Wolfsburg 1-3 Manchester United

What a magnificent result this was. With one fit defender, Evra, Ferguson decided to pick 7 midfield players and implemented a 3-5-2 formation with Carrick, Fletcher and Evra as the three centre backs. Park and Nani were the wing backs and Owen and Welbeck up front. It worked beyond his wildest hopes i should imagine. We kept them very quiet in the first half whilst carrying a reasonable threat up front. We were the lucky the ref got the penalty call wrong when Carrick dived in and showed he isn't really a centre half. And they were always a threat from corners and when they managed to get crosses into the box. They had two marvellous chances when they really should have scored from headers when they had a really good five minute spell halfway through the first half. But apart from that United managed to play the game at their pace and kept the ball superbly at times. Park had his best game for a while but Nani was not surprisingly not as big a success as a wing back.
Needless to say scoring just before half time was a massive bonus. Scholes was the heart of most of United's best moves and he played the ball to Owen with a great touch, getting the ball back and then served up a superb ball to Nani on the left who for once didn't fart about and put a decent cross over for Owen to ghost in at the back post and he made no mistake heading home. It was a superb goal and a great way to go in at half time.
Wolfsburg came out in the second half with nothing to lose, with CSKA ahead in the other match, they now had to win. The Germans now had their best spell of the game as they dominated the game for the next ten minutes. All those crosses had to count with three centre backs who had never played there before. And sure enough it did eventually as the much talked about Dzeko managed to head home ten minutes into the half. That said Dzeko he didn't do too much last night to say he was anything out of the ordinary. It could have been the start of a hiding but United showed great character to get a foothold on the game again.
With fifteen minutes to go Ferguson brought the disappointing Nani off along with Welbeck. In their places stepped Obertan and Valencia, a sure sign to me that Ferguson was going for the three points which surprised and pleased me. United started to look more of a threat up front and seven minues from time superb work from Obertan on the left saw him cross to Owen who had the simple task of slotting the ball in the back of the net, he made no mistake. Then as Wolfsburg threw everything forward, United caught them on the break in injury time to get a third. It was a great finish from Owen to complete his hatrick and make sure United topped the group. And so our great away form in Europe carries on. Our away form, full stop is excellent right at this minute.

Ferguson was happy with Owen and last night's performance.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/09/michael-owen-hattrick-sir-alex-ferguson

Most of the reports of last nights match focus on Owen and whether Capello will have been impressed.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article6949475.ece

Patrick Barclay on the ridiculous amount of money going out of football into agents coffers
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/patrick_barclay/article6946528.ece

Vince Cable thinks Darling should follow the example of Roy Jenkins as chancellor in the late sixties.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article6949303.ece

National insurance to go up for those over earning over £20 grand as Darling delivers pre budget report
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/dec/09/pre-budget-report-economic-growth

Robert Skidelsky reviews Roger Bootles new book The trouble with markets: Saving capitalism from itself
http://www.newstatesman.com/economy/2009/12/bootle-banks-money-financial

The Coen brothers new film has divided critics from the reviews i have seen but it gets the thumbs up on spikeds site
http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/7754/