Stoke City 0 : 1 Man United

It was one of those games which was too deceptive to predict. Stoke haven't exactly set the Premier League on fire since their promotion this year but they have come across as a very disciplined defensive side at home. Unted were coming off a successful World Club Championship campaign in Japan and everybody was quick to point that they could be affected by fatigue and jet-lag! As it turned out, Stoke seemed to be playing for their lives on the Boxing day eager to capitalize on the United situation and get a valuable point which could help their survival cause.

Stoke looked resolute in defense and the strength of their home support, supposed to be the loudest in the League, was indisputable. United found it difficult to create chances and instead it was Stoke who had better chances at the other end where Van der Sar was kept busy as Stoke's forward Fuller was giving him a tough time. Yet they didn't really come too close to scoring. So it was no surprise that it was nil-nil at half time.
Second half saw much the same from both teams. The game didn't have a definitive tempo to it which was predictable going by Stoke's defensive approach as they tried to curtail United's movement in their half through through harsh tackles. As United were going goal-less in the second half, they were growing more and more frustrated. United's star players Rooney and Ronaldo could both have got their marching orders as they were seen to vent out their frustration at their opponents but were lucky to escape with no harm done. On the contrary it was Stoke who suffered the fall out of the incidents - Wilkinson tried to take up the matters himself and went for a rather foolish challenge on Ronaldo and had to be sent off as it was his second bookable offense. United had about 15 minutes to utilize the advantage of numbers they had on their side. A tactical substitution of bringing Berbatov for John O'Shea only showed United's desperation for that elusive goal. And it turned out to be a dream move - Berbatov found space in the Stoke penalty area and got a smart cross across the goal to Tevez who was waiting to pounce on it. Tevez gleefully put the ball into the Stoke net and like so many occasions last season, he turned out to the man with the golden foot scoring the all important goal when it mattered most. United closed the game down comfortably from then on and at the end it was a real hard-fought victory and the kind of result one that could really matter looking at how easy it could have been for United to drop points against a rejuvenated Stoke side.

With the season pretty much at it's half-way stage, United don't really look in bad shape for title defense. They are technically only a point adrift from the leaders Liverpool, assuming they are going to win the matches in hand. The brighter side of a tough fixture list is that United have played most of their difficult away games already. The onus really is on the title challengers Liverpool and Chelsea to make sure they stay in the hunt as it could really get tough for them come the fag end of the season. For me United look set for another season at the top. Glory Glory !!

Man City 0 : 1 Man Utd

"Much ado about nothing" - that was the feeling you would have got after watching Man United put to rest any claims their city rivals Manchester City were making of threatening the supremacy of the Red Devils over the city of Manchester. The Red Devils came up with quite a clinical performance to silence all that City had to say since their Arab owners had declared to take Premier League by storm (of oil money!). The score obviously doesn't tell you the exact fashion of United's victory but believe me Manchester derbies are tough ones to win and United's display made a mockery of several pandits' prediction that it would the beginning of City's domination of United at home!

Man City had been deemed the most likely team to challenge the dominance of the 'Top 4' this season thanks to their ownership change which brought-in Talismanic players like Robinho. But City haven't really lived up to their own expectations so far - and have been lying in the middle of the table for most time. Having said that, their league-double against United last season, which was shocking to say the least must have given them some confidence of challenging the European champions at home. On the other side, Sir Alex Ferguson was not going to be the one to let last season's derby debacle go unavenged. So United pretty much went in full strength - young Rafeal on the right back was probably the only eye-bro-raiser. And how well the champions showed who're the Manchester bosses is a story to tell. Man United were on their money all through out. They won every minor battle there was to win on the field and kept going closer and closer to the goal right from the start. Rooney, Ronaldo, Evra, Berbatov all had shots on goal - only failing by small margins. The possession was controlled by United for most part of first half. But the first goal looked elusive and in contrast, United could have conceded at the other end when a Steven Ireland's shot hit the post. United made up for the missed chances well in time before the break - Rooney poached on an easy chance when Carrick's shot was only palmed into Rooney's path by Joe Hart. United deservedly went into the break with the lead.

Second half wasn't too different to start with, with United controlling the game well. But neither of the teams came really close to scoring. And around the 70th minute there was a bizarre sending off - Ronaldo, instead of heading what looked like a sitter of a ball to score off a corner, just tried to block off his face using his hands. Howard Webb straight away went for Ronaldo's second yellow inspite of him indicating he heard a whistle! So United were left with close to 25 minutes of defending to do with 10 men. And how well United achieved that is a testament to United's character. City couldn't really utilize the advantage and United defended well and smartly held on the ball whenever they got the possession. Rooney almost had his 2nd goal towards the end when Joe Hart had come into United's territory but made good ground to stop the shot. But in the end it didn't really matter.

With that United have achieved a difficult away victory and some ground on their main title rivals Chelsea who lost at home to Arsenal this time. Things are looking up for United again!
Glory Glory...

Aston Villa 0 : 0 Man United

Man United had their first goal-less encounter this season at the Villa Park courtesy of a defiant display by the resurgent Aston Villa. It was a late kick-off and with that United had the chance to take advantage of knowing the results of its title rivals - this time fortunately there were stalemates both at Stamford Bridge and Anfield. And United had a golden chance to cut the gap by taking full points against a team that hasn't won at home against United for the last 15 years! But it wasn't going to be as easy as the history suggested. Aston Villa were coming off a confident 2-0 win against Arsenal and have looked like serious contenders to break into the top-four this season.

Well, when you're talking about Man United having a goalless draw, you're bound to think that they might have missed a number of chances. But it wasn't the case. Aston Villa looked ever so resurgent. It was a match that really didn't have too many easy chances. It was a hard-fought game with both teams wrestling for possession and I have to say United didn't look the most comfortable side they're used to be. To make matters worse, United had a forward line consisting of Rooney, who'd just come off a 10-day illness break and Carlos Tevez who was filling in for the injured Berbatov and both were looking quite off the pace. Add to that, Ronaldo wasn't allowed to play with any freedom as he was double-marked by Reo Coker and Milner. Villa's strength in this match was their ability to close United's players and almost choked United from playing their natural free-style game.

Agbonlahor perhaps had the best chance for Villa in the first half, which was really a half chance according to me while United's was a Ronaldo strike from about 25 yards that really tested Brad Friedal. Second half was not much different. United pressed hard for a goal. Rooney had the best chance of the match when he could have volleyed Carrick's smart overhead pass, but the not-so-fit forward hardly troubled the goal-keeper with his shot. No goals notwithstanding, most of the match was played with quite some flair by both the sides, specially in the mid-field but they lacked the vision to take it into the opponent's penalty box and come up with one last killer ball. The match ultimately ended in a goal-less stalemate, which almost seemed to be the order of the day.

Arsenal 2 : 1 United

Well United have floundered again. Football is a funny game. The whole week preceding
the big match at the Emirates, none of the so-called experts in the ESPN panel thought Arsenal would get anything out of the game. And they pretty much had enough reasons to think so. But look what's happened now - Arsenal have come out with an almost resounding victory.

United have had a raw deal with the fixtures this season. A tough game following each of their 6 league games in the Champions' league. It was obviously going to be a tough task to travel back from a tough fixture at Celtic last wednesday to play early on Saturday against Arsenal. Yes, Arsenal had a rather poor start to their season. But how can you completely rule out a team like Arsenal in such a high-profile fixture.

The game had a quirky slowness to it at the start unlike the last year when both teams played at a frenetic pace throughout the 90 minutes. Arsenal didn't look like a team that was missing quite a few of their key players. But it was United which could have had their noses in front had Wayne Rooney taken a couple of chances that fell his way.

It was Samir Nasri who opened the scoring for Arsenal around 22nd minute and Arsenal seemed to be running high after that point. United looked to bounce back with some good attacking play but lacked a killer last ball. They looked quite dangerous on the numerous corners they had garnered but to no avail. When play started in the second half, Arsenal scored 3 minutes later through a beatifully created goal, again through Nasri, this time the Frenchman coming up with a thunderous strike past Van der Sar. United pressed for goals all through the rest of the match.
The game had some of the most beautiful football played with the game becoming a complete end to end affair. While United just couldn't get a convincing chance for most part, Arsenal had plenty of chances on the counter-attack to put the game to bed but they failed to take any. United ultimately had to concede defeat in the end. United's only consolation was a Rafael goal in the injury time. The 18-year old's goal was a treat to watch!

It's been that kind of a season for United. They've looked better than last season on paper. And they've dominated all of the matches they've played and yet dropped lot of points. Not converting most of the chances created has been the real worrying part. Inspite of the addition of Berbatov and the fine form Rooney has been in, we somehow have let games slip and not recovered well enough under pressure. Though we've had most of the difficult games early in the season (we've finished playing the rest of top-four away from home already), it's a pain to see us 5 points off the league leaders at this point in the season. United have to keep themselves hungry for more and not rest on the success of the last 2 seasons to be in shape to gain anything this season. We also need to find a better way of accomodating the 3 strikers in the squad - Tevez has been an absentee for most part and I believe he needs to be give more starts so that he remains fresh and hungry for goals. Aging Van der Sar's form is another cause for concern, because he's not been looking too effective in front of the goal and is quite prone to errors. We've got a lot of work to do!

United 4 : 3 Hull City

How funny football can be! Hull City, who were promoted to Premier League from the Championship after a 104 year gap had been ruling the roost being the giant killers of the season untill they ran into Chelsea at home, where they were beaten quite comprehensively a few days back. And last night when United had thought that they had pretty much put their encounter with Hull, at home, to bed the unthinkable almost showed up - Hull scored two goals and gave United a real scare. And honestly, I had breathed a huge sigh of relief when United ended the game with all 3 points.

Hull have been a revelation this season. Being the last team to qualify through play-offs (The top 2 teams from Championship qualify directly while play-offs involving the third to sixth placed clubs decide who takes the third slot), they've enjoyed brilliant success beating the likes of Tottenham and Arsenal away. And what more, they had come to Old Trafford on an undefeated away run! Going into this game, they fielded a side that suggested they were not going to be daunted by the task of taking on the European champions at their home. United pretty much fielded their strongest side, suggesting they were not taking the Tigers any easy. But inspite of all that, one somehow knew it wasn't going to be tough for United. And that's how it panned out, at least 3 minutes into the game. Ronaldo had his first shot on goal and it was 1-nill with hardly any sweat dropped.

Ronaldo just looked like he was carrying on from where he had left againts West Ham. But with a goal up so early, United did what Sir Alex has been talking them against, dropping their guard. They seemed to be doing just that, taking things easy and that paved way for a Hull revival. Cousin, their record signing came up with a brilliant header to make the match really interesting. That equalizer woke up United a little and they were up pushing hard for the lead. And at Old Trafford, when United does that, they invariably score which is just what happened. Carrick joined the thick of the action and his shot found the inside of the bar and into the net it went. It was business as usual for United from then on. Ronaldo scored his second on 44th minute, this time of a set-piece, a well directed corner from Nani. So things looked pretty much hunky- dory for United at the break.

Second half saw United making it 4-1 with Nemanja Vidic being the scorer this time, again through a set-piece, a Rooney corner. Usually when United are playing with such a scoreline against their names, specially at Old Trafford, a victory is just a matter of eventuality. But for a change it wasn't to be . United again seemed to drop their guard and consequently ended up conceding soft goals. First it was Edwin Van der Sar who needlessly came off his line to stop the Hull City sub Mendy, who brilliantly chipped the ball over him for a goal. Then it was Rio Ferdinand who clumsily brought down Mendy inside the box to result in a Giovanni penalty. Giovanni, the wily Brazilian who has a nack of scoring goals against United, converted the penalty and suddenly there was a scare at Old Trafford with about 10 minutes to go. Hull valiantly put their numbers forward in search of an equalizer. But United somehow clung on to slender lead. And I have to tell you, the last few moments made for quite a nervous viewing.

I guess United have shown that they can get quite complacent at times, specially against the so called weaker sides. This season, it has resulted in United dropping quite a few points. The loss against Liverpool, draws at Everton and Chelsea had all seen United leading at some point in time and then conceding goals. May be it's something that's set in as a result of being champions last two seasons and it's something we really have to curb. Nonetheless, in the hindsight United did score 4 brilliant goals and looked on top most of the time. Ronaldo was just brilliant. Anderson again was excellent in the midfield. Rooney looked a shade out of touch but could still have had goals and was hardworking anyway.

There were interesting results elsewhere. Tottenham came back from behind to win against league leaders Liverpool, which was such good news to hear. Liverpool being looked at as title challengers is a little ambitious and we all know they have a tendency to drop points as the season progresses. That result, after Chelsea's loss to Liverpool at the Bridge means United are effectively just 2 points adrift of the league leaders. It's Arsenal away next weekend. And what a match that could be, given that Arsenal could be hungry for points after suffering another humiliating defeat, this time at Stoke.

United 2 : 0 West Ham

Well, it was as good as a walk in the park for United last night. Two first half goals from "that boy" Ronaldo were enough to seal the fate of West Ham in what was easily a one-sided affair minus the goal riot.

West Ham were missing several key players including Dean Ashton, their premier striker and once a United target. They've had a lot of good players leaving early this season including Bobby Zamora and the influential midfielder Nobby Solano. What more, Alan Curbishley has been replaced by Franco Zola at the managerial post. Add to that, they'd been on a 3 match losing streak coming to Manchester which meant that they'd never look like a threat to United. For United, Tevez started alongside Berbatov with Rooney sitting on the bench.

The match was fought and won well within the first half. United looked to terrorise the Hammers right from the start, typical of such games at Old Trafford. Nani looked brilliant to start with on the left and so did Ronaldo, almost playing like a co-striker. The first goal came as early as the 14th minute as United heaped pressure on the West Ham defense with Ronaldo poaching on a Nani cross to put it smartly past the West Ham keeper Green.
The second goal was an absolute treat, with a touch of Berbatov genius written all over it.
An Anderson pass seemed to be going well past the touchline which Berbatov brilliantly stepped over and took it past the covering defender. He then made a lazy run into the West Ham box and put it in the path of Ronaldo who had a tap-in to make from about 3 yards!
The goals came inside the 30th minute and the match seemed to be over by then. Though United kept creating more and more chances, they didn't really capitalize on them.

United looked pretty laid back in the second half, as pointed out by Sir Alex in his post match conference or there could so easily have been a goal feast. Yet, 3 points in the kitty, to erase the disappointment of Goodison Park was enough at the end of the day.
Among the performances, Anderson for me was the most impressive in the mid-field. It looked as if he was running the show all the time with most of United's attacks being orchestrated by him from the mid-field. What a replacement we have for Scholes! Young Rafeal looked good on the right-back but was a touch disappointing. Tevez didn't have much to do after having his first start in the last 7 games.

My Man of the Match : Christiano Ronaldo

United 4 : 0 West Brom

West Brom were easily the weakest opposition United were facing this season. But that didn't really guarantee United a walk in the park. Because West Brom haven't exactly been easy pushovers in the Premier League. They've were promoted as Championship winners, they were a side known to play quality attacking football and what more, they were just one point shy of United's tally befor kick-off! Nonetheless, given United's rise in terms of results and the confidence after a difficult start, a goal-feast was not a unfair expectation from the Red Devils at Old Trafford against a side like West Brom.

United were off their blocks quickly and were looking to score every time they went forward. Rooney had been in great form for club and country recently and he only seemed to be carrying on as the game progressed. He came up with a sublime finish inside the first half but was denied of that goal by the ref who thought he had brought down a defender before scoring - something that looked like a very harsh decision. Nevertheless, United kept pressing for lead with some typical good attacking display. Rooney had couple more chances before half time, but failed to capitalise - first his header was kept out by the Baggies keeper Carsson while in another instance he couldn't only come up with a tame shot while a decent one could have fetched hime a goal. But you could see that the Englishman was dictating play all through the game like a mid-field maestro - even Ronaldo wasn't exerting half the amount of influence.

Second half wasn't too different. United kept pressing for the first goal. The first did come - around the hour mark and through none other than Wayne Rooney himself. He made a brilliant run from the left and cut in and thundered a shot past a wrong-footed Carsson. That was enough to open the flood gates. United went on to score 3 more goals from there with Rooney was the provider for the two of those goals. The second was scored by Ronaldo who made a brilliant run past the West Brom back-four to intercept a smart Rooney through-ball. Berbatov came up with a brilliant reflex goal to score the third, something he made look ominously easy. And Nani scored the fourth on the counter-attack, this time Rooney again being the provider.

So, in the end it was quite a comprehensive victory for the title holders with an ominous score-line. The match was probably all about Rooney with him looking in such brilliant form - both in scoring goals and dictating the play in the opposition box. His performance eclipsed other good performances - Fletcher was brilliant in the mid-field along with Giggs who looked completely at easy playing as a central midfielder. Ronaldo and Berbatov chipped in too while the defense didn't have anything close to even a tough time.
With Chelsea and Liverpool securing good victories, the fight in the top four is becoming really well-contested, especially with Liverpool winning crucial, hard-fought matches. But the good thing for United is we have played two of our toughest away matches already!

Blackburn 0 : 2 United

Blackburn have been a side on a bit of a slide. With one of their best managers Mark Hughes gone and a few of their best players last season absent they haven't been in the best of form this season. So, inspite of United having a not-so-impressive record at Ewood Park, I somehow knew it wasn't going to be a difficult task for United to comeback with all 3 points.

The good news at the start of the game was the surprise inclusion of Wayne Rooney in the starting eleven as he was considered doubtful for the past few days. But he was being played on the right with Berbatov and Giggs upfront - yet another experiment from Sir Alex! But that hardly mattered given the impressive movement United players produced for most of the match which meant Rooney would enjoy quite a time in front of the Rovers' goal. United were on their way right from the start and the team seemed almost like a set combination with the likes of Berbatov and Ronaldo seemingly more comfortable. Unlike the last time, Rooney looked much more comfortable playing on the right this time in coordination with Brown who had some great runs as the match progressed. The first few chances of the match fell to Vidic and Fletcher, both of whom had bright chances to open the scoring but were not successful. Blackburn weren't too defensive to say the least - Santa Cruz and Derbyshire made some pretty impressive runs into the United defense, the latter came close to scoring early on only to be denied by Van der Saar.

United looked more and more potent as the first half progressed, inspite of rainy conditions. And they deservedly got the first goal on the 30th minute - Rooney's incisive cross found Browne at its end to head it in past a distracted Rovers' keeper Jason Browne. Though there were appeals against the goal they weren't heeded to, much to the dismay of the home team. With a goal scored, United's game seemed to have progressed into another level. It won't be unfair to say that the Blackburn goal was a scene of constant bombardment from then on!

Second half was no different for United. Rooney, Ronaldo and Berbatov looked at their menacing best. Ronaldo, who seems to have regained full fitness made some great runs but didn't have that razer sharp finishing he seemed to possess in tons last season. Nevertheless, Ronaldo did succeed in having a hand, becoming the provider of the second goal which, by the way was an absolute beauty. He made a brilliant run on the right while Rooney made a smart run through defenders to intercept Ronaldo's pass and then came up with a sublime finish to find the roof of the net. Rooney could have had another, moments later, but his shot was agonisingly just over the bar. Tevez, who came on late into the match as a sub for Rooney also came close to scoring - but could only hit the post! Berbatov too came close to scoring - he missed a good chance to add to his tally. United could have had so many more. And in the end, the tally of 2 probabaly didn't do United the justice their game deserved!

So the saga of United's flight to the top continues. The team is looking more and more settled with every game. Everybody who's coming in is producing brilliant football - like Brown did in this game! It's hard to find any negatives in United's armoury right now - a sound defense, robust midfield - even in the absence of Carrick, Hargreaves and Scholes! and an enviable attack. The bench strength is another asset we possess at this point in time. I guess, United will go from strength to strength from here on. We are a team on song!!!

Man Of the Match : Wayne Rooney

United 2 : 0 Bolton

United
(Ronaldo (pen) 60, Rooney 77)


The United bandwagon finally seems to be up and running. The first convincing victory of the season that, in the end, left fans like me asking for more.

I think, with the presence of 3 world class strikers in Rooney, Tevez and Berbatov and the possibility of just 2 of them getting to start, it's always a guessing game as to who'll start and who'll be benched! This time it was Berbatov and Tevez who got to start. Berbatov being a target man is bound to get more starts than Tevez and Rooney. With the difficult away fixtures over(which had caused United to be at 15 in the table before the start), United were expected to get back to winning ways. I'm sure that had put enough pressure on the United players. And teams like Bolton, who come to Old Trafford hoping to get a point at best, relish such situations and start with tight defensive formations. Ironically, it was Bolton who started the game brightly and kept good possession for the initial 10 minutes until United started to exert their influence on the game. To start with, some of the passing was a little rusty. And you could say the it was a team settling down, in terms of players getting to be comfortable with each other which meant we weren't as convincing inspite of the huge amount of possession. Our attacks, though bright, seemed to be lacking the tooth. Bolton on the other hand settled down to playing a defensive game and happy to break on the counter attack. Ronaldo, Anderson and Berbatov came close to scoring in the first half. But it was Bolton who could have had the lead, when Muamba found himself clear in front of the goal, with only Van der Saar to beat, but couldn't quite capitalize on that easy chance.

Come second half, United looked to be inching closer and closer to the goal. Ronaldo increasingly looked menacing. Berbatov also seemed to be coming into his own. But just as United were finding it frustrating to not find the net inspite of the chances created, the referee almost sympathized with us and awarded a penalty against Muamba, a decision which was described as "the most shocking in Premier League" by the commentator. Replays showed the defender to have won the ball! Ronaldo stepped in and coolly put it past Jaaskaleinen. With a goal in the kitty, the United players seemed to shed the nerves that seemed to be growing before the goal and settled down to entertain the crowd. At the hour mark, it was Scholes' and Rooney's turn to come in. And what a difference that made. United looked like scoring every time they attacked. The play looked trademark Old Trafford style. That phase saw Rooney score his first goal for United this season. A nice back-heel from Ronaldo helped Rooney cut in from right and put it into the corner with some ease! Though United couldn't really add more to the 2 goal lead, there was enough entertainment for the spectators to be go home happy. United's season was finally up and running.

Of the players, Evra was great all through the match, making menacing runs through Bolton on the left. Anderson was another player who looked superb - the Brazilian's passing sometimes was just beautiful. Ronaldo seems to be back into his form now. He was undboubtedly my man of the match. Another good thing was the sign that Berbatov is settling down. Though he didn't score any, he did come close. His combination with Rooney looked marvelous to say the least. Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney were just brilliant when they came on. Things look so similar to last season for United -the initial struggle and the comeback later on. But this season has had a tough set of fixtures which means we're in better shape than the table suggests. From now on, it can only be trouble for other teams!

Man of the Match : Christiano Ronaldo

Chelsea 1 : 1 United

Goals:
Chelsea : Solomon Kalou(80th min)
United : Park Ji Sung (18th min)

Chelsea have a lot to thank Wayne Rooney and Salomon Kalou. Rooney's overzealous(can there be another side to him!) rash tackle gave Chelsea a free-kick inside United's half while United were running away with the match. That free-kick lead to Kalou getting a free header in front of the United goal which he gleefully put it past Tomasz Kuszack, United's substitute keeper, to keep Chelsea's 85 match unbeaten home record intact!

Well, the result could so easily have been different. United's start to the game was another Anfield - full of life in the attack. With Rooney and Berbatov starting alongside upfront, for the first time and having more accomplished wingers to assist in a 4-4-2 formation, United looked really eager to put the Anfield disappointment behind. Chelsea on the other had were without their new midfield maestro Deco. Rooney, Park, Fletcher, Hargreaves and Evra made life difficult for Chelsea right from the opening whistle. Fletcher and Ferdinand each had a golden chance to get a goal for themselves only to be denied by Petr Cech on each occasion So could have Wayne Rooney when a cheeky volley could so easily have embarassed Cech. But United did get their deserved goal as early as the 18th minute. A searching run by Evra had Rooney feeding him and Evra found Berbatov to shoot. Berbatov's shot was fumbled by Cech and a lurking Park gleefully put it into the back of the net. But like against Liverpool, United just seemed to switch off after the goal which gave Chelsea lot of possession. Chelsea kept probing to get an equalizer - but weren't successful in the first half.
The game also lost it's fluency because of the highhanded approach of the referee and also the injury to Van der Sar who had to leave after he almost committed another howler.

Second half had Drogba and Ronaldo getting into the thick of action after their substitution. Chelsea enjoyed huge amount of possession and they looked like getting the equalizer anytime which they did around the 80th minute through Kalou. But United could so easily have killed the game through the numerous counter attacks they created. Somehow, it seemed as if the match was bound to end in a stalemate. The pace of the game was hardly anything to comment as it had huge number of disruptions. Referee Mike Riley seemed to be eager to brandish a yellow to every United player that came near him!

From United's point of view, they could have ruined Chelsea's Stamford Bridge record so easily had they taken their numerous counter-attack chances. Ronaldo particularly looked pretty inane in his runs. We also have gone for the second goal with much more vigour, something we didn't get to see and it looked as if one goal was all we were looking for. That's one characteristic I have seen in these big matches, one team gets a goal and completely goes into defensive mode. And the other side comes up with a barrage of attacks and most often than not wins an equalizer. No wonder most of the big matches end in a stalemate.


Man of the Match: Wayne Rooney for his hand in the goal and those runs to cover the defense.

Liverpool 2 : 1 Man United

Well...what started in flashy brilliant style turned into a sour saga in the end for Man United at Anfield. They conceded their first defeat to arch rivals liverpool in 4 years. What more, it was the first time Rafa Benitez got the better of Sir Alex Ferguson!

United hadn't played any league matches for 2 weeks, courtesy of the Uefa Super Cup and the International break. But something quite momentous had transpired in between - Sir Alex's prime transfer target Dimitar Berbatov had been swooped in sensational albeit controversial fashion. With a target man finally inducted into the team, the gaffer had a big decision to make - what would the formation be and who would partner Berbatov in case of a 4-4-2. He went with the safe option of having Tevez partner the big Bulgarian (he probably wanted to be fair to Tevez as he'd been putting up good displays lately) and have Rooney play wide right (he'd played wide quite a few times last year). He also had Anderson play wide on the left. So it was quite a strike force Liverpool were up against. It certainly showed when the match got off to it's start, in frantic fashion. United looked like they were out for an outright win. Berbatov had a shot on goal off his first touch! But it was blocked by Skirtel. And just in the 3rd minute we had a goal scored! And it had Berbatov's signature on it - he outsmarted his markers to put Tevez free in front of the goal and Tevez didn't disappoint any of us -the brilliant move had been started by Anderson. And for about 20 minutes or so, United seemed like they would steamroll Liverpool at in their own home.

Liverpool started to give it back to United almost immediately. They came scintillatingly close to scoring when Edwin Van der Saar almost gifted them a goal but recovered to make a good save off a Kuyt shot. But the next time he made a mistake, something he's getting used to of late I must say, he wasn't that lucky. Alonso's shot deflected off Evra and ballooned somewhat dangerously inside United's box, which VDS made a hash off, trying to push it away while he should only have collected it. He inturn pushed it straight into Browne's path, who had no time to react leading to an own goal. A huge stroke of luck for the Reds and that equalizer spurred them up like nothing else could. From then on, Liverpool looked miles apart. Remember they didn't have their two talismans - Torres and skipper Gerrard. Yet they were putting up a good show. Another reason the game changed after the equalizer was Carrick's affliction with a leg injury which kept him limping almost for the most of the first half and had to be substituted.
It was even stevens at half time both in terms of goals scored and quality delivered.

Second half saw an even more inspired show from Scousers. Their midfield duo of Alonso and Mascherano began to dominate. And on the wide left, the combination of Riera and Aurelio was outwitting their United counterparts. Liverpool were playing by far the more dominant game.
But they weren't quite able to convert that into a goal for a long time.
After around 70 they did get the goal they deserved although this time again it was through United's carelessness. Ryan Giggs, of all people, tried to be too cute when he should have conceded a safe corner and in turn lost the ball to Kuyt who fed it to Ryan Babel, a second half substitute. Babel though mis-kicked the ball and yet found the net as the ball bounced luckily for him, over United's twin center halves! So a bit of luck and some indecision from United gifted liverpool a valuable lead. United kept pressing from then on for an equalizer. But they didn't really come too close - excepting a brilliant volley from Giggs which was just about kept out by Reina. Infact, Unied looked more and more jaded with time ticking away. As the match was closing to an end, United's eagerness to change the scenario cost them a player. Namanja Vidic went for a harsh tackle in the air with Alonso and found himself at the mercy of the referee who had no other option but to give a second yellow and hence had to leave the field. That pretty much closed the doors for United. Liverpool in the end came out the deserved winners - albeit with a lot of luck helping them get the two goals they ended up scoring.

If you look at it, Liverpool were quite fortunate to get their first win against their traditional rivals, for a long time. Consider this - an own goal, a red card, an injury to the main midfielder (Carrick), make-shift wingers (Anderson and Rooney), an lucky bump ball getting a goal - all of these contributed to Liverpool to get their victory. Probably it's that tough to beat United! Yet as far as the quality of the game goes, Liverpool did produce the better quality of football after a a spirited start by the Red Devils. I must say though that I hated the sight of Rooney playing wide. He wasn't effective playing on the wings yesterday at all and I hope this was just an experiment by Sir Alex. The idea of playing him wide just to accommodate him in the team was pretty wrong according to me - You either play him upfront or bring him on in the second half. We want him running through defenses creating havoc than doing the retrieving job in the middle or at the back. I hope things change once Ronaldo returns. It's Stamford Bridge next and United can ill-afford dropping more points there. Or theyll be left doing the catching up job for most of the season! Hopefully sanity will soon return to our proceedings.

Win at Portsmouth, Surreder at Monaco

I couldn't really get to watch the Portsmouth match fully - could only watch the second half.
By half time United had already scored a goal, again through Darren Fletcher who's been playing on the flanks filling in for the injured wingers. Second half display from United was a treat to watch - Tevez, Anderson and Rooney ravaged the Portsmouth defense but just couldn't get the goal that could seal the game once and for all. Scholes was impressive too as he controlled the midfield like he usually does when he's at his sublime best. United had a lion's share of the possession as United kept bombarding Pompey with attack after attack. Somehow, they didn't get that last pass that could fetch them a goal. One goal cushions are really slender to hold on to. And Portsmouth could so easily have spoiled the day for United had they just got one shot right - they did try doing that with Van der Sar having to keep off strong long range efforts. The defense, as usual, was lead by the rock solid Rio Ferdinand and the warrior-like Nemanja Vidic, who fought off a couple of stiches in the middle of the game to see the match safely through.

United's goal scoring has been pretty ordinary this season considering their performance since the pre-season. Last year's top-scorer Ronaldo is still nursing his injury. But how long can we rely on a winger to get us goals? Rooney has been struggling to be amongst goals - his continued goal drought gives more fuel to the raging debate in the English media about his real abilities and the positions he should be played in. Tevez hasn't yet got to a prolific scoring rate and I doubt if he'd be able to do that either. Even if the Rooney-Tevez combine has proven to be quite successful, I just feel playing them together all the time, specially away, doesn't really do justice to either of them as both like feeding off a taller target man. Is United serious enough about the dire necessity we have for a target man? - Berbatov or a similar striker is a definite necessity we can't just take lightly.

Chelsea on the other hand got all 3 points through a solitary goal - a Deco strike, to keep themselves at the top of the table. They did seem to struggle away against Wigan, which would probably mean they aren't as unbeatable as they are being touted to be this season.


I was lucky to watch the Super cup tie against the UEFA champions Zenit St Petersburg. And I must say I hadn't watched United being dominated that way all my life. The Russian side was full of energy and great confidence. And they savaged United with beautiful passing play and speed. Well deservedly they came out worthy winners. United players looked jaded most part of the game - either they were put off by the dominance their opponents put them under, something they are not at all used to, or may be they were just being indifferent.

Opening Day blues

It feels as if it's been ages since Man United won the premiership last season. Thanks to the long drawn (and ofcourse frustrating) Ronaldo transfer saga and partly due to the less than happening United pre-season (No summer signings against 4 last season!) The build up to the season has been dry and unstimulating and so was run-up to the season opener. Come to think of it, it seems as if we've forgotten we won the coveted Double just a few months ago. Unbelievable is all I can say!

For a host of different reasons, the starting line-up looked shockingly low on resources and that inspite of having almost the same team that won the Community Shield. But the fact is that the team that started was nowhere near our full-strength side. Here is the list of absentees : Hargreaves, Ronaldo, Park, Saha (due to injuries), Nani (suspension), Anderson (away at Olympics), Tevez (last minute omission for family reasons). Rooney getting fit in time was a consolation. It was no wonder that there was a fear of deja-vu striking - remember last season's frustrating opener against Reading at home. The flip side to it was the excitement of seeing some of United's starlets - the talented Frazer Campbell got a start to play alongside Rooney and also there was the promise of seeing the Silva twins.

United did start the proceedings in their familiar attacking vein. Campbell could have had a memorable goal scored inside the first 15 minutes had it not been for the Newcastle shot-stopper Given who stopped his effort from close range off a brilliant cross from Rooney. Had that goal been scored things would have been much different than the way they panned out. As it happened, the Magpies didn't sit back and play a defensive game but played with sufficient flair and confidence - specially through their new signings Jonas and Colocini. And they were rewarded for that in the 22nd minuted through the talented Obufemi Martins who scored off a powerful header to silence the noisy first day Old Trafford crowd. Jolted by the blow, United answered back almost immediately through Fletcher, who made a smart run-in to square things off. But United didn't have much to smile about after that. Carrick had to be taken off inside the first half due to an ankle injury. And after the start of the second half, Ryan Giggs had to leave the field too, again for injury reasons. With the midfield stalwarts leaving, United hardly had any creativity in the midfield. Consequently, they found chances hard to come by. There were the regular chances created by the likes of Rooney and Vidic, United actually were struggling to find a clear opening. Youngsters Possebon and Rafael de Silva were handed their debuts and were quite impressive but couldn't really do anything sensational to help the team cause. With every passing minute Newcastle appeared to be happy to play for time and obtain a valuable point - something not many teams can relish. They did succeed in keeping off United's usual last minute bombardment and ended with a creditable draw.

It was a disappointing start to say the least for United. To not see 5-6 regular first team faces is a hard one to take and possibly that's what cost us 2 points and more importantly it cost us a lot of pride considering the imperious start Chelsea had to their campaign. One thing this match underlined for certain is the growing necessity of a striker who could fill in for either of Rooney or Tevez - perhaps Berbatov signing is going to be a no more a luxury, specially with the lofty ambitions of retaining a double being nurtured. Youngsters getting a look-in probably was the only take away for United. Campbell looked very sharp but seems to lack the physical strength - something he should be able to build with more first team chances. The Silva twins also look like they're here to stay - who would mind having more of the Brazilian flair in the middle! Hopefully with the likes of Tevez , Anderson and Hargreaves set to return, we can put this result behind and get back into the reckoning.

United Champions!!!

Hurray!!! United are champions again!
In what was supposed to be a high pressure game, Man United showed why they're the best team in Europe by comfortable coasting to a 2-0 victory and hence sealing the Premier League title for the 10th time.

Things didn't seem to be all that rosy from the start. It was pretty much a given that United needed nothing less than a victory to capture the title - as if to say Chelsea winning at Stamford Bridge against Bolton was a foregone conclusion. Teams travelling to Wigan this season have struggled there, mostly because of the quality of the turf. Mathew Flamini had termed it as the worst he had witnessed in his professional career, after Arsenal had failed to score in a nil-nil draw. But United were lucky though - there were to play on lush green relaid pitch.

United didn't look their fluent best in the first half - perhaps the pressure was telling. Wigan looked the better side initially, creating most chances but not really able to take any of them. Though United were playing 4-4-2, chances looked hard to come by. Midway during the first half, United were lucky to not concede a penalty through Rio Ferdinand. Just minutes later United obtained a deserved penalty, when Rooney was brought down by in the box. As usual, it was Ronaldo who stepped in to take the penalty and given the kind of form he's been in nobody would dare doubt his confidence - and convert he did with consummate ease - as if there was no pressure on him at all! With that, United went into the half time with the comfort of having scored a crucial goal. The other good news at half time was that Chelsea were yet to open their account at the Bridge.

Before the start of the second half, with rain coming down heavily there were fears of rain affecting the freshly-laid pitch. But with just a single-goal cushion, United showed desire for more. They seemed to come to their own in the second half, creating more chances. But most times, the Wigan keeper Kirkland seemed to be the one hurdle they couldn't breach. Kirkland came up with some brilliant saves - he first prevented Rooney from scoring and then came up with a quick reflex action save to deny Tevez. Meanwhile Giggs was brought on who, playing in his record appearance seemed to add some pace to the wings. And that pace was going to bring United their second goal - Rooney put in a clever little pass for Giggs who found himself clear of defenders and came up with a dream goal. It was a goal befitting Giggs' durability and class given the importance of the goal. That was pretty much the title-sealing goal and United had no problems getting to the finish line.

Over all, United showed why they're the team to beat in Europe at this moment. Second league title in succession from a young side talks volumes of talent that is in store.

United 4 : 1 West Ham

West Ham have been United's bogey team for some time now. For a team that was battling relegation till the last day, they did extremely well to beat United last year and had beaten United at home in their home fixture this season too. With such a reputation preceding the Hammers, United were bound to be nervous going into this fixture at Old Trafford. The fact that two of their star men this season, Rooney and Vidic, were unfit to play in this one made things more interesting going into this must-win tie for United. But United weren't going to get distracted by any jinxes in such a crucial tie especially after the mighty delight of making it to Moscow. So, a scoreline of 4-1 in the end pretty much sums the ruthless efficiency with which United got the job done.

First half was one eventful period of the match. United had their peddle on the gas right from the word go. Christiano Ronaldo, the man of the season so far, wasted little time in letting his opponents know that he meant business. His goal came as early as in the 3rd minute and that was one goal that could describe the confidence with which he's played all of this season and gone on to be voted the player of the season - he drove the ball in from the half-line, kept pegging, cut-in from the right and unleashed a furious shot past the goal-keeper. West Ham weren't doing too badly on the other side. United had to make one goal-line clearance and were lucky to survive a hand-ball claim against Brown. Second goal came pretty soon after that for United - Hargreaves, playing on the right-back, where he's been doing pretty well, put in a smart left footed cross which, courtesy of some poor West Ham defending, found Ronaldo who smartly thighed it into the goal. Just as it was beginning to seem that United had settled any nerves that existed before the start, there was some real delight to follow - Tevez came up with one of the goal's of the season - a 25-yard scorcher that had enough swerve and pace to easily bamboozle the West ham goalie. So, there you were, within 30 minutes, the match seemed to have been put to bed and United had probably started thinking about Wigan already. But there was more drama to follow - Nani's immaturity seemed to explode unnecessarily and had to be sent off for head-butting the Hammers' skipper Lucas Neil. That was followed by a brilliant Dean Ashton bicycle-kick goal to make the tie more interesting. With United down to ten men, there were fears of seeing a West ham revival.

Following the Ashton goal, United settled down to play the holding game - most of the second half saw United doing that. But West Ham didn't seem to be doing too much to make use of the advantage they had been provided with. United kept the odd attack going and they did score the fourth through Micheal Carrick around the 60th minute. That fourth goal pretty much put the game to rest and United calmly saw through the remaining of the match with little hassle.


United will now head to Wigan where they'd be playing the last game of the season. If they win there, the title would stay at Old Trafford. The focus now is on Chelsea who travel to Newcastle for their penultimate fixture. They need to win that to keep the pressure on United. I'm hoping Kevin Keagan's in-form team will do some damage to Chelsea's title hopes.

Chelsea 2 : 1 United

I am totally gutted! What could have been a well-deserved draw for United was turned into a complete misery by, of all people, the bloody linesman. How a game of such monumental importance can be decided by some reckless stupid referee is something I just can't comprehend. Is the FA ever going to do something on the growing number of such refereeing blunders?

First half completely belonged to Chelsea. The onus was on them to take the game to United, given the must-win situation and they certainly took the game head-on. Man United looked terribly clueless in first half. Perhaps it was because of the cautious approach employed by Sir Alex - the exclusion of Ronaldo from the starting eleven was certainly an evidence to that. Chelsea created umpteen number of chances and could have taken a big lead in the first half. But somehow, they seemed to be lacking on the final ball. The injury to Vidic didn't help United's cause and the back four seemed pretty susceptible for most of the half. Another noticeable aspect of United's game was the poor show of Nani on the right. Either the situation seemed to have got the better of him or he still needs some maturing up to do. Chelsea kept creating chances and spilling them and just as when United were seeming to get away with the situation, Michaeal Ballack made a smart run to head Chelsea in front in the injury time. Perhaps Chelsea deserved that goal.

It's not in United's character to have a bad first half and not do anything about it. So, as expected United showed a spring in their run in the second half. The game looked far more entertaining and open. United had a lucky break when Chelsea's Mr. Dependable at the back Ricardo Caravalho giften Wayne Rooney a free ball in front of the goal. Rooney, who was struggling with the recurrence of his hip injury, showed great composure and self-belief in putting the ball past Petr Cech. United's performance only improved from that goal on. With Ronaldo coming in for Rooney after the goal, things looked more promising for United. 80 minutes into the game, just as it was looking as though it was destined to end in a fair draw, the linesman took center-stage.
What looked like an innocuous cross into the United box seemed to touch the hand of Carrick, who was only trying to avoid the contact. And the stupid linesman declared a penalty. Ballack, who seemed to be having a tough time with Drogba's attitude, stepped in and confidently put it past Van der Saar.

It was nothing but a shocking decision by the ref. How on earth these referees can make a hash of the whole season in one moment of indecision is something that is incredible and quite unpardonable. Of course that will be the talking point for days to come. This bitter loss notwithstanding, United can still clinch the title if they can win the remaining two matches. I certainly don't want a team like Chelsea to win the League - they're too boring for my liking. And United have been the deserving candidates ever since they put that sorry start behind and came up with solid performances week in and week out after that. Things might not be that easy for United, but then if any team can handle pressure in the EPL, it has to be United. Glory Glory United.

Blackburn 1 : 1 United

Well...it was touted to be a tough away fixture for United and it turned out to be just that. An 88th minute goal by late-goal specialist Carlos Tevez saved the day for United which puts them 3 points clear of Chelsea - 3 points which could clinch the title in the end.

United started the game well and had a golden chance created around the 10th minute - Rooney coming up with a smart cross for Tevez who had nothing but a simple tap-in to make but messed it up while being wrong-footed! That was the only chance United could create the whole of the first half. That probably was a result of some deft display by Rovers who looked the better side the whole of first half. They were rewarded for their display a few minutes before half time when some indecisive clearance saw the ball luckily falling neatly in front of Santa Cruz who made no mistake in putting it past Kuzzack. United had looked a little ragged before that goal and after that goal was scored against them, they only seemed to get more indecisive.

Second half continued to see United struggle for to get the opening goal for most part. There were at least a couple of instance where United could have been awarded a penalty but somehow referee Rob Styles seemed comfortble in turning a blind eye to them. It didn't help United that the Blackburn keeper Friedal was having a great day in front of goal turning away most of the chances - the two saves to deny Rooney and O'Shea were the most notable. Just as when it started to seem as though United were going to go back with a loss, Carlos Tevez came up with a smart goal to save a point for United. The goal came off a corner which Paul Scholes turned towards the goal and Tevez was lurking there to turn it into the goal past Friedal.

It was a tough game for United. Sir Alex fielded an almost full-strength for this one inspite of the Champion's League semifinal coming up middle of the week. Yet I felt Giggs looked a little off-colour and should have had Nani playing for him from the start. United found it tough to get into their usual flowing style and never really got it going. Yet one point at the end of the day could be a very important point in the title race. It's Chelsea next and that could be the most important game yet in this season. Hopefully United will come up with the goods at the Stamford Bridge and if they can do that, we can surely have the title decided there.

United 2 - 1 Arsenal

It has to be one of the most memorable matches of the season. Man United came back from behind to drive the last nail into Arsenal's coffin (read season) and with that have inched more closer to the title.

The pressure and onus was all on Arsenal for this tie at Old Trafford. And they seemed to be responding to it quite well if the first half was any indication - Arsenal dictated terms for most of the half and created several promising chances in front of the United goal. That was because they controlled the midfield for most part but were found wanting in the finishing department - reminiscent of their poor goal-scoring form last year. Adebayor could easily have had a hat-trick had he taken the chances that came his way - but he isn't a Fernando Torres, is he? United on the other hand didn't look too convincing to start with, yet they had a few clear chances upfront - Rooney had 2 decent chances and I thought he should have converted at least one of them. Somehow it felt as if the score was destined to stay nil-nil at half time and so it did!

With United not looking at their best, Sir Alex was going to pep them up to look better in the second half. But it was the Gunners who took the lead albeit off a shocking goal - Adebayor came up with his own version of the "Hand of God" and suddenly Arsenal seemed to have an edge in this crucial tie. But United were going to see poetic justice done to them at the other end - Gallas, the Gunners' skipper and somebody who always seems do well against United found himself at the receiving end of a penalty - courtesy of a hand ball! In comes Ronaldo and he converts not once but twice - one of them could not be counted though! With that equalizer, the game was left wide open. You could clearly see Sir Alex playing his strategy to perfection. He sent in the energetic duo of Anderson and Tevez and United seemed to have gained an extra edge in most departments of the game. Also United were lucky that Van Der Saar was having a brilliant day keeping things at bay - he prevented at least 2 own goals and saw off several chances created by the Arsenal attack. United weren't going to be left unrewarded for the spring in their game, their second goal came pretty much in line with the run of play and what a beauty it was - Owen Hargreaves, who looked very sharp the whole of the match, came up with a sweetly timed curling free kick which Jens Lehmann could only watch going into the corner of the net. At that point with just ten minutes to go, United seemed to have got the match-winner. With some adept defensive work, they were able to cling on to the lead and finally end any title hopes the Gunners had been nurturing.

Overall, it was a memorable league tie. Arsenal gave most of what they had but United some how seemed to have the edge with their class. From now on, with only 4 games left, if United can win 3 they will certainly retain the title even if they lose at the Bridge. Go United go!

Borough 2 - 2 United

In what could have a major impact on United's title chances, Middlesborough showed an inspired performance to hold United to a 2-all draw to make the title race more interesting.
I only got to watch the last 30 minutes of the game. United were trailing 1-2 at the Riverside stadium in blizzard-like conditions. The game was being played in an open attacking fashion where both the teams were creating enough chances to run away with the game.
Wayne Rooney scored the much needed equalizer in the 74th minute when Park Ji Sung smartly cut inside from the right and provided a useful cross. On the other end, Borough had several good chances to sneak in a decisive winner only to be kept off by the hard-working Van Der Saar.

So United ended the game with only 3 points ahead of Chelsea, who can't seem to put a foot wrong at the moment. Chelsea were comfortable winners at the City of Manchester stadium with a 3-0 victory. Rio Ferdinand limping off towards the end of the game was another worrying thing for United who are already with Nemanja Vidic for 2 weeks. With all the remaining league fixtures being seen as "finals", they can ill-afford to have a weak defense - with matches still to be played against Arsenal and Chelsea. Lets wait and see. Hopefully United will show enough character to fight the odds and come up trumps!

Rooney back among goals with a bang

Man United 4 : 0 Aston Villa
Man United put up another sublime performance to see off Villa at Old Trafford on a soggy pitch. Wayne Rooney will be grabbing all the headlines for getting back into goal-scoring form with a brace.

What started off as an open game turned into a one sided affair when Christiano Ronaldo added one more to his awspiring goal tally. His first goal could go down as one of the cheekiest he's scored - he cleverly back flicked the ball past a crowded Villa box off a corner and it easily beat their keeper Scott Carsen. Once the first goal was scored it was all United in the match. United kept on pounding Villa with one attack after another. The pace of Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez was too much to handle for the young Villa side. The midfield duo of Carrick and Scholes also joined the party with some sublime passing. The second goal was also had Ronny's name written over it - his pin point cross found a diving Tevez to thunder in a header into the goal.

With two goals coming before the break, United fans would have been hoping for a flood of goals in the second half and they weren't disappointed at all. Rooney came agonizingly close to scoring on two occassions - first his shot went just wide and on the second Carsen seemed to read his mind and kept him off scoring. Yet Rooney wasn't going to let the disappointment rein. His first goal in 6 matches did come later on, much to his and all his fans' relief . Ronaldo's cheeky little pass found Rooney to perfection and this time Rooney cleverly ran around Carsen to put it coolly into the net. Meanwhile Tevez missed a sitter of a header and failed to add to his account. The last goal of the night also came off Rooney's foot - this time he came cut in from the left and came up with a meaty strike into the near side of the goal.

It was a completely clinical performance by United. Most Red Devils had a great day - The defense looked sturdy against a young and pacy Villa attack. So did the attack and the mid-field.
Though Rooney had two goals to his credit, it was another match dominated by the Ronaldo magic. The fact that apart from scoring a goal , he assisted all the other 3 is a testament to the effect. Another great night at Old Trafford. Another great entertainer for us fans.

United's class bulldozes the Kop

Man Utd 3 : 0 Liverpool
What was touted to be a game of high stakes turned out to be one with high drama. In what was supposed to be a match that could have a major impact on the title race, United came up trumps to extend their lead in the title race to 6 points and take a definitive step closer to the title.

Much of the debate in the build up to the match surrounded around the referees and their officiating style. Rafa Benitez accused Sir Alex of trying to influence the referees by accusing them to be lenient to harsh tackles. Well it's more than a coincidence that Rafa's side was at the receiving end of the most important officiating decision of the match. Xavier Marscherano, on a yellow already, foul-mouthed the ref Steve Benett and ended up receiving the dreaded second and with that he more or less gifted the match into United's hands. That incident doesn't take anything away from United's performance. Even after having chosen to play a conservative 4-5-1 with Rooney as the sole striker, United created clearer chances in the first half and enjoyed better possession. The first goal deservedly came United's way, in the 34th minute. Rooney was the supplier from the left flank and for a change there was Wes Browne lurking. Browne's header wasn't the most convincing one as keeper Reina seemed to make a mess of the situation and the ball somehow ended up in the net.

With Liverpool down to 10 men, nobody was going to bet on them making a come back against an in-form United at Old Trafford. And so went the story - second half pretty much looked like a walk in the park for the Red Devils. Though Liverpool did looke like turning the tide with their gifted duo of Gerard and Torres they never really troubled Van Der Saar. United continued creating a lot of chances but were unable to convert them into goals. One goal cushions are never really that comfortable and perhaps not scoring the second was making them a little wary. But they did succeed in scoring the second towards the end of the second half. The second came as late as 80th minute - the scorer this time was none other than Christiano Ronaldo - you just can't keep him off the score sheet. The second was scored by substitute Nani - Rooney was the supplier again as Nani avoided the defenders brilliantly to find the back of the net. The scoreline doesn't really reflect the kind of domination United enjoyed, specially in the second half. Had they taken most of their chances, United could have made it look horribly humiliating for Liverpool. I'm sure that with this defeat even the most optimistic of Liverpool supporters would not have a thought about any title hopes this season.

Overall an entertaining encounter that was dominated by United. The work rate put up by most Reds was impressive, specially Carrick, Anderson and Wayne Rooney. Though Rooney hasn't been scoring too many, he's been the provider on so many ocassions lately which underlies the fact that his presence in the middle is more valuable to United than his goals. With 6 points in the kitty, United can now put daylight between themselves and other title contenders if they carry on in this way.

Win against Bolton for a 3-point lead

United 2:0 Bolton

United have finally got their noses in front in the title race with a 3 point lead after a comfortable win over Bolton at Old Trafford. And it was another brace for Christiano Ronaldo, who finally beat George Best's record goal tally, that was the talking point of the night.

I could only afford watching the first half of the match as it was a rather late start. United had quite a few changes to the starting eleven that lead to a pretty experimental line-up - Defense consisting of Pique, Vidic, O'Shea and Hargreaves and Tevez-Saha combination in the front. Though it wasn't the most entertaining Old Trafford encounter, the first half was productive enough for United to close the deal. Ronaldo scored both the goals that came in the match inside the first 20 minutes. The first goal came off a set-piece - off a corner when a header rebounded for Ronaldo to score by a volley, a beautiful one at that. The second goal was another Ronaldo beauty, a fierce dipping free-kick that had everybody spellbound. That goal took Ronaldo past George Best's highest goal tally for a season - an United record. With still 8 matches to go and Champion's League chances alive, I wouln't mind betting on Ronaldo taking his tally past 40 - what an achievement that would be for a winger!

So it was another Ronny night again at Trafford, something that's become a familiar story to us United fans and we all they keep coming. With a 3-point lead in hand and prospects of Arsenal dropping more points in the offing - they travel to Chelsea, the quiet title contenders, United can look forward to add to the lead tally by winning their match against the visiting Liverpool this coming Sunday. Hope that's the way it's going to be.

EPL Match 29 : United scamper home against minnows Derby

Derby 0 : 1 Man United

Man United gained a hard-fought victory against the weakest side in the league Derby courtesy of a, you know who, Ronaldo's goal. It wasn't as easy as it was supposed to have been - Derby put up a decent show at Pride Part and United agonizingly seemed continue on their poor goal-scoring form as if they were carrying on from where they left off in the FA Cup match against Portsmouth.

Credit has to be given to Derby for their efforts - they came very close to scoring on quite a few occasions, specially in the first half. If not for the brilliant show put up by Ben Foster, United could have been trailing against the Rams. The two saves he produced in a space of a minute were probably enough to get him the Man of the Match. United didn't take most of what came their way - Ronaldo probably was guilty of missing far too many. He did manage to come up with decent efforts, specially on the free-kicks but was found wanting on accuracy. In fact, Ronaldo looked so frustrated he almost seemed to lose interest. But with the goal-scoring form he has been in this season, he had to score some time and it came just in time to help United obtain all 3 points. Rooney was the provider this time and his cross towards the end of the second half found Ronaldo in front of the goal and needed a difficult tap-in which the Portugues winger produced to perfection. That goal was enough for United to seal victory and end a frustrating goal drought of nearly 180 minutes.

With that victory United are at the top of the table again. Though equal on points, they are ahead in goal differnce with a game in hand. And thanks again to Middlesborough, Arsenal were held to another draw at the Emirates stadium - it was former Arsenal boy Aliadiare who was back to haunt them!
On the Champions League side, United are going to face a familiar opposition - Roma and I'm happy we haven't drawn any of the other English sides. I am keeping my fingers crossed as far as our chances of getting to Moscow are concerned.
Overall, a great weekend for United and hopefully things will carry on well and we should be able to do a double!

Champion's League : United in the quarters

A scurried Ronaldo goal was all that took for United to advance to the quarterfinals in the second leg match against Lyon at Old Trafford.

United went with an unsual combination of 4-3-3. It was also surprising to see a midfield comprising of Fletcher, Carrick and Anderson - possibly the most inexperienced combination but you get the feeling that, may be Sir Alex wanted to show that he had confidence in all of his mid-fielders. It wasn't the most fluent and attacking Old-Trafford fixture, certainly not from United's perspective - United probably were only looking to score a few and keep it tight at the defense. Yet, they did enjoy good amount of possession and created quite a few chances. Lyon on the other side looked dangerous only on occassions - specially through Benzima, their star striker and their free-kick specialist taker Juninho.

United's goal came just a few minutes before half time. Anderson's shot deflected towards Ronaldo who scampered past a few defenders and coolly put it past the keeper. It was Ronaldo's 30th goal of the season and now United legend George Best's record certainly seems to be in big trouble With a goal in the kitty, United's strategy for the second half surrounded around sound defending and breaking on the counter attack. But United didn't come too close to scoring a decisive second. Lyon tried desperately to get the equalizer and sometimes looked like getting one - but on most occassions United did well in the defense and Van der Sar hardly had to drop a sweat. And in the end United coasted to victory.

Elsewhere, Arsenal overcame the defending champions AC Milan with a 2-0 score. I did catch a few glimpses of the game and I have to say Arsenal completely deserved the victory. They were up to the task and kept the pressure on the aging Milan side all through the match. So it wasn't all that impossible task for them to beat the Roseneri as it was made out to be in the pre-match talk. This should give Arsenal lot of confidence, specially because they had gone through a few matches without a victory - after being beaten convincingly by United in the FA Cup. What kind of effect this kind of victory is going to have on the Gunners is something we'll have to wait and watch.

EPL Match 28 : Efficient at Craven Cottage

Fulham 0 : 3 Man United
I only managed to watch the first 30 minutes of the match. United had started without their starlets Rooney and Ronaldo and with the not-so-fancied Saha - Tevez combination. United started off well and looked very convincing nonetheless. Saha had a great chance early on which he, I have to say, floundered. Tevez looked lively and so did Nani and Park. I did get to see the first goal and it was a beauty. Owen Hargreaves' free-kick taking abilities were well known when he was with Bayern Munich. But he hadn't had much chances to display them since coming to United. With Ronaldo on the bench it was just the right situation for him to step up and make a statement. And that's what he did and that too with little fuss and great control. A free-kick dipping into the right corner of the goal and United were away to a promising start.

But that was all I could catch up. It was great to wake up today and see United winning by 3 goals. Good to see Park scoring and to know that Paul Scholes had a great game. Though the victory was somewhat expected as we were playing a struggling Fulham, we shouldn't take much away from United's display with several key players being rested.

So 3 points in the kitty keeps the United's quest to go on top again, pretty much intact. Especially in the light of Arsenal's dropping of more points at home - They scampered to a draw against the resurgent Villa. So 1 point is all there is between United and the top of the table. With United looking great even while playing with half-strength side, it will be difficult for the likes of Arsenal to stop them from retaining the title. For now, the focus would be on the Champion's League return leg match against French League title holders Lyon. With an away goal to their credit, United will be pretty confident of advancing to the next stage with little or no hassles.
Arsenal are going to have a tough job of overcoming the Roseneri at San Siro - a near impossible proposition. If the Gunners are to lose out on the Champions league this week that would leave them with just the League to play for in the remaining of the season. Would that leave them too wounded to go further or give them enough resources and motivation to go all out for the title? The answer to that question would probably determine who wins the title!

Magpies humiliated again!

Newcastle 1: 5 United

It didn't matter that United were playing at Newcastle's home this time, United still came up with a sterling performance to record a thumping victory. The scoreline surely is going to make matters worse for Kevin Keagan and his revival plans.

Keagan had revealed that he was plotting an upset at St. Jame's Park. And it did turn out to be an open encounter in the first few minutes of the game. Both teams made good moves upfront and the game was being played end to end. But that's when United are more dangerous, because it gives lots of space for our talented front men - Rooney, Tevez and Ronaldo. And so it wasn't a surprise that the first goal came from the lethal combination of Rooney and Ronaldo. Ronaldo's pinpoint cross found Rooney make an easy tap-in volley. First goal on, the game seemed to be drifting United's way. Second goal was a beautiful finish - Ronaldo was at the end of a neat through pass from Carrick and he showed typical cool composure to put it past Shay Given.

Second half wasn't any different. United looked like scoring any time while the Magpies didn't look too threatening to the United defense. So when Ronaldo scored his second in no time - this time he coolly ran around the substitute keeper and finished it as coolly the game was as good as over. And it was only left to seen as to how many United would end up scoring. Rooney came up with a brilliant curling effort to score his second of the night and Saha had some reason to smile too - he scored United's fifth of the match.

All in all, a commanding performance specially because it was an away match and United have been rotating players to keep the squad fresh as it's the business end of the season.
The front men looked at their typical menacing best. And I have to say Carrick has been finding form off late and his passing last night was awesome - reminiscent of his last year's form. Nani looked pretty dangerous too and it's good to see him carry on from where he left in the FA Cup victory against Arsenal. The victory was doubly sweeter after seeing Arsenal dropping points at St. Andrews (thanks to the brilliant Mcfadden!). Just 3 point adrift - meaning we can breathe easy now! Keep it going Red Devils!

The beauty of FA Cup

I've always heard that FA Cup has a special place in the heart of the football fans, especially in England. And I got a taste of the brilliant football it can produce and it's ability to inspire teams to perform out of their skins, while watching yesterday's 5th round tie between Liverpool and Championship side Barnsley. It's great to watch lower rung teams challenge big opponents and put their lives on the line to secure something out of FA Cup matches.
Liverpool have been under so much pressure - poor performance in Champions league, they have spurned the wonderful start they had to their League season and their Manager Rafael Benitez has been under fire for some time now. Yet you would expect Liverpool playing at Anfield to have little trouble in getting past their unfancied opponents. As usual Liverpool were on their money looking like scoring many goals. But they could only afford a solitary goal in the first half and Barnsley were defending for their lives - that's what I meant when I said these teams put their lives on the line playing in such big encounters. And that attitude helped them get an equalizer in at the fag end of the first half.

Second half was predictable - Liverpool going for goals like they wanted 10 of them! And they did look like getting as many except for the desperate defending from Barnsley - specially their goalkeeper who kept like a man possessed. It was just amazing watching them stop everything and anything. And just when they seemed to be happy to hold on to a draw for a replay at home, Brian Howard scored off a beautiful effort in the injury time! His shot had no answer from the part time liverpool keeper and they were into the quarters. A team struggling in the Championship at No. 14 overhauled Champions League contender! On of those fairy tales the FA cup is known to dish out often - the very reason why one can consider watching matches which expected to be one-sided and yet get thoroughly entertained while watching. Just incredible!


At Old-Trafford, United were up against their title-rivals Arsenal. United had been under pressure since losing meekly to City last week. And if you are a United supporter, you would know what to expect - a strong come back. And that's what they came up with - a sterling performance to beat Arsenal 4-0. United looked on top all the time and in all departments of the game - something they were found wanting against City on. The victory was more special because it came without some big names - Ronaldo and Tevez their top two scorers so far. But it was great to see Rooney back and lift the team with his energy as he usually does. And so was it good to see Patrice Evra back at the left back position.
This victory could well spur United on ahead of the Champions League and also give mental edge over Arsenal race for the Premier League.

EPL 26 : United fail to pay fitting tribute

Man United 1 : 2 Man City

The weight of paying a fitting tribute to the legends of the Munich air-disaster probably turned too heavy for United as they succumbed to a meek loss to their neighbors.
In a match charged with high emotions, I had imagined United would come all guns blazing. The whole talk of wearing special no-sponsor-tags kit, chances of silence getting disturbed by City fans, the importance United paying a fitting tribute and the like probably took the focus away from the importance of exacting revenge on the City rivals and the fact that we had the catching up job pending on the Title front. Because it wasn't a performance you would expect from a United side which is deemed by Sir Alex as the best he's had in his time at Old Trafford.

I must say that United started the match with typical flair finding space upfront and creating a few chances for shots on goal - Tevez and Giggs having a go at the City goal. But as time passed City, known for it's tight defense this season seemed to close down well on most of United's attacks. Dunne and Richards looked very solid in their defense and City keeper Hart didn't have much work to do.
The first goal came off a rare mistake by Rio Ferdinand - Steven Ireland's shot was blocked by VDS but unluckily the ball rebounded nicely for Vassel to put it past him into the net - a shock lapse for United. United did try to respond with a few shots on goal, but they were not that convincing - the best chance possibly was the turn and shoot effort by Tevez but it didn't test the keeper awfully much. Within a few minutes the unimaginable happened - United were 2-nill down this time the goal coming off debutant Benjani's shoulder from a neat Petrov Cross.

You could be forgiven for thinking that United probably would fight back for a memorable victory befitting of the occasion. But it wasn't the night for such optimism - Man City were too composed and organized to be broken down. In fact, they kept the attack going and did have a few more chances to build on the 2 goal cushion. United did try to up the ante but they were never really convincing. Scholes still looked off-colour, Ronaldo certainly wasn't anywhere near his best and was kept quiet most times. The substitution also didn't have much of a fire-power - Park, Carrick and Hargreaves didn't seem to achieve much to change the situation. And I guess the absence of Wayne Rooney was bitterly felt all through the second half which underlies the importance of his play-making abilities as much as his goal-scoring prowess. Frustration was the catch-word of the United performance in the second half. Though United did come up with a goal late in the dying moments, it was a case of too little too late.

With United sorely missing Rooney, I felt they had missed a trick by not going for another striker in the Jan transfer window. How can you have treble aspirations when you have just two fully fit strikers? We have already seen that Tevez playing all alone upfront can be pretty ineffective. I also feel that banking on Ronaldo for goals all the time doesn't augur well for us - because he's going to have his off-days too - specially against well-organised sides. Over-all it was a sad night for us. We've got to pick ourselves up and come back strongly and leave nothing to chance - no more slip-ups till the very last match if we are to win the title again. Knowing the fighting spirit of United, I'm sure we can bet on a very strong come-back. Amen!