Roma 0-2 Manchester United

Semi finals here we come. I don't usually tempt fate, but there is just no way Roma are going to beat us by 3 clear goals at Old Trafford. It wasn't a glorious performance or as clinical as some papers are making it out to be this morning. It was the same old European tale for most of the first half with loads of possession and absolutely no cutting edge up front. Thankfully, after Ronaldo's great header the Italian side had to come out and attack more forcefully in the second half, and after a few scares and a tactical rejig we started to see the real United. By the end of the 90 minutes 3 or 4 wouldn't have flattered us, but 2-0 is more than good enough.
I was glad to see Carrick fit and in the starting line up when the teams were announced. I wasn't too surprised to see Giggs on the bench, but i hadn't expected Park to be the man to fill his position. Carrick is a must must in European football for me, he uses the ball well, doesn't give it away and can get back to do the ugly stuff. I am absolutely amazed he isn't at least in Capello's England squad. I was quite happy with the midfield selected although i don't Anderson has really made his mark yet at this level. It is only a matter of time though, and the more experience he gets now the quicker it will happen.
The first half was a tactical cagey affair as usual with United in Europe these days, but unlike last seasons tie at the Stadio Olimpico, Roma seemed to be happy to join in the cautious approach. United enjoyed the majority of the ball without ever really threatening to create an opening, whilst Roma sporadically looked as if they might open up the United rearguard but only managed a couple of long range efforts that didn't trouble Van Der Sar. The one surprise Ferguson did spring was to play Ronaldo as the lone front man with Rooney on the left. I don't really think it worked, but if our number 7 had been out wide he wouldn't have been in the middle to head home brilliantly from the ginger prince's delicious cross in the 36th minute. It was a great time to score and completely deflated the home side. The one big downer on the night was the injury to Vidic, that saw him stretchered off half way through the first half. Let's hope it isn't as serious as it looked as we missed him in that first quarter of an hour in the second half when Roma had a real go at United and with some better finishing they might have got back on level terms.
Just as the first, the second goal came at a great time and again, more understandably this time , the home side looked like the tie might just have slipped beyond them, as indeed it probably had. It was a scrappy affair, when a rather hopeful long cross from Wes Brown found an unmarked Park beyond the far post who managed to get a pretty useful header back across the face of the goal. The goalie had to come for it, but stretching out for it he couldn't keep hold of it and the ball landed at the feet of Rooney who scrambled the ball home.
Anderson had been replaced by Hargreaves just 6 minutes earlier and United took complete control of the game now as Roma now had to go shit or bust and leave themselves exposed at the back. United now started to resemble the team we see in the premier league week in week out ripping the Italians side apart on the break more than once. Ronaldo saw two efforts go very close one being tipped onto the post by the goalie and a fantastic effort that just went over the bar. Rooney was presented with a great chance after another tremendous move but completely fluffed it and Carrick hit one with the outside of his right foot that just went the wrong side of the upright.
2-0 was probably a fair reflection of the game and it seems like we can look forward to a semi final meeting meeting with Catalan giants Barca after they grabbed a priceless 1-0 victory at Schalke 04. Barca are still a great team going forward, even with all the injuries at present, but their defence is non existent. We really have got a fanatstic chance to reach our 3rd European champions final, and as others have noted recently we will never have a better chance of winning it.
And finally come on Arsenal tonight.

Ronaldo accused of arrogance by Pizarro fo Roma
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/european_football/article3667883.ece

Where is the ginger prince on this list
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/04/02/ufnpaylist102.xml
Seriously though it is grotesque.

Has the US learnt it's financial lesons, asks Hamish McRae
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/hamish-mcrae/hamish-mcrae-has-the-us-averted-financial-catastrophe-803502.html

UBS boss quits
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/apr/01/europeanbanks.creditcrunch

Is Mugabe finally on his way out
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/02/zimbabwe1