Manchester United 2-0 Blackburn Rovers

Not the greatest game or performance but three points all the same. Blackburn came with no intention of playing football, just getting everynody behind the ball and trying to make if difficult for United to get through them. I suppose after their recent drubbings and illness problems you can understand it to a degree. But they didn't try to play football at all and didn't contribute a thing to the match as a spectacle. Unfortunately they were helped by a pretty lacklustre performance by a United line up that didn't have that much spark on paper or on the pitch.
There wasn't much invention in midfield with no Scholes or Giggs leaving the centre of the park in the hands of Carrick and Anderson. Anderson played ok but i thought Carrick's display showed no improvement over recent weeks. I hope Fletcher and Giggs are ready for next week, because if they are i would pick between those two and Scholes for central midfield against Chelsea. If we lose the central midield battle at the bridge as badly as we lost it Anfield i fear the worst next week. Rooney played as if his mind was miles away as perhaps it was with him about to become a dad. And that didn't help the creative side of things as United struggled to create anything in the first half.
Brown and Evans came into the defence as our main pairing were either injured or given a wake up call. Who knows what the answer to that is. I think it's about time O'Shea was given a rest because his game has gone downhill in recent weeks. He has been giving the ball away for fun in recent weeks and maybe he is taking the right back spot for granted. There is no harm in giving one of the twins a go or maybe even De Laet who i like the look of. Next week if Vidic and Rio are back i would seiously think about playing Wes Brown at right back.The one United player who does seem on top of his game is Valencia who has been our best player for the last 3 or 4 games and is really looking the part. He was involved in almost all the decent moves that we put together. Unfotunately that meant we could judge the hapless Nani against him and once again he didn't fail to disapoint with yet another anonymous display. Berbatov had the best chance of the first half with a free header that he should have put it away but gave Robinson the chance to save which he did. He did put the ball away later in the half but Rooney was ruled offside out wide.
The second half was better but it was still hard work for United as they huffed and puffed a bit. The goal finally came as Berbatov made the most of a nothing effort from Evra. The ball came from the left and Berbatov controlled it brilliantly first time flicking it up and volleying past Robinson who never moved. Still Blackburn didn't come forward and United whilst still playing for a second didn't go all out for it. Obertan came on for Nani and after the promise of midweek came a bit of a reality check for him and for him i suspect. He looked a bit nervous which isn't really what you want to see in a United player making his debut at Old Trafford. He had two great chances to score, the first almost immediately, finishing weakly after a great run. But the second was a terrible miss and it has to be said that as poor as Nani plays he would probably have buried both those chances.
The game was finished three minutes from time as Rooney swept home a great cross from Anderson. Blackburn had a goal disallowed in injury time but 2-0 was a fair reflection of the game.

Giggs interviewed in the Independent wants to carry on playing.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/ryan-giggs-a-humble-genius-the-man-who-is-the-very-heart-of-united-1812841.html

Fergie unconcerned if Rio and Vidic don't make the Chelsea game
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article6898800.ece

New labour do a christian republican right as they disregard the scientific evidenceof their dugs advisory board. Some progressive party!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/nov/01/david-nutt-gordon-brown-drugs

Will Hutton on private versus public
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/nov/01/david-nutt-gordon-brown-drugs

Larry Elliot thinks the seeds of the next financial crisis are being sown
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/nov/02/globalisation-financial-markets-reforms

Afghan debacle continues
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/afghan-election-officials-declare-karzai-president--again-1813401.html