A professional performance by a Manchester
United side still hurting from Porto’s
exposé of their European inadequacies was sufficient to see
off a Tottenham side that
lacked the cutting edge when it mattered. Granted, by no means did
the performance hearken to the free-flowing 2003 vintage, but it
lifted the gloom off an Old
Trafford crowd that must have thought their team had forgotten
how to win.
A sublime 24th minute improvisation from the much-maligned Ryan
Giggs made sure Spurs were always chasing the match, before
2 late goals from substitutes Cristiano
Ronaldo and David Bellion
added a flattering touch to the eventual score.
Again, United comfortably dominated their opponents, who served
as cannon fodder for United’s renaissance, but the impudent
swagger was sorely missing. 3-0 was both a fair and unfair reflection
of the match, as it illustrated the 1-sided affair, but failed to
show the chinks that still exist in the Red Devils’ armour.
Fortune was with the home side, though it stopped short of an overdose
of luck that would have left sympathisers with a bitter taste in
their mouth. United had sympathisers for their European exit, as
their Old Trafford performance merited a better result; this time
United got just their fair share of luck, but not really needing
it against David
Pleat’s side.
On another day, Giggs’s side-heel in the 6-yard might not
have sneaked in. But it did.
On another day, Ronaldo’s screamer might have been touched
wide by a more alert Kasey
Keller, or flown just wide; but nope, off the post and in.
On another day of unsympathetic refereeing, Wes
Brown’s accidental handball might have been penalised,
with the score at 1-0. The referee gave the benefit of the doubt.
Lucky United? Unlikely. Ferguson’s side created enough chances
to win comfortably, and in the end, did.
However, the emphatic victory failed to paper over the cracks evident
in every United match. Ruud van
Nistelrooy, for so long United’s epitome of consistency,
once again failed to deliver the goods, having seemingly lost the
knack of finishing half-chances – something he always did.
It was painful watching the Dutchman repeatedly try to do a Henry
with jinking runs a-la-mode, but always giving the ball away. The
ball always seemed to get stuck under his Nike-shod feet in the
penalty area, and the frustration is starting to show.
His ineptitude was in contrast to the electrifying introduction
of Ronaldo
in the 75th minute. Suddenly, United’s laboured performance
had an impetus about it, and fast breaks were fed down the right
flank to the ravenous Portuguese wonder-kid. His reward came eventually
in the last minute of normal time, as the Spurs defence again gave
him too much space as he cut into the middle, and allowed him to
pick his spot with an absolute belter.
His Welsh partner-in-crime on the left flank was truly in his element
against a lightweight Spurs defence that failed to make its presence
known, scoring off his weaker foot with a laser-guided through ball.
At the back, it was a heartening display from a United defence,
but this was against an omni-directional Spurs offence, best characterised
by the over-indulgent wing-play of Inter Milan reject Stephane
Dalmat. Not quite up to the standard of his former Inter teammate
and countryman, Mickael
Silvestre, who kept Jermain
Defoe in his pocket all afternoon. Stronger opposition with
a double header coming up with champions-elect Arsenal, would see
the new look defence-sans-Ferdinand
put through a much stronger litmus test of their chemistry. The
return of old [though not necessarily wise] head Gary
Neville might ease the growing pains though.
This match saw the return of the old guard, with none of Sir
Alex Ferguson’s summer recruits making his starting line-up.
It was a sweet déjà vu as the likes of Scholes,
Giggs and Solskjaer
hunted like a pack of wolves, and added graft to their craft to
get the ball back when they lost it. Ferguson was trying to get
back to basics by falling back on a team that had only last season
been crowned champions.
To compound the malady, United are investing in the future with
purchases like Celtic’s Liam
Miller and China’s Dong Fang
Zhuo, when the need to catch up is now, before Arsenal get too
far away. Fergie’s fledglings aren’t getting any younger,
and Roy Keane
is a shell of the juggernaut he once was. So often the driving force
behind United’s stirring comebacks, Keane himself has said
he will retire if he can no longer contribute at his highest level.
The marauding runs that tore through opposition midfields are replaced
by tentative square passes and late, apologetic tackles. The expression
he gives referees says, “Cut an old man some slack, the legs
aren’t working as they used to.” Vieira
vs. Keane used to be blockbuster match-ups. Now it’s just
the heavyweight champion against the has-been. And yet more worrying,
United are far from replacing the Irish firebrand.
Diego Forlan
spent the afternoon with a permanently forlorn expression as chance
after chance went a-begging. The Uruguayan is obviously out of his
depth at this level, and the sooner he is offloaded to a shortsighted
admirer the better. This was especially evident when a searing Giggs
run ended in a cross that, although was too high for a near-post
van Nistelrooy, landed perfectly at the far post for Forlan’s
to either control and place it, or crack a volley in. He did neither.
His expression was one of bemusement as the ball bounced off his
thigh to safety. It might just be that little bit funny if you’re
3-0 up and cruising, but that was at 0-0.
Louis Saha
was a necessary and urgent acquisition, but surely Ferguson must
invest in a world-class target man during the summer.
Roy Carroll
may have kept a clean sheet, but for a keeper whose face emanates
the confidence last reserved for Fabien
Barthez.
In the Arsenal-Bolton
match that started 15 minutes late, [Patrick] Vieira was dominant
with the easy languidness of a true thoroughbred, and there wasn’t
much to suggest United can get a look in, but there remains hope.
Like United, Arsenal had their share of fortune. Stelios
Giannakopoulos hit the woodwork, and Bolton gave Arsenal their
fair share of heart-in-mouth experiences, as the Londoners struggled
to bury Sam
Allardyce’s side. Ivan Campo
even came close to a 2nd goal with a last-minute volley. But the
hard work had been done in the 1st half. Arsenal are beatable, but
then no side has combined class with chance to that effect.
If United do beat Arsenal twice, then it wouldn’t really be
that all bad a season, would it? Runners-up, 4 points off the Gunners,
Champions’ League next year, FA Cup champions, and a season
under the belts of the new recruits. Liverpool would kill Houllier
for that. Things could be worse.
The ball was shifting like a beach ball amid unnaturally high winds
at Old Trafford. Litter strewn on the pitch was caught up in little
maelstroms. Quite a sight, and the litter even looked a little bit
like confetti. The season can end in the debris of a spectacular
United fallout, or with muted celebration of some redemption.
The winds of change have arrived, and if United don’t set
out sail, they’ll be left behind in Arsenal’s wake.
Alas, what choices have they? Bring on Arsenal.
Copyright 2002-2004 "The
UrbanWire.com" Ngee Ann Polytechnic Singapore
