I’ve moved house twice this year, and had so little time for the computer let along blogging.

Having wrapped up the league for the third time in a row, becoming the first ever team to achieve that twice, we’ve got the chance to add another historic landmark – back to back Champions League.  Slowly but surely Fergie is reigning in all of Liverpool’s “history” and surpassing it.  Should we win tomorrow night, it will be 5-4.  It would make next season very very interesting.  Liverpool fans should be very worried.

But enough about Liverpool and records.  There is a simple task ahead and that is to beat Barcelona tomorrow.  I offer no tactical thoughts or analysis of the opposition, but just say United have the best defence in Europe, some of the best attacking players in the world (and half will be on the bench ready for deployment) and will find out if we’ve got the best team.

I hope it is a good, exciting game and that we win, obviously

Follow me on twitter at @unitedonfire

Apologies for the lack of posts.  Stuff going on and all that.  I’ve decided to do something a bit different with the blog.  Less reportage and more opinion and original content.  Pure reporting of games is just too dull to keep up for too long.

Anyway, until that gets sorted, I’ll repost a comment I made elsewhere :-

Harry Redknapp on coin throwers : “They should be banned for life from football grounds because there is no place for them in football.”

Harry Redknapp on a coin thrower : “I have met Didier Drogba and he is a terrific guy, I’m sure it’s the kind of thing that when he woke the next morning he would have deeply regretted.”

But Harry, there is no place in football for Drogba. That’s what you said. Why is it okay for Drogba to throw coins and not others ? Because he wasn’t the first ? It was retaliation? Sorry, two wrongs don’t make a right.

Never mind, Rooney, just imagine if it was Ronaldo?
Actually, I couldn’t imagine Ronaldo doing such a thing, unlike that Chelsea thug.

Fergie hails Rafael potential.

United win away in the Champions League three goals to nil and was a very comfortable win.  With Rooney in spectacular form and Dmitar Berbatov getting his first two goals for United, this win was overshadowed by injuries to Scholes, Rooney and new right back sensation Rafael.

Gary Neville picked up a slight knock and 18 year Brazillian youngster Rafael was preferred to Wes Brown.  Berbatov and Rooney started at the expense of Tevez and John O’Shea was the runner for Paul Scholes in central midfield.  Nani and Ronaldo provided a dual Iberian wing attack.

What was immediately apparent was Rafael Da Silva.  What a confident display from a youngster.  Pace, skill going forward, slightly worrying defensively (with one very rash challenge that lead to a booking).  A great prospect and when he was later replaced by Wes Brown it was immediate to see why Sir Alex had chosen him.

After watching the first 15 minutes, it really did seem to be a case of wondering how many United would score.  Which lead you to immediately wonder if it was going to be one of those 0-0 nightmares when United create and then fail to put away about 123 chances.

Then Paul Scholes got kicked in the knee from a very poor challenge and had to be replaced.  It looks like a serious injury, but did produce some comedy gold when the ITV commentator stated that he was back on his feet “gingerly”.  He was replaced by Ryan Giggs, thus reproducing the central midfield partnership from a few years back of Giggs and O’Shea.  For some reason, they do seem to play well together in the middle of midfield, the left back and the left winger.

A few minutes after coming on Giggs produced a wonder pass that was Scholeseque.  The Aalborg defence was split wide open and Rooney slipped through and slotted the ball perfectly into the corner.

Wayne really was the star player today, running with purpose and working the team from the front.  Unfortunately, he picked up an injury.  Hopefully that wasn’t too serious.  Less impressive was Nani who combined skill with overhit crosses with equal enthusiasm.  Must keep thinking, one for next season, one for next season.  I’d have played Park today.  I was also less than impressed by Ronaldo’s impression of Jonny Wilkinson trying to put a freekick into the net from 40 yards and being lucky to keep it in the ground.

Final mention, must surely go to Dmitar Berbatov.  Started the game as if he really couldn’t be bothered.  Missed a sitter on 6 minutes and didn’t look much like he cared.  Was gifted the ball for his first goal; honestly the Aalborg could not have sat the ball up better if he’d tried.  Dmitar couldn’t really raise a smile.

Then Ronaldo skins his defender and lays the ball back.  It picks up a deflection and bounces into the air.  Berbatov performs an admiral impression of Mark Hughes’s wonder goal for Wales against Spain and volley’s the ball home and sort of smiled and half raised his hand in celebration.  Good job he didn’t get a hattrick; he might have exploded into a grin.

The guy is pure skill, his pass late in the game; outside of the right foot straight into Ronaldo’s path was just fantastic, but he really has to learn the United way.  You have to be more than just skillful.  You have to have passion, determination and purpose.  I do think that Fergie will bring this to his game and make him one of the very best.  That, or we’ve just signed the new Veron.

There was no controversy over Manchester United’s decisive penalty,  it wasn’t one.  Rob Styles gave United the game on a plate, but Wayne Rooney was given a cake by a Ronaldo back heel, stuck some icing on it and stuck on the plate to give United a 2-0 win.

Rob Styles gave United the penalty after it started to look like United were going to have one of those days when the ball just wouldn’t go in.  A lovely cross field pass gave Ronaldo some space on the right, and he was able to pick up some speed and travel into the box.  As he went inside he showed too much of the ball to the Bolton defender, J Lloyd Samuel, who timed his tackle perfectly and stopped the ball.  Ronaldo fell over his leg and used his hands to protect his very expensive face from hitting the ground.  Even he couldn’t be bothered to try to claim a penalty because it was a good tackle.  But Styles, who isn’t inexperienced in the art of giving penalties where no exist, pointed to the spot.

Ronaldo duly put the penalty away with minimum of celebration and the game was more or less sealed in that moment.  Rooney, who had been rested ahead of another Champions League clash, came off the bench and linked up well with Ronaldo and scored a peach of a second.  Who knows whether it would have been the decisive moment.

If you ignore the penalty, this was a routine victory for United, if slightly laboured.  United are slowly moving through the gears and back up the table.

Southgate defends Pogatetz

Fergie hits out at Poga tackle.