Manchester United 2-2 Benfica

That was the most enjoyable game for a while, shame about the result though. We don't seem able to get that balance between attack and defence right at the moment. Having said that i thought it was an encouraging performance, i liked the way that we managed to really got on top of the game after they had took the lead. The problem was and obviously still is, we just can't stop shipping in soft goals when we are plying the football that we all want to see.
When i read the news that Rooney had sat out training i thought it was pretty unlikely he would start and i hoped that he would go for Berbatov. So i was doubly glad that he was picked and that he had a pretty good game. Not perfect obviously as that late missed volley could yet end up costing us dear. He took his time getting into the game as indeed did United following the Jones own goal conceeded after just four minutes. But once United took a grip on the game he was involved heavily.
Nani was another to have a fair game, hopefully a much needed return to form, though there were still the head scratching moments where he made the wrong decision. And it was from a Nani cross that the equaliser eventually came as Berbatov glanced his best cross of the night past the Benfica number one Artur. Seconds later Ashley Young, playing in the hole, in place of Rooney had a great chance to put United in the lead but could only hit his shot straight at Artur. That seemed to sum up his night, his poor form continued i'm afraid. On the evidence last night i'm not sure i would be tempted to play him there any time soon. He didn't seem to have the vision or awareness of the game to be a viable alternative to Rooney in that role. Which is probably a bit of a blow to Fergie if he is forced to drop Rooney back into midfield later in the season.
The half time scorline was probably a fair reflection of the game, they had started brightly and had pressed us high up the pitch a la Barca disrupting United's game. But the longer the half went on the better United coped and eventually took control of the game which saw us leave the field the team in the ascendency.
United started the second half in the same vein and went close a number of times before another concerted period of pressure ended with Fletcher converting a cross from Evra at the second attempt. The lead lasted less than a minute as United's defence imploded again leaving Aimar to put the vistors level. The defending was comical i'm afraid and you could point to any of Jones De Gea or Ferdinand, but collectively it was their finesth hour. The worst part of it was that it completely punctured our domination of the play as Benfica got back some self belief. Eventually United started to create chances again and they were serious chances, Berbatov and Fabio had great chances. But the night could have turned into a total disaster as the opposition missed a great chance themselves right at the death.
So we need to pick up a point in Switzerland, a point that i'm confident we will achieve. I can't really tell you why i'm so confident as who can predict anything with United this season. I would sooner be in our position than City's anyway.

Fergie was happy with our performance bar the kamikaze defending of course, but thought that we did enough to have won the game. I would pretty much go along with that and add that it was a cracking game of football.

Maybe City's precarious position in their group is even more dangerous than we thought if Nick Harris piece about Shiek Mansoor's greatest gamble is proved right.

Samuel Luckhurst writes of a second rare night of excitement in the qualifying stages of the champions league. I wouldn't write that i don't mind if we get knocked out of the champions league at the first hurdle, but equally i'm not sure i would want us to get to another final that we are ill equipped to win. It's a while since we won the FA cup, i wouldn't mind us adding to our record of FA cup wins even if the idea of two trips to Wembley doesn't greatly appeal.
Andy Mitten writes that Fergie is still a confident man, more confident than the average fan about United's chances this season and about the quality available to him in our midfield. I totally take the point about the fans being spolit, there's no arguing with that. I can't share the optimism about our midfield, but i wouldn't rule us out of the title race. If we could give the Chelsea of the mid noughties under Mourinho a run with a midfield of O'Shea and Giggs, you know there is always hope.

Salford RL haven't took long to appoint a new coach, as Phil Veivers was announced as the replacement fro Matt Parish. That seems fair enough to me, it gives some continuity and even if Veivers is an Aussie he has been involved in the game in this country for years.

Simon Jenkins wasn't impressed with the government using public money to back mortages, equating it as have plenty of others with the sub prime debacle in the States. He argues that instead of subsidising potential tory voters government should be spent on social housing for those in real need.
In the New statesman Ian Mulheirnwarns that we must stop this housing Ponzi scheme that will collapse sooner or later like a fraudulent investment strategy.

Another escellent article by Aditya Chakrabortty that aks is Richard Branson all he is cracked up to be? The unsuprsing answer being in the negative, but for Chakrabortty he symbolises all that is wrong with business class in the country.
The CBI wonder what happened to the governments strategy to rebalance the economy away from finance and into manufacturing and exports. The chairman of a oil rig firm brands the government disgraceful for awarding much needed contracts abroad. Whilst i think he's right it always makes me laugh how business forget they are supposed to be in favour of the free market.

Jon Snow follows his last blog about this country being a haven for tax avoidance by now asking if capitalism can survive without tax avoidance.
Can HMRC chief Dave Hartnett survive the news that a judge has been appointed to the Goldman Sachs tax deal.
On the topic of banks, Laurence Knight asks if our banks face another mis-selling scandal.

David Blanchflower once more calls into question the coalition competence over its handling of our economic woes, this time laying into Cameron instead of usual target Osborne. One of the coalition's austerity supporters, Jeremy Warner, writes of the grim electoral message of the OBR forecast.