Blackburn Rovers 0-0 Manchester United

Well, that's the title gone. I thought we looked in trouble against Liverpool, with a really poor midfield performance, despite winning the game, but i didn't see our title chances evaporate this quickly. We're now paying the price of not being able to spend the money we received from Real Madrid for Ronaldo to strengthen our squad last summer. The most important issue facing this club is getting rid of the present owners. Yes we need new players and we need to stop relying on the last of the 92 generation. But getting rid of them overrides everything else as far as i am concerned. Our fate can be seen down the east lancs road, if we still have them in charge in 2017. They may find the money to buy one or two players this summer, though i can't see it myself, but it will be a sticking plaster job if they do and will have to be paid for eventually. A season ticket price rise next season?
I wasn't thrilled when i saw the team, Neville, Scholes and Giggs all in the team again. Neville didn't have a bad game but with O'Shea coming in at left back to give Evra a rest we had no full back to give either of our wide men enough help going forward. Scholes and Giggs in central midfield in a 4-4-2 didn't look great on paper and didn't look too great on the pitch. Both have been great players and both can still do a decent job for us next season, but to play with two in midfield you are looking for someone to arrive late in the box now and then a la Robson in days of old. At 35 and 36 and after a long season it wasn't really going to happen. But then again would any of the other options have been any better, probably not. We have missed Anderson, for squad rotation mainly, but if he had been fit would he have been any better yesterday. I can't see it. Carrick has been in terrible form recently, Fletcher looks knackered, and i don't think Gibson is good enough personally. When Giggs and Scholes hang their boots up we are in serious trouble unless money is spent on replacing them. I like the look of Cleverley, but that's just one player, we need another two or three coming through.
It wasn't a terrible performance yesterday, just flat, with perspiration but nowhere near enough inspiration. We played reasonably enough in the first half, but when we were called upon to lift our game in the second half there was just nothing there. Maybe things would have been different if Valencia had scored with the one really great chance we had in the first half. But that sentence says it all, one great chance. Berbatov had a fair first half dropping deep, making it hard for the home team to keep tabs on and putting the slide rule ball through for the chance that Valencia couldn't put away. But when the chips were down in the second half his performance was disappointing, to say the least. I have been a fan of his, but even i find it hard to defend his performance yesterday. Reluctantly i have got to admit that it would appear he has not got the personality to play for United.
The substitutions that Fergie made, as much as anything, showed what a state we have reached. The only change i could see that he could make that would make any difference was bringing on Evra for O'Shea, and that was left until last. Bringing Park and then Gibson on just seemed to me to be a case of bringing fresh legs on rather than really trying to change things. Whilst acknowledging that the bench hasn't been the strongest recently our substitutions haven't really worked as our season has disintegrated over the last few weeks.
The injury to Rio shows that his injury problems have not disappeared and if Vidic does go in the summer as the rumours have it, that is one more headache for the squad. Apparently since the Smalling signing was announced his form has slumped alarmingly. So i'm not expecting him to come and be an immediate hit. The second half was pretty depressing to be honest, i am pretty much the eternal optimist as far as United goes, but i just knew we weren't going to score yesterday. With no Rooney in the team there doesn't seem to be as much character in the side as you would like.
Do we need Rooney back for next week. I am in two minds as to how we will perform next week, one head says with Rooney back in the team, a week off and no pressure we will go out and give a proper performance. The other head says Rooney won't be fit, Ferdinand won't be fit and they will all have half an eye on the world cup and won't put themselves out and we will get stuffed. It better be the first.

Ferguson concedes title chance is now slim
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/title-has-slipped-away-concedes-ferguson-after-toothless-display-1942011.html

Louise Taylor argues United have forgotten how to play 4-4-2. That thought has occurred to me once or twice this season.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/apr/12/dimitar-berbatov-manchester-united

Alan Hansen thinks United are in desperate need of overhaul but wonders how Ferguson can do it with no money.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/7579455/Alan-Hansen-Manchester-United-in-desperate-need-of-cash-injection-after-recent-misfortune.html
When the Glazers put forward the bond issue and showed the world what a rotten financial state they had put the club in and we had midfielders playing at centre half and right back, my main hopes for this season were to stop City getting to Wembley and hoping that the Glazer's would be gone sometime soon. As bad as the last two weeks have been i wouls still settle for that.

Kevin Garside reckons the gloom is overdone.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/7579057/Manchester-United-are-in-transition-and-their-problems-are-nowhere-near-terminal.html

The Guardian reckons Laporta is to enter the ploitical arena.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/11/joan-laporta-messi-barcelona-catalonia

Rupert Cornwell writes about the not so special relationship.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/rupert-cornwell/rupert-cornwell-so-much-for-the-special-relationship-1942258.html

Gary Younge on the current state of the Republican party.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/11/us-right-republicans-obama-fraternity

Will tha air crash that killed the Polish president bring Russia and Poland closer.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/11/poland-tragedy-katyn-russia

Robert Fisk writes about the dark side of the Empire.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fiskrsquos-world-malaya-1948-another-shameful-episode-in-britains-colonial-past-1940760.html

Black rebel motorcycle club