Liverpool 2-1 Manchester United

Not the result i was expecting , but i suppose the way the season has started, it shouldn't have been such a surprise. The season doesn't really seem to have got going for us at all yet. A reasonable performance away to Portsmouth aside we haven't got anywhere near the performance levels of last season. Though the slow start is reminiscent of last season. I thought Berbatov would play, but when i look at how the match went i am not sure it was really the wisest decision to start with him and play 4-4-2 again. We played like we had forgotten how to play 4-4-2 and apart from the first 10 minutes we never really peformed. Saying that we completely gifted them both their goals, and although it's always horrible being beaten by them, i take the satisfaction that there is no way they are going to be challenging for honours with that team and the way they played. And that is even when they get Gerrard and Torres back in the team fully fit.
Fergie criticised the United players after the match saying that they hadn't worked hard enough and while thats true i was surprised he didn't revert to 4-4-3 when it was plain we were having an off day and never really looked like getting a second goal. Not that i am complaining, i want us to play 4-4-2 more often than we do, so if we have to suffer a defeat like this whilst the players remember how to play the system i can live with it. But i would have waited for the Villareal game before bringing it in, not our biggest away game of the season.
If we are honest even though we have got a great record at Anfield over the last few seasons we have had our sahre of luck really. We haven't played the Manchester United way, we have just gone there and got everybody behind the ball and hit them with a sucker punch. So to completely change the way we play at Liverpool was always going to be a risk, but it's a risk we should have got away with. The two goals we gave away were absolute shockers and questions are going to be raised about Van der Sar. We have conceded 3 goals so far this season and he has been partly to blame for 2 of them. He almost gifted them another only to recover and make a brilliant save from fellow Dutchman Kuyt.
Liverpool played the game as if they accepted that we were a class above them, harrying us and trying to deny us the space and time to play our game. Unfortunately it worked, despite a tremendous first 10 minutes where one sublime move that led to the goal and saw Berbatov show us why he is going to prove what a great buy he will be. It was a great run and a tremendous pull back that was inch perfect for Tevez to run in and score at Anfield for a second season running. After that Liverpool slowly got back into the game, slowly gaining more possesion and denying us the time and space to play our game. It took a terrible mistake from our shaky number 1 to get them back into the game though. A nothing shot took a big deflection which Van Der Sar decided to come for only to palm straight into Brown and back past him into our net for a terrible own goal which Brown cannot be blamed for.
This seemed to stir United and almost immediately they were up the other end where Anderson put in a tremendous cross that Tevez should have at least hit the target with. Unfortunately he couldn't keep it down as he put it over the bar with the outside of his foot. Shortly after this Carrick took a knock that he didn't run off although he did limp on until half time, but that was the end of United's attacking chances for the half. At half time Carrick was taken off and replaced by Giggs with Anderson going back into the centre of midfield alongside Scholes. But United came out in a similar mode to the way they ended the first half with Liverpool edging possesion without really threatning to actually score. Berbatov faded out of the game in the second half, though to be fair to him he wasn't receiving much service. Scholes had a quiet game too, and if i have a worry about reverting to 4-4-2 it whether he will be able to hack it in a 2 man central midfield at this level at his age.
I was happy with a draw to be honest, a long way from the final whistle, the only really good chance we had in the second hald was a brilliantly instinctive shot from outside the box from Giggs that Reina managed to tip over the bar. Giggs was badly at fault for the deciding goal though as he tried to shield the ball out of play but was caught by Mascherano who passed it to Kuyt who crossed it to Babel to fire home. I am afraid i could see the writing on the wall at that point as we just hadn't played well at all. Nani came on but United never really threatened to equalise. Just to cap off an apalling day Vidic managed to get himself sent off and will miss the rent boy encounter next week. So it's another slow start to the season and we really need to get something next week at Stamford Bridge.

Patrick Barclay's match report
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/2908783/Liverpool-v-Manchester-United---Football.html

Alan Hansen on yesterday
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7614689.stm

Fergie wasn't happy with his team yesterday
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/7614366.stm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/sep/14/liverpool.manchesterunited

Ronaldo ahead of schedule and could be involved on Wednesday
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/7614132.stm

United's shirt sponsors in trouble
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/banking_and_finance/article4748640.ece

Wenger has a go at City's new owners
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/sep/14/arsenal.manchestercity

Barcodes up for sale
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/newcastle_united/7615618.stm

Will Huttons economic column in the Observer on the chance presented to the left after the US administration's nationalisation of the two giant mortgage banks
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/sep/14/marketturmoil.economics

Lehman brothers investment bank in trouble
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/banking_and_finance/article4748589.ece

I went to see the Stewart Lee penned Elizabeth and Raleigh at the Library theatre on friday, and had a laughter filled 90 minutes. I was a bit worried about being only 3 rows from the front, but thankfully we weren't picked on or had potatoes thrown at us.
http://www.latebutlive.com/