Valencia 0-1 Manchester United

Well with the players available and the fact that this was probably going to be our toughest opponent in the group stages it was always on the cards that we would go into the game with a point in mind. And that is what we got, a team and a plan to make sure we didn't get beat before anything else. I know in the real world there are times when this has to be done, but it doesn't make it any more tolerable to watch.
The only real surprise to the team selected, given the players who didn't go was the inclusion of Rafael. Fergie seems to be prepared to risk him in the champions league but wary of playing him in the premiership at the moment. Whilst i can see he may be worried about his lack of inches it still seems a little odd. If he see him as our future right back then surely he has got to start playing more often in domestic football. After all this is our bread and butter, if he is going to be unable to cope with the physical aspect of our game he isn't going to have a future at United.
The only other position that there could have been much of a debate about, was the centre half spot, where Fergie brought Ferdinand back at the expense of Jonny Evans. I had a feeling at the beginning of the season that we might not see much of Ferdinand in the premier league, but that back injury allowing he might play most of the games in Europe, at least for the first half of the season. It looks to me, as if i will not be that far off the mark, i don't expect him to feature against Sunderland on Saturday, anyway. I don't think Saturday is the right game to bring Smalling in but i would like to see him given a couple of run outs in the league after the October break. Rio had a good game but he wasn't tested as much as he might have been. We still look miles more secure at the back when he partners Vidic.
The first half was dire, a really poor advertisement for champions league football and it's disappointing that we were as much to blame for that as the home side. I can take the tactics and the cautious approach, but the lack of technique, the poor passing and the lack of imagination at all up front, especially when the home team are being every bit as cautious, i can't take. But given the side we had out it was half what i was expecting. Berbatov did well up front on his own but the service to him was poor to say the least. I suppose with Carrick and especially Anderson coming back from injury i can't be too critical of them. Carrick showed good defensive positional sense, if only he could get the rest of his game back, he and we, wouldn't be too badly off in midfield. Park was as poor as i expected him to be, hardly contributing anything worthwhile going forward and giving Berbatov nothing at all to go on from his left hand side. Even Fletcher who had shown signs in the last couple of games in getting his game back to somwehere near his best was off colour in his first touch and passing.
The second half wasn't that much better, though Valencia showed a bit more willingness to attack, bringing on another forward and creating a couple of half chances. Berbatov showed what he might have been able to do with even half decent service, when he controlled a pass from the back superbly, beat his man and forced the goalie into a great save. Nani had once agin had an inconsistent evening, but yet again this season, it was through him that the late winner came. He surged down the right, beat two men before feeding substitute Macheda who showing good awareness fed fellow sub Hernandez whose great first touch set himself the chance to shoot with his left and he made no mistake despatching it into the corner of the net.
Fergie was asked after the game whether that had been a smash and grab result, he hummed and arghed, without answering the question, but yes it most definitely was a smash and grab result. Nobody can pretend we deserved the three points, but they are most welcome. Beating Rangers at home and drawing in Spain was more the kind of results i was expecting, but i think we can be more than happy with the way it's gone.

Ferguson was pleased with Hernandez's goal, praising the Mexican's finishing, but admits he has work to do on his physique. The first few games he has played in do seem to show he is struggling with the phyiscal side of the game. Whilst the man himself hopes the goal will give him confidence

Park himself admits to disappointment with his contribution this season, i keep thinking why did we let Cleverley go. As bad as Park plays with our injuries Fergie hasn't much choice but to play him, however little contribution he is delivering to the team.

Dan Jones of the London evening standard wonders whether there are more Manchester United fans in London than there are Tottenham

Paul Wilson thinks Rooney needs time to come to terms with his celebrity status and thinks maybe it is a good thing that United have the experience of George Best and David Beckham in their attempts to guide him out of his struggles.

The 30 day lull in the reserves season is seeing a host of United youngsters going out on loan to lower league clubs. Nicky Ajose, who i think will make a decent career for himself in the game has gone to his home town of Bury. Conor Devlin the Northern Ireland goalie has gone to Hartlepool and Oliver gill and Wes Brown's younger brother Reece have joined Bradford city for the month. I will be interested to see whether they send Magnus Eikrem anywhere.

Lancashire's old trafford redevelopment gets what will hopefully be the final all clear. As i have said before i'm not a big fan of the plans, but now they have started i just hope they come out looking better when actually built than they did as plans.

Dave Hadfield of the Independent recalls interviewing Terry Newton only weeks earlier and wonders if there was anything he could have done differently.

The economists Bagehot column isn't overly impressed with Ed Miliband or his speech to the labour conference. Coming from a presumably non left take, in fact almost Blairlike stance it seems to me, hardly surprising.
Steve Richards takes issue with the myth being put around that labour chose the wrong brother highlighting David's vacillation over the last three years. A lot of this myth seems to me to come from the Blairite wing of the party not being able to come to terms with their loss of grip on the party and their mistakes being completely disowned at last, by their own party. As Anthony Barnett says in the new statesman if they still think the decision to invade Iraq was right they are mad.
His first few days actions suggest to me that they may well have picked the right brother. First he disappoints the Blairites by defeating their presumed heir apparent and now he is letting the Brownites know that he will not be the man to carry on the Brownite torch. The lunacy of both factions is a poison he seems well aware that needs to be drawn. I mean at the end of the day there wasn't that much difference between them, it wasn't like the tories tearing themselves aprt over Europe in the 90's.
Paul Mason argues that now the labour party has chosen its new leader the decision which may or may not win them the next election will have to be made. How will Ed Miliband go about setting his economic policy and who will he want as and get as his shadow chancellor. Given that i support a more Keynesian approach to the deficit i suppose i should want Balls to take the role. But i'm afraid i can't get his role under Brown and his disastous approach to the city of London out of my head.
Simon Jenkins warns the tories that the economy is the name of the game, if the economy does enter the double dip that many are predicting, Miliband will hold all the aces.

Adam Posen external member of the MPC calls for more QE, basically it sounds like he is worried about the effects a double dip would have on our ability to refloat the economy on a more even keel.
The Brazilian finance minister speaks out against devaluations and warns of a currency war, as Paul Mason predicted last week. We seem to be getting nearer and nearer to a return to the thirties and a policy of beggar my neighbour.

Iceland's MP's have referred its former prime minister to the finacial courts for his part in the financial dsiaster that hit the country in 2008. I'm all for people getting the just comeuppance, but i can't help thinking that more than a few of those MP' that voted to refer him went along gleefully with everything he proposed.
Meanwhile the Irish economy is in serious trouble with the news that the bailout of Anglo-Irish and other troubled lenders means the budget deficit now stands at 32% of GDP. Robert Peston reports that this could be make or break time for the Irish economy, anyone remember the days of the Celtic tiger, it seems like an age ago.

John Pilger lays into the BBC saying it differs from Murdoch's media only in the way it presents the news. He raises a few important issues about the BBC, but as many faults as the BBC undoubtedly has, it can't be compared to Murdoch's media.

A forgotten class act, Squeeze