Internazionale 0-0 Manchester United

Well after the trepidation over our defensive injuries going into the game it shows how things changed that the disappointment is that we didn't win the game. A bigger disappointment is that we didn't get the away goal that our performance merited. But i will take this alright, especially as last night showed me that they are really not up to that much. I will look like a pillock if we get turned over at Old Trafford in a fortnight but i just can't see that happening. The first half was such a one sided contest it was unbelievable, the tie could have been all over after 45 minutes. You suspected that they would show a bit more after half time and that they did. But they showed nothing to suggest that we won't be able to finish the job off in the return leg.
The good news before the game was that O'Shea and Evans were both passed fit to play, i had a feeling that one of them would be fit but it was obviously great news to have both of them in the starting line up. Neither let us down both of them having excellent games. The surprise was the omission of Rooney, i suppose the performance on the night would suggest that Fergie got it right yet again. I would like to have seen Rooney given a bit longer than the 7 or 8 minutes he got at the end though.
The first half would have had to go down as United's best half of the season, though i can't help thinking that Inter helped us immeasurably by being so poor. Carrick and Fletcher bossed the midfield, the defence was tight when they were called upon and Ronaldo was causing them all sorts of problems. Back in the 90's when Giggs was still the young flying winger Italian defences have never seemed to like him, and it still seems to me that they aren't great defending against tricky speedy wide men. And Ronaldo had afield day last night having one of his best games in the Champions league. Giggs had some of his greatest performances against that geat mid 90's Juve team. Playing through the middle last night he was excellent yet again and it was unfortunate he couldn't take one of the two great chances he created. There were so many chances that i can't be bothered going through them but the two Ronaldo headers were really good chances. Berbatov also saw a fine header go just wide and they were so unable to cope with Ronaldo running at them that they were reduced to bringing him down miles more times than Mourinho must have been happy with. He hit some good free kicks from these fouls but found their goalie in good form.
The start of the second half saw Ibrahimovic and Adriano show us that they were on the pitch after all as Adraino made a mess of their best move of the match as he double hit a cross and watched it fly over the bar. Inter did start to look menacing but not really through great football more like old an fashioned British upping of the tempo. But United were still looking good and a Ronaldo cross was just too far in front of Park for him to get a touch. Giggs fashioned his second chance of the night as he picked the ball up on the right before cutting in and hitting it with his left peg but this time instead of the goalie making a great save the half time substitute Cordoba made a great block. One last free kick from Ronaldo saw Cesar make yet another save and that was it. It was a reasonable result but it was an absolutely excellent performance and one that should set us up to go through in two weeks time.

Ronaldo happy with performance and confident of going progressing
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/ronaldo-repeat-performance-will-knock-inter-out-1631984.html

Fergie wins tactical battle according to Sam Wallace and have the Inter fans breath took away
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/ferguson-wins-tactical-battle-but-inter-survive-1631451.html

This club won't win anything this season
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/liverpool-dismiss-benitez-exit-rumours-1632011.html
I don't think he will be there next season

John Harris talks some sense on the new labour obsession with Thatcherite privatisation
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/feb/25/royal-mail-privatisation-tnt
It would be bad socially and ploitcally disastrous if there completely inept backbenchers let this go through they deserve the disaster that they will suely get at the next election.

Geoffery Wheatcroft with an interesting article, though i don't agree with much of it. Politicians not being paid would see us end up being ruled by a second arisocracy, probably made up of paid up Thatcherites. And annual parliaments would give no government the time to see through any legislation. I agree that we have got a professional breed of ploiticians for whom being elected and wielding power are the end in themselves. But how we change that to getting ploiticians who stand for things and are prepared to be unpopular over things if that is what they belive in, i know not.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/feb/25/iraq-war-jacqui-smith-mps