Manchester United 1-2 Zenit St Petersburg

I wasn't going to write anything about this game as i presumed that United wouldn't treat it too seriously. And after watching the first 70 minutes i think i was right, i know United really upped their game for thr last 20 minutes , but i thought was more due to the fact that they realised if they carried on playing as they were the scoreline could have become embarrasing. I am not taking anything away from the Russians, they were worthy winners, but United showed in the last 20 minutes that it would have been a different game altogether if United had treated it more seriously. I am not saying United would definitely have won, Zenit look a useful side, but it would have been a far different game.
The worrying points to come from the night from a red perspective was the absence again of Hargreaves, who now that Saha hopefully is finally on his way, looks set to take over his mantle as the king of the physio room. Rooney's form is a bit of a worry, completely innocuos in the first half when he stayed up front on his own. Yet in the second half when he either took it upon himself to get more involved in the game or was given more licence he was much moe like himself. He should have put us a goal up in the first half after another brilliant run from Tevez and a great cross put it on a plate for him. I know it is a bit early but i think my fears about Gary Neville being able to refind his outstanding form of the majority of his career will prove to be right. He probably needs a run of games in the first team to see if he is the same player, but i can't see how that is going to happen because Wes Brown now has to start as first choice right back and from what we have seen Da Silva is going to push Gary Neville hard to be second choice right back. His crossing in the first half was nowhere near the level we have been accustomed to, even if there was not really anybody in the box to aim at. That was another worry and presumably one of the reasons Fergie is so keen to get Berbatov. Without Ronaldo we have no one that is a threat in the air at all.
Nani was completely innoccuos in his first game of the season. I suppose we can't be too hard on him, seeing as though it was his first outing of the season, but i am not very convinced by him i have to say. Scholes sending off was not what the doctor ordered but i suppose it shows up his competitive edge that he tried it on. At least the game he will miss is at home, the Villareal tie.
I suppose if there were any plus points they were the continued magnificent form and attitude of Tevez and the reintroduction to the fold of Park who i thought helped the team regain control of the match in the last 20 minutes with his energy and movement.
At the end of the day if you had told me we would win at Pompey and get beat in Monaco i would been very happy to take that, so i have no complaints.

The guardian thinks Fergie is beginning to lose patience with Hargreaves continued injury problems.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/aug/30/manchesterunited.zenitstpetersburg1

Darling refuses to take the blame for the economic woes, rightl so. And shows he may be a loose cannon if Brown tries to replace him as Chancellor
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/aug/30/economy.alistairdarling

The brilliant Steve Coogan interviewed in the guardian. I can't wait to see him at the Apollo and i am looking forward to the new Craig Cash witten comedy. I thought Early doors was superb.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2008/aug/31/comedy.celebrity

Will Berbatov now come after we have sold Saha, fingers crossed, and Spurs have singned Pavlyuchenko we will know come midnight. And according to the torygraph i could be minutes before midnight.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/2652830/Frantic-action-as-Premier-League-transfer-deadline-looms---Football.html

The new Coen brothers film gets the thumbs up
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/aug/27/venicefilmfestival.coenbrothers1

I finally got round to watching the Brazillian film city of god last night and it was as excellent as the reviews at the time had said it was. The documentary on the bonus feature about the favellas of today was not bad either.

An American conservative on a conservative's chances of being elected president.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/columnists/article4641462.ece

Andrew Sullivan's take on the last week in the presidential election in the States in the Times
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/andrew_sullivan/article4639741.ece