Bubbling

Safely through to the next round, key players rested, key players playing again. A good evening's work all round so not much to vex anyone it would seem.

The Guardian's match report is pretty fair, for a change:

It was bemusing to witness a Champions League quarter-final tie at Old Trafford that had no aura of importance. This phase of domination by English clubs is too new to be assimilated entirely yet and it is disconcerting for almost 75,000 spectators to realise that their emotions would barely be stirred at all by a game in the knockout stage of a prestigious competition.

Daniel Taylor, also in The Guardian, suggests that we might just be coming to the boil at the right time, and even suggests we play attractive football (Oh really? Ah! Arsenal have been knocked out of the competition, it's now ok to admit that):

Even without Ronaldo, there were plenty of examples of what the Roma players, wallowing in a vat of sour grapes, angrily perceived to be showboating in the first leg. Take, for instance, the exquisite little back-heel from Carlos Tevez to send Hargreaves enthusiastically running clear midway through the first half.

George Caulkin in The Times has a bit of trouble congratulating us on reaching the Semi-Finals, but just about gets there:

Writing in his programme notes, the United manager had given warning that “complacency could outdo us”, yet his words were undermined by deeds. Ferguson ripped Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes from his side — although all three were lurking on the substitutes’ bench — leaving lesser figures to sweat and strain in the stead of the galácticos.

Sir Alex's quotes from The Times:

“The fact that it’s Barcelona means it’s certainly going to be the most attractive semi-final,” Ferguson said. “We probably got a lot of our early education against them when we drew 2-2 here in the group stage [in 1994] and then lost 4-0 at the Nou Camp at a time when we could only play three foreign players.

“Then the year we won the European Cup we drew 3-3 in the group stage in Barcelona and 3-3 in the home match. These games go back to representing the way the game should be played, about attacking emphasis.

“I think we’ve got something special in this team. We want to go there and show we are a good team. Barcelona are a wonderful team, but we can’t go there and be negative. We’ve got to be really positive. If we do that we’ve got a marvellous chance.”

Henry Winter in The Telegraph needs glasses:

Alessandro Mancini collected possession and ran at Brown. The Brazilian nudged the ball past the full-back, who slid in to intercept, making contact with Mancini's foot and the ball.

Mancini sensed the challenge and began falling, at which point the sliding Brown caught the winger's trailing leg with his left foot. "Penalty," screamed all the Roma players with some justification. Penalty, decreed the Norwegian referee.

Ian Ladyman praises Owen Hargreaves in The Mail:

Last night Hargreaves emerged from the periphery of Sir Alex Ferguson's squad to play an important role in the type of game that he was bought for.

One piece in The Star by Brian Woolnough caught my eye, even though it's about Arsenal - it's about how us hammering them in the FA Cup ruined their season:

They were a team waiting for more important matches to come. It was a dangerous game and it has backfired spectacularly.

United were hungry. Arsenal inept.

Star players such as Cesc Fabregas and William Gallas played as if they didn’t want to be there. Emmanuel Eboue got himself sent off.

Gallas might have followed when he needlessly squared up to Nani after kicking the United winger. Everything about Arsenal that night was wrong.

The Champions League has gone after Tuesday night’s epic clash with Liverpool at Anfield and they need a miracle in the Premier League.

On Sunday, Arsenal must return to Old Trafford for the last rites of their season. How ironic.

The expected defeat they will suffer against United – a team who have taken their mantle of title favourites – will only rub salt into self-inflicted wounds.