Bursapor 0-3 Manchester United

A pretty satisfactory European away win in the end, though i wondered at times in the first half whether it might turn into one of those games. I was surprised at just how strong a team he picked, the noises were that he would make a few changes but it was near enough our strongest team, for the squad Fegie had took out.
Rafael continued at the back with Smalling coming in to partner Vidic at the heart of the defence. Carrick was given another chance to continue his little run of rdiscovered good form alongside Scholes and Fletcher. Hernandez was given a rest, with Obertan brought in to give Berbatoc some support with Nani on the right.
As is United's way in Europe they started slowly trying to draw the sting out of the home support by playing possession football. They did it reasonably enough but without really troubling the home defence for the first half an hour. When the home side did get a sniff of the United goal, it was generally through a United mistake. Evra and Van Der Sar were both guilty of lapses in concentration. giving the ball away that could have been a lot more costly than they turned out to be.
Slowly United's possession started to see them open up the home sides defence. Fletcher went close with an angled shot and Scholes had a cooly taken goal ruled out for handball, correctly, unfortunately for my first goalscorer bet. So the first half ended with United starting to get a grip on the game.
The second half had lasted just three minutes when United converted that superiority into a one goal lead as Obertan, who had been disappointing once again in the first half, stole the ball on the half way line and ran through to just outside the Bursapor penaly boc before the ball found its way to Carrick whose superb first time pas found Fletcher at the first post. This time Flecther made no mistake hitting it across the goalie and into the back of the net. Obertan now started to show the kind of form that he has shown when he first came, but whilst Carrick was once again showing the sort of form that we thought had gone the man of the match was undoubtedly the ginger prince.
The second goal took its time coming but when it did it was worth it, as Park found Obertan who took one touch inside his man and hit an unstoppable shot past the keeper to put the game beyond reach for the home team. The bad news for the night was the first half withdrwal of form man Nani and then the second half withdrawl of Fletcher who was replaced by Bebe. The Portugese man was to claim the third after a superb ball from Scholes put him through to beat the goalie. The replay showed that the Bursapor defender got more than just a touch to the strike but i suppose Bebe will be allowed to keep it. Bebe was to set up what could have been the fourth with a great run and cross that saw the ball delivered to Berbatov. Unfortunately Berbatov was having one of those nights and his shot curled agonisingly wide. We have got to hope that Berbatov's performance was just one of those nights, as although he hasn't exactly hit the heights after the hatrick against the dippers, he hasn't plumbed the depths of last nights performance either.
So job done and a win and a draw will see us top the group, if Fergie is really concerened about finshing top of the group. He could use the next two games to rest regulars and give the likes of Obertan and Smalling more playing time. I'm not sure that coming top is that much of a help come the knockout phase of the competition.


United are likely to be without Nani and Fletcher on Saturday after losing them both during last nights encounter. I suppose the big question is will either of them be ready of the game at the boo camp. As much as i would always want Flecther for the big games, the way this season has gone so far, Nani would be the bigger miss. Two weeks ago we all thought that this was going to be a crucial game for our season, the way things are unravelling at City he could be amke or break for Mancini.
Before last nights game Fergie dismissed critics of the present format of the champions league telling them it is the best football competition in the world and asking them if the have actually watched the last sic world cups.
Ian Herbert writes that even though Obertan showed glimpses of what could be the future United still rely far too much on the ginger prince who will be 36 in a couple of weeks time. 

Well last night wasn't a total disaster for the Democrats and for Barack Obama, but it was towards the more pesimistic of the predictions made for them last night. David Blackburn senses no triumphalism on the less extreme wing of thr GOP, And Benedict Brigan shows why as he shows that the Republicans know that Presidents have been soundly whipped in mid term elections before to bounce back and retain the presidency two years later. It's hard to know whether last nights mixed results for the tea party candidates give credence to that thesis or not. This Economist blog is not sure whether this represnts a thumbs up for the Republican small government ideology or a repudiation of Obama's performance as president.
Paul Mason reports that Obama's team have been, and probably still are, woefully out of touch with the US electorate. He also reports that Hilary Clinton and the democrat establishment have got their daggers drawn. As much as i never held out the hope that plenty of the lliberal left managed to attach to Obama, i'm pretty sure Hilary Clinton will not be the answer to Democrat travails.
Jonathan Freedland lays out Obama's options during the remainder of this presidential term, taking as his cue Bill Clinton's presidential years of 94-96. But as he himself says he is no Clinton. A vastly over rated president by liberals and social democrats on both side of the pond in my opinion, but a canny political strategist.
A former advisor reports on how the democrats were beaten and how centre left administrations the world over are struggling. It's pretty obviously because they still haven't faced up to the fact that neo liberalism is finished and the opening that is so obviously there to shape the world in a liberal/keynesian direction has to be grasped with both hands as Thatcher and Reagan shaped the last thirty years to suit the financial interests of the rich.