Manchester United 4-0 Aston Villa

What a stunning performance this was, i thought the away performance in the league at Villa park was up there as one of the best of the season, but this was even better. The game was played in appalling conditions, heavy rain from start to finish and even torrential at times, but maybe that helped United to get back to the brilliant pass and move football that we know they can play. It would have helped having Scholes and Carrick in central midfield both on top of their game performing as we saw them most of last season. The fact that Villa came to play football helped us see such a cracking game also.
The first surprise of the day was the starting line up, it was virtually our strongest line up. I think Anderson may well come back into the team for the game in Roma, possibly at the expense of Giggs and if Van Der Sar is fit he will come straight back, but otherwise it was first eleven time. Right from the kick off both teams set out to play football, and though United had slightly more possession, Villa did have some dangerous moments including one pretty decent effort from Carew that wasn't too far wide. But it was United who took the lead after 17 minutes following a sublime piece of quick thinking by that man Ronaldo. A Giggs corner fell at the feet of Ronaldo who without taking a first touch back heeled in through the legs of a Villa defender and past Carson into the back of the net. It was truly world class and the kind of thing no defence could plan against. United really started to get in their stride now with Rooney and Ronaldo on fire, Tevez not far behind them and Scholes and Carrick dominating the midfield. Of the front six only Giggs was slightly off the pace, literally, he seems to have lost a little more pace this season and i am afraid his football brain isn't masking it as much as it did last season. I wouldn't want him to retire yet, i still think he can give us one more season, though i don't see him starting as many games as he would like.
The second arrived 15 minutes later as Scholes found Ronaldo in space on the right and he put in a superb cross that Tevez dived to meet, and he powered it home with his head. At half time United went in with a deserved 2 -0 lead having played some excellent football. Unfortunately when there is another big game due in midweek what you usually get is a second half of United consolidation. But not yesterday, United came out and played even more scintillating football, with Rooney especially on a mission to get on the score sheet.
Within a couple of minutes of the restart Rooney was played through by Tevez following another slick piece of passing, but his recent jinx in front of goal saw him put the ball agonisingly the wrong wide of the Villa woodwork. But it didn't take long for Rooney to get back on the goalscoring trail, another fine pass from Ronaldo put Rooney through. This time he took the ball successfully around the goalie and slotted the ball into the empty net. With United 3-0 up and the Roma game coming up on Tuesday i expected Rooney and Ronald to come off. Wrong again, Hargreaves came on for Ferinand, O'Shea came on for Evra, who had given us a scare going down injured in the first half but had carried on, hopefully he will be right for Tuesday, and Anderson for Carrick.
Hargreaves went to full back and Wes went into the middle, and almost immediately Hargreaves was maurading down the right as i had imagined he might when i have been arguing for him to play in this position. So hopefully, if Evra did have an injury at some stage during the rest of the season we do have another overlapping full back option to fall back on. Hargreaves first foray down the right almost paid dividends straight away as he put in a sumptuous cross for the unmarked Tevez, but somehow the Argentine missed out on his second goal of the afternoon. Next up another great piece of football saw Rooney miss out on his second as he hit the outside of the post. With 13 minutes left Rooney did manage to get his second after being found by another magical pass from Ronaldo. He almost had a hatrick as another overlapping run from Hargreaves saw him put in a cross that Rooney buried into the back of the net. But it wasn't to be as the Linesman had raised his flag, and after seeing it on the TV, it was the correct decision.
All the while Villa had kept trying to attack and Maloney had two good chances, one which he made out of nothing that Kuszczak managed to tip over. Whilst the other had bounced over Vidic's head and left him one on one with our Polish number one, but unluckily for Villa he put the chance just to the left side of the post.
So United go into Tuesday pumped full of confidence, tactics permitting i really fancy us to get a result out there.

Paul Wilson on yesterday's game in the Observer
http://football.guardian.co.uk/Match_Report/0,,2269360,00.html

Totti out on Tuesday?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/03/30/ufntott130.xml

Laurent Blanc praises Rio, high praise indeed
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article3646332.ece

Alan Watkins on electoral reform
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/alan-watkins/alan-watkins-electoral-reform-is-in-season-802546.html

Martin Scorcese on the Rolling stones, sex, drugs and rock n' roll
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-and-tv/features/martin-scorsese-the-rolling-stones-provided-the-soundtrack-to-my-decade-of-sex-and-drugs-801573.html

MDC claim victory in Zimbabwe poll, i can see bloodshed about to happen
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/30/zimbabwe1

John Gray on the future superpowers
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/mar/30/fossilfuels.water

William Keegan on the world economy
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/mar/30/useconomy.subprimecrisis

Will Hutton on T5, another great British cock up
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/mar/30/britishairwaysbusiness.theairlineindustry