch of men. But the occasion didn't get to them, they went out and played their usual game and that day most of the things they tried came off, even if the 1-0 scoreline didn't reflect the nature of the game. Surely we have seen enough " it's our destiny" moments go horribly wrong in our history to not be doing it again.
As for the game, it won't live long in the memory. We started reasonably well without creating much, enjoying the vast majority of possession. As usual when we play 4-3-3, 4-5-1 we had the overwhelming majority of the ball but as they had everybody behind the ball, Rooney was up front on his own not getting much support. They seemed to grow in confidence about 20 minutes into the game as if they suddenly thought that this was a game they might be able to get a result from. And i have to admit i thought they might be right as Ronaldo seemed to be having one of those nights where he always seemed to be taking the wrong option. Rooney was getting no support at all from midfield, maybe he should remind the manager of what he said after the 4-0 demolition of Arsenal. When he said it's a big help to the lone striker when you have midfield players taking it in turns to get forward to support you. That wasn't happening last night, or wasn't happening enough anyway. I couldn't see why Scholes didn't play last night, i can understand him not being picked away from home. Even though i would still pick him, i can see some might see his lack of pace as a luxury too far. But not at home, you have got to pick your most creative player, and that is what he still is. And when you are playing three in midfield, so he has some protection, it was an even more baffling decision. I can only think that Fergie thought Lyon would be overcome a lot more easily than they were.
The goal came just before half time with Ronaldo latching on to the ball after Andersons shot had been blocked and keeping his composure to fire it home. I thought we were lucky to be up to be honest because we hadn't created much really. The second half saw Lyon get more adventurous as the half wore on as they searched for an equaliser. United were happy to see this and Tevez was brought on for Anderson with 20 minutes to go as United sought to catch them on the break. And United did have numerous chances to catch them in the last 10 minutes, but it really was one of those nights as neither Ronaldo, Rooney or Tevez could find a final pass when given the chance to put another forward clean through on goal. Lyon did try to get forward, but United's defence had a good night apart from one moment when Keita beat Van Der Sar but hit the wood work instead of the net. So quarter finals here we come.
The one positive i take from Arsenal's result is as i said after Saturday's game, the fact that they won't be able to pick their strongest side for every league match. And on the evidence of the last few weeks i am more confident of us retaining the title than i am of us getting to Moscow.

James Lawton in the Independent on last night
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/james-lawton-moment-of-virtuosity-rescues-unsatisfactory-effort-791417.html

The mirror applauds Fletchers display last night
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2008/03/05/darren-fletcher-comes-of-age-for-man-utd-on-europe-s-elite-stage-89520-20340978/
Whilst agreeing that he had a good game i think that is a bit over the top.
Marin Samuel on Kia Joorabchian and his case against West Ham over the Tevez affair
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/martin_samuel/article3485413.ece

DIC up the pressure on Hicks and Gillet
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/dic-aims-to-force-liverpool-sale-with-final-offer-791198.html



The Post office, should it be treated as public necessity or let privatisation run it into the ground
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/mar/05/post.publicservices
The answer is obvious to anybody left of centre, but of course New Labour isn't so we know what is going to happen.

And they still think manufacturing is an out of date concept judged by this story
http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/news/story/0,,2262167,00.html

The minimum wage is to go up to £5.73 in October,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7279199.stm
good news

A good background guide to the war of words that threatens to turn into something worse between Columbia, Ecuador and Venezuela.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/the-big-question-why-has-colombia-invaded-ecuador-and-why-is-venezuela-joining-the-fight-791263.html

A interview with Moby
http://music.guardian.co.uk/electronic/story/0,,2260505,00.html