Manchester United 2-1 Bolton Wanderers

What was looking like a regulation win and for that matter should have been with the amount of great chances we had in the second half turned into a bit of a nail biter for the last 10 minutes. But at least we came away with the three points as both Chelsea and Liverpool suffered defeats. I had been optimistic that the scousers would struggle and that was one big defeat for them. It is looking likely that when we thought that last year was their big chance to win the league we were spot on the money.
I suppose this was a pretty good performance if you take away the last 15 minutes. It was nowhere near our strongest team with Vidic missing and Gary Neville at full back which isn't great news any more unfortunately. Giggs was on the left and although he has put in some fine efforts there this season he is far more effective more centrally nowadays. The central midfield of Anderson and Carrick is second string as far as this season goes and with no Rooney we had a better chance to assess Owen. And i would have to say it wasn't one of his better days, he had two great chances in the second half and he snatched at them both. He should have buried at least one of them.
United got off to a great start as Giggs found space and put a useful cross into Owen who didn't make as good as contact as he should have done. But fortunately Zat Knight somehow managed to bundle the ball over the line for a really soft own goal and give us an early lead. Evans might have done better with a header from another cross but Jaaskelainen made the first of a string of saves that kept Bolton in the game. There wasn't too much danger at the other end though Davies had one great chance that you would have fancied him to do better with but he headed wide. United kept probing and Valencia combined with Neville before smashing home to give us a two goal lead going into the break. I thought Valencia had a fair game and was unlucky not to add to his tally in the second half.
The chances seemed to come thick and fast in the second hald and a combination of Owen's poor finshing and Jaaskelainen's fine pefrormance kept the score to the two at half time. Berbatov had another excellent game and is now really starting the look like the player we thought we were buying. He still plays the game at his own pace but a combination of him raising his game and i think his teammates better appreciation of him is bringing the best out of him. I think and hope there is still a level up for him to go but if there are two beneficiaries of the sale of Ronaldo it has to be him and Rooney.
For some reason United took their foot of the pedal and out of nowhere Bolton got a goal back which their abysmal away following celebrated with glee. To have only took about half your allocation when the opposition is just down the road is spectacularly bad. Now for some mad reason United sat back and hung on for the 2-1 instead of trying to catch them on the counter attack. With almost the last touch of the game the much talked about Bolton centre back Cahill had a great chance but could only head straight into Van Der Sar's hands. How good it was to see the big Dutchman between the sticks again.
All in all a pretty good day as went back to the top of the league again, Liverpool are now in eighth position and we go there next Sunday with Rooney hopefully back in the team. It would be crisis time for them if we get the three points and i am expecting a big performances after last years piss poor performances against them.

Ferguson is charged over Wiley remarks, it looks like he is going to get a ban.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/8314326.stm

The story of the fall out between two brothers that led to one German town being home to Adidas and Puma
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/oct/19/rivalry-between-adidas-and-puma
A nice situation for any town to have.

Larry Elliot ponders our economic future and isn't that optimistic
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/oct/19/rise-of-chinese-economic-influence

From the people who encouraged the ideology that nearly saw thw world economy falling off a cliff
http://www.independent.co.uk/money/pensions/state-pension-age-should-be-70-say-bosses-1805408.html
Whilst they retire at what age and with a pension x times mine and yours, which almost all of them aren't worth. Throw in the golden parachutes that reward failiure whilst the ordinary man would just get fired. I could go on and on.