Fulham 3-0 Manchester United

A day to forget, there's no question about that. We have had a few poor performances this season but this was probably the worst. But i am not going to start moaning, this would have been a hard game even with our best team but with that defence i would have more than settled for a draw before the game. Fergie settled for the same formation as for the game in Wolfsburg in an effort to try and dominate possession and to protect our makeshift defence. De Laet came into the centre of defence and even though we were very poor on the day no blame could be laid at his feet whilst he was on the pitch. Owen played up front with Rooney and Anderson was given the job of getting forward from midfield and being creative.
Though we didn't start the game too badly we were never really that fluent. The first goal was a disaster, Scholes who had been looking good up to that point was caught unawares by Murphy who stole the ball from him, advanced on goal and hit a shot that whilst aimed well into the corner wasn't hit with that much power. But whether Kuszczak was unsighted or not i don't know but the ball beat him and we were one down. That was not what the doctor ordered as it was going to be hard to chase the game with the defence we had and having players like Fletcher in defence instead of midfield where we really needed him. What made it worse was the players played like they had no confidence in the defence or system. Added to that i thought Anderson had a really poor game, Scholes confidence seemed to go bit after the mistake though it never stopped him demanding the ball and Owen was so annonymous we might as well have been playing with 10 men. I had started to think maybe Anderson was coming to terms with being a United player but this was a performance to make me wonder again. The further forward he plays the less impressive he is and seeing as though we bought him as an attacking midfielder it's pretty worrying. His old sin of giving the ball away came back with a vengence yesterday. As for Owen it has to be said i would not be starting him in games in the premier league especially away from home. It looks like he is going to work best for us as an impact substitute as he just doesn't do enough for the team when he is started in matches. I hope Scholes just puts that down as a game to forget and doesn't let this performance think that maybe it is time to retire at the end of the season.
I haven't forgot there were two teams on the pitch and as expected Fulham were playing well and were giving us no time on the ball and looking dangerous when they attacked. The start to the second half must have been beyond their wildest dreams though as with just one minute gone Zamorra had put them two up. Needless to say that was a disaster as far we were concerned. I would have took Owen off and brought Berbatov on at half time and maybe brought Obertan on and my only criticism of Fergie would be that he have should have done that and he definitely should have brought him on as soon as the second goal went in. By the time he did bring him on after an hour we were playing so poorly there didn't really look like much hope of us salvaging anything. At least we started to look a bit more like a United team when he came on. It didn't lead to anything though and to cap a miserable day Duff grabbed a third with fifteen minutes to go.
At least it was only three because with our dfensive injury problems we could be on the end of an even bigger hiding if we don't get bodies back soon.
And yet the day had started so well, with Liverpool showing us what a real crisis look like after getting beat at Portsmouth and having one of their few really talented players sent off. At least it ended up with me having a smile on my face after the farce that went on at the boo camp which it seems aims to carry on as the comedy club of British football despite all the money that has gone into the club.

Ian Herbert reckons Fergie has never really made it up wth Beckham despite the Londoners best efforts and still thinks the Becks lifestyle is not right for a footballer.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/fergusons-silence-on-beckham-speaks-volumes-1845008.html
His replacement wasn't too bad was he. It did take three years for Ronaldo to show it but it was worth it.

Henry Winter compares the Becks decision to leave United and grow the brand with Giggs haul of medals sinced he engineered his way out of Old Trafford
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/6844764/David-Beckham-has-paid-the-price-for-leaving-Manchester-United-in-search-of-global-fame.html

We are always hearing about the youngsters coming out of Wengers Arsenal most of whom we never hear of again. Here is an article on the real football factory in the country, the Manchester United academy. Even when players don't make it at United you just look at the amount of players playing all through the divisions and even in la liga who learnt their trade at Carrington.
http://www.footballfancast.com/football-blogs/unsung-heroes-manchester-uniteds-prolific-academy
I love the fact that they are almost old boys and not just that United through and through.
Busby's legacy continued, and one reason why Mourinho would never be my choice for the hot seat at Old trafford as his record of bringing youngsters through or even any knowledge of how a club is run along these lines is negligble. So it's good to read towards the end of this article that top echelons at Old Trafford think along the same lines.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2009/dec/20/joe-mourinho-internazionale-chelsea

The Telegraph reckons Hughes was always on borrowed time and knew it.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/mancity/6846912/As-Manchester-Citys-cracked-badge-weeks-mounted-Mark-Hughes-never-stood-a-chance.html
I am a believer that when you put a manager in he should at the very least be given one full season and if you are really serious to let him run the entire three or four year contract to see his plans for the whole football club to come to full fruition. So i don't really see what sense this sacking makes. What now happens to their supposedly great youth set up. With football no nothings in charge such as Cook and the arabs it's hard to see many youngsters being given the chance to come through. I suppose we can expect Mancini to be given an open cheque book to go and but more players who look at the Abu Dhabi millions at the boo camp and see a nice little earner and perform when and where they feel like for a manager who may or may not be there in a years time as the arabs try to call the shots on who gets picked or not.
And the choice of Mancini is just beyond funny, the guy has proved nothing in football management. With Juvents relegated following the match fixing scandal and an ageing AC Milan docked so many points the following season, and many of Juve's best players going to Inter they were virtually handed his first title. His record in the Champions league didn't shake any trees either. So they sack one unproven manager who may or nor be the real deal for another. If they had got Huudink i would have at least conceded that they had got a manager with a proven track record. Well it should be at least one and a half more seasons before they get their hands on that elusive trophy. So the banner on the stretford end to click round further to the delight of all reds.

Will the new manager have the players on his side as the players sent a deptation to see Khaldoon Al Mubarak to plead for Hughes to be reinstalled says the Times
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_city/article6962674.ece

An article laying out the financial problems faced by the Glazers and United's debts
http://www.goal.com/en/news/9/england/2009/12/16/1690829/manchester-united-exclusive-chinese-take-over-not-on-the
A refloat would be my preferred option there as hopefully it would allow us to get a bit more control of the club and bring some openess back into our murky financial affairs.

Is wheeler and dealer Harry going to get his collar felt/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/tottenham/6847004/Tottenham-manager-Harry-Redknapp-will-be-charged-over-unpaid-tax.html

From inside that bastion of financial conservatism itself, exodus of bankers a price worth paying
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/dec/18/executive-pay-bonuses-bankofenglandgovernor

There seems to be a growing realisation that this country cannot afford the city of London is it's current state. It would be even nicer if people saw that we should be cutting it down to size because it's immoral anyway. But it's a start, now have we got politicians with cojones to face them down and do the right thing.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/article6962322.ece

Now it's google screwing the taxpayer
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article6962880.ece
This is the paragraph that really annoys me

"This could have raised about £450m for the public finances — enough tax to fund three NHS hospitals, buy at least eight Chinook helicopters or pay the annual salaries of about 15,000 policemen. "