Report: Reading (0) - United (2)

United remain top of the Premier League but the Reds made things difficult for themselves at the Madejski Stadium, leaving it late for Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo to seal a 2-0 victory.

Sir Alex Ferguson will not have been thankful for his side’s profligacy in front of goal for much of the match, especially against a side of Reading’s energy, enthusiasm and unwillingness to give in.

It took 77 minutes for Rooney to put United in front with an expert flicked finish, but it should have been far more straightforward. Ronaldo’s goal deep in injury time confirmed victory, although this was a win that tested the nerves.

The game was wide open in the first ten minutes, with United picking up where they left off in the second half against Newcastle creating chance after chance.

Inside the first minute Carlos Tevez and Rooney linked up to play in Ronaldo on the right, and the Portuguese winger’s low shot was only narrowly wide.

The Reds still had to be sharp at the opposite end when Leroy Lita got in behind Rio Ferdinand after ten minutes. Edwin van der Sar saved the Royals striker’s shot, and Nemanja Vidic's brilliantly-timed sliding tackle stopped Dave Kitson passing the rebound into an empty net.

Seconds later Ronaldo sent another shot fizzing past the post, before Rooney and Tevez again combined with the Argentina international firing narrowly wide.

Sir Alex’s men rarely face teams that play an open game; it’s far more common to come up against rigidly stubborn resistance than Reading’s have-a-go outlook. Some could say it was a brave decision by Steve Coppell, simply because it can play into United’s hands.

Owen Hargreaves, making only his 11th league start, was the latest to have a go, this time from a set-piece. Ronaldo was hacked down, central to the goal, 25 yards out. Hargreaves arced in his shot, which Marcus Hahnemann brilliantly turned behind for a corner.

Reading weren’t without their moments. A weak van der Sar clearance was very nearly punished by Kitson, whose 40-yard shot had to be headed clear by Ferdinand, with Edwin stranded out of his goal.

However, as against Newcastle, United could find a way through before the interval and faced a second-half searching for a way to break their opponents down.

Two minutes after the restart, United almost got a similar response to the one against Newcastle. From a corner taken by Ryan Giggs, on for Ji-sung Park at half-time, Kitson almost headed into his own goal, but Hahnemann saved the Reading striker’s blushes.

After an hour Ronaldo had a chance to score his 23rd goal of the season. Rio burst into the box and squared the ball across goal, but it bobbled just as Ronaldo went to shoot and his shot was sent skyward. United’s frustrations continued.

Sir Alex’s side played some good, penetrative football early in the second half, but the final, crucial touch was proving elusive.

The longer the game went on the greater the feeling that Reading would deny United three points. But with little more than ten minutes left, that changed with a moment of sheer brilliance.

Tevez received the ball 35 yards from goal and picked out Rooney’s run into the box. The striker allowed the ball to drop over his left shoulder before expertly guiding the ball past Hahnemann. It was as much relief as joy for the Reds.

Carrick and Ronaldo both had chances to wrap up all three points. Carrick failed to latch onto Nani’s neat pull-back from the byline, while Ronaldo was denied one-on-one by Hahnemann.

Reading kept pushing for an equaliser and there were some desperate moments during the four minutes of added time, which ended with a United breakaway and Ronaldo running the full length of the pitch to dispatch his 23rd goal of the season.

Three points and a goal each for Rooney and Ronaldo: sounds like business as usual. But it certainly wasn’t done the easy way.

Team Line-ups

Reading: Hahnemann; Murty (c), Cisse, Ingimarsson, Shorey; Doyle, Harper, Hunt, Convey (Matejovsky 79); Lita (Long 83), Kitson.
Sub not used: Federici, De la Cruz, Rosenior.
Booked: Convey

Manchester United: Van der Sar; Brown, Ferdinand (c), Vidic, Evra; Ronaldo, Hargreaves (Nani 70), Carrick, Park (Giggs 46); Tevez (Fletcher 79), Rooney.
Subs not used: Kuszczak, O’Shea.
Booked: Ferdinand

Read More..

United (6) - Newcastle Utd (0)

United produced an utterly imperious performance against a beleaguered Newcastle to move top of the Premier League on Saturday night, Cristiano Ronaldo heading up the 6-0 victory with his first hat-trick for the Reds.

Astonishingly, all of United's goals came in a second-half blitz. Carlos Tevez (2) and Rio Ferdinand also got in on the act in a game the Reds dominated from start to finish. Remarkably, it could have been even more convincing. Clear-cut opportunities ran comfortably into double figures, and so too could the scoreline.

Newcastle arrived in Manchester in the midst of uncertainty. The departure of Sam Allardyce after a five-match run without a win was hardly the best preparation three days before a trip to Old Trafford. And it showed.

United, buoyed by the news of Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Birmingham earlier in the day, were in mood to take mercy on the visitors. And with a place atop the Premier League up for grabs, the Reds started at a tempo Newcastle struggled to cope with.

Wayne Rooney had two 25-yard shots saved by Shay Given inside the first ten minutes. The first arrived after Michael Carrick’s cutting through-ball, but Rooney’s shot was high over the bar. Given was proving to be the nemesis of the United striker as twice either side of the 15-minute mark the Newcastle goalkeeper denied him. First Rooney cut inside from the left to hit a low, skidding drive that forced Given to turn the ball behind for a corner, then he proved equal to a fizzing Rooney volley from Carrick’s wonderful, arced pass.

After 27 minutes Ronaldo set a course through the heart of Newcastle’s defence. He skipped past two players and took on Steven Taylor, but the Magpies defender left a leg out to bring Ronaldo down – as clear a penalty as you are likely to see. But Rob Styles was unmoved, as he was a minute later when Alan Smith bundled Ryan Giggs over inside the area. The Welshman would have been fortunate to earn a spot-kick, but Ronaldo had every right to feel aggrieved.

Newcastle offered very little threat. But a team’s manager-less state does not necessarily preclude the ability to turn their fortunes around. In fact, it often encourages it. And Michael Owen, always capable of snatching a goal, did have the ball in the back of the net. Edwin van der Sar had already stopped as the linesman’s flag was raised, but television replays showed the decision was incorrect.

United continued to pepper Given’s goal, but to no avail. Ronaldo had one shot saved and watched his downward header from a corner go narrowly wide. The long and the short of the first-half tale was that United should have been ahead, regardless of Styles’ inability to see a clear foul on Ronaldo.

Undeterred, the Reds began the second half with the same dominance and purpose. Inside 30 seconds of the restart Taylor cleared a Tevez shot off the line and somehow turned Rooney’s follow-up over the bar.

But United would not be denied for much longer. Four minutes into the half Ronaldo gave the Reds the lead. Smith clipped the Portuguese winger’s heels as he went to shoot, and Styles awarded a rare decision in United’s favour.

Ronaldo geared up to take the 20-yard shot. Old Trafford anticipated his usual, occasionally hit-and-miss, policy of power. But he elected to strike his shot underneath the wall, to great effect. Given, who saw it late, was fooled more than anyone, unable to keep the ball out.

It took just seven minutes for the Reds to make it 2-0. A poor Given clearance struck Claudio Cacapa, freeing Giggs to square a pass across goal for Tevez to slot home at the far post.

United were utterly dominant. Steeled by a rock-solid defence, steered by Carrick and Anderson’s passing in midfield, and always with the threat of Tevez, Rooney and Ronaldo on swift counter attacks. Just as importantly, there was no danger of Old Trafford’s atmosphere falling flat. A rapturous Stretford End even cheekily requested: “Fergie, give us a song!”

On the pitch there was still plenty to shout about. The Reds’ forward play was sumptuous, and soon garnered a devastating third goal. Carrick, Rooney and Tevez all interchanged passes, before the Argentinian found Ronaldo’s run into the box. His finish was as sharp as the most clinical poacher, and his 21st goal of the season ensured beyond any doubt that three points and top spot would be United’s.

Simpson, Rooney (again!) and Carrick were denied goals in the final 20 minutes, but there was still more to come. Rio Ferdinand popped up at the far post five minutes from time to make it four, before Ronaldo completed his hat-trick and Tevez grabbed a second in off the bar. Alan Smith was sent off late on to compound Newcastle's woes. But on a day when both Arsenal and Liverpool dropped points, this was an emphatic message to send out to the rest of the Premier League: the Champions will take some shifting.

Team Line-ups

Manchester United: Van der Sar; O’Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra (Simpson 68); Ronaldo, Carrick, Anderson (Fletcher 73), Giggs (Nani 73); Tevez, Rooney.
Subs not used: Kuszczak, Park.
Booked: Rooney

Newcastle United: Given; Carr, Taylor, Cacapa, Enrique; Milner (Viduka 65), Butt, Smith, N’Zogbia; Duff, Owen (Rozehnal 83).
Subs not used: Harper, Emre, LuaLua.
Booked: Duff
Sent off: Smith

Attendance: 75,965

Read More..

Villa (0) - United (2)

Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney both scored in the last ten minutes as United bucked up to book their place in the FA Cup fourth round.

The Portuguese star stole in front of Aston Villa full-back Wilfred Bouma to prod home the first goal from Ryan Giggs's low cross in the 81st minute, just when a dour tie seemed destined for a replay at Old Trafford. And when Ronaldo's 89th minute shot was initially blocked, substitute Rooney drilled the rebound past Scott Carson - this just moments after the Villa keeper had made a double save from Michael Carrick.

With only stoppage time remaining, there was really no time for Martin O'Neill's side to recover - especially when it was a side so devoid of any real attacking threat. United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar had even less to do than he did in his previous appearance, when he kept a clean sheet at Liverpool in mid-December.

Van der Sar's return was one of four changes to the team which narrowly defeated Villa’s arch-rivals Birmingham on New Year’s Day. Ryan Giggs replaced Nani, Louis Saha deputised for the injured Carlos Tevez and Wes Brown - the subject of a rejected bid from Newcastle - returned at right-back at the expense of John O’Shea.

Anderson fired the first shot across Villa's bows when he burst forward from midfield in the fifth minute. The Brazilian travelled a similar distance to Giggs in his epic ’99 goal on the same ground but unlike Arsenal, Aston Villa didn’t present a string of defenders for the United attacker to slalom around. The exposed Carson blocked Anderson's shot, although it was too strong for the Villa keeper to clutch it at the first time of asking.

With Giggs operating through the middle to support Saha, it made room for Ji-sung Park to catch the eye on the left flank in the first half. Moments after delivering one menacing cross which Carson did well to claim, the Korean laid a neat pass into the path of his pal Patrice Evra. The French left-back fizzed the ball into the box and Giggs met it with a header that packed a punch but lacked precision.

Giggs had a more clear-cut opportunity on the brink of half-time when Ronaldo drove in a fierce shot from the left. England goalkeeper Carson could only parry the ball into his opponent's path but unlike the Croatians in November, the United captain couldn’t capitalise and his clumsy half-volley crawled wide of the far post.

At the other end, any hopes that Gabriel Agbonlahor had of impressing new England coach Fabio Capello were crushed by the experience and strength of Nemanja Vidic. The Italian will have scribbled down Rio Ferdinand's name, however, after the England defender restricted Villa's John Carew to one shot into the side netting.

The first 45 minutes were surely the poorest half seen in the four recent meetings between United and Villa at this stage of the competition. And the cagey tie barely improved after the break, at least not until Sir Alex Ferguson gave the noisy away fans the personnel change they were chanting for.

Rooney came on for Park in the 70th minute and was soon involved in United's best move of the match, a long one-two with Ronaldo which ended with the sub striking a great shot just over the crossbar.

Another of Villa's young England hopefuls Ashley Young may have fired a shot just inches wide but United looked much the better - and fitter - side as the game entered its decisive final phase. The introduction of Rooney - scorer of two league goals at Villa Park in October - made all the difference. It even seemed to perk up his sidekick Ronaldo who scored the first goal and then assisted the second.

In the brief spell between United's goals, Villa sub Craig Gardner went close with a header from Gareth Barry's superb left-wing cross but van der Sar and the visitors were not to be beaten. Certainly not at Villa Park, where the Reds remain undefeated since 1995 in all but one League Cup tie. With the firepower of Ronaldo and Rooney and a water-tight defence in which Ferdinand and Vidic excel, few would bet against the Reds returning to their favourite away ground next April for yet another FA Cup semi-final.

Aston Villa: Carson; Mellberg, Laursen, Davies, Bouma (Gardner, 83); Petrov (Maloney, 75), Reo-Coker, Barry, Young; Agbonlahor, Carew (Moore, 64).
Subs not used: Taylor, Knight.
Bookings: None.

United: Van der Sar; Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Ronaldo, Carrick, Anderson, Park (Rooney, 70); Giggs (O'Shea, 90), Saha (Hargreaves, 79).
Subs: Heaton, Nani.
Bookings: None.

Read More..

United (1) - Birmingham (0)

As hangover cures go, this match wasn’t the best remedy, but a 1-0 win over Birmingham City and three more valuable points toward the defence of United’s title was exactly what Sir Alex Ferguson had prescribed.

Carlos Tevez got the game’s only goal – producing a dummy in his celebration – but ended up being carried off with an injury after Louis Saha replaced him late on, although he didn't look in too much pain.

After the disappointment of defeat to West Ham three days previously, this was a game United could not afford to lose, but although the Reds got off to a good start, the lack of a second goal made it a nervous finish.

Sir Alex once again sat in the stands, completing his two-game touchline ban, and watched as his side made a far more positive start than the sluggish opening at Upton Park.

United were again without Wayne Rooney, who is still suffering from a virus, leaving Carlos Tevez paired with Cristiano Ronaldo in attack. And it was the Portuguese attacker, in such excellence goalscoring form this season, who registered United’s opening shot on goal after just three minutes. Cutting into the box from the left flank he fizzed in a low shot which Maik Taylor saved low at his feet.

The Reds continued the bright opening when Tevez went even closer after six minutes. Following neat work between Anderson and Patrice Evra down the left, the Frenchman, under pressure from Blues defender Stephen Kelly, crossed for Tevez, whose glancing header beat Taylor but rebounded off the post.

Ronaldo is such an omnipresent threat that it makes little difference where his starting position is. Although not the sort to relish having his back to goal, when facing Birmingham’s defence the visitors looked petrified. He went close with a volley from the edge of the area after excellent chest control, but his shot dipped over the bar.

Birmingham were forced deeper and deeper as the Reds surged forward in search of an opening goal. But the threat wasn’t just from Tevez and Ronaldo. On 20 minutes Nani, having temporarily swapped flanks with Ji-sung Park, turned in-field from the left wing and blasted a shot millimetres wide of the upright.

United’s relentless pressure finally reaped its reward. After 25 minutes Tevez played a one-two with Ronaldo, whose return pass was a sublime backheel that put his team-mate clean through on goal, before applying a tidy finish past Taylor. Bizarrely, the Argentina international celebrated with a dummy in his mouth.

Some supporters in the stands may have been nursing hangovers from the New Year celebrations, but the game also had a similarly sluggish feel to it. Birmingham appeared incapable of penetrating United’s defence, while the Reds seemed prepared to do all that was required, without overexertion. The second half began in much the same vein. And, likewise, Ronaldo was the main protagonist in United’s attacks. He went close to his 19th goal of the season when Park crossed from the right and Ronaldo forced a save out of Taylor with a powerful downward header.

Ronaldo and Tevez both had opportunities to double United’s lead with in a 20-second spell that should have garnered a Reds goal on the hour mark. First Tevez did exceptionally well to hold of two Blues defenders before blasting his shot off the post. Receiving the rebound eight yards out, Ronaldo danced his way across goal but saw his shot blocked.

Although a 1-0 victory over Birmingham at this stage of the season is a perfectly good result, the only concern was that it is by no means a secure scoreline – the threat of a scuffed finish or a set-piece strike is always present in the Premier League. Sir Alex attempted to counter that threat by replacing Tevez with Louis Saha and Park with Owen Hargreaves.

Mikael Forssell came off the bench for Alex McLeish’s men and caused the Reds defence a few problems, but United managed to stave off the visitors threat to hang on for the win. Nine points from a possible 12 over the Christmas period. Most importantly, the Reds are off to a winning start in 2008.

Team Line-ups

United: Kuszczak; O’Shea, Ferdinand (c), Vidic, Evra (Brown 85); Park (Hargreaves 76), Carrick, Anderson, Nani; Ronaldo, Tevez (Saha 72).
Subs not used: Heaton (GK), Pique.
Booked: Brown

Birmingham: Taylor; Kelly, Ridgewell (c), Jaidi, Queudrue; Muamba, McSheffrey (De Ridder 67), Larsson, Nafti (Palacios 82); O’Connor, Jerome (Forssell 67).
Subs not used: Doyle, Parnaby.
Booked: Ridgewell, Nafti, Palacios

Attendance: 75,459

Read More..

West Ham (2) - United (1)

United’s attempts to end 2007 on a high were scuppered by West Ham as Alan Curbishley’s side earned a third win in a row against the Reds.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s men took the lead through Cristiano Ronaldo in a scrappy and hard-fought game, and could have gone 2-0 had the Portuguese star converted a second-half penalty. With West Ham buoyed by Ronaldo’s miss, Curbishley’s side managed to snatch two goals and all three points. In truth, United were far from at their best and the Hammers were steeled to contain and frustrate. Unfortunately, their plan worked. But it could have been so different.

Carlos Tevez was given a rapturous reception from the Upton Park faithful before kick-off, a touching moment for a player who was instrumental in keeping the club up last season. Sir Alex observed the standing ovation at close quarters as he began the first of a two-game ban up in the stands.

United arrived in east London seeking a sixth league win in December, but had to go about business without Wayne Rooney, who was suffering from a virus. West Ham, too, were without their main striker. Dean Ashton was left on the bench by Curbishley, who preferred to pack his midfield with five players and let Carlton Cole lead the line on his own.

The tactics worked from the off as West Ham took control of the game. And with United not yet settled the Hammers very nearly scored inside the first ten minutes. A neat move on the edge of the area created space inside the box for Hayden Mullins, whose shot beat Tomasz Kuszczak but rebounded off the bar. Luckily for the Reds, Mark Noble - the goal at his mercy - tried to place his finish but sent the ball high over the bar. A real let off for the Reds.

The Hammers' may have made the more positive opening, but in United’s ranks there is a player capable of scoring in any situation, at any time, and from anywhere on the pitch. Ronaldo’s 18th strike of the campaign, and 13th in the league, arrived after 14 minutes – this time a simple header. However, while the Portuguese winger should be lauded for his goalscoring capabilities, so too should Ryan Giggs, Louis Saha and Tevez for their part in the build-up play. Tevez held the ball up well before finding Saha, who arced a pass out to Giggs on the left, leaving the Welshman to chip a precision cross for Ronaldo to nod home. It was exquisite stuff and flipped the advantage in United’s favour.

The Reds had landed the first meaningful blow, but West Ham were far from out of the fight and United had to weather a storm before half time. Nolberto Solano went close with a 25-yard shot that Tomasz Kuszczak did well to tip over the bar. Then Evra had to clear Cole's effort off the line, before the West Ham forward powered a close-range header over the bar. United were clinging on.

West Ham started the second half as they had finished the first, putting United under pressure and refusing the Reds time and space to play. The match descended into a scrappy affair and United were being made to work to stay in front. Sir Alex responded by replacing Tevez with Anderson to boost numbers in midfield and try and wrest from West Ham control of the middle of the park.

Shortly afterwards, in the 66th minute, United were gifted the chance to shore up the lead when former Reds defender Jonathan Spector handled the ball. It was debatable whether the misdemeanour took place in or out of the penalty area, but referee Mike Dean pointed to the spot. Up stepped Ronaldo, but suprisingly and frustratingly he fired his spot-kick a yard wide.

It proved costly. The Reds were made to pay for not taking the chance as West Ham’s persistence paid off. After a flurry of corners, substitute Anton Ferdinand rose highest to power his header past Kuszczak and level the scores with just over ten minutes remaining. Five minutes later the Hammers struck again. Noble whipped in a cross for Matthew Upson to loop a header into the top corner.

West Ham proved able to resist all of United’s late bombardment to come away as unfancied victors. But United must not be too disheartened. Despite the disappointment of defeat, the Reds can reflect on a year that has given Old Trafford one Premier League title and leaves the door well and truly door open to claim another in 2008.

United: Kuszczak; Brown (O’Shea 88), Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Ronaldo, Hargreaves (Nani 81), Fletcher, Giggs (c); Saha, Tevez (Anderson 65).
Subs not used: Heaton, Pique.

West Ham: Green; Neill (c), Spector, Upson, McCartney; Solano (Pantsil 49), Parker (A.Ferdinand 55), Noble, Mullins, Ljungberg (Ashton 70); Cole.
Subs not used: Wright, Camara.

Attendance: 34,966

Read More..

Sunderland (0) - United (4)

United barely broke sweat at the Stadium of Light as goals from Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and a Louis Saha brace sealed an important three points and a fifth away win of the season.

For a Boxing Day encounter, Sunderland showed surprisingly little fight and Roy Keane wouldn't have taken many positives out of such a one-sided affair. The Reds were 3-0 up by half-time and coasted through the second period, adding a fourth in the closing stages when Louis Saha slotted home from the penalty spot.

Sir Alex made five changes to the side that beat Everton on the weekend, with Darren Fletcher handed his first league start of the season and Louis Saha starting up front alongside Wayne Rooney. Perhaps the manager's most notable selection was the inclusion of Ji-sung Park on the bench. Park, who came on in the 57th minute, hadn't played for the Reds since injuring his knee against Blackburn Rovers in March.

At the back, Sir Alex recalled Rio Ferdinand to the starting XI but rested Patrice Evra on the left. John O'Shea came in for the Frenchman, with Wes Brown operating on the right.

Neither side's back four was troubled in the game's opening stages until Danny Higginbotham caught Cristiano Ronaldo late 25 yards from goal in a central position. The Reds' no.7 lined up the free-kick and stung Craig Gordon's palms with a vicious strike that dipped and swerved in the air. The Scottish goalkeeper was called into action again moments later when Nani's left-foot shot looked to be sneaking inside the near post.

Sunderland then fashioned half chances of their own through Kenwyne Jones and Dickson Etuhu before Louis Saha fluffed an opportunity to put United into the lead. The Frenchman did well to peel off his marker but miscued a volley after John O'Shea, Nani and Cristiano Ronaldo had linked well on the left flank.

After a frustratingly scrappy opening period, the match had begun to open up and the Reds took the lead on 20 minutes when Rooney exploited some lax Sunderland defending to beat the offside trap and roll the ball past Gordon.

From Wes Brown's pass to Rooney's ice-cool finish, it all looked so simple and would no doubt have frustrated Sunderland boss Roy Keane. Of course, Keane's concerns were the last of Rooney's worries as the United ace banged in his first league goal since October.

The Sunderland boss was made to suffer further on the half-hour when the Reds turned defence into attack in the blink of an eye. Darren Fletcher was booked for hauling down Michael Chopra near the United goal but the home side failed to make the Reds pay with the resulting free-kick.

Moments later, Cristiano Ronaldo fed Wayne Rooney down the inside left channel. The England international outpaced his marker, reached the corner of the 18-yard box and picked out Louis Saha in the middle with a curling cross.

From there, Saha was left with the relatively simple task of side-footing the ball past Gordon to send the Reds 2-0 up and confirm the gulf in class between the two sides.

Sunderland certainly couldn't argue with the scoreline, although Ross Wallace almost pulled a goal back five minutes before the interval when he drew a finger-tip save from Tomasz Kuszczak in the United goal. It was the first significant save the Polish stopper had needed to make and underlined the visitors' dominance.

There was still time before the break for United's third, this time from the boot of Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese star had already tested Gordon with two long-range free kicks but in injury time at the end of the first half a third free-kick – this one slightly to the left of centre and 25 yards from goal – sailed over the wall and into the top corner.

It was as good a goal as Ronaldo has scored this season, the perfect blend of power and precision, and took his tally to an astonishing 17 from 20 starts.

Roy Keane withdrew Ross Wallace at the break and introduced Danny Leadbitter but the change did little to stem the Red tide. Indeed, the home side were lucky not to concede a penalty in the 48th minute when former United striker Dwight Yorke appeared to handle Ronaldo's cross inside his own penalty area.

Paul McShane then showed tremendous bravery to block a Rooney shot before Sunderland fans were left cursing Kuszczak's reflexes when the Reds goalkeeper saved well from Kenwyne Jones low to his left.

The Black Cats' fans did have something to cheer on 57 minutes when Ronaldo left the pitch, but his replacement, Ji-sung Park, proved just as menacing. Within minutes of stepping onto the pitch the South Korea international teed up Nani for a shot that fizzed just wide of Gordon's left-hand post. Park continued to chase every ball and showed little sign of his nine-month absence from the game.

With the game won, the Reds took their foot off the pedal somewhat and contented themselves with keeping the ball. That said, Wayne Rooney should have made it 4-0 in the 76th minute when he blazed over from close range.

The Reds did score a fourth in the 86th minute, Louis Saha converting coolly from the spot after Nani had been tugged back inside the area by Danny Collins. It was academic by that stage but nonetheless a welcome sight to see the Frenchman net so comfortably.



United: Kuszczak; Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic (Pique 74), O'Shea; Ronaldo (Park 57), Fletcher, Carrick, Nani; Rooney, Saha

Subs not used: Heaton, Evra, Tevez

Booked: Fletcher

Sunderland: Gordon; Whitehead, McShane, Higginbotham, Collins; Chopra (O'Donovan 87), Yorke (Richardson 61), Etuhu, Wallace (Leadbitter 46); Jones, Waghorn

Subs not used: Ward, Cole

Booked: Whitehead, McShane

United barely broke sweat at the Stadium of Light as goals from Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and a Louis Saha brace sealed an important three points and a fifth away win of the season.

For a Boxing Day encounter, Sunderland showed surprisingly little fight and Roy Keane wouldn't have taken many positives out of such a one-sided affair. The Reds were 3-0 up by half-time and coasted through the second period, adding a fourth in the closing stages when Louis Saha slotted home from the penalty spot.

Sir Alex made five changes to the side that beat Everton on the weekend, with Darren Fletcher handed his first league start of the season and Louis Saha starting up front alongside Wayne Rooney. Perhaps the manager's most notable selection was the inclusion of Ji-sung Park on the bench. Park, who came on in the 57th minute, hadn't played for the Reds since injuring his knee against Blackburn Rovers in March.

At the back, Sir Alex recalled Rio Ferdinand to the starting XI but rested Patrice Evra on the left. John O'Shea came in for the Frenchman, with Wes Brown operating on the right.

Neither side's back four was troubled in the game's opening stages until Danny Higginbotham caught Cristiano Ronaldo late 25 yards from goal in a central position. The Reds' no.7 lined up the free-kick and stung Craig Gordon's palms with a vicious strike that dipped and swerved in the air. The Scottish goalkeeper was called into action again moments later when Nani's left-foot shot looked to be sneaking inside the near post.

Sunderland then fashioned half chances of their own through Kenwyne Jones and Dickson Etuhu before Louis Saha fluffed an opportunity to put United into the lead. The Frenchman did well to peel off his marker but miscued a volley after John O'Shea, Nani and Cristiano Ronaldo had linked well on the left flank.

After a frustratingly scrappy opening period, the match had begun to open up and the Reds took the lead on 20 minutes when Rooney exploited some lax Sunderland defending to beat the offside trap and roll the ball past Gordon.

From Wes Brown's pass to Rooney's ice-cool finish, it all looked so simple and would no doubt have frustrated Sunderland boss Roy Keane. Of course, Keane's concerns were the last of Rooney's worries as the United ace banged in his first league goal since October.

The Sunderland boss was made to suffer further on the half-hour when the Reds turned defence into attack in the blink of an eye. Darren Fletcher was booked for hauling down Michael Chopra near the United goal but the home side failed to make the Reds pay with the resulting free-kick.

Moments later, Cristiano Ronaldo fed Wayne Rooney down the inside left channel. The England international outpaced his marker, reached the corner of the 18-yard box and picked out Louis Saha in the middle with a curling cross.

From there, Saha was left with the relatively simple task of side-footing the ball past Gordon to send the Reds 2-0 up and confirm the gulf in class between the two sides.

Sunderland certainly couldn't argue with the scoreline, although Ross Wallace almost pulled a goal back five minutes before the interval when he drew a finger-tip save from Tomasz Kuszczak in the United goal. It was the first significant save the Polish stopper had needed to make and underlined the visitors' dominance.

There was still time before the break for United's third, this time from the boot of Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese star had already tested Gordon with two long-range free kicks but in injury time at the end of the first half a third free-kick – this one slightly to the left of centre and 25 yards from goal – sailed over the wall and into the top corner.

It was as good a goal as Ronaldo has scored this season, the perfect blend of power and precision, and took his tally to an astonishing 17 from 20 starts.

Roy Keane withdrew Ross Wallace at the break and introduced Danny Leadbitter but the change did little to stem the Red tide. Indeed, the home side were lucky not to concede a penalty in the 48th minute when former United striker Dwight Yorke appeared to handle Ronaldo's cross inside his own penalty area.

Paul McShane then showed tremendous bravery to block a Rooney shot before Sunderland fans were left cursing Kuszczak's reflexes when the Reds goalkeeper saved well from Kenwyne Jones low to his left.

The Black Cats' fans did have something to cheer on 57 minutes when Ronaldo left the pitch, but his replacement, Ji-sung Park, proved just as menacing. Within minutes of stepping onto the pitch the South Korea international teed up Nani for a shot that fizzed just wide of Gordon's left-hand post. Park continued to chase every ball and showed little sign of his nine-month absence from the game.

With the game won, the Reds took their foot off the pedal somewhat and contented themselves with keeping the ball. That said, Wayne Rooney should have made it 4-0 in the 76th minute when he blazed over from close range.

The Reds did score a fourth in the 86th minute, Louis Saha converting coolly from the spot after Nani had been tugged back inside the area by Danny Collins. It was academic by that stage but nonetheless a welcome sight to see the Frenchman net so comfortably.



United: Kuszczak; Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic (Pique 74), O'Shea; Ronaldo (Park 57), Fletcher, Carrick, Nani; Rooney, Saha

Subs not used: Heaton, Evra, Tevez

Booked: Fletcher

Sunderland: Gordon; Whitehead, McShane, Higginbotham, Collins; Chopra (O'Donovan 87), Yorke (Richardson 61), Etuhu, Wallace (Leadbitter 46); Jones, Waghorn

Subs not used: Ward, Cole

Booked: Whitehead, McShane Read More..

United (2) - Everton (1)

Cristiano Ronaldo's cool penalty late on ended Everton's unbeaten run as Manchester United kept up their pursuit of Arsenal with a 2-1 win at Old Trafford.

Everton appeared to be holding on for a point until Steven Pienaar's clumsy challenge on Ryan Giggs two minutes from time allowed Ronaldo to send Tim Howard the wrong way from 12 yards.

Ronaldo had earlier put United ahead on 22 minutes, with a fine curling shot from outside the box.

But the visitors drew level five minutes later when Tim Cahill rose powerfully to meet Pienaar's cross from the left wing.

The Premier League champions were labouring in their efforts to break down their opponents until Ronaldo struck to put the skids under Everton's 13-game unbeaten run.

Nemanja Vidic caught Yakubu Aiyegbeni in the ribs with one early challenge and four names were in referee Howard Webb's notebook before the contest was 15 minutes old.

Wayne Rooney was first on the list, for a wicked tackle on Tim Cahill and given the way the former Everton hero responded to a perceived stamp by Lee Carsley later in the half, it is a good job Webb did not take Ferguson's pre-match call for more red cards too literally.

Muted force

Other than one effort, saved at close range by United old-boy Tim Howard, Rooney was a muted force and, not for the first time, it took a moment of brilliance from Ronaldo to break the deadlock.

There appeared little on for the Portugal winger when he collected Carlos Tevez's square pass but, having stepped inside Carsley's poor challenge, he let fly with a superb shot which dipped and swerved beyond Howard.

It was tough luck on Everton, who had been at least United's equals. However, it took them only five minutes to level as Pienaar exposed some hesitancy on the part of rookie defender Danny Simpson and picked out Cahill with an excellent far-post cross which invited the headed finish.

Joleon Lescott nodded Rooney's disguised far-post chip off the line, then Ronaldo skimmed the bar with an acrobatic volley as an unmarked Tevez waited behind.

Determined mood

The half-time introduction of John O'Shea for Simpson had little effect on the contest as Everton's central defensive pair Joseph Yobo and Phil Jagielka continued to patrol their penalty area in excellent fashion, knowing Howard was in determined mood behind them.

Howard's powers of concentration were questioned by Ferguson during his time at Old Trafford but the American's agility has never been in doubt, and after one low stop to deny Tevez, he stood firm to beat away an Anderson piledriver.

It was the sum total of United's threat until Rooney strode onto Ronaldo's short free-kick and blasted a shot which flicked off the crossbar.

The introduction of Louis Saha at least gave the hosts an aerial threat but a draw looked certain until Pienaar stuck out his back leg for Giggs to trip over, giving Ronaldo the opportunity to claim the win.

Manchester United	Team Statistics	Everton
2	Goals	1
1	1st Half Goals	1
8	Shots on Target	2
9	Shots off Target	3
4	Blocked Shots	0
8	Corners	2
11	Fouls	16
2	Offsides	2
3	Yellow Cards	3
0	Red Cards	0
78.7	Passing Success	62.3
17	Tackles	21
70.6	Tackles Success	61.9
64.8	Possession	35.2
55.1	Territorial Advantage	44.9

Read More..

Liverpool (0) - United (1)

United executed the perfect contain-and-counter performance to notch a fifth win in six years at Liverpool, with Carlos Tevez scoring the only goal at Anfield.

The Argentine striker clipped home Wayne Rooney's shot after 43 minutes, while the stars of the show were undoubtedly United's backline and defensive midfielders.

Liverpool forged no clear-cut opportunities of their own, although two quickfire rare lapses from Edwin van der Sar in the first half twice saw United defenders forced into clearing the ball from their own goal line.

United's first half display was all about sitting back and inviting Liverpool onto them. As hosts, and with a six point deficit to make up, the pressure was on Rafa Benitez's side to make the early running.

Aside from a couple of early efforts from Sami Hyypia, there was little to concern United. Liverpool did force a couple of openings, but largely through uncharacteristic lapses from van der Sar.

The veteran Dutchman twice collided with his own defenders and failed to make contact with the ball, and each misjudgement ended with the ball being cleared off the line.

First Anderson had to parry away Kewell's shot - from which Fernando Torres headed the rebound woefully wide - then two minutes later Patrice Evra slid in to clear the ball to safety as it rolled goalwards off the back of Rio Ferdinand.

The England international defender was visibly irate at his goalkeeper's misjudgements, mindful of the need for calm heads in the Anfield cauldron.

That brief slip aside, such a clinical attitude was the story of much of United's display. And, having soaked up the hosts' pressure for much of the half, they struck two minutes before the interval. Just as last season, it was a set-piece which did the damage.

The Reds committed several players into the area, all of whom were duly marked. Rooney remained outside the box, allowing him room to run onto Giggs' clever corner and drill a shot goalwards. Although the low effort was heading wide, Tevez was on hand to divert the ball into the roof of the Kop net.

Just as they did at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal last month, United had taken the lead at the perfect time. The key was to remain firm and in control for the entire second half.

Aside from an early effort from Torres, the Reds managed to keep their hosts at arm's length throughout. While it made for nervy watching, the gameplan of absorbing pressure and duly counter-attacking, Sir Alex Ferguson's side largely executed it to perfection.

Van der Sar had no meaningful shots to save, comfortably fielding long-distance efforts from John Arne Riise and Dirk Kuyt. The big Dutchman was well beaten, however, by compatriot Ryan Babel, who arrowed a 20-yard effort just wide of the post with 15 minutes remaining.

Liverpool's inability to break down the United defence saw them resort to pumping deep crosses into the area, with van der Sar, Ferdinand or Vidic always equal to their efforts.

The hosts' need to bombard forward saw gaps begin to open up, and Rooney could easily have doubled the Reds' lead with 12 minutes remaining, but he could only divert the ball wide from Ronaldo's left-wing cross.

While he may well have done better, Rooney continued to give an outstanding display of hold-up play as United ran down the clock. The game's dying embers passed without major incident, allowing Sir Alex to savour a relatively comfortable victory in his 50th match against Liverpool.

Crucially too, in this season's title race, the result saw United move nine points clear of their hosts. From three games against their predicted titles rivals so far this season, only an injury time equaliser from Arsenal's William Gallas have prevented United taking nine points.

Liverpool: Reina; Arbeloa, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise (Aurelio, 80); Benayoun, Gerrard, Mascherano, Kewell (Babel, 66); Kuyt (Crouch, 73), Torres.
Subs not used: Itandje, Lucas.

Manchester United: Van der Sar; Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Ronaldo, Hargreaves, Anderson (O'Shea, 90), Giggs; Rooney, Tevez (Carrick, 83).
Subs not used: Kuszczak, Fletcher, Saha.

Read More..

AS Roma (1) Vs United (1)

LOUIS Saha and Darren Fletcher were the surprise members of the Manchester United party that travelled to Italy for Wednesday's Champion League quarter-final first leg against Roma.

The duo, who have been missing for five weeks with hamstring and ankle injuries respectively, were expected to play for the reserves at Blackburn on Thursday. Instead, Sir Alex Ferguson called them into a 19-man party as the Red Devils looked to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2002.

South Korea midfielder Park Ji-Sung was the only unexpected absentee and he is out with a knee injury. Gary Neville (ankle), Mikael Silvestre (shoulder), and Nemanja Vidic (collarbone) were all ruled out.

Roma are missing Max Tonnetto (injured) and David Pizarro (suspended).

They will probably employ a 4-2-3-1 formation and are strong through the middle, with Phillipe Mexes and Christian Chivu solid in defence.

All eyes will be on Francesco Totti, but Amantino Mancini is a lively customer and Daniele De Rossi an efffective midfielder.

AS Roma (from): Doni, Cassetti, Mexes, Chivu, Panucci, De Rossi, Perrotta, Wilhelmsson, Taddei, Mancini, Totti, Curci, Faty, Defendi, Ferrari, Vucinic, Rosi

Manchester United (from): Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Heaton, O'Shea, Brown, Ferdinand, Heinze, Ronaldo, Scholes, Carrick, Fletcher, Eagles, Giggs, Richardson, Rooney, Saha, Solskjaer, Smith, Dong.

Read More..

United (4) - Derby (1)

Once United had broken Derby County’s spirit with two goals at the end of the first half, this was a simple three points. But battling against the elements – wind and persistent heavy rain – the Reds had to earn it.

Ryan Giggs got United started, followed by a brace for Carlos Tevez – one either side of half time. The victory could have been by a greater margin, but this was a steady and efficient display.

Owen Hargreaves was withdrawn from the starting eleven shortly before kick-off due to injury. Michael Carrick took his place in midfield alongside Anderson, while Nani was promoted to the bench.

Conditions were hardly ideal. Near-constant rain in Manchester for two days prior to kick-off had formed surface water on the Old Trafford pitch, making it difficult for United to play the usual passing game.

Derby boss Paul Jewell perhaps welcomed the stifling conditions as the rain continued to lash down at the start of the game. With Derby rooted to the bottom of the Premier League and his personal record against United suggesting he needed all the help he could get. In seven games against the Reds as a manger – twice for Bradford City, five times for Wigan Athletic – his teams have never won and have conceded 24 goals.

United probed right from the start to add to that figure. In the first five minutes Tevez performed a neat one-two with Patrice Evra, who crossed for Rooney. The Reds front man flicked his shot goalwards, but failed to direct it under close attention from Darren Moore. Moments later Ronaldo, who isn’t short of confidence with 11 goals in his last eight starts, went close with a surging run and a low shot that skidded wide.

The Portuguese winger then combined with Giggs to create space down the left side. Ronaldo squared his cross to Rooney, but Derby defender James McEveley somehow wrapped his foot round to clear the ball four yards from the line.

United were gradually edging closer to a breakthrough. But, although Derby didn’t really pose an attacking threat that suggested they would take the lead, their physical back four and five-man midfield – added to the tricky conditions – made for a frustrating first 40 minutes for the Reds.

Anderson proved pivotal in breaking Derby’s resistance. The Brazilian midfielder not only proved a point that he can play in most compromising of wintry conditions, his energy and passing kept the visitors under pressure and pinned back in their own area. It soon paid off. On 41 minutes, Ronaldo’s parried shot fell kindly to Ryan Giggs, who had the simple task of tapping in his first goal since the middle of October, his 100th league goal for the club.

Rooney then struck a post as United lifted the tempo. Giggs’ diagonal pass put the striker through, but although his chipped finish beat Stephen Bywater, his shot rebounded off the upright. A second goal did arrived with seconds of the half to spare, Tevez finishing well after a frantic scramble in the box.

Derby’s spirit was clearly broken and it became harder in the second half to resist United’s advances. Giggs struck a post on 58 minutes and it was merely a matter of time before a third goal arrived. In fact, it took just two minutes. Tevez unleashed a skidding, low drive from just inside the area for his second of the match.

Anderson departed shortly after, replaced by Darren Fletcher, to a fully deserved standing ovation from the Old Trafford crowd. Sir Alex had the chance to rest Ferdinand and Giggs ahead of the busy Christmas period.

Derby did manage to snatch a fortunate consolation strike with just under fifteen minutes remaining. From Tyrone Mears’ cross on the right, Wes Brown and Steve Howard challenged for the ball, which ended up trickling over the line, despite the best efforts of Nemanja Vidic to clear it off the line. It’s only the second league goal United have conceded at Old Trafford this season. But Sir Alex is unlikely to be too concerned given that, at this stage of the campaign, three points are the main priority.

United capped off the day with a fourth goal in injury time. Ronaldo was fouled by Mears in the area and referee Chris Foy pointed to the spot. It may be the Christmas season, but Ronaldo wasn't about to be charitable and give Tevez a shot at his hat-trick. Instead, the Portuguese stepped up to fire home his 14th goal of the season.

Team Line-ups

Manchester United: Van der Sar; Brown, Ferdinand (O’Shea 71), Vidic, Evra; Ronaldo, Carrick, Anderson (Fletcher 63), Giggs (Saha 65); Tevez, Rooney. Subs not used: Kuszczak, Nani.

Derby County: Bywater; Griffin, Davis, Moore, McEveley (Mears 46), Leacock, Oakley, Pearson, Barnes (Teale 61), Fagan (Howard 46), Miller. Subs not used: Price (GK), Earnshaw.

Attendance: 75,725

Read More..

United (2) - Fulham (0)

Cristiano Ronaldo was delighted to fire United to victory over Fulham, but felt aggrieved not to complete his hat-trick after being denied a clear penalty.

The 22-year-old volleyed home brilliantly on 10 minutes and headed a second just before the hour to complete a 2-0 win for the Reds.

He looked likely to be handed a chance to seal his treble when he was brought down by Cottagers' stopper Antti Niemi after being put clean through on goal.

But referee Rob Styles opted instead to book Ronaldo for diving, much to the winger's bemusement.

"The ref took the decision and although I respect it, I don't have the same opinion," he told MUTV afterwards. "It's a penalty. If he watches the replay, he'll see that the keeper doesn't touch the ball.

"It's frustrating to get a yellow card for it, but that's the way football goes and sometimes referees make mistakes. I don't think he did a great job tonight, but the most important thing is the three points."

Ronaldo's goals were his 12th and 13th of the campaign and even though he missed out on sealing his first hat-trick for the club, he's more than happy with his current goals' ratio.

"My mum sometimes says to me 'why do you never score a hat-trick?!' But I always tell her I'm happy to keep scoring two goals," he joked.

"I'm a winger, not a striker, but my mentality is always to try and help the team, whether it is by making a goal or scoring one."

Read More..

UNITED (2) - Sporting Lisbon(1)

Vs UNITED (2) VS Sporting Lisbon(1)

Cristiano Ronaldo was the match-winner against former side Sporting Lisbon for the second time this season, firing home a stunning injury-time free kick as United came from behind to maintain their 100 per cent record in this season's Champions League.

The Reds had seemed set to make do with a solitary point, having drawn level through Carlos Tevez's second-half strike after Sporting defender Abel had given the visitors a shock lead after 21 minutes.

The result means United are now guaranteed to progress to the knockout stages as Group F winners, regardless of the result in next month's group finale against second-placed Roma.

Although qualification was already ensured, Sir Alex Ferguson fielded a strong side, and started the match with a 4-3-3 formation with spearhead Louis Saha flanked by Nani and Ronaldo, both lining up for the second time this season against their former side.

It was the two Sporting old-boys who were involved in United’s early attacking passages, but both spurned half-openings when there were other more viable options.

Ronaldo impudently created an opening for Louis Saha with a delightful backheeled pass, but the Frenchman’s low right-footed shot arced wide of the far post. It was United’s clearest opening in the first half, and they would rue that miss just two minutes later as the visitors moved ahead.

Picking the ball up from Miguel Veloso – who, earlier this week, Carlos Queiroz admitted had featured on United’s scouting radar – right-back Abel advanced down the right wing.

Goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak, like everyone else inside the ground bar Abel, was expecting a cross and advanced from his line in anticipation. The Sporting right back took full advantage and blasted a shot inside the Pole’s near post from virtually on the touchline.

Old Trafford was stunned into silence. Even the small pocket of Sporting fans seemed hesitant to celebrate, so unexpected had been the opening goal. They were in far more vocal mood five minutes later when Brazilian striker Liedson turned in Veloso’s mishit shot, only for the celebrations to be cut short by a linesman’s flag.

United, with far less to play for than their qualification-chasing visitors, were looking second best and found it difficult to forge any clear-cut openings of their own.

It was clearly with that in mind that Ryan Giggs and Tevez were introduced as half-time substitutes, replacing Darren Fletcher and Nani respectively. The fresh legs certainly injected new vigour into United’s approach.

Within 15 minutes of the restart, Ronaldo and Nemanja Vidic had both headed Giggs set-pieces wide, while Saha had dallied on Tevez’s through-ball and allowed Sporting to clear.

It was of little surprise that United’s dominance yielded an equaliser just after the hour. Even less shock value could be attributed to the fact that the livewire Tevez was the scorer.

A blazing run from Patrice Evra rescued a loose ball and his cross was deflected to Ronaldo via Saha. The Portuguese winger somewhat skewed his shot, but it clipped first Marian Had and then Tevez en route to the back of the net.

There was a touch of fortune and bewilderment about the equaliser, but no doubting United’s credentials for parity. It was almost short-lived, however, as Veloso sent a scorching drive onto the roof of Kuszczak’s net from 30 yards just two minutes later.

Although victory was far from imperative in a consequential sense, it was clear that United were intent on posting an eighth straight home victory in Europe. The Reds’ attacking play continued apace, and Ronaldo was twice within inches of putting the hosts ahead.

First he sent a diving header into the side netting, having thrown himself full-length at a Tevez cross, before sending a clipped effort past the top corner from just inside the area.

Sir Alex then sent on Owen Hargreaves at the expense of Louis Saha, and the England midfielder’s first contribution was to force Patricio into saving with his legs, having latched onto a clipped through-ball from Anderson.

It was that boy Ronaldo, however, who had the final say once more against his former side. With two of four alotted injury time minutes up, the winger stepped up to fire one of his trademark swerving, dipping set-pieces past the helpless Patricio and into the net.

United: Kuszczak; O’Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Fletcher (Giggs, 46), Carrick, Anderson, Nani (Tevez, 46); Ronaldo, Saha (Hargreaves, 79).
Subs not used: Van der Sar, Brown, Pique, Simpson.

Sporting Lisbon: Patricio; Abel, Tonel, Polga, Had; Veloso, Moutinho, Izmailov (Pereirinha, 81), Romagnoli (Vukcevic, 68); Purovic (Farnerud, 80), Liedson.
Subs not used: Tiago, Silva, Gladstone, Paez.

Read More..

Bolton (1) V UNITED (0)

VS Bolton (1) V UNITED (0)

Gary Megson's struggling Trotters side battled ferociously for the victory, but were aided by a Reds performance which only got going in the final 20 minutes, when an incredible miss from Carlos Tevez ultimately proved costly.

The Argentine striker somehow contrived to stab the ball wide from inside the six-yard box after a fine cross from Patrice Evra, spurning easily the best chance of a frustrating afternoon for United.

Cristiano Ronaldo was omitted from the Reds squad entirely, having posted two full matches for Portugal during last week’s international break. Nemanja Vidic, meanwhile, failed to recover from a back injury sustained on duty with Serbia, and he was replaced in the starting line-up by Gerard Pique.

The young Spaniard, making his second Premier League start for the Reds, was caught out as Bolton took the lead after 11 minutes. Pique tried to head Ivan Campo’s clipped free-kick clear but misjudged the flight of the ball, allowing Anelka to control, turn and sweep a finish past Edwin van der Sar.

Clearly invigorated by the recent appointment of manager Gary Megson, Bolton were living up to the snarling, energetic reputation built up during Sam Allardyce’s time at the Reebok helm. United, in stark contrast, looked totally out of character for the majority of the first half.

But for wayward shots from Louis Saha and Owen Hargreaves, United had little to show for their possession. Patrice Evra had bumps and bruises from the opening half, however, thanks to a running battle with robust Trotters striker Kevin Davies, who was booked for a late lunge on the French international defender.

The interval came and went with little action either side of it, although Sir Alex Ferguson was sent to the stands for remonstrating with the officials at the end of the first period. The hosts rarely threatened in an attacking sense, but the absence of United's trademark slick passing and ball retention made for a desperately poor game.

With half an hour remaining, Sir Alex replaced Pique with Brazilian midfielder Anderson, switching Wes Brown to the centre of defence and Owen Hargreaves to right-back.

It was the makeshift full-back who had United's first on-target effort of the match almost immediately afterwards. After Evra had been brought down 25 yards from goal, Jussi Jaaskelainen had to be alert to tip Hargreaves' free-kick over the bar.

That effort prompted United's first spell of sustained pressure, with Anderson's buzzing intent right at the hub. Nani fizzed a shot past Jaaskelainen's near post, before Tevez somehow flicked Evra's cross wide with the goal gaping.

United were appealing long and loud for a penalty with 10 minutes remaining, as Nani saw his cross ricochet off Ricardo Gardner's upper arm inside the area, but referee Mark Clattenburg waved away the claims.

As the game entered stoppage time Evra burst onto Giggs' through-ball but, rather than slide the ball back for the unmarked Saha, the full-back slashed a shot high over the bar.

There was still time for just one more chance, but Hargreaves' 25-yard free-kick agonisingly cleared the bar and clipped the roof of the net.

The frustration perfectly summed up a painful afternoon for United, who were left to rue an under-par performance and a second league defeat of the season.

Bolton Wanderers: Jaaskelainen; Hunt, Meite, A O'Brien, Gardner; Guthrie (Wilhelmsson, 74), Nolan (McCann, 82), Campo, Diouf; Davies (Speed, 70), Anelka.
Subs not used: Al-Habsi, Michalik.

Manchester United: Van der Sar; Brown (O'Shea, 89), Ferdinand, Pique (Anderson, 59), Evra; Nani, Hargreaves, Carrick, Giggs; Tevez, Saha.
Subs not used: Kuszczak, Fletcher, Eagles.

Read More..

Man-Utd (2) - Blackburn Rovers (0)

V UNITED V Blackburn

Cristiano Ronaldo’s sucker punch of two goals in two minutes did to Blackburn Rovers what Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool have all failed to do against Mark Hughes' side this season: achieve victory. The 2-0 win puts the Reds three points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League, although Arsenal play Reading on Monday.

There aren’t many sterner tests – physically and in a football sense – than Mark Hughes’ high-flying side. But Ronaldo’s double strike in the first half was the crucial blow. And when David Dunn was somewhat harshly dismissed early in the second half, it was game over.

Sir Alex brought Rio Ferdinand, Owen Hargreaves, Ryan Giggs, Wes Brown and Anderson back into the team. And with Wayne Rooney on the sidelines with an ankle injury, the Reds' boss called on Louis Saha for his first league start of the season. The Frenchman partnered the energetic Carlos Tevez in attack, and it was the Argentina international that registered United’s first meaningful effort on goal. Finding space playing off Saha, he struck a testing shot from 20 yards, which Brad Friedel did well to turn around the post at full stretch .

However Blackburn weren’t without their threatening moments. Unbeaten away from home this season and having already taken points off Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, Hughes’ men are a force to be reckoned with. Just before the 15-minute mark, Patrice Evra cleared the ball after a frenzied scramble in the box. Then five minutes later they hit the woodwork. Ronaldo was fouled on the edge of the area by David Dunn, but referee Chris Foy waved play on. The Reds were caught off guard and Christopher Samba smashed the loose ball against the post.

Seconds later Tevez was pulled up for an innocuous foul in the centre circle. After the unpunished foul on Ronaldo, United’s players were incensed, and the incident roused the Old Trafford crowd. United pushed forward and from a corner Ronaldo’s left-foot volley was cleared off the line by Dunn. As Blackburn so often do at Old Trafford, they were frustrating the Reds. But Sir Alex’s side are resolute in finding a way through and would not submit to the suffocating resistance Blackburn use to strong effect. With 12 minutes of the half remaining, Ronaldo climbed above Aaron Mokoena inside the area and directed his header past David Bentley on the post.

He followed it up with a quick-fire second from a rapid breakaway Reds counter attack. Saha retrieved the ball in midfield and fed it to Tevez, who surged forward and curled a pass round the last defender with the outside of his boot, leaving Ronaldo to side-foot the ball past Friedel.

Blackburn’s task was made all the more difficult early in the second half when they were reduced to 10 men. Dunn was shown his second yellow card for a late challenge on Saha after earlier being booked for tugging Tevez’s shirt. The two incidents barely warranted an early bath and Hughes was furious with the decision. With one less player standing in his way, Ronaldo went in search of his first United hat-trick. And he almost found it after an hour. Shifting the ball quickly onto his left, he struck a rasping 20-yard shot a matter of millimetres past the post.

With two minutes remaining, Blackburn had one of their best chances to make an impression on the scoreline, but even then the Reds were switched on and alert. From a corner, Rovers’ tall centre-half Samba headed the ball goalwards. Van der Sar saved the ball on the line, but Evra needed to think quickly to clear the loose ball, which he did, skipping away from danger and blasting the ball clear.

United looked slick in possession and quickly moved into cruise control to see out the 2-0 win, which proved more straightforward than many had predicted. Blackburn will feel they were robbed of the chance to challenge United’s 2-0 lead after Dunn’s sending off. But there can be no grievances with the way the Reds took them apart with two first-half goals that punctured their hopes of adding United to a growing list of clubs that have tripped up against them. Make no mistake, this is a big win. And with United now on a run of 10 matches unbeaten, the Reds’ title defence is significantly gathering pace.

Manchester United: Van der Sar; Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Ronaldo, Hargreaves (Carrick, 76), Anderson, Giggs (c); Tevez, Saha (Nani, 68)
Subs not used: Kuszczak, O’Shea, Fletcher

Blackburn Rovers: Friedel; Emerton, Nelsen (c), Samba, Warnock; Bentley, Dunn, Mokoena, Pedersen; McCarthy, Santa Cruz (Derbyshire, 78).
Subs not used: Brown, Ooijer, Tugay, Berner

Read More..

07 November 2007 Champions League

VS UNITED (4) - DYnamo Kiev (0)

Manchester United - The Reds hit four goals for the fifth time in their last six outings to put Alex Ferguson's side safely through into the last 16. And to think they started the season so slowly. Even the normally cautious Ferguson has claimed his team are capable of winning Europe's most coveted prize this year.

United saw off Dynamo Kyiv and secured a spot in the Champions League Last 16 relatively unchallenged at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.

Gerard Pique, Carlos Tevez, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo found the net in a comfortable and comprehensive 4-0 victory that could have been even more convincing, but for several spurned chances. AS Roma's last-minute equaliser in a 2-2 draw with Sporting Lisbon ensured United go through.

While the game in Kyiv witnessed almost care-free attacking football from both sides, this tie was laced with an air of inevitability; Dynamo’s expectations seemed dimmed by their lack of success so far in Group F, while United’s sole aim of reaching the knockout stages was sought efficiently. In that sense, it was a job very well done, and young players like Danny Simpson, Gerard Pique and Jonny Evans earned valuable experience.

Sir Alex made five changes to the team that faced Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, but there was no place in the starting line-up for Louis Saha, who took up a place on the bench, while Rio Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves were left out entirely.

Despite maximum points from the first three games in Group F, however, this wasn’t a midway breather for United. Sir Alex has designs on lifting the trophy this season and expects qualification to be achieved at its earliest available point. “We’re in a strong position and I have the feeling this team is ready to do well in Europe,” he wrote in his programme notes. “We’ve had disappointments in the Champions League, but I really believe we can go all the way.”

Read More..