CSKA Moscow 0 - 1 Manchester United

With the Anfield encounter ahead of us on Sunday and all the players that did even get on the plane to go to Moscow i wasn't expecting too much from this match. What i was expecting was a low scoring or even goaless draw, a tight 1-0 or even a defeat. So whilst i wasn't too far away on the goals front, i was more than satisfied with the performance. To go away in Europe and almost totally boss the game and then come away with the result is not to be sniffed at. And to do it with nowhere near our best team was very encouraging.
To be honest i haven't really thought getting to a third European final was a realistic proposition and that was even if Ronaldo had stayed. But after watching us so far in this competition i would say we still have as good a chance as anybody else. Of course it will help us if the draw in the latter stages is kind to us but we have a more than realistic chance.
I thought we got a grip on the game right from the start. We weren't creating chances but the game was being played at our tempo and we had a grip in midfield. Fabio was getting past Nani at every opportunity and they were linking up pretty well, though Nani had his usual frustratingly inconsistent game. Fabio still needs to tighten up his defending but he looks like he is going to be some player. Scholes was controlling the midfield and showing us we are still light years away from replacing him. Berbatov not getting enough support was the only blot on the performance going forward.
We looked a bit rusty at the back, with Vidic i thought, looking a bit ropey and still very vulnerable to the ball over the top of him that foces him to turn. Shades of the Liverpool game at Old Trafford when he had that nightmare against Torres. I would be quite happy for Evans to partner Ferdinand on Sunday to be honest. Though i doubt our defence will get caught one on one like that at Anfiled.
The second half saw us take almost complete control of the match with us stepping through the gears until Owen came on for Scholes with twenty minutes to go to see us go with two up top in search of the winner. They did have a goal ruled out but it was clearly offside and we didn't see much of them as an attacking force apart from that. Valencia was coming more and more into the match and the best move of the match ended with him hitting a pile driver that crashed against the bar. I am not too sure why he has got so few goals in his career because he has a good shot on him and doesn't seem to shy away from having a dip when given the opportunity. I can see him scoring a few more than he been use to over the course of the season. Maybe Fergie should have a bet with him that he gets 10 for the season ala Ronaldo.
Eventually the pressure paid off as Berbatov nodded a cross into the path of Valencia who made no mistake rifling it past the CSKA Moscow goalie Akinfeev. The goalie had a fair game which was interesting as he hsa been linked with us and for such a young goalie he has bags of big match experience. And to me that what is required for a goalie if they are to make it at United. The trouble with Foster when i saw him play for Watford was that he would be their star player making four, five great saves and they would win the match. But at least once he would either make a real howler, or probably even worse, he would make a really bad decision as when to come for the ball. And that's what he has shown at United so far i'm afraid, he can make great saves but then make an inexplicably bad decision that can either cost you a goal or unsettle the defence. How much secure at the back have we looked at the back in the last two games with Van Der Saar in goal. So a great three points and if we win the return game at old Trafford we will be through and then he can either rest players or give a couple of youngsters a bit of experience of Europe. And what a superb result to come out of Anfield the night before,they are really on the ropes. It would be superb if Rooney can get fit in time for Sunday.

I wasn't aware of it at the time but apparently we equalled an Ajax record on Wednesday, and a pretty impresive one it is too
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article6884779.ece

Fergie is impressed with Valencia and thinks he is getting used to the club and being a United player
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/6400847/Manchester-Uniteds-Antonio-Valencia-achieving-Sir-Alex-Fergusons-goals.html

Andy Cole on his recollections of the biggest game in English football
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/the-andy-cole-column-the-sign-says-this-is-anfield-the-heart-says-this-is-it-this-is-what-its-all-about-1806708.html

And at long last the media seem to be seeing that Benitez is not the manager they have all built him up to be.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/james-lawton-rafa-show-is-ready-for-the-final-curtain-1806709.html
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rorysmith/100002625/rafa-benitez-built-this-liverpool-squad-and-its-not-just-good-enough/

Ferdinand hoping for the points on sunday and for a run of games
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/6410326/Liverpool-v-Manchester-United-Rio-Ferdinand-out-to-avenge-last-seasons-double-defeat.html

A bill only New labour could have come up with but also try to sneak it through Parliament
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/outrage-at-government-plan-for-secret-inquests-1806867.html

Matthew Norman on the old new labout toadie that brought us this mind numbingly un democratic bill
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/matthew-norman/matthew-norman-of-all-the-new-labour-toadies-jack-straw-must-be-the-worst-1807563.html

Will Hutton comments on the need for financial reform and lambasts the government
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/oct/21/bonus-alistair-darling-banks

The government and the governor of the bank of England in open disagreement
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/king-and-brown-in-rift-over-whether-to-split-the-banks-1806805.html
I just wonder what the lemmings that pass for the Government backbenchers think, if they have a mind at all that is.

The side of the postal strike that has been given much of an airing
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/king-and-brown-in-rift-over-whether-to-split-the-banks-1806805.html
Whilst i definitely believe in their right to strike and think they are right that Royal mail and the Government do ultimately want to privatise i am not sure this was the best tim to strike and more importantly win. 10 out of 10 if they do though.

Timothy Garton Ash on the scandal and the wrong headedness of Thatchers attempt to stop German unification. What price she would have blamed those pinko commies in public whilst slapping their backs in private if they had managed to stop unification.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/oct/21/britain-fluffed-german-question

Rebecca Front, the new minister for Malcolm Tucker to contend with in tomorrow's the thick of it talks about the art of profanity
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/oct/21/the-sacred-profanities

I spent last Friday night at the ritz watching the Super Furry Animals and a cracking gig it was too. They are one of the best groups around at the moment, it's criminal they aren't bigger. I was quite surprised at the ritz too, it makes a cracking venue for a gig. You got your moneys worth too with a couple of hours from the super furries and a decent half hour for the decent support act who i still haven't found out what they were called.