Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea

The dream is still alive, another fine performance and deserved win. I don't know why i had such a good feeling about this tie after doubting the quality of the squad for the most of the season, but we were definitely the better side over two legs. If Ancelotti hadn't had one hand tied behind his back by Abramovitch may be it would have been different, but Torres played again and did nothing again. I was surprised Valencia didn't play but Fergie got it right again, Tony will be back on Saturday, who will get the nod on the other side.
Two superb goals on such a big night showed that those two set backs at Stamford bridge and Anfield didn't knock any of the self belief out of the side. Rooney and Hernandez seem to be forming a great partnership, i suppose the only question is whether Rooney will be here next season to continue the double act. Alan Hansen thinks Berbatov, talented though he undoubtedly is, has under achieved at Old trafford as Fergie's habit of keeping him on the bench in the big matches shows. Well i hope he doesn't underachieve on Saturday because i'm pretty sure he will be starting at Wembley. With no Rooney we are going to need somebody up front to hold the ball up and as superb as Hernandez has been that's not part of his game as yet.
Monday night was a disaster in more ways than one from the comedy half of the city. A dismal performance, a defeat that has given Liverpool a sniff of the fourth champions league spot and with nothing else left to play for and almost as disastrously it looks like they have lost Tevez for the semi final at Wembley. As much as they want to beat us on Saturday, and we want to beat them obviously, that fourth spot will seal Mancini's fate. If City are pipped to it again the premier league will almost certainly be losing both of its Italian managers leaving Capello hanging on in the national job.

Everybody is getting giddy, how can't you, but it's as well to remember our past record in semi finals against German teams in semi finals where we all really fancied oursleves to get through to the final. The Leverkeusen games were unreal, the last minute at their place in particular, but the games against Dortmund were worse. We played well enough over there, Nicky Butt was unlucky to see a fine run and shot strike the post and then they scored from a fortunately deflected shot. But the 1-0 defeat at our place has to be the most one sided 1-0 defeat i have ever seen, as Andy Mitten has tweeted let's hope it's third time lucky.
So Fergie was right to remind journo's before yesterdays encounter that this competition is as much of an obsession for Manchester United as it is for the rent boys under their oligarch owner.

I suppose it was ironic that Mark Ogden wrote this piece about Fergie's prayers being answered with the return of Ferdinand for the double header against Chelsea that we now await as to whether he will be fit for the semi final on Saturday against the bitters. If Tevez doesn't play i wouldn't be too concerned if Smalling has to deputise once more as he was outstanding against them at our place in the 2-1 victory.
We will miss Rooney but hopefully our back up Berbatov or Hernadez or a combination of both will prove that they are a class above the two £20 odd million buys Ballotelli and Dzeko who i have never believed was as good as some have suggested. After his poor start as the boo camp i am happy to stay with that view. Rooney spole to Talk sport today to admit he was wrong to swear to the camera and says he now accepts his punishment but hopes that the lads do him proud on Saturday. I'd rather United just kept quiet about it to be honest. But i don't doubt that he wants the boys to win on Saturday, as apart from Giggs and Scholes the only medal missing for the vast majority of our squad is an FA cup winners medal. We will be desperate to win on Saturday.

United fan Thomas McKenna brands United as bullies as he fights the case launched against him for publishing a leaked list of corporate clients. Go to this site if you want to donate to his court costs to fight the good fight.