United On TOP

Finally United has overtaken Arsenal in the points race. Though it's not for the first time United have topped the table this season, Arsenal always had a extra game or two in hand whenever they have trailed. And finally, they have given way, as it was expected, during this festive season. They have played out a goal-less draw at Pompey and hence gifted United a 1-point lead.
I think this is where they'll either be making or breaking their League hopes. They have a tough run of games through this festive season (they travel to Everton next!) and also are going to see some of their players leave for the African Nation's cup in January- most notable they'll be missing Adebayor, their ace forward at this point in time. Only time will tell how Wenger and his young talented side will face up to these in the race for the title.
Finally United are where they belong - top of the table.
Stick there Red Devils!

Game 18 : Piece of Cake!

Sunderland 0 : 4 Man Utd
It was as easy as it was expected to be for United. They produced yet another thoroughly clinical performance to see off Roy Keane's side in the Stadium of Light.

It's the busy festive season and we were going to see a few changes. Giggs, Anderson, Tevez and Hargreaves were all rested. Nani, Saha, Fletcher got to start. Sunderland appeared to be very sprightly to start with, but that didn last for too long. The moment Rooney scored the first goal, the flood gates appeared wide open. Rooney provided for an easy tap-in for his striking partner Saha, Ronaldo scored off an unstoppable free-kick and then Saha scored his second through a penalty.

Ronaldo's free-kicks were a treat to watch today. He got three of them in the first half. The first two needed smart saves from the Sunderland keepter, Gordon while the third was just too good for him. Infact, it would have been too good for any keeper in the world. A lot is being discussed about the difference in technique that Ronaldo employs and how effective it is. Whatever the case, Christiano Ronaldo sure is rocking right now and is the top scorer in the League so far, and he's just a winger! Rooney was another one who had a terrific game, often toying with the Sunderland defence. It was good to see him return to scoring ways - it was his first goal after the knee-injury break. Also was good to see Park back on the pitch, after a very long injury lay-off. He sure brings in a lot of pace into the game and of course a bit of Asian magic if you want to call it so!
Another four-goaler to keep the bandwagon going!
Glory Glory United!

A Ronny Show all the way!!

Man United 2 : 1 Everton
Yet another Ronaldo brace to help United earn a hard-fought victory! I'm just amazed how this lad comes up with performance after performance for United, day in and day out.
In terms of performance, United expectedly were the better team with better possession and chances created. But it has to be said United didn't look very comfortable against a very well-organised Everton defense.

The match sprung into life after 2o plus minutes into the first half, when Ronaldo produced one of his best goals this season. He cleverly beat a defender on the right flank and unleashed an unstoppable curler from his left foot which was just too good for Tim Howard, the former United man who's now the Everton keeper. From then on, it looked as if the Red Devils were going to stream roll the Toffees with another high-scoring performance at home. Close chances were created with United showing the inclination to keep pressing forward. But against the run of play, Everton came back into the match with a nicely constructed goal. Tim Cahill was fed nicely by a Pienaar cross and Cahill made easy work of Evra's defense and scored a neat header past Kuszczak.

After that the match was well contested between the two sides and the match settled into an entertaining rhythm. Everton do look a good side when their star players in the front get going. The likes of Yakubu, Cahill and Johnson are a handful against any side and if players like Arteta and Osman (both of whom missed out this match) join in, they can compete with anybody in the league.
The second half saw United press for the winning goal but without much success for most part. Everton too created a few useful chances. United came close with Rooney's thundering shot that was just over the cross bar. I thought he deserved a goal for the sheer work rate. With Everton's defense looking very efficient, it looked as though the match was headed towards a fair draw. But that was only untill Pienaar stupidly brought down Giggs inside the penalty box. Ronaldo stepped in and coolly converted the penalty to give United a late victory.

It was obviously another Ronaldo show and people are only going to heap more praise on him and deservedly so. I'm glad he's just been going on and on as far as his stellar performances are concerned. He looks destined for greatness at Old Trafford and we're just fortunate to have him at United. As for other performance, Anderson, Evra and Tevez were at the usual impressive best. Vidic looked rock solid in defense. I thought Carrick didn't look as confident as he used last season, when he used to be the focal point of United midfield along with Scholesy. I think he needs more time in the middle this season. Overall it was a deserved victory. Two back to back wins against two strong sides are only going to spur the team on for more.

Keep it going United. Keep breathing down Arsenal's neck they'll surely give way!
Glory Glory United...

Match 17: Liverpool 0 : 1United

If Benitez had thought the Champions League survival victory at Marseille had given him enough confidence to overhaul United at Anfield, he was going to be disappointed. He'd never been able to beat United and it was going to stay that way, the improving quality of his side notwithstanding. United just played the perfect defensive game. And so the credit for the victory must go the defense, particularly the defense offered by the two midfielders - Hargreaves and Anderson.

The match was so frenetic and physical, which I'm told is typical of the United-Liverpool matches played over the years. Liverpool certainly looked like they wanted to finish off United in the first 15 minutes. They just kept attacking all the time with great pace and accurate passing but never looked to create too many useful chances upfront. United looked strong in defense but evidently had problems with Van der Saar's indecisive goal-keeping. He almost gave away two goals, all by himself, in the first half alone. But I guess that could be attributed to the freakish pace of the game.
It was all about Liverpool attacking and United having to defend and wait for counter attacks. But you have to say Anderson and Hargreaves took the sting away most times, specially by keeping Stevie G quiet - takes some effort that! United did come up with a few attacks in the first half, but weren't convincing, specially because Ronaldo was kept quiet as well. And so the goal did come against the run of play, but off great thinking. Giggs passed a corner ball to an unmarket Rooney, who's thumping shot found Tevez to deflect into the roof of the net. I remember the commentator on ESPN going "this is rubbish defending" about Liverpool's marking when the goal was scored!

Liverpool had an entire half to reverse their fortunes and you would have expect them to achieve such feats at Anfield. But United were too clinical to be broken down. And it was familiar story again for the Reds, all attack but with little effect. United could have made the victory even more sweeter had Rooney found the net towards the end of the second half, when he missed a sitter, by his standards. But then who'd care what the score was going to be as long as we were winning! I can't believe it was Sir Alex's 50th match against the Kop. Without doubt he's the master of such big games and this victory was a testimony to that. Lot of people would be lining to write Liverpool off now, which is more or less justified given the intensity of the tittle race between United and Arsenal.

The later match between Arsenal and Chelsea was a beautiful match to watch and the score of 1-0 pretty much reflects the closeness of the encounter. I thought Chelsea were unlucky to lose and that too off a rare Cech mistake! Overall the Grandslam Sunday did live up to it's billing.

EPL Game 16 : The Rams battered!

United 4 : 1 Derby
Well, it was going to be a no-brainer as far as the result was concerned. It was just the question of how many we were going to score. And it was United's favourite number again, four!
I should say the dampness of the pitch helped Derby avoid a very heavier loss. It did look difficult for United to play their flowing and attacking football in the conditions, specially in the second half as the rain never relented. Yet, four goals at the end of the day is still quite comprehensive.
Giggs got his first goal of the season and almost got a second. He's been looking at his vintage best in the last few games and hopefully will carry on this way. Tevez deservedly had a brace and could have got a third, had Ronaldo been any kind to him and let him take "his" penalty. I'm sure there would be a debate or two around the Ronaldo penalty. Rooney could have had two as well, but was unlucky specially with his chip which ended up hitting the post.
All in all, a good "practice" game before we head to meet the Reds at Liverpool. Hopefully O'Shea is gonna be playing there!!!

EPL Game 14: Frustrating loss to Bolton

Bolton 1: 0 Man United
I'm no crystal-ball gazer, nor am I a pessimist. But something told me things were not right going into the North-west derby. There was no Rooney, Tevez was to play after coming back from a busy international week. Vidic was doubtful and a "not 100% fit" Saha was going to play full 90 minutes. And when the match started, the most shocking news awaited us - Ronaldo was not even in the squad! With all these factors, I wondered how we'd win against a resurgent Bolton side. Well, the same things that caused me to worry turned out to be the contributing factors to the outcome - a shock defeat.
Gerard Pique, the young, talented defender from Spain was replacing Vidic. It wasn't going to be the most eye-bro raising replacement, given the amount of respect Sir Alex has for the youngster. If there was anything he lacked, it was experience. And as luck would have it, that's what led to United conceding the first goal. Pique over-zealously jumped at a looping ball directed at the United box and was beaten by the flight, only to gift Anelka an easy finish, past Van der Saar. But that goal came only 11 minutes into the first half and not even the most skeptical of United supporters was going to lose heart from an early goal. United are known to come back from behind. But it didn't turn out that way, at least in the first half. Bolton just grew in confidence and kept attacking. It's incredible, we never had a meaningful chance created in the whole of the first half. We seemed to miss Ronaldo and Rooney so much, it was just getting as frustrating as the winter cold.
Yet I was sure second half would be different. And so it was going to be. Anderson came in and breathed life into the mid-field. United garnered more possession and began to play with the typical flair. Yet, not many close chances were created, surely not as much as you'd expect with an in-form United team. Hargreaves came close with his curling free-kick which was kept out by Jaaskeleinen. Long range efforts by Nani, Hargreaves, Carrick and the like weren't fruitful. The best chance came in the later stages of the half, Tevez had a tap-in from an Evra cross, which he missed by a few yards. Given the form Tevez was in, he was expected to score there and that miss undeniably cost us the match.
Honestly United looked scrappy without the talismanic Ronaldo and Rooney. With literally the whole of Bolton defending, we found few chances coming our way. On the whole, it was an utterly frustrating evening. With Arsenal winning again (I don't believe they won again through late goals and against my prayers!), and given their form , United have to get back to winning ways and stay tough to keep the title race going.

EPL 13 - United 2 : 0 Blackburn

A very entertaining affair indeed. Blackburn have had a very good start to their season and have been hot on the heels of the big four. They've been the team that's looked most likely to trouble them, if any, in the league. Lot of people predicted an even contest at Trafford, respecting the Rovers' form and that's how it looked for most part of the first half. Both teams wrestling against each other for possession and shots on goal. Samba came closest to scoring the first goal thundering a shot on the post! But a two-minute period of brilliance from United totally floored the Rovers. Ronaldo showed how confident he is with his goal-scoring form with his first goal, which was aimed with supreme accuracy into the top corner. He actually made it look simpler than most forwards in EPL would find. The second was a delightful team goal. On the counter-attack, Saha finds Tevez who's cross, from left flank off the outside of his right foot found Ronaldo in front to smash it past Friedel.
Nobody would have any qualms conceding what a great eye for a goal that man from Portugal has. There's no doubt he's been among the best in the world since last season. And it's hearting to see him carry on, hungry for more success. Just don't stop Ronaldo!
Rooney falling trap to another injury(a freak one this time!) has left me gutted. The lad was
in such red-hot goal-scoring form and his partnership with Tevez was blossoming beautifully. I guess while we fans will miss his goals, albeit against weaker teams(thankfully!), it would be Steve Mclaren who'd be feeling most of the heat in his absence. Having said that, I hope England somehow make it to the Euro Cup or it would be such a loss of entertaining football!
Coming back to the match, though it was decided in those two unbelievable minutes, United did continue playing the usual attacking football. I certainly enjoyed it thought it was bereft of goals. I still enjoyed the vintage play of Giggs, sprightly play by Anderson and cool-headed defending from Rio and Vidic. Hope the juggernaut keeps rolling!

EPL Game 12 - Arsenal 2: 2 Man United

It's taken me quite some time to decide to write this blog. Honestly, it makes me sulk to think about what happened at the Emirates. Playing against the so called hi-flying gunners at their backyard, we had the match in our hands at 2-1 and yet they scored in the injury time to level the scores. At the end of the match Arsenal were celebrating like they had won the Premiership, while honestly they had lost 2 points as it was they who went in as favorites. Even the most ardent United fan would have settled for a draw before the match, but certainly not the way it happened. But then such things can only happen in football.

Come to think of it, it was a great advertisement for football. Two of the most attacking clubs in the world playing against each other, and in attacking fashion. As expected, Arsenal started the match with nothing but goal-scoring intentions. They kept attacking. But United seemed to have thier defensive strategy on target. Though Arsenal enjoyed a lot of possession, almost for the whole of the first half, they didn't seem to create a single clear-cut chance. And lot of credit for that should go the pair of Anderson and Hargreaves, who dented their attacks from going any farther into United penalty area. The seeming strategy of "defend and counter attack" payed off perfectly for United as they tasted the first blood at the fag end of the half. Rooney deflecting a Ronaldo cross past Almunia - though it did take a slight deflection of Gallas.

It didn't take long for Arsenal to come back into the game. But it was the most convincing way to get a goal. As Van der Saar was distracted off the goal from a cross, Fabregas found an empty net to plug the ball into to spark wild celebrations. United did keep pressing forward through the second half. With Saha coming on for Tevez, the game took a turn. A beautiful pass of Saha saw Evra making ground on the left to find an unmarked Ronaldo, who tapped in gleefully. That was in the 82nd minute and United were all set to avenge their home defeat to Arsenal last season.
But fate would have it different. Arsenal scored off what I can only call a freak goal - A barrage of shots at the goal with United defenders scampering around to block them and suddenly the goal is awarded by the linesman. The scores were level and United were denied a much deserved victory. Overall taking the chances into consideration, it was United who looked the better side. Arsenal survived, thanks to 2 unconvincing goals. And supporters like me were left to rue a historic let gone by.
Nevertheless, it was a good game for United, specially for keeping the Gunners at bay and almost snatching a victory at their home. We'll wait for Arsenal to come to Old Trafford!

EPL Game 11 - Man Utd 4 : 1 Middlesbrough

Awesome! Just awesome!! No words to describe the way United are playing at the moment. They're just going from strength to strength. And they're showing what happens when they're in full flow - they're just unstoppable!

Boro hadn't been in great form going into the match and were just above the relegation zone . But they would've known they don't have a bad record playing at Old Trafford in the past few years. But they were going to run into an in-form United team - 12 goals in last 3 and 8 of them away. And when it started, they just seemed to be carrying on from where they left at Kiev. Nani got United off to an absolute flier, with an absolute belter of a goal. It could surely be one of the goals of the league so far. He beat at least 3 defenders and sent in a 30-yard strike that dipped into the goal over Schwarzer. And I imagined, given their swash-buckling form, the flood gates would've been opened with that goal. And it almost turned that way, when Tevez found himself clear, in front of the Borough keeper but couldn't quite get his chip right. But against the run of play, Middlesbrough did equalize through Aliadiere, off a well-directed header. United seemed to have lost the tempo after that and played a cautious game for a while.
But as they started pressing for the lead, they mounted pressure on the Boro players. Stewart Downing was one of them, who's misdirected pass inside their own penalty box found Rooney pouncing on it and scoring easily. And in the form he's in he wasn't going to miss on that kind of a gift.
The second half saw more of Tevez-Rooney association. As United kept creating a plethora of chances, the front two were there to give the finishing touches. This match just saw their combination enter another level. The third goal and the fourth goals had their class and creativity written all over them. The third was more brilliantly architected. It was as if they were one-twoing into the Boro goal! Both of the goals came off counter attacks and were pleasing to the eyes.
This match saw Hargreaves make a comeback after his recovery from Tendonitis. With Scholes joining the injury-list with Carrick and Hargreaves himself, the middlefield was a cause for concern. And Hargreaves was such a calming influence in the midfield today along with the offensive-minded Anderson. And I think this was the first time all of big 4 arrivals this summer started in a game - Nani, Anderson, Hargo and Tevez. And I have to say, by now all of them have justified their places and their price-tags! Hargreaves was always going to impress. It wasn't for nothing that Sir Alex was after him for about a year. He's a proven European talent and he's been showcasing just that since his arrival. Tevez too had a reputation before coming to Old Trafford. But his transfer-related issues hampered his pre-season preparations. Though he struggled to score in the earlier matches, playing as the lone striker, he's obviously coming to his own now. Nani, to me has been very impressive and a great buy. He won our hearts with that scorching goal against Tottenham to open United's account for the season. He's a very effective winger with great striking abilities. I'm sure he's among the top in terms of assists so far this season. Anderson has been the last of these guys to be inducted into the team. Initially there were fears, he was too young and inexperienced for EPL. But the last few games, he's shown he's here to stay. He's got great pace and great touch to his game. They've been heaping rave reviews over the lad's performance against Kiev the other night. With Scholes injury, he's sure to get more matches and I can only see him getting better and possibly getting into scoring habits.
In all, things are looking great for United. Keep it going! Glory Glory United!!!

EPL Game 10 - Aston Villa 1 : 4 Man Utd

They said Villa was fast becoming a fortress. They said Villa would at least snatch a point off United if not all three. And by the half time whistle, all of those voices had been silenced! Little had they realized Villa had been beaten by United in their last 19 or so meetings in all competitions. And this time it wasn't going to be any different. The young Villa team had to succumb to the quality United possessed.

The match began in a lively fashion, with the confident Villa team which possesses great pace upfront, making it very clear they were going for a victory. You have to commend Martin O'Neil for blooding youngsters like Agbanlahor, Young and Moore all of whom are very lively and that makes their team quite a handful at times. And that showed right away, with Villa putting a lot of pressure on United early in the first half. It also yielded them a great result - they were in front when Agbanlahor headed off a teasing cross from Young. Villa kept probing and they could have been 2-0 up so easily, at least on two occasions. That seemed to have spurred up United. And what a way they came back into the match. In about 10 mins, the game was turned on it's head and completely in favour of United. Nani, who looked very sharp throughout, put in a neat cross for Rooney to waded through a seemingly "sleeping" Villa defence and tap in for an equalizer. Minutes later, Tevez's had a probing run through defenders to find Rooney with some space, and Rooney responded with a clever finish. And in the dying moments of the first half, Rio Ferdinand's innocuous looking shot at goal was kicked into the Villa net by their own defender. Suddenly, it looked like game over!
Second half saw Villa's worries only get accentuated. Rio Coker was sent off for a second yellow and their goal-keeper red-carded for bringing down Tevez. Amazingly, Rooney missed the penalty, in turn denying himself a hat-trick. Yet, United just seemed to be making merry against a nine-man Villa. Giggs got his first goal of the season off a deflection. Rooney could have got at least two more goals, albeit with some luck. Tevez too had a few chances. Most of second half action looked life a walk in the park for United.

In the end, it was a great victory - simply because we scored 4 goals coming from behind and away, against a team which has been doing very well at home. The highlight of the match for me was the way Tevez-Rooney partnership worked. It was delightful to watch two of the most creative players in the league create chance after chance for each other. Their one-two's are a treat to watch. And with time, they're only going to improve and will be more dangerous. Though Tevez did spurn a few chances, he more than played his part at the front. Nani was another player who looked very comfortable, an effort worth appreciation as he was filling in for Ronaldo. Pique looked good at the back too. And we can surely bank on the talented defender whenever situations demand his role.
Keep it going United!

EPL Game 9 - Man Utd 4 : 0 Wigan Athletic

All these while as United were going through a slew of one-nil victories, lots of people were worried that sooner or later, they might lose they didn't improve. But I was one of those who begged to differ. Because United had not been playing badly at all. If anything, I guess they were struggling to find the right combination which is completely understandable as there have been new arrivals and injuries/suspensions. Yet they'd been failing to get to their top gear in scoring goals. Their form has gradually been improving ever since they lost the Manchester derby. And today's performance was a perfect testament to the fact that they are close to regaining their top form. Four-goal victories that had become their trademark last season, has begun to happen this season too! And it had to be Wigan, their favourite whipping boys, to start it all over again.

It's difficult to imagine that United had a poor first half in a match with such a score line. The fact of the matter is, United seemed to be struggling to come to their own in that half. It was a scary half for United to say the least. Injuries to Vidic and O'Shea, both of whom had to be substituted inside first 30 minutes. Pique and Evra also took nasty knocks as the half progressed. Suddenly things were starting to look worse. Wigan seemed to believe they could get some points at Old Trafford. There were hardly any meaningful chances created.

And how well United came back in the second half was something worth witnessing. After about 55 mins on the clock, United score through a wonderfully constructed goal. Rio to Rooney, Rooney to Anderson and then Anderson to Tevez, who dribbled past couple of defenders, the goal keeper and put the ball into the net past with 3 defenders in front of goal. That surely was a delightful goal. Tevez had been working so hard - running at just about everything, and that goal deserved to come off his foot. That goal seemed to have opened the flood gates for United. They doubled the score around 60th minute, with a well taken corner that lead to Giggs sending in a tricky cross which the Wigan keeper spurned only to gift a waiting Ronaldo an easy tap-in header. The third goal had bit of vision written over it in Pique's beautiful pass for Rooney who sent in a great cross, again to Ronaldo who made no fuss about the finish. That was followed by a much deserved goal for Rooney, when substitute right-back Danny Simpson waded through defenders to put through a neat cross for Rooney to put it into the back of the net.
The scoreline could have been even more embarrassing for Wigan, with multiple chances going begging towards the end. In the end, United were back to their goal-scoring best at Old Trafford. Considering that United had to start with O'Shea in the midfield and then had to re-align their defense with an untested pair of Pique and Simpson, the victory surely is bound to delight all the United fans. For me the biggest plus was the way Anderson filled into the mid-fielder's role. He looks very lively, with a lot of pace and he grabbed the opportunity with both hands. His performance surely has allayed fears about United having a weak midfield in the absence of Carrick and Hargreaves.
My Man err Men of the Match: Tevez, Rooney combined!

EPL Game 7 - Man Utd 2 : 0 Chelsea

The first big game of the season and United come up trumps convincingly! Goals from Tevez, his first for United and Saha were good enough to round up an entertaining, yet controversial encounter.

Going into the match, there was so much controversy emanating from Stamford Bridge. 'The Special One' Mourinho had quit unceremoniously. And there were doubts if his replacement Avram Grant was qualified enough for the job. I was wondering how Chelsea could let their most successful manager go in such fashion! With all the drama surrounding Chelsea, I doubted they would match a United team that had already started to peak this season.

United seemed to make matters worse for Chelsea by showing their inclination to attack right from the start. Rooney almost scored inside two minutes, with a curling right footer, only to be denied by Europe's best goal keeper Petr Cech, who made a finger-tip save. This match was probably the most entertaining between the two since that dead rubber towards the end of the last season. Chelsea too showed that they were prepared to take the fight back to opposition. They too made impressive moves early in the first half, but couldn't penetrate deep enough. It looked that they were badly missing their star striker, Dridier Drogba. Meanwhile, Giggs could easily have opened the account for United when he received a looping pass, but could only put it over the bar. The most controversial incident of the half was the sending-off of Mikel, for a not-so-harsh challenge on Evra. Everybody who was asked to comment on that incident felt it was too harsh a decision.
With United making steady progress with probing attacks, the inevitable happened in the injury time of the first half. Tevez headed off a beautiful pass from Giggs at the near post. A long awaited goal for Tevez and he'll surely settle down now with that goal in his bag.

Second half saw Chelsea sitting back and defending and hoping to break through on the counter attacks. And United were biding their time in constructing their attacks and enjoyed great amount of possession. Giggs could easily have doubled the aggregate in the middle of the half, but couldn't keep his volley down. Joe Cole could easily have seen the second red card of the match when he threw a reckless tackle at a sprinting Ronaldo, catching him on his ankle. He was very lucky the referee chose not the spoil the game any more. When Saha came in as the sub towards the end of the second half, he brought the second goal with him. He was brought down inside the box by Ben Haim, though not convincingly, and that was enough for the referee to award the penalty he had denied United in the first half. Saha stepped in to put it behind Cech and it was curtains to Chelsea's hopes.

Tevez's goal augurs well for the team. It was a much deserved goal too as he's been working very hard from day one at United even without great match-fitness. United looked like they were back to playing at their attacking best. The performance was a hint to how dangerous United could be if they settle down to a 4-4-2 this season. And with the new set of players jelling well - Nani, Hargreaves and Saha could fit easily into this combination without taking anything away. That shows the bench strength that's been built so far, something we lacked last season.

EPL Game 6 - Everton 0 : 1 Man Utd

Hail Vida, the Bravo!! Third victory in a row!!
It was another hard earned victory. It has to be said that in such a well contested match, to come out 1-0, United would consider themselves lucky. And you have to give the credit to Nemanja for the superb goal. The man just puts his life on line be it at the back or near the goal on those risky corners.


The match started with a very lively pace. With Everton, who were higher in the standings compared to United, showing their intent at taking the fight to United, good attacking moves just kept coming from both teams. Yakubu in particular looked threatning in front of United goal, often muscling through the defenders with commendable strength. Evra, who started at the left of the midfield was involved in a lot of United's attacks in the first half. He had United's best chance in the first half, though not a great one. But his left foot shot was too wide to test Tim Howard's replacement, Wassel. One thing to note was that Tevez looked more comfortable playing as the a co-striker, with Giggs. He looks very much at ease in the midfield, where he finds lots space for himself. In fact, I thought he along with Giggs and Evra made a potent combination in the front. In spite of some entertaining football, we didn't see a clear-cut chance for either of the teams in the first half.

The second half saw the Toffees trying to stamp their authority from the word go. They almost scored through a Johnson header, only to be denied through a goal-line clearance from Scholes. That was followed by a decent long-range effort from Osman. As the half progressed, United seemed to gather more momentum. The best chance of the match, I should say, went to Scholes. Tevez and Giggs combined brilliantly to set up a Scholes one on one with the Everton keeper, but Scholes' volley was just over the crossbar. That would have been a beautiful goal had it come off. As we were wondering why the last match's goal-scorer Saha was still on bench, he was introduced in the 63rd minute. Then on, United grew in confidence and I thought Tevez almost got a much deserved first goal, but his shot was just over the top corner. United did have a few chances for Ronaldo through good number of free-kicks from decent positions. But it didn't seem to be his match as he spurned almost all of those chances. Just as it seemed to be headed towards a nill-nill draw, up came Nani with a brilliant dipping corner to find the big Vidic, who bulldozed through the Everton defense, to head home an invaluable goal. The solitary goal turned out to be good enough for another three points.

It wasn't as if we didn't deserve the victory, but United did look the better side overall in the second half. With such dogged performances, I'm happy we're very much remaining in the hunt. United's been showing great character through these hard-fought victories, the absence of important players notwithstanding. The whole team should be credited for the victory. I think one player who has been quitely turning up valuable performances is Nani. It's noteworthy that he's been involved in all the match-winning goals in the last three matches. And though Tevez hasn't found the net yet, I think he's been more than making his presence felt at the front. With such determined performances, I firmly believe that we're steadily regaining the "Premiership form"! Champion's League, here we come!

EPL Game 5 - Man Utd 1 : 0 Sunderland

It's a relief again. One, because United won another scrappy game. Two, because we now have a forward who's fit to play. Welcome back Louis Saha! And thank you for reassuring we can still score goals even without Rooney and Ronaldo.

It was turning out to be another goal starved United performance. Sunderland were happy to sit back and just defend and defend and defend! United had great amount of possession of the ball, which was expected. But there weren't enough chances created. We were winning the ball in the midfield, mostly through Hargreaves, but were not convincing enough in taking it forward.
Debutant Anderson wasn't looking very confident, understandably so for the youngster.
It was only after 35 mins or so that United had decent shots at the goal, one from Tevez and another from Eagles.

Second half saw Saha introduced right away. And that breathed life into United's game. Suddenly Tevez was finding the ball and even go for his shots. There were convincing shots on goal from Louis Saha. Tevez, who has been struggling as the lone forward found more freedom upfront. In no time, both Saha and Tevez had probing shots on goal. Saha's strength in the air meant United could direct longer balls at him. As the run of play would have it, Saha deservingly scored the elusive goal, off a Nani corner. I heaved a sigh of relief really. Because goals were so hard to come by. And you won't see a Nani type of goal every match.

It showed a forward like Saha has sorely been missed by United all this time. With Solskjaer gone, And Rooney being the only other full frontman, I still wonder why Sir Alex didn't go for a forward as the transfer window came to a close. Hope both Saha and Rooney would stay fit enough through the season and our midfield would keep scoring goals through the likes of Ronaldo and Scholes. With that happening, the future looks bright for us. And it looks Red for the opponents!

My Man of the match : Hargreaves.

EPL Game 4 - Man Utd 1: 0 Tottenham Hotspurs

Hurray!!! Finally a win in the league. And what a relief it is! And what a way to score you first premiership goal. An absolute scorcher from Nani brought life into United's fading title hopes. A match in which Tottenham had more chances, we won by a solitary goal. But who cares! Hadn't we been the better team in all our previous matches? There is no substitute to a win, whichever way it may come. And I'm sure this will only spur United back into the title battle.

Going into the match, in spite of their uncharacteristic start to the season, the commentators on ESPN sounded bullish on United. One of them predicted United would win 3-1. And why not, results notwithstanding, they still were playing in the typical attacking style. But Spurs seemed to have other ideas. Their very first attempt at goal came only after 25 seconds. Roby Keane hitting the cross bar even before United could touch the ball. United looked jaded in the first 20 minutes against an under pressure Martin Jol side, who were making most of the attacks in the game. With youngster Bale on the left back, they made some good openings in the first half. I must say they are a free flowing side when they get their front men going, specially the combination of Berbatov and Keane.
Second half had most of the action packed in it, particularly the last 20 minutes. Spurs again had better chances. The only good thing for United though was Hargreaves looked brilliant central midfield. United had atleast 2 scares, one when Bale brought a brilliant ball into United half to feed Berbatov who was unknowingly obstructed by Vidic. And the second was even closer, when Berabatov beautifully beat Van der Saar only to be denied by a diving Brown. There were shouts of handball right away, and most commentators felt it was a penalty. I for one thought it came off more from Brown's chest than his arm. Just when United were looking like they wouldn't going to bury the early season blues, the much needed goal came out of nowhere. Nani, who hadn't had any great impact till then, picked up the ball from about 30 yards, and sent a whistling right footer that went past a defender, past Tevez's head and past the diving Robinson into the roof of the goal. An astonishing goal, and a matching somersault for celebration. United, from then on successfully kept off Spurs from scoring, to gain their first win.
Finally the title defense is back on track. I can only see them grow from strength to strength. And with Ronaldo due after one game and with Rooney and Saha recovering faster than expected, United will be a handful by the time they get to Chelsea. Here we come Mourinho!

EPL Game 3 - Man City 1:0 Man Utd

Words fail to come out of my mouth as I fail to understand what's going on?
Three matches gone, and it's their worst start to a season. United have played the same style of football that won them the last Premiership and yet they've only got 2 points! We lost to City which hardly had a proper attack going all through match. Rooney and Ronaldo absences notwithstanding, the team played with similar flair. They almost score as early as 5th minute. Tevez and Scholes combined to feed Nani a great ball, whose shot was well saved by Schmeichel. United kept attacking but couldn't find the net, the sad story so far in their campaign. United could have scored had they had even a touch of luck. For instance, when Schmeichel spilled a shot, it fell between 2 United forwards just a yard away from each of them. And their defender, Richards was doing well to keep all the dangerous balls away. Giovanni's shot which got them the goal came off a deflection! United could have got an equalizer so easily when Tevez's header just missed the bar in the dying moments and so could they when Vidic's header hit the post.
To sum it up I really don't know what will happen this season. The boss has not panicked yet but has been praising the team which according to me is the right thing to do. Knowing United, it's only a matter of time before they start winning. Lets hope for the best.

EPL Game 2: Portsmouth 1: 1 Man Utd

Another good display, but to no avail! The biggest talking point going into the match was Tevez making his United debut, earlier than Sir Alex would have liked, filling in for Rooney who will be out for at least 2 months (damn!!). Initial part of the first half saw United making good progress into the Pompey half. United seem to dominated play and possession and creating few chances. Tevez seemed to be settling well in the striker’s position, while Nani was also brimming with confidence on the left flank. It was this pair which set up the first goal, in the 15^th minute, Tevez setting up a neat opening for Scholes of a Nani cross. It turned out to be a crisp hit from one of the cleanest strikers, finding the corner of the net past David James. Attacks kept growing through the first half. Tevez almost doubled the score when James spilled a Ronaldo strike, but just managed to ward of Tevez’s attempt to tap in. Things looked pretty good for United at half time.

Second half saw more chances being created by the Reds but not managing to finish. Suddenly at 53 mins, the game seemed to turn on its head. Substitute Taylor got past into the left flank and supplied a neat cross into the United penalty area, where Benjani latched on to it heading it neatly past Van Der Saar. Portsmouth started to build more pressure from then on. Still United were creating enough chances on the other side but just managing to not score. About 5 minutes from time, just as United were hoping and in fact, looking like getting a winner, Ronaldo was awarded the dreaded Red. Looked like he fell into the familiar provocation trap. Unfortunately, after that blow, United didn’t look like they were going to get the goal they wanted.

There were good things to take from the match. Tevez didn’t look bad in his first outing, and without much practice too. Nani looked impressive, but doesn’t seem to be his complete self yet. But full marks for trying. Disappointing they have dropped points already. But somebody tells me the last time they didn’t win the first two encounters, they went on the win the treble!

EPL Game 1: Man Utd 0:0 Reading

Season starter. Lot of expectation and excitement surrounding the team, specially the new signings. It looked like a team to envy!
But Sir Alex preferred to play his trusted 11 upfront, the core of the team which won last year's premiership.
Expectedly, United started with a barrage of attacks. Rooney, Ronaldo, Carrick, Giggs all had their shots at goal in no time. 15-20 mins into the first half, there was a familiar feeling that United would score any time and the flood gates would open. But then, the goal looked elusive.
Rooney came very close, flicking a pass just over the bar. And while doing so, twisted his left ankle. He struggled to walk and came off the pitch. Fears of an injury were allayed he came back after just a few mins. But he was clearly in some pain.
Half time. the score remained the same. No Rooney in the second half. But the attacks kept going. But the team seemed to lack the finishing touch. As the clock ticked along, Ronaldo, Carrick, Nani were all going for long shots, a sign of frustration, may be. O'Shea playing forward (couldn't believe that!), came close to scoring. The frustration of not scoring just kept growing. And Reading were happy just to defend.
In the end, the scores remained the nil:nil. 22(or more) shots on goal though from United. And the team still entertained. We just need to be patient. Take the positives from the game (that we're still playing the same quality football). I hope Rooney will be back soon. I'm sure, United will do better next against Portsmouth. We always come back with a bang! Amen!

Images: (courtesy PremierLeague.com)