Manchester United 0-1 Aston Villa

I was expecting this to be a tough encounter and unfortunately i wasn't wrong. They had already beaten Chelsea at home and the scousers away and last season gave us the hardest games we have had against them in recent years. If they keep everybody fit it's hard not to see them coming above Liverpool come the end of the season. Which is a little consolation for Saturday's result at least. The way O'Neill has them set up to play on the counter attack reminds me of the 93-94 United team with a young Giggs, Sharpe and Kanchelskis terrorising teams when they have got the ball if they lose it.
I presume that was why Fergie chose to go with a 4-3-3 to try and be solid in the middle and try and keep possession of the ball. Maybe he was worried about our defence with Brown and Vidic coming back into the team but who knows how fit they really were. Vidic looked knackered at the end of the ninety minutes. I don't think anybody was thrilled to see Park in the team but i could see Fergie's reasoning. I presume he was worried that with Evra looking to get forward he would need somebody to slip back and cover for him if we lost it. I'm afraid the trouble with that is he does so little on the ball. And against a powerful speedy team like Villa he was far too lightweight going back to his falling over as soon as he is touched routine. With no fit right back Fletcher had to deputise at right back again. Which was a problem because we really needed him in central midfield. Giggs, Carrick and Anderson sounded a decent midfield but when Giggs went off at half time and with no Scholes on the bench due to suspension we ended up with not enough quality in the middle of the park. Anderson had a decent if not spectacular day as did Carrick. But surely the onus was on Carrick as the senior man to step up which sadly he did not do. That old chestnut about him not believing in himself enough and forcing his personality on the game is rearing it's head again as far as i am concerned. It's worrying when we don't have a Scholes or a Giggs that we don't really seem to have anybody in midfield with that extra bit of class to make things happen against a determined opposition. Of course that was one of the reasons we bought Carrick, but if last season wasn't his best he has gone further backwards this season.
The game started reasonably for United as Rooney was on fire up front but we seemed to want too long to get the shots on goal that some of the build up play warranted. Villa were up for the fight and the longer the game went on the better their defending became. Saying that, United had their chances and should have took at least one of them. It didn't exactly come against the run of play when Agbonlahor scored but it wasn't what we deserved. Rooney then saw his blatant dive earn him a yellow card and then his brilliant control and shot hit the bar as United searched in vain for an equaliser. When United went in a goal down at half time we probably didn't deserve to be behind but they had taken their chance and we hadn't taken ours.
The seond half saw Owen come on for the injured Giggs and United take a grip of the game. I had said during the half time break that i would more be more than happy with a draw and that didn't look like the substitution to worry Villa. We were always wary of them on the counter attack as they always looked dangerous but they didn't really create much. Berbatov came on for the ineffective Park and almost immediately missed one of our better chances in the second half. Vidic saw a header cleared of the line and Fridel saved a fine Berbatov shot but it was always desperate and you were never really confident the goal would come even though with United there is always a chance of the last gasp equaliser.
For some reason i am more confident when we play away from home at the moment. Which is a bit worrying because i think it has been our home form that has been one of the main reasons we have won three titles on the trot.

The goal burden is telling on Rooney according to the Independent's match report.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/rooney-left-to-struggle-with-united-goal-burden-1839908.html

Paul Scholes to be offereda new contract and do we need him to sign it.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/12/paul-scholes-manchester-united

Giggs wins the sports personality of the year award let's hope that is not the last thing he will be winning this season.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tv_and_radio/sports_personality_of_the_year/8411157.stm

Patrick Barclay thought he deserved the award this was his column before the award.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/patrick_barclay/article6953852.ece

But it looks like he will miss the Wolves game, hopefully Scholes will come back into the team.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/14/manchester-united-ryan-giggs-wolves

Benitez states the obvious that the debt is harming Liverpool. Of course it is yet another excuse but it does actually to happen to be true this time. When is the truth going to come out of the Glazers ?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2009/dec/12/rafael-benitez-liverpool

Alan Hansen is worried about the state of affairs at Liverpool. I don't know how he can say that them not qualifying for the champions league four years on the bounce won't happen. If they don't get their ownership issues sorted or a new stadium built that seems eminently possible to me.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/liverpool/6805117/Alan-Hansen-Danger-looms-for-Liverpool-of-wrong-turn-on-the-road-to-nowhere.html

The former director of public prosecutions savages Blair and goes to the heart of the matter. The establishment closng ranks.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/article6955241.ece
History and liberal left historians in particular will not be kind to nu labour and particularly Blair and Brown.

Will Hutton savages the other half the nu lab partnership, saying Brown loosened monetary policy in order to challenge Blair to replace him as prime minister. Damning stuff.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/dec/13/will-hutton-darling-brown-osborne

Larry Elliot thinks the state of the nations finance's is awful and that the next election would be a wise one to lose. I kind of agree, as i think if the tories do win they will be a one term government as they will disappoint just about everybody.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/dec/14/darling-optimism-misplaced

Stephen King in the Independent agrees
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/comment/stephen-king-preelection-politics-dictate-the-bank-of-englands-economic-policy-1840078.html