Manchester United vs Newcastle United

My team started the 2010/2011 Barclays Premier League season today against Newcastle United. The starting lineup was as a fan would want it to be...4-4-2 formation, with Rooney and Berbatov up top. Rooney is still finding his killer touch and has gone an astonishing 13 games without scoring for club and country. He did manage to hold up the ball as well as ever, passing it out wide to Valencia and then bursting into the box to receive the cross. His unselfishness (or as Martin Tyler commented, his low self confidence in going for the goal himself) led to him trying to play in Berbatov etc. instead of shooting himself. I don't buy the "low self confidence" thing one bit. Rooney, if anything, is sure of himself. He will take chances, he just needs to get a couple of goals under his belt. In the meantime, I am glad Berbatov and Hernandez look prepared to bear some of his goal-scoring responsibilities.

I like Berbatov for a number of reasons. His languid style of play, the way he is able to keep possession even under pressure, his silky first touch and ability to create chances out of nothing. He has that style and ability which is not something that can be cultivated over time with hard-work. Its just something you are gifted with. Today, he showcased some of the above, and got a goal for himself too. He missed at least 3 good chances, but none of them were glaring misses. The way he tried to roll the ball onto his shoelaces and flick it in the air before shooting, while being surrounded by 3 Newcastle players in the penalty box said it all.

Scholes stole the show with his trademark distribution. I always had the impression that due to his age, the man can still pull the strings and control the game, but only against weaker teams. However, the way he dismantled Chelsea in the Community Shield game proved me wrong. He can still deliver the goods in a three man midfield against any opposition. It is sad indeed that we still don't have anyone quite like this little guy. I hope that is because we haven't seen the likes of Carrick, Fletcher, Cleverley taking the liberty to ping balls around the park, and instead they opt to pass it to Scholesy, simply because he is that good at it.

Valencia, Fletcher (who made a smart turn to score a nice goal) and Nani were good as always. Nothing out of the world to write about. Hernandez came on to replace Rooney after the hour mark, and was buzzing around as usual. His smart interception near the corner flag led to Giggsy goal. Guess who was the supplier? Paul Scholes. Man of the match.