CC: Crewe 1 - 2 United
PREVIEW
Wholesale changes are in store for the United team that will travel to Crewe to begin the defence of the Carling Cup tonight.
Sir Alex is likely to use the match to give try-outs to fringe players hoping to catch the eye. In should come Tomasz Kuszczak, Gabriel Heinze, Mikael Silvestre, Wes Brown, Kieran Richardson, Alan Smith, David Jones and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, to give United nevertheless, a strong line-up.
Last February’s Carling Cup victory over Wigan, may soon attain the mythic status of United’s 1990 FA Cup win over Crystal Palace, seen by many as the saviour of Sir Alex’s early career at Old Trafford. The manager was written-off by fans and most commentators after a faltering campaign last autumn. Sir Alex used the 4-0 Cardiff triumph over his north west neighbours as a catalyst to a tremendous league run that powered United to the runners-up position in the Premiership. Moreover, the Carling Cup final offered United fans the first glimpse of the Ruud-less team system that Sir Alex has so far employed to such good effect this season.
“We won the Carling Cup last season and we’ve got to make sure we do it again,” said striker Alan Smith, underlining the trophy’s importance in the age of Abramovich. “There are players who are fighting for first team places and those like myself who are coming back from injury who will be playing. It’s a vital game for us and one that we’re all looking forward to.”
Much attention will focus on the 60-somethings at the helm of both clubs. It is rare that Sir Alex finds someone who has clocked up more time at one club but in Crewe’s Dario Gradi, he will find a kindred spirit who has built the club in his own image over the past 23 years.
“It’s quite easy for me because I’ve got the motivation of being at a big club with big games every week,” said Sir Alex. “But Dario has had to be there for over 20 years producing and selling players from his conveyor belt of talent. They’ve had to rely on that for financial stability but they’ve sold players time and time again and he still goes in every morning rebuilding. It’s a fantastic job he’s done, quite amazing.
“He enjoys the challenge of producing young players and I think that is his main motivation. I’m sure he could have left Crewe millions of times so it just impresses me how lucky Crewe are to have a manager like him.”
MATCH REPORT…
CREWE 1 - 2 UNITED
Varney (72) ; Solskjaer (25) Lee (a.e.t 118)
A disjointed United performance, as unfamiliar as some of the names on the team sheet but still enough for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men to make a winning first defence of the Carling Cup.
United broke Crewe’s hearts with a Kieran Lee winner two minutes from the end of extra time. It was a match in which the club’s reserve strength was given a severe examination by a Crewe team which played with endeavour and spirit.
“I am really disappointed with the performance,” Sir Alex said. “I told the players, ‘These teams battle and make it hard, we have to match that’, and we didn’t do it. We allowed them to make the play. We all have to share responsibility.
“Maybe it was a bit more difficult for some of the senior players to get motivated. It was a careless attitude and it was looking like penalties. Kieran saved me embarrassment because I never win penalty shoot-outs. I have only won one and that was in the Charity Shield. Crewe were very unlucky. They were the better team. They played nice football and had great enthusiasm.”
United began the match with a team peppered with fringe players, returning crocks and visions of the future. Nevertheless, an international was in goal and three of the four defenders were also of international class. Further afield, Sir Alex included Alan Smith, making his first senior start since being carried from Anfield last February, England squad man Kieran Richardson and Ole Gunnar Solksjaer.
United struggled to find their touch and had no-one who would make a lasting impression on the game. The home team took the match to United from the start and were denied a well-worked goal by the linesman’s flag. United held their own and went ahead on 25 minutes when Solskjaer, wearing the captain’s arm band, finished smartly from a right-wing Richie Jones cross. The goal heralded a purple patch for United in which three good chances to increase the team’s lead went begging.
Crewe continued to make Tomasz Kuszczak work hard in the visitor’s goal as the first half came to a close and continued in similar vein as the second half moved into gear. The League One team was finally rewarded when Luke Varney’s shot beat Kuszczak at his near post.
The match seemed to be heading for a dreaded penalty shoot-out when Kieran Lee struck a fine winner after being released by an excellent Alan Smith through-ball.
TEAM
United: Kuszczak,Brown, Gray (Kieran Lee), Gabriel Heinze, Mikael Silvestre,
David Jones, Ritchie Jones, Marsh (Barnes 45) ( Shawcross 101), Richardson, Smith, Solskjaer
POST SCRIPT
Sir Alex: Maybe some of the older boys found it difficult to get motivated and I also have to take into consideration Gabriel Heinze needs games and Mikael Silvestre is only just back from injury but it was a really disappointing performance.
“There was a careless attitude across the whole team and they have to share responsibility for that. Crewe were the better team and were very unlucky, it is simple as that.”
Dario Gradi : “I really felt we could win it. We were still making chances. Yes, there were a few tired legs but we were doing well and I certainly did not expect us to concede in the last two minutes.”
