P: Bolton 0 - 4 United
PREVIEW
Another weekend, another north west derby match.
Today’s encounter brings together Sir Alex and Sam Allardyce, the mastermind behind one of the Premiership’s surprise teams of the season, now in third place.
Whilst attention has focussed on the travails of Liverpool and Spurs, Bolton have quietly surged up the division. Their good form is founded on a mean defence and a well-drilled team with each player familiar with his role and the playing system in general. Bolton can look to Ivan Campo in midfield for sustained inspiration and play to their strengths by getting the ball forward early. In Anelka and El-Hadji Diouf up-front, they can boast strikers with the nous to turn a game.
Liverpool are just one of a number of famous names to stumble at the Reebok, prompting Rafa Benitez’s jibe that Bolton do not play “real football.” Sir Alex understands well the scale of the task that confronts his side.
“I know they are a tough team to beat,” he said. “Bolton haven’t let in a goal at home this season which is a fantastic record. It reflects the great job Sam continually does there.
“He prepares his team well for big games and we’ve had some difficult matches over the years. Everyone has their own way of playing and you could not possibly think any Bolton fan would be disappointed about how their team’s fortunes have changed over the last few years.”
Ferguson expects more variation from his north west neighbours now that the much-travelled Anelka is at the point of the attack. Ferguson is an admirer of the maverick Frenchman and has admitted that he considered buying the player.
“You would be interested in Nicolas Anelka,” he said. “There have been times when I have thought about it but, for one reason or another, we didn’t do it. Maybe other clubs would not have looked at him this summer but Sam did. I accept Anelka is not an older player but he has got a lot of miles on the clock. I am sure Sam, with his skill, will get the best out of him.”
United will be hoping to get the best out of birthday boy Wayne Rooney. Cristiano Ronaldo is also expected to return as Sir Alex brings back the big guns rested for the Carling Cup defence at Crewe.
Ronaldo should edge out Darren Fletcher, whose effective first half against Liverpool has had the manager singing his praises.
“This club is great at building stars, we have done it for years and years,” said Sir Alex. “Yet there are others, who play for you for 10 years but don’t get the same profile. Denis Irwin is a prime example and Steve Bruce never got a cap when he should have done.
“It is going to take Darren time to be recognised the way others are simply because he does not have the profile. He is a quiet, good-living individual whose whole life is football. He doesn’t concern himself about getting himself in the papers or doing photo-shoots but he is a serious player, who has done well at this club.”
With United protecting a fine away record against Bolton – no defeats since 1978 – and possessing defenders now capable of scoring aswell as keeping the ball away from Edwin Van Der Sar, Sir Alex may well receive the perfect gift to kickstart celebrations of his 20 years at the Old Trafford helm.
As I See It : Bolton Eye
PREMIERSHIP RESULTS:
Arsenal 1-1 Everton; Fulham 0-1 Wigan ; Liverpool 3-1 Aston Villa; Newcastle L-L Charlton Portsmouth 3-1 Reading; Sheffield United 0-2 Chelsea; Watford 0-0 Tottenham;
MATCH REPORT…
Bolton 0-4 United
Rooney (10) (16) (89); Ronaldo (82)
BBC Sport : A Wayne Rooney treble kept Manchester United top of the table as Bolton lost at home for the first time this season.
Rooney slammed United into an early lead after receiving a perfect pass from England team-mate Michael Carrick. And he made it two with a cool curling shot from just outside the box as United dominated the early stages.
Bolton were unable to hit back and Cristiano Ronaldo slotted in a third before the brilliant Rooney completed his hat-trick with a fine solo effort.
United - with Ronaldo restored to the right after a virus - went at Bolton from the off with Ryan Giggs releasing Patrice Evra who forced Jussi Jaaskelainen to make a smart save.
Both sides went into the game on the backs of their best ever starts to a Premiership campaign but Bolton were left looking distinctly second best.
Saha had a clipped effort cleared off the line by Abdoulaye Meite before United deservedly took a 10th-minute lead. Rooney, who had gone 10 matches for club and country without a goal, was in no mood to let the drought continue four days after turning 21.
Carrick threaded a glorious through ball from the half-way line to Rooney who lashed home first time with his left foot from 12 yards.Bolton were soon punished again when Gary Neville ventured forward down the right and the ball ricocheted off Tal Ben Haim to Rooney who curled home his second with slide-rule perfection from 20 yards.
Wanderers needed a quick route back into the game and Gary Speed - making his 493rd Premiership appearance - lashed a free-kick wide of the post.Giggs was denied just before half time when Jaaskelainen brilliantly parried his opportunist shot away to safety.
Bolton did manage to apply some mild pressure on the United goal with Abdoulaye Faye heading over an El-Hadji Diouf corner - but Edwin van der Sar was not seriously tested in the opening 45 minutes.
United had to do some defending early in the second period when Bolton were awarded a free-kick in a dangerous position only for Nicolas Anelka to drive just over the crossbar.Sir Alex Ferguson called for renewed urgency from the visitors after seeing his side go off the boil, seemingly content to sit on their two-goal advantage ahead of a mid-week Champions League trip to Copenhagen.
Evra was stretchered off and replaced by Gabriel Heinze on the hour and Bolton briefly threatened mid-way through the second half, though Nemanja Vidic was a rock in the United defence. The game opened up again and United wasted a great chance when Saha was set up by Ronaldo and saw his shot superbly saved by Jaaskelainen’s flailing left hand.
Van der Sar was finally called into action when he preserved United’s advantage by blocking Campo’s close-range shot. But it was all over with 10 minutes left when Saha teed-up Ronaldo to slot in United’s third from close range. And Rooney made sure he went home with the matchball when he latched on to a pass from Darren Fletcher and lashed in his third to complete an awesome afternoon for the England star.
TEAM
United: Van der Sar, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra (Heinze 62)
Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs (Fletcher 84), Rooney, Saha (O’Shea 84)
Subs: Kuszczak, Solskjaer
POST SCRIPT
Sir Alex: “I thought the first 25 minutes in terms of our penetration and the chances we created was our best performance for two or three years. I’m sure no-one else will come here and get that kind of result. Bolton have got such a good home record it’s difficult to even win here so I’m delighted.
“Bolton gave it a real go in the second half and I don’t think I’ve ever seen the ball go into the box as much in my life - it was hard to watch at times,” Sir Alex told MUTV. “But Vida [Vidic] and Rio [Ferdinand] were absolutely superb, as was Edwin van der Sar who came for everything he could.
“Wayne was terrific. Sooner or later it was going to happen. We’re just delighted it’s happened now. I told him before the game to go out and enjoy it and keep looking for chances. When he got his first goal he just relaxed and got more confident and I was hoping every ball would land to him after that! His second was a great side-footer into the corner but for me the third goal was a great goal. As the ball was hit through he killed the pace of it with one touch which set him up so he could get a good look at the goalkeeper. It was an excellent finish.”
Sam Allardyce : “Wayne Rooney has proved beyond doubt he’s the best English player in the Premiership. His hat-trick was well deserved and it just shows the people who were writing him off were talking nonsense. Apart from the third goal, there was very little we could do to stop him. The first two were magnificent goals made of outstanding qualiy.”
