Chelsea 2-1 Manchester United

Well i feared the worst before this stretch of games but after the Wigan game i had regained some of my inate enthusiasm. And when i watched the first half display at Stamford bridge i half allowed myself to get a little bit giddy, only to be brought back to reality back the disappointing second half performance.
I'm not sure about the team selection, leaing Berbatov out of the team and including Hernandez, Chicarito is going to be a top player, but he has a long way to go yet and Berba's abilty to hold the ball up, early in the game and later on in the game would have been more then useful.
It was a surprise that we started with a 4-4-2 and no doubt those who say the days where you can't get away with a 4-4-2  will have a field day. But the first half did show that maybe it's still alive and for the first 45 minutes it seemed we were in total control of the day.
It looks as if Saturday was a dry run for last night as Fergie played an unchanged team for the first time in almost three years with Fletcher once again on the right hand side. Fletcher is no right winger but it worked well enough in the first half. My only complaint about the first half performance was the quality of the ball into the box.
But as soon as the rent boys equalised the game took on a quite different hue. As good as we looked in the first half, we only ever looked like scoring against the balance of play in the second half. We just don't have the players who can dominate a game for ninety minutes, against the top teams by the looks of it.
The hardest part of last night to take was knowing that they are not the side they were and that they would have been there for the taking if we had been good enough. But there is the rub, we aren't and we weren't. We definitely don't get decisions down there either, how Luiz wasn't sent off, for his foul on Rooney that should have seen him collect a second yellow i don't know. There was a bit of debate over the penalty, but if you stick your leg out, you are running the risk of giving a penalty away. Other than that Smalling once again had a fair game. As for Vidic's sending off, i hoped we had seen the last of that kind of thing. Here's hoping that Ferdinand is fit for Sunday. If that game wasn't big enough, after last night it just got a whole lot harder because they would love nothing more than sinking those 19th title hopes below the water line.
Before this stretch of games i would have glady took a win and two draws, after last night we have now got to be looking for two wins. We all know this is one of the poorrest United sides for a good few years, here's hoping that the 19th title is the trophy that makes it way back to the Old trafford trophy cabinet as we all remember the anniversary of that team who haven't won anything for 35 years.

Fergie was unhappy with the refereeing of Martin Atkinson last night criticising him for the soft penalty and for not sending Chelsea centre back David Luiz off. It's a blow to hear that Ferdinand probably won't play.

It wasn't the best way for Ryan Giggs to celebrate the week when he reached his twentieth year of playing for Manchester United. But what an achievement for a magnificent player. I'd like to see him back in the starting line up on Sunday.

Robert Fisk has a feeling the end game for the upheaval hitting the Arab world will play itself out in Saudi Arabia. It sounds as if he fears the worst.

The Economist's Bagehot column notices Cameron's attempt to show the Arab world that Britain is prepared to disagree with US foreign policy. Will it last? Charlemagne argues that out of self respect and self interest, Europe must do more to help the Arab world.
Frasier Nelson argues that corporatism is not enough to make an adequate foreign policy. 
Max hastings puts the case for non intervention in Libya. I don't support intervention, but support the rebels obviously. But western intervention is a total no no.

Neil Midgely writes that Chris Patten can be a success if he can streamline the BBC's output, i think he is right, BBC drama is definitely nowhere near as good as it used to be or as it should be. But where to axe, it's probably easier said than done, look at BBC radio 6, that was a bad start. Nick Cohen writes about Danish series The killing, another fan, but goes on to write of the future strength of the BBC when it opens the archives to a digital audience. I must admit i'm really looking forward to that. I just hope the countries broadband packages keep up with the change in viewing habits.

The financial times reported that Rupert Murdoch was close to victory in his attempt to convince ofcom and the office of fair trading that it's attempt to take full control of BSkyB will not harm media diversity. If this report in today's Telegraph is correct, i can't believe that it will not be challenged if the government gives it the nod. How many times has he made arrangements with Goverments, in this country alone, only to completely disregard them in time.
Will Hutton argues that if Murdoch wins it just goes to show what a feeble nation that we are. It's also not what i voted Lib dem to see, if this goes through, they could well have lost my vote at the next election.

John Harris argues, as others have, that the coalition has no mandate for a lot of the most controvertial of its policies. It would be a good argument for the no to AV campaign if it wasn't the tories behind the majority of these policies such as the reorganisation of the NHS. They would be kicking up one hell of a fuss if they were in opposition and this were happening.
Olly Grender replies in the new statesman by asking for a definition of mandate, fair point.

Ed Miliband shows signs of radicalism coming out in favour of a living wage, promising. This used to be a Lib Dem policy back in the days when it thought of itself as a party of the left, will the left of the party support this.
Polly Toynbee is the latest pundit to hark back to the days of the SDP and look at its influence on modern day politics and argues that Labour could learn some lessons about the core values it needs to anchor it in its post new labour days.

Stephen King warns of the dangers in the price of oil and warns it is coming at the worst possible time. Whilst Larry Elliott argues that if Primark is struggling policymakers should take heed as things must be bad. Robert Peston reports on an under reported speech from Lord Turner which suggests radical financial reform is still on the cards for the British banking sector, hopefully he's right.
Jeremy Warner argues that whilst the US will never be the pre eminent power it has been over the last couple of decades it is too early to write it off completely. There is something in that, anything could still happen in China, with it's lack of democracy and worrying hints of inflation.

Oscar winner Colin Firth interviewed in the new statesman name checks one of my favourite films, Come and see.