Middlesbrough 0-2 Manchester United

At this stage of the season every win is vital with the performance sometimes not mattering. But with this game sandwiched between the Champions league semi that really was the case on Saturday morning. So to come away with the three points and a performance that had me thinking we might improve our goal difference at one stage you have got to be happy. I was pretty confident when i saw the team with both Giggs and Scholes playing. It was a bit of a surprise that Berbatov was partnered by Macheda up front but the young Italian did reasonably well not looking out of place at all.
I thought that some of the players who played against Arsenal last week might get another run out as i didn't think he would play basically the same team again on Tuesday night but after seeing the team picked here, it looks like there won't be many changes for the second leg. The game was a pretty comfortable run out and it is hard to see how Middlesbrough can stay up as they were never really a threat. Though after seeing all three of the north east teams at the bottom playing over the weekend it's hard to say who were the worst. I have a feeling Newcastle will go down, but if one of those teams has the firepower to get a result, it is them, so maybe i will be wrong. Whoever loses that game that derby next week must surely be doomed.
United didn't completely dominate the first half but when we did have it we looked more assured as you would expect and more likely to create chances. Rooney had a few attempts but hadn't got his radar set right. No such worry though for Giggs who took advantage of the room he was given at the edge of the box following a corner to hit his shot strong and true into the corner of the net giving the Boro keeper no chance. There was only ever going to be one winner after that. Whatever confidence Boro had got evaporated and United now did start to dominate. The second goal came after just 6 minutes of the second half following a great ball from Rooney found Park's run and the Korean hit his left footed shot first time to put us 2-0 up and killing the game from our perspective.
For a time it looked like United looked were interested in getting more goals as Tevez came on for Macheda, but this fizzled out as United played keep ball to conserve their energy for the semi final 2nd leg. So we go into the second leg still top, seeemingly back on form and hopefully with no injury worries.

Ferdinand back in training and ready for semi, Evra a worry though.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/8010853.stm

Henry Winter's match report in torygraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/5267790/Manchester-Uniteds-heady-mix-of-youth-and-experience-proves-too-much-for-sorry-Boro.html

A piece on Eric the renaissance man in the Independent
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/eric-cantona-the-seagull-has-landed-1678544.html

That was some win of Barca's at the Bernabeu on Saturday night,
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/european_football/article6216942.ece
Patrcik Brcaly hopes they make it to Rome. So do i but Stamford bridge will be a totally different affair, though hopefully they will get more room than they did in the first half. But how bad are Real, and how nice to see.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/patrick_barclay/article6217087.ece


Brown taken to task over the economy by Hamish McRae and savaged over spin by Nick Cohen
http://www.standpointmag.co.uk/node/1132/full
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/comment/hamish-mcrae/hamish-mcrae-a-bull-may-be-on-its-way-but-it-wont-save-labours-economic-reputation-1677854.html

The Labour party is in a mess accoring to Jackie Ashley
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/may/03/labour-leadership-factions