VIEW: United vs Stoke City. 2-1 (or: A Week In Football)

WO its been a while! Since the last time I blogged:

• United beat Stoke without playing well and without a sniff of controversy that apparently solely contributed to our victory at West Brom.


• United have the greatest Wednesday night of all time without even playing, with defeats for Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs as well as a draw between Arsenal and Citeh contributing.


• Something happened in the world of cricket. No idea what.


• Beckham says for the millionth time that he would never sign for a Premier League team if it wasn't United.


• Beckham signs for Tottenham.


• 'Arry's frilled.


• Beckham ends up only training with Tottenham.


• 'Arry's perplexed like.


• Scousers drop Woy.


• Scousers sign King Kenne, 20 years after deciding he wasn't good enough to manage them.


• United beat Scousers without playing well and with every sniff of controversy that apparently solely contributed to our victory at West Brom.

Here's the reaction from the Stoke game:

The Guardian, Daniel Taylor




Unbeaten in the league all season, Ferguson's team are not reaching the heights that are demanded of this club, but playing with a sense of purpose and know how that may be good enough. Other teams would have wilted when Dean White- head's header cancelled out Javier Hernández's supremely clever 27th-minute goal but United simply regrouped, stepped up the tempo and reasserted their authority, Nani scoring the winner with a lovely strike from outside the penalty area.

United are now nine points ahead of the fifth-placed champions Chelsea and Ferguson could reflect on a satisfying night's work given he sent out an experimental side, with half a dozen changes from the 2-1 victory at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, and enough players were missing to offer Stoke a rare glimmer of hope at a ground that has been cruel to them over the years. Ferguson is growing weary of being asked why United are not playing very well, but there was only a 15-minute spell with the game at 1-1 when their football was slick, fast and penetrative. This was when the game was won and we saw why United must surely be regarded as favourites to hold off City and their other challengers.







The Telegraph, Henry Winter

Manchester United continue to pick up the three points in second gear. United continue unbeaten through the Premier League campaign without looking totally convincing. This largely untroubled victory, lifting United free of Manchester City at the top, should both encourage and worry them.

The positives were obvious in the elegant way Javier Hernández, the Little Pea with the big future, and the lively Nani struck either side of Dean Whitehead’s header, Stoke’s first goal at Old Trafford in 30 years. The concern is that United need some more consistently stellar individual displays, players dominating games, hinting at a third, let alone fourth gear, because tougher tests lie ahead.

It is a sign of the flawed nature of the Premier League this season that Sir Alex Ferguson’s charges can lead a five-horse race without playing well. The Old Trafford superstore is unlikely to see a stampede of fans for DVDs of this game.

Man United 2 - 1 Stoke, BBC

Manchester United moved three points clear at the top of the Premier League after seeing off Stoke at Old Trafford thanks to a stunning Nani strike.

Dimitar Berbatov prodded United's first real chance wide but they went ahead when Nani crossed and Javier Hernandez brilliantly flicked the ball home.

Stoke started the second half superbly and after Tuncay headed wide he turned creator for Dean Whitehead to nod in.

But Nani won it with a wonderful left-foot strike to earn United the victory.