West Bromwich Albion 0-5 Manchester United

At last we got the kind of performance away from home that we had been lacking so far this season. And it has brought our goal difference equal with Chelsea if probably for only one night.
It was the performance more than the five goals that pleased me most last night. The passing was pretty good all night, the movement was excellent and once United got into the box they always looked like scoring and when they didn't it was more a case of Carson making a good save than a forward wasting a chance.
The big surprise of the night was the inclusion of Ferdinand in the back four, and what a welcome one. Evans has done great in his absence but Ferdinand has still been missed for his passing at the back and out of defence as much as his defending. And when we heard Brown was on the bench it just emphasised the depth of the squad. When Evra is fit again it is going to be a question of players not even making the bench.
United started reasonably brightly although the baggies did have one slight chance as Van Der Sar flapped at a cross with a poor punch that saw the resulting tame shot cleared off the line. Berbatov then was almost put through but Carson was quickly off his line to smother the Bulgarian's effort. The goal wasn't far from coming though and this time Berbatov made no mistake following a one two with Carrick that put him through. Ronaldo and Tevez amongst others had more chances to add to the lead but the quality build up play wasn't getting the finishing touches that it deserved.
When Robinson got sent off not long before the break it looked like the 3 points were probably in the bag. With all the different TV angles it may have looked a harsh sending off, but when you saw it from the view the ref had i don't think he had much choice as he just lunged in with both feet. When Carson dropped the ball invitingly at Tevez's feet in the last minute of the half and the Argentine made no mistake with the gift it was definitely all over.
But credit to West Brom they kept trying to play football in the second half and were unlucky when Donk hit the post after about an hour. But of course that meant they left themselves open to United to attack which they did with real purpose for once away from home this season. The form players of the last month offensively have definitely been Carrick, Giggs, Berbatov and finally Tevez showing us the form he showed last season and at the beginning of this season. It would seem Tevez is one of those players who has to be playing all the time to show his true form. Though of course whenever Rooney is fit again i would think he will have to settle for a spell on the bench again.
The third goal was a pretty poor one for them to concede defensively as Vidic met a corner unmarked to head home. He has scored a few goals over the last couple of months now. The next goal followed a neat passage of passes that eventually saw Giggs tee up Ronaldo who made no mistake to make it 4-0. Brown was now introduced to have a gentle run out to emphasise the depth of the squad at Fergies disposal. Berbatov now took the opportunity to show us that he is as good at making goals as scoring them as fed Ronaldo who again made no mistake to notch the 5th. United seem to be stepping up another gear at just the right stage of the season. Will anybody be able to keep up with us, i think i rather doubt it.

Henry Winter in the Telegraph on the match
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/4360272/Manchester-United-stroll-past-West-Bromwich-Albion-as-Edwin-van-der-Sar-sets-record.html

Van Der Sar hailed as defence breaks premier league record, it's a nice record to have. I know a mean defence is essential to winning the league but United are all about attack really aren't we, so let's hope last night is the start of a goal scoring rush for the rest of the season. I know you can't win 5-0 every game but a few more goals would be welcome and this squad has surely got them in it. Berbatov in particular is really starting to look the part now.
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/manchester_united/s/1093425_hero_edwin_hailed_by_reds

Should Chelsea be ruing the fact that they didn't go after Alves. Sid Lowe thinks he is almost as important to Barca as Messi, high high praise
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2009/jan/26/dani-alves-barcelona-leo-messi

BBC to keep match of the day package. I'm not a fan of the smug Linaker or the boring Shearer, but ITV is pretty woeful so i can't complain.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/bbc-extends-premier-league-highlights-deal-1518768.html

Johann Hari on repressive religion
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-why-should-i-respect-these-oppressive-religions-1517789.html

Craig Murray has a good piece on the lords scandal and includes thsis piece on foreign policy
http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2007/08/theres_good_mon.html#comments

Will Hutton thinks employers are getting too little help
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jan/27/jobs-government-help


Simon Jenkins thinks the Government are still in awe of bankers, you know the ones who fucked everything up
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jan/28/credit-crunch-comment

Anatole Kaletsky on the Davos World economic forum
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/anatole_kaletsky/article5607339.ece

Putin blames the US for the economic crisis, fair enough up to a point i suppose, but they are a nice scapegoat for his own inept handling of his own economy aren't they.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/wef/article5607474.ece

Manchester United 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur

Although it's hard to go about the performance or the game there were a fair few encouraging aspects to take away from yesterdays game. The way United fought back after conceding an early goal from the visitors was one but the two big pluses to emerge form yesterday were the performances form the two teenagers in the starting line up. I know all about Welbeck having seen him play for the youth team and i have been desperate for him to get a start on the right whilst Ronaldo starts on the left instead of playing up front. Yesterday that is what happened and he took the chance big time, especially in the first half giving a very good performance that he almost capped with a goal after a fine dribble and exchange of passes. His second half performance didn't live up to the first half as he played a lot more conservatively as did the whole team of course. But for me the right wing is where he should be played for the present. Of course he did move to the centre at times as the players rotated positions but his starting position should be on the right. The other exiting prospect to emerge from yesterday was the first appearance of the other Brazilian twin Fabio Da Silva at left back. Wow what a player it looks like we have got ourselves here. I think we were all took a little bit by surprise by just how good his brother Rafael was when he got an early chance in the first team. But if anything it looks like Fabio is going to be even better. He gave an oustanding perfomance yesterday on his debut. To think that we will have him as understudy to Evra, that is some cover for the left back position. When Fergie was going on about this being the best squad he has ever had he was not kidding and the balance of ages is absolutely billiant as well.
As for the game the first half was pretty entertaining as the opening goal brought the best out of United as an attacking outfit with Berbatov and Tevez giving two tremendous performances in totally contrasting ways. In fact they really looked like a very good combination with Tevez giving every ounce of effort and no little skill of course . And Berbatov giving the kind of performance that we used to drool over whilst he was at Spurs, rarely giving the ball away finding space and using it superbly.
The opening goal took us all by surprise as Pavlyuchenko did what not many forwards have done recently and stole a march on Vidic to get in front of the big Serb and touch a fine glancing header that gave Foster no chance. United gave us a fine response as they hit Spurs with attack after attack and chance after chance. First Tevez hit a magnificent effort that struck the top of the bar as it screamed over the goalie. Then the goalie made a great instinctive save to deny the Argentine again. Next it was Ronaldo's turn to hit a screamer again it was just a little too high, but it was superb effort with his left foot and no back lift. Scholes and Berbatov both had efforts go just wide before Welbeck produced one of the moments of the match as his mazy dribble saw him beat man after man but once again the United couldn't beat the man between the sticks. That is until the ginger prince struck after 35 minutes. It wasn't pretty but it was deserved as the shot struck from the edge of the box following a corner saw Tevez let it through his legs to flummox the goalie as it entered the net to bring us level. Two minutes later a great ball from ex Spurs man Carrick found fellow ex Spurs man Berbatov racing through on goal and he made no mistake puttin g us deservedly in front.
The second half was a bit of a none event really as both sides seemed to settle for the result which from our point of view i didn't mind too much with the amount of games we have played and the trip to the Hawthorns on Tuesday. But it was disappointing from their point of view i suppose although with one Wembley trip and Premiership survival utmost on their minds maybe it was understandable.. The one negative of the day was the injuries to both of our young starlets, with the amount of injuries we have got at the moment there is a fair chance they would have both seen some action on Tuesday though i suspect Welbeck would have been on the bench.
So 5th round here we come, and the results of Arsenal and Liverpool won't do our title chances any harm as they both now have to play replays and in the bindippers case a third derby in a couple of weeks.

Giggs to get new contract implies Fergie, i should think so, he has given some vintage performaces this season.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/7850068.stm

Not a Guardian journalist i bother reading but it seems the proposterous Garry Cook is not just a joke figure to reds
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2009/jan/22/marina-hyde-kaka-manchester-city-garry-cook

Larry Elliot on the problems facing Obama Barrack
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/19/obama-us-economy

It seems he stole a few lines from one of the great radical figues of British history Tom Paine
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/ben_macintyre/article5562543.ece

Will Hutton's latest Observer column, it must be hard to resist the idea to scream from the rooftops i was right. I read The state we are in when it came out, maybe the government should go back and dig a copy or two out and actually read the thing.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jan/25/economic-policy-gordon-brown

Not before time a big shake up of the top jobs at the RBS
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/banking_and_finance/article5580988.ece

A mojo article asking what happened to the great rock drummer, a good question. When i first got into music it was always guitarists that i listened out for, it's only as i have got older that i realise that almost every group that i really love have had great drummers. And as for John Bonham, well rock drumming just doesn't get any better does it.
http://www.mojo4music.com/blog/2009/01/whatever_happened_to_the_great_1.html

An interview with Elizabeth Moss star one of the stars of returning series mad men. The first series must watch TV so i can't wait for the second series.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2009/jan/25/elisabeth-moss-interview-mad-men

Meanwhile the Times interviews fellow mad men star John Hamn aka John Draper
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article5247450.ece

Manchester United 4-2 Derby County

Well it's Wembley but at what cost. The defence has been decimated, with Ferdinand already out of the reckoning for who knows how long. Evra still a couple of weeks away from being fit as far as we know and then came last night. To lose Da Silva the Gary Neville then th have to have Jonny Evans hobble his way htrough the latter stages was not what the doctor ordered to say the least. Is this competition really worth all the hassle? And what will our defence look like on Saturday.
It has to be said when you look at the weakened teams all the big four play in this competition, it isn't really right that the clubs that make into europe are still given a bye. This used to be a competition that the lesser teams did reasonably well in. But i would say that law change has helped the big boys take a stranglehold on this competition over the last few years. If your United's and Arsenal's had to fight their way through every round i'm not sure you would be seeing one of the big boys in the final every year.
As for the game Fergie kept to his word and played mostly kids , i had felt sure Scholes would play in this after not playing the last two matches but he sat on the bench whilst Anderson was partnered by Darren Gibson. Deby started off where they left off in the first leg trying to play football and if they got anywhere the box they weren't shy of having a pop again. They had one decent shot that was gifted to them by a mistake form Gibson but it flew past the post. Then out of nothing Nani picked it up on the right, cut inside and unleashed one of his thunderbolts that Carroll got his hand to but couldn't keep out. Now United started to dominate and after a poor piece of defending from the visitors O'Shea of all people was left all alone just inside the box to coolly slot home a second goal for United. Another disastrous piece of defending saw a corner go to the unmarked Da Silva who put a great cross in for Tevez to have the simple task of nodding it home. Another great move saw Giggs put a superbly weighted ball through fro Da Silva but ht eyoung Brazillian blasted it over the ball. So though we lost Rafael Da Silva just before the break to an injury we went in 3-0 up and as good as through. It hadn't really been a 3-0 performance though it has to be said.
United were content to saunter through the second half, justifiably with the heavy schedule of games we are in the middle of. Ronaldo came on for Giggs on the hour though at the time i couldn't see the point of that to be honest. Neville went off about 10 minutes later to be replaced by James Chester you thought at the time he might be injured because that seemed a strange decision. Sure enough we heard after the game he was injured. Then when Evans got hurt went off, then came back on limping heavily it started to feel like not such a great night. Whether the injury contributed to Evans giving away the penalty with 10 minutes to go i don't know. Anyway it was slotted by Foster by Barnes and the dreaded prospect of extra time reared it's ugly head. Now Nani went off injured but a nice move that saw Welbeck put Tevez into the box unmarked saw Carroll bundle him over and Ronaldo make no mistake withe spot kick. Even then the game wasn't finished as Barnes hit a superb free kick that Foster couldn't keep out of the far corner. So it's Wembley but to be honest i think i could live without a league cup final if all these defensive injuries come back to haunt us in the league.

Injuries mar the night
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/7841390.stm

The comedy club just gets funnier and funnier
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/jan/21/manchester-city-robinho-brazil-hughes-kaka

Simon Jenkins on mad treasury disease
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jan/21/treasury-banking-keynes-demand

Obama gets down to business, let's hope he does the business
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/21/barack-obama-president-first-day-in-office

Sterling is finished says market investor
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/jim-rogers-sell-any-sterling-you-might-have-its-finished-1452384.html

Repeating the early 80's ?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7841349.stm