This is as close as we get

Another Monday, another flurry of reports praising Michael Carrick. It's as if Carrick's skill is only appreciated upon reflection, passing by unnoticed at first and then, after having time to settle, you remember the elegant passing, the forward runs, the tackles, and realise just what a great game he's had. A less showy Berbatov, perhaps? Another difference between the two is highlighted in the glowing praise handed to Carrick in The Independent's report - that from midfield Carrick can influence the pace of the game, whereas Berbatov plays at his own pace regardless of those around him:

he has surely written his own ticket for a journey that could well end with his election as Footballer of the Year.

This wouldn't be for a blaze of virtuosity – well, not entirely, because a perfectly delivered Carrick pass is becoming a routine glory of the English game – but rather the capacity to shape a team performance, set both its tempo and its ambition. That Carrick can do this has never been more evident than in this potentially decisive phase of a title race which United are threatening to turn to dust.

In all The Independent lavish eight paragraphs of praise on Carrick. The Guardian and The Telegraph both look towards the upcoming England game and suggest that Carrick must start, The Guardian:

For all the success that Fabio Capello has instilled into England, his decision to ignore Carrick for competitive internationals ranks alongside his casual dismissals of Michael Owen as the hardest to understand. Had Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Owen Hargreaves been fit, he may not have started, and starred, in the victory over Germany in Berlin.

The Telegraph:

Next Saturday, Fabio Capello names England’s squad for the friendly with European champions Spain a week on Wednesday. When Carrick won his only cap under Capello, in November’s defeat of Germany, he owed his inclusion to the indisposition of others. Against a dogged Everton, as in the FA Cup win over Tottenham, he made the case for a role in Seville all but irresistible, regardless of whether Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard or Gareth Barry is available.

It has always seemed a bit strange that an Italian manager should consistently overlook such an accomplished passer of the ball, doubly strange, given that a lot of England's problems stem from an inability to control possession against the better teams.
Alan Hansen, in his column in The Telegraph, stereotypically spends his time praising our defenders, understandable, given the new defensive we've set. He also has the most meaningless of sentences in his report:

It is just as well that Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic are as good as they are, otherwise they would not be playing, such is the competition from players like Evans.

Really? What does that mean exactly? It's an utterly pointless sentence isn't it. Why not just say "Ferdinand and Vidic are playing superbly, as are the back up defenders." Or something like that. Why word it in this weird way? I'm having a hard time pinpointing what precisely is wrong with it, and I put that down to the illogical sentence, rather than my lack of reason...
The Daily Mail focus their report around Sir Alex's words that, 'We never put Everton to bed and they were able to keep going as a result of that. They took us to the wire because we didn't take our chances'. Using this to analyse our shortage of goals this season:

Last season, thanks largely to Ronaldo's miracle campaign, they scored 80, the season before 83. The prolific 1999-2000 champions fell only three short of a ton. But the 74 that nicked the 2003 title from Arsenal is looking nearer this year's mark.

If they should fall short of 80, would that be seen as a flaw? Probably, given the array of attacking talent that Ferguson can field, with comeback kid Wayne Rooney also limbering up to step into the shooting gallery at West Ham on Sunday.

I'm not sure this was the right game to go into this after though. In some other games we've been guilty of squandering chances but in this game the lack of goal was more of a tribute to Everton's defending than any failing on our part. Plus, given that we scored 5 midweek, and, with the return of Rooney imminent, I think the goals are likely to start coming in 2s and 3s rather than the 1s there have been.
In other news The Sun reports that Sir Alex actually might not have ruled himself out of managing the 2012 Olympic football team:

Fergie has now insisted: “I have not turned it down.

“If I was finished with United, it is something I would consider but I have not made a decision on that or given it a thought as yet.”

And a brief word on the Liverpool win yesterday - I think Martin Samuel sums it up best when he says:

Liverpool celebrated as if this was a result of great significance, but it is still United's title to lose and all that is altering is the size of the chasing pack.