Alas, Not a repeat of the Last Season!!!

Much awaited match of the week after an exhilarating week of sports, Massa's victory at Valencia, an eventful loss for Arsenal at Craven Cottage(Fulham), Chelsea back to their shit-type of football, Spurs losing once again, Berbatov's transfer saga. Whoa!!! Lots of action I must say.

Vs
Coming back to the match, Tevez was back after his family bereavement and Anderson back from his Olympics duty for Brazil. Giggs, Carrick still on the injury list with Owen Hargreaves claiming in an interview that he was closing in on a 100% fitness. Hope he is back with a bang. Manchester United had a very bad record playing Pompey at Fratton Park. Lost in the 06-07 season, drew in the 07-08 season, I was hoping for United to break this jinx and they did in their own fashion with a 1-0 victory this time.

The match started off with a screamer from the "Big" Papa Bouba Diop, it was just 12 seconds into the game, the shot gave shivers to all the United fans watching with me and ray of hope for all the anti-United fans. Eventually as it turned out ,that was one of the three shots that tested Van der Saar in the whole match. United dominated the possession for most of the match with their pin-point passing(Not Upto the Level of Arsenal-Had to give credit to them).

The Defence were at their usual best, Crouch and Defoe were nullified, like any other strikers' abilities nullified by "The Great Wall of England". The Midfield was orchestrated by Scholes, Anderson with fluent movement from Fletcher and Evra attacking from the flanks. One great passage of play by Anderson, Evra was ruled out offside; but the same passage of play repeated once again with Evra putting in a low cross for Fletcher to flick it in with Distin's effort to clear the ball ending in vain(It was not a own goal--the ball was goal bound). Fletcher has scored 2 goals in 2 matches- proving his mettle to the Gaffer; hopefully he will try his best to fill in the boots of absent-injured Cristiano Ronaldo.

Tevez and Rooney played their part as "team-players" very well; but for God's sake they are strikers and for most of the time they were playing the role of a midfielder. I have no apprehensions for them playing a role of a "team-player", but at least one of them should be in the poacher's position to do some finishing so that United are back amongst the goals. The scoreline should have been atleast 2-0, a superb Rooney flick was ruled offside, but replays suggested otherwise, the Right Back had played him onside which the Asst. Refree obviously did not identify.

I will be doing injustice if I did not write about Wes Brown's role in the match; he was just awesome, well above his actual level of playing. He was making runs like that of Gary Neville, giving pinpoint crosses to the strikers, pulling off tricks near the goal with Crouch, Defoe on the attack. He was amazing yesterday. I would have made him the Man-of-the-match contrary to BBC's Man-of-the-match Darren Fletcher.

Sir Alex Ferguson was hoping to pull off a victory at Fratton Park so that they keep up with th rest in Premiership and they did it in their own fashion. Manchester United back to their winning ways which they do so professionally and clinically.

Next is the UEFA Super Cup against Zenit St. Petersburg at Monaco. Go United!!!!!!