Manchester United 3-0 Newcastle United

So finally United's season is up and running and the first three points are safely in the bag. They didn't really ever hit top gear but they were far too good for Newcastle, well they were eventually. I was a bit worried for the first half hour, the barcodes came and unsurprisingly got bodies behind the ball, trying to stop United from getting behind their defence. And for the first half an hour it worked for them as they nullified Valencia and denied Scholes room in midfield. Rooney was finding it hard going, in fact i thought Fergie might start with him on the bench and bring him on in the second half. But Fergie must think it important to give him minutes on the pitch in his quest to regain full fitness.
In fact Newcastle probably had the best chance of the opening exchanges as Carroll headed narrowly wide after ten minutes. But after half an hour minutes Scholes managed to find space to put through an inch perfect pass into the path of Berbatov who made no mistake with a excellently executed side foot finish. United were now up and running and ten minutes later Evra and Nani combined down the left for Nani to deliver a cross that was well controlled by Fletcher just outside the six yard box before swivelling and shooting hard and low to give us a two goal lead before half time.
Newcastle weren't going to come back from that and the second half saw United move up a gear to totally control the game. Scholes and Berbatov were on top form and the only blot on the Bulgarian's performance was his failiure to add to the goal scored in the first half. He had a fair few chances but couldn't manage to find the net. It looked like it was going to be one of those halfs where the ball just doesn't go in, but Scholes found one more great pass to set up substitute Giggs who made no mistake with a left foot volley to make it 3-0 with five mintes to go.
Standout performers were Scholes , Berbatov and surprisingly Evra. I say surprisingly because i hadn't expected him to play after having hardly been back in training for five minutes. But he was back and up to speed, it doesn't look like the French debacle is going to affect his form for United, not that i expected it to. Hernandez came on for the last thrity minutes replacing Rooney, but to be honest he never really got into the game. Fergie reckoned he was over anxious to make an impression on his old trafford debut.
Newcastle weren't up to much, but i don't think they will go down, at least they seem prepared to graft which the team that got relegated were sometimes reluctant to. I'm not sure who will go down to be honest. Like almost everybody i fully expect Blackpool to go straight back down, but i have no idea who will join them. On Saturday's evidence maybe Wigan will finally go back down to where they probably belong.

Ferguson hails Scholes as a master of his trade as he produces another virtuoso display against Newcastle.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-united/7949453/Manchester-United-midfielder-Paul-Scholes-hailed-by-Alex-Ferguson-as-master-of-his-trade.html

Berbatov reckons United will be the beneficiaries of his decision to retire from international football.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-united/7949785/Manchester-United-will-benefit-from-my-international-retirement-says-Dimitar-Berbatov.html

Alan Hansen thinks United can't rely on Rooney to the same extent as they did last season if they are to challenge for the title. He also mention as our ageing defence. That is fair enough we all know we are not as strong at the back we we were from 2006 to 2009. But are Chelsea any stronger in this area, Terry is not the player he was, Carvallho has gone, and he was a great foil for Terry by covering ro Terry's lack of pace. In fact i always thought the Portugese was the better player. Our squad is stronger than last season and i am confident that we will give them more than a run for their money. I will take notice of Chelsea when they start to visit the top six teams away and their defence is given a proper testing. They were found wanting more than once last season.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-united/7946744/Alan-Hansen-Manchester-United-cant-rely-on-Wayne-Rooney-alone-to-challenge-Chelsea.html

Carrick knows last season wasn't the best for him and hopes that things will turn out better for him and for United in the season ahead.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/carrick-hungry-for-success-with-manchester-united-2053848.html

Fegie was in confident mood ahead of last nights game laughing off journalistic suggestions that United were a squad in decline.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-united/7945836/Defiant-Sir-Alex-Ferguson-scotches-talk-of-Manchester-United-decline.html

Kevin Garside writes that it is Arsenal who are the team in crisis, not Liverpool after Sunday's 1-1- draw. Whilst i think he is wrong about the dippers, they are a whole fucking football club in crisis, i know where he is coming from. I don't know how anybody could have tipped Arsenal for the title. They looked like the Arsenal we have come to expect over the last five years, and they will have a fight on their hands to achieve a top four place, never mind getting anywhere near the top two.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/7947226/Kevin-Garside-Its-not-Liverpool-who-are-in-crisis-its-Arsene-Wengers-Arsenal-side.html

Is this the sign of a healthy economy? 24000 people have applied for 221 apprentice ships at BT.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/24000-apply-for-bt-apprenticeships-2053787.html

Ruth Sutherland writes that this country should be looking at the German business culture as we supposedly diversify the economy away from the city of London. I just can't see it happening, business owners in this country see money as their god whilst the Germans know that is just one part of the equation in running a successful firm. Of course during the industrial revolution, Birmingham would have been our version of the German Mittlestand. The two recessions suffered under the Thatcher administration did their best to kill off the many small to middle engineering firms that we still had left in the early to mid eighties.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/aug/15/german-growth-business-culture

William Keegan sees more than a trace of the early Thatcher administration in the current coalition government and fears their shared instincts will lead to similar disastous economic consequences.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/aug/15/cameron-osborne-tory-cuts-thatcher

Mary Ann Sieghart is glad that house prices are falling.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/mary-ann-sieghart/mary-ann-sieghart-house-prices-are-finally-falling-good-2053554.html

Th chartered institute of housing declares golden age of home ownership is over and call sof rurgent attention to be paid to millions of young people who will need accomadation from the private rental system. What are the apologists for the golden age of Maggie going to be left to cling to as her lasting legacy.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/aug/15/housing-crisis-rental-market

Ladytron with the superb seventeen