Match Report: United 1 - 0 Spurs
Goal: Nani (68)
A moment of excellence from winger Nani allowed an average United to steal the points against a Spurs side which deserved better reward for their afternoon’s efforts.
Sir Alex will believe that United’s season has started now with this victory but he will know that his side got out of jail, having put on a distinctly ordinary show.
The performance and attitude was summed up in the 77th minute when the largely anonymous Tevez was replaced by substitute Darren Fletcher, leaving United with no recognised forward on the pitch. Resources may be stretched but the manager signalled that this was an afternoon when rolled up sleeves, sweat and tackles were needed to hold an enterprising Spurs at bay.
As befits a side boasting the better forward players, Spurs crafted the more impressive chances. Aided by some shoddy defensive work from Ferdinand and Vidic, Spurs will feel that they could have had two penalties. Indeed, the London side did enough to earn a draw or better, yet their dreadful sequence of results against the top four sides continues. It is claimed by the detractors of manager Martin Jol, that he lacks the smarts to outwit the best. Jol will claim that the gods were against him on today’s showing but hard luck stories will not help the job security of the embattled Spurs boss.
If Jol had been undermined gravely by his board during the week, his team began as though wanting to make a point to the Spurs decision-makers watching in the stands. The Spurs players were bright, alert and inventive, with United refusenik Gareth Bale catching the eye at left-half. Within 25 seconds, captain Robbie Keane was cursing his luck when his fine curling lob evaded Edwin Van der Sar’s fingertips but not the crossbar.
United were reduced to bystanders as Spurs gained control of the midfield and the upper hand in the first 30 minutes of the match. Rarely can Old Trafford have witnessed such an anemic attacking display. A Giggs half chance, a Scholes scooped shot over the bar and a wide Nani strike were all Sir Alex’s team could muster in the opening period.
Spurs hit their stride fastest in the second half too and nearly took the lead in the 63rd minute. A woeful pass from Vidic was intercepted and directed straight at Berbatov who was bearing down on goal. The Serb defender appeared to foul the Bulgarian striker as he raced towards Van der Sar. Nevertheless, Berbatov whilst on the ground, still managed to make contact with the ball and steer it goal-wards, only to watch in agony as Ferdinand raced back to boot the ball off the line and to safety.
United were undone two minutes later. Berbatov again was given too much time and space in the penalty area but watched Brown deflect his goal-bound shot with what Tottenham players and fans thought was his arm. Referee Howard Webb thought otherwise and allowed play to continue.
The sense of grievance was still lingering on Spurs’ mind when in the 68th minute, Huddlestone allowed Nani to escape and move towards goal. The winger was still some 28 yards out but in an instant, Nani unleashed an unstoppable shot which brought Old Trafford to its feet in ecstasy and relief.
A moment of sublime control and shooting from Berbatov on 78 minutes briefly gave United the tremors but Sir Alex team were able to grind out the remaining minutes and celebrate a precious if unlikely victory.
TEAM: Van der Sar; Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Nani, Scholes, Hargreaves, Carrick (Eagles, 57), Giggs; Tevez (Fletcher, 77).
Subs: Kuszczak; Dong, O’Shea
POST-SCRIPT
Sir Alex: “Narrow margin, touch and go, nothing to choose between two sides. I knew it was going to be almost a war of attrition in the second half.
“They dug in and got forward a bit. There was really nothing in it in the second half.
“(With the goal) I think Carlos Tevez touching the ball decided it.
“I thought we lacked a bit of confidence in the early part of the match. I think the players were anxious, because the expectation is high here.
“But once the first ten minutes were over, it was a reasonable performance from us, not brilliant, not as good as in previous games.
“What was required during the second half and right through the game was to dig in, play with great commitment and show the right discipline to win a football match. 1-0 was a great scoreline today simply because it was going to be a difficult game anyway.
“I can look on today as the first time this season that we’ve had a little break. Hopefully it will give us the confidence to enjoy our football and we can now go on a long run.
“We’ve got other players to come back too. Gary Neville is a couple of weeks away, so we’re getting there. There are also new players settling into the team, like Nani and Tevez. It’s never easy coming to United when teams are so revved up to play against us. It is not going to be easy for them and they need time to settle. We have to be patient.”
Martin Jol: “We had has as many opportunities and I thought it was was a penalty. He (Brown) used everything like a keeper - and he is a defender - to keep the ball out of the net.
“It’s the same all the time. Sometimes especially at these grounds you need a bit of luck and I felt we could then have come away with a win.
“In the first half we had a couple of opportunities and in the second I thought we played better and I felt Manchester United - even though they were at home - weren’t the better team.”
