Manchester United 1-1- Valencia

Whilst it wasn't a performance to remember, the game itself was quite exciting, finshing off an end to end game as Valencia went all out for the win that would have seen them end up with top spot in the group.On a bitterly cold night like last night, i was thankful for that, could you have imagined watching the last two home champions league games in last nights temperature.
Ferguson had said he was going to pick a strong team and for the most part it was. Rooney and Berbatov were up front, there was no Scholes again, unfortunately, so Carrick and Anderson continued in the middle of the park. Evra was given a rest and Fabio made another appearance playing at left back with Rafael playing at right back. It was a suprise to see Amos in goal, but i didn't have a problem with it as he has looked promising to me in the games he has been given a go in. And by and large he gave another decent display last night, his kicking wasn't great, but we are probably going to have to get used to that, because we won't be seeing a goalie as good as Van Der Sar with his feet any time soon i fear.
Rooney continued his impressive return to form, but unfortunately Berbatov had one of those nights. The Bulgarian was not on top form and wasted a number of opportunities, one of the first a one on one with the goalie where he virtually advertised to the goalie which side he was going to try and get past him by and duly saw the ball snatched from his feet. I'm not sure what to make of their number one Guaita, he made some good saves but especially in the second half he wanted to punch everything which eventually led to the goal.
Valencia  were a different proposition from the team that we had played in the first leg. Whilst in that game they had been very cautious not committing men forward until late in the game, here they were pressing United high up the pitch and sending men forward in numbers when they had the chance.
Anderson was continuing his improved form surging forward when he had the chance and he should have done better in finishing off one of the best moves of the first half, but his right footed shot was hit tamely straight at the goalie. Valencia were creating chances at the other end, though they were mostly long range shots. But when Carrick reminded us of his Bayern nightmare of last season by losing the ball in the middle of the park Valencia sprung forward and they created the space to put Hernandez in at the back post and he made no mistake beating Amos with a well struck shot.
United surged back at the other end and United had a double chance where both efforts went agonisingly close. Rooney's magnificent curling effort from outside the box hit the bar and the ball fell to Nani whose first time effort went inches wide. But we went in at half time a goal down with things not going to plan.
Ferdinand came on for the second half but was took off after a few minutes to be replaced by Smalling. United were playing reasonably well, striving for the equaliser that would put them back on top of the group.
I thought Nani and Park both had fair games, not perfect but threatning the opposition. The equaliser followed on from a good move which saw Park cut in and hit a fierce shot which the goalie could only beat into the path of Anderson, of all people, who duly scored his first goal at Old trafford.
Rafael seems to be finding the consistency that United have been hoping for, the more games he is getting, the better his game seems to be. Maybe he will be the long term replacement to Gary Neville after all. I'm still not totally sold on his brother but it could be that he needs games as well, the trouble is he isn't going to get a consistent run of games whilst Evra is still at the club. Smalling's game was mixed when he came on, good at times, panicky at others, especially in his passing. Last night was the kind of game we need to see more of him in, if we are really going to be able to judge whether he has the temperament to eventually replace Ferdinand. United had chances to win the game, the best falling to Berbatov whose shot was brilliantly saved by the goalie with the ball falling to Nani who then proceeded to blast the ball over the ball from tight angle. Valencia ended the game trying to find a winner but United held out to top the group.
So United did what they had to and top the group ensuring we will not face any of the big guns in the last sixteen. I'm still not sure we are good enough to be getting to the final this season, but i thought that last year, and with the draw we had, we had great chance and but for some calamitous errors over the two legs against Bayern probably would have, so who knows.



Ferguson is happy with Rooney's form, it's coing back and coming back quickly he says. The news on Rio Ferdinands substitution is encouraging as Fergie says he expects him to be fit for next Mondays biggie against Arsenal. Less good news about the ginger prince though, he has had a recurrence of the groin injury picked up against Rangers. That is bad news, you need your best players playing against the best sides and for all Anderson's improved form and Carrick's gradual rehabilitation to something like his old form, Scholes is still head and shoulders above both of them.
The latest on the Hargreaves saga is that he has gone to Bavaria to see a specialist to try and help him get over his latest hamstring problem. Why you should have to leave Manchester to reslove a hamstring problem is beyond me. There's probably a bit more to that than is being let on.

Mark Ogden asks if the penny has finally dropped for Anderson. Although he seems to be fitter, he still struggles to see out ninety minutes, he was walking around last night just before he was brought off for Flecher near the last minute. I have to hold my hands up and admit he has looked like a United player during the last couple of home games. I can't say i am convinced his he will ever be a nailed on first choice central midfield starter for United in the future though.

The Independent's Jason Mellor tries to give reasons for Ashley's latest bizarre move as Newcastle prove once again that the crown for comedy club of the premier league isn't a one horse race, the boo camp still has competition. If it's true that Pardew is going to be the man to replace him, that just makes it even more difficult to comprehend. It's not as if Pardew has the greatest track record, it's not the C.V of a someone it easy to see taking the geordies to next level, that's for sure.

The aspect of this story that hasn't really been specualted on, as far as i have read, was would the Burmese junta have passed the fit an proper persons test.

Benitez is doing a sterling job at Internazionale, described by La Stampa, the Italian paper as a man walking with a pistol at his temple after Sunday's 3-1 defeat at Lazio. That was before last nights mauling in Bremen . He is still trying to talk a good game it seems, insisting his job is safe.

Paul Elliott a member of the world cup bid team admits that Panorama were right to broadcast their expose of FIFA and all its grubby little world. It's interesting to see the statement declaring the programme an embarrassment to the BBC was not cleared with all the board members. Whose grubby hands were all over that then, i can't see past Dein or Anson. The Dein that was happy to deal with Uzbekistan's Usmanov, what a fucking creep.
David Conn lists five questions which he believes England's 2018 world cup bid should answer.

It was great to see England so totally outplay the Aussies in Adelaide and it is very hard to see the Aussies coming back from this. I always thought if England went one test up they would at the very least regain the ashes, but after watching the first session of each day and the highlights the next day, it's hard to see Australia finding a bowling attack to give themselves the chance to win one never mind two tests.
Vic Marks reports the Australians in total disarray, whilst our Geoffrey reminds us not to shed any tears for them, it was our turn four years ago.
Shane Warne is impressed with England and agrees that the poms have totally turned the tables on Australia in all aspects of the game. Still he warns England not to think it's all over. He argues that Australia shouldn't panic yet, but if they end up taking a real hammering in this series, it may be time to look to youth and rebuild even if this means losing more tests than winning. James Lawton has a laugh at the Aussies urging the great Shane Warne to make a comeback.
Steve James asks if the Aussies can cope with being losers, as he sees a slight change in national characteristics. A bit early for that, they have had piss poor national sides before and bounced back eventually.

Even the tories have got a student vote rebel now in David Davies but Steve Richards that the tories are the only party that will be the winners in the current saga. He thinks the issue could wipe the lib dems out in the south west of England at the next election.
New labourite Hopi Sen takes an ironic look at the current state of British party politics with all parties in flux and not quite knowing where they are.
Sam Knight looks at the future of the NHS and Andrew Lansley's plans for it. It seems to have broad support in principle but observers don't believe that this is the right time to be reforming the system and think that he is going to be trying too much too soon.

Russia's foreign ministry are not happy at the treatment of Lib dem MP Mike Hancock's assistant after being arrested and accused of being a spy. I can barely a believe that a member of the Lib dems can be a fully paid up member of the Putin fan club. Surely the Russian administration represents everything any kind of Liberal  believes is wrong with the world. Nick Cohen thinks the whip should be withdrawn from him. I'm not sure what you can do really, every party has individual embarrassments, and this is a monumental embarrassment for a Liberal party.
Mark Leonard looks at the internal politics of Russia and tries to find out where the country is heading and if it can be successful.

Peter Popham predicts we are in the final days of the reign of Silvio Berlusconi as his one time ally Gianfranco Fini pepares to plunge the dagger in. It's coming to something when it a one time fascist who is the man to do the decent thing and rid Italy of it's international embarrassment. If this really does happen, the politics of his denouement will be fscinating to watch.

John Naughton looks the fate of Julian Assange and argues that the wikileaks culture is here to stay, it's either live with it or shut the internet down. He isn't the first to notice the hypocrisy of the west as they think we have forgotten them attacking the Chinese for their attacks on the freedom of the net. And yet when they are on the receiving end their gut instincts are almost the same. Wikileaks and its editor and spokesman may very well be, less than pefect, but the world is a far better place with them around than without. It's nice to know than you were right to never take anything they say at face value and the leaks definitely enhances our democracy.

Manchester's museums are having a tough time of it as the museum of science and industry saw the numbers visitng decline last year and it chief admits that it must improve. The Halle is another Manchester institution struggling as we enter the post credit crunch world as cuts start to bite next year. I don't think too many of the "Cheshire set" and their wags will be dipping into their pockets to help out this part of Manchester's culutural history.


Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon and Michael Winterbottom have done their bit for the tourist board of the lakes by the looks of it. It had more than one or two bad reviews but i loved it, the interplay between Coogan and Brydon was hilarious.

Tori Amos