Manchester United 5-3 Blackburn Rovers

This was a far better game than i had expected, though it's got to be said that was mainly due to the piss poor performance of the opposition. On a freezing cold night this was just what the doctor ordered as all the action took your mind of the temperature. Tevez was partnered by Giggs up front and the central midfield was an all Brazillian affair with Anderson partnered by Possebon. Nani started on the left flank with Gibson on the right . Jonny Evans joined Gary Neville in the centre of defence and Da Silva was the only player on show from the derby on sunday.
The first half wasn't particularly great though and Blackburn even had a couple of decent chances to take the lead but Foster getting a rare start was up to the challenge saving well. United were playing reasonably well but with what was to come they were just warming up really. Gibson saw a header cleared off the line as United upped the pressure and started to totally dominate possession. The first goal came with 35 minutes gone when initially it looked like Tevez had got his head to a Giggs free kick but apparently it has now been awarded as an own goal. Minutes later a one two between Nani and Tevez saw Nani do what he does best beating the goal with his right foot to make it 2-0. It's a pity the rest of his game isn't up to the standard of his finishing as he gave another mixed displaydoing some good things but not enough to make you think he is going to be the real deal at Old Trafford. To be honest i thought 2-0 falttered us a bit at half time we had played the better football but they had created chances though it has to be said they hadn't played football very attractive to the eye and looked very dodgy at the back.
Ince made a change at half time bringing on McCarthy on for Emmerton and he was immediately rewarded as McCarthy got the better of Neville ( not that hard these days i'm afraid) to make it 2-1. It didn't take United long to get their 2 goal cushion back as a nicely wighted ball from Giggs set Tevez away and he was clumsily brought down by Ooijer. Tevez got up to take the penalty and made no mistake . The fourth was a superbly crafted move that saw Anderson surge forward and play a one two with Tevez to put him through on goal with the chance to get his first goal for the club. Unselfishly he crossed it to the unmarked Tevez to pass it into the back of the net to make it 4-1 and all of us at the ground thought that it was Tevez's hatrick.
For some reason United now took the foot off the pedal and allowed Blackburn to sneak 2 goals out of nowhere to make it an uncomfortable 4-3 with 4 minutes of injury time left. But as it turned out it was just enough for Tevez to really get his hatrick witha superb finish with a shot across the goalie to make it 5-3. Great entertainment and maybe more importantly Tevez looked like the player we saw last season and at the beginning of this as hardly ever lost the ball shielding it and being very hard to knock off it. Anderson had his best game for some time and with Scholes coming on for the final 20 minutes and looking like he hadn't been away competition for places is going to be keen over the rest of the season.

Ferguson is happy
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leaguecup/3547040/Manchester-Uniteds-Sir-Alex-Ferguson-hails-Carlos-Tevez-as-Paul-Ince-skips-questioning-Football.html

Keano walks away from Sunderland
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/dec/04/sunderland-roy-keane

What a waste says Henry Winter
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/sunderland/3548012/Roy-Keane-departure-from-Sunderland-a-waste-as-Stadium-of-Light-turns-dark.html

It looks like England's cricketers are going to go back to India. And that is the right thing to do as far as i am concerned, because if you don't the terrorists have won.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/cricket/pietersen-very-confident-of-playing-tests-1051467.html

Putin says Russia isn't in a crisis. So it obviously is in one then.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/putin-forecasts-minimal-losses-from-finance-crisis-1052132.html

MUSIC
AC/DC - Black ice: The first AC/DC album in years is ok but nothing more. They were never really the same for me after Bon Scott died even though Black in back was a great album. Not one track of this album would get on their really classic records of the seventies and is suppose that tells it's own story. Nothing stands out.
Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles: I really like this, it sounds eighties and noughties all at the same time. I read it called synth pop and i suppose in it's catchier moments it is but it has it's edgier moments too.
John Martyn - London Conversation : I love his early singer songwiter early folk stuff and this is a good example of that work.
- One world: A million miles from London conversation, much more experimental and yet maybe more commercial at the same time. Classic tracks include Dealer,big muff,dancing and the experimental closer small hours which i love.
Rodriguez - Cold Fact: A killer album, this should have been a classic but it disappeared without trace in 1970. I have no idea why because it is absolutely brilliant, there are so many claasic tracks i can't metion them all. But Sugar man is a gem.
The Verve - Forth: A good return from the wigam men, it veers more into History territory than Urban hymns. I always preferred Richard Ashcroft in the Verve than solo as Nick McCabe is such a great musician.
Thea Gilmore - Liejacker: A decent effort from the singer songwriter with old soul and dance in New York amongst the stand out tracks for me.