Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Manchester United

A late strike from Tevez gave us that vital point that sees us keep our title destiny in our own hands. As usual at Ewood park Blackburn gave us a real test. Without ever really playing up to the standards we would have liked i felt we just about deserved the point. We left it late yet again though and i was just starting to wonder whether it was going to be one of those days when Tevez met a Paul Scholes glanced header and at last breached the Blackburn back line. We seem to be stuttering our way to the title at the moment, especially away from home.
United didn't start too badly, passing and moving but without ever really threatening the home sides goal. Blackburn were more than up for the game though and were right in United's face in midfield trying to deny United the space to get their game going. The longer the half went on the more United struggled to get any rhythm into their game. Everything was nearly but not quite, as the home team were successfully stifling United. In particular they were stopping Ronaldo getting any service and nobody else really stepped up to take the game by the scruff of the neck.
Blackburn did have a few good moments with an early shout for penalty correctly turned down, but United seemed reasonably comfortable. Unfortunately Ferdinand and Vidic conspired to turn a pretty harmless long throw from Pedersen into a goalscoring opportunity for Cruz which he made no mistake in slotting home. The game was definitely not going according to script, and United needed to step up a gear. But it still wouldn't happen and if anything Blackburn looked more like scoring with Bentley having a fair game and forcing Kuszczak into action to parry one fierce shot over the bar.
Ferguson decided to change things around a little at half time taking Giggs off and bringing on the fit again Nani. The Portuguese wide man did change things a little bringing more penetration to the forward line. United were still struggling to open the home side up, though now United had taken a total stranglehold of possession. I am not sure whether Blackburn sat deeper on purpose or were forced back by United. Rooney was having one of those days, he could have had a penalty in the first half when he was brought down in the area. Unfortunately he stayed on his feet before deciding to go to ground, and the ref was never going to give it after that. But Rooney lost it a bit after that and was booked for a bit of a scythe on Samba. He became a bit of a bull in a china shop after that and if the bench had been a bit stronger he may well have been brought off.
Ronaldo was still not seeing as much of the ball as he would have liked but showed how dangerous he can be when he picked up the ball on the left and hit an early left footed shot that beat Friedel but not the upright. This became the spur for United to up the tempo and really take the game by the scruff of the neck. Rooney picked up an injury and hobbled on gamely for a while before being replaced by Park. Tevez went close with 10 minutes to go hitting a shot that Friedel managed to pick up off the line. United were then denied a clear cut penalty next as Emerton blocked Carrick's header with his arm. Friedel was having a game to remember but he could do nothing to stop the eventual equaliser, it's just a shame we couldn't have scored a little earlier as i think our momentum would have seen us go onto to get a winner. A win would have been great obviously but the main objective was to get that point to keeps the title race in our hands. It must have been a killer for the watching rentboys when Tevez's header flew into the back of the net.
Next to the Camp Nou and Wednesday's massive game, i managed to see the second half of their game last night and they didn't play particularly well once more. But i think their form in domestic football will have no bearing on the semi final. The other Spanish game was something else with Sevilla, who are going for fourth spot getting murdered 4-1 at home.

The match report from the Observer
http://football.guardian.co.uk/Observer_Match_Report/0,,2275124,00.html

The season so far at Barca
http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2275029,00.html

Vic Marks argues that the cricket season starts too early amongst other things
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/sport/story/0,,2275140,00.html
I definitely agree with the season starting too soon argument.

Ryan Giggs in the Indy
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/giggs-to-roll-back-years-for-final-fling-812113.html

William Keegan's Observer column
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/apr/20/economics.currencies

Roy Hattersley on the beginnings of the welfare state
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/apr/20/labour

The Times on Tevez
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article3779959.ece