BROADSHEET PERSPECTIVE
‘On the ground where Manchester United stumbled, apparently
fatally, last Christmas, only to go the remainder of the
season unbeaten and claim their eighth Premiership title,
Sir Alex Ferguson's players yesterday took a healthy,
assured step towards a ninth championship in 12 years.
‘But Ferguson's pleasure at the victory was dented by the
65th-minute dismissal of Darren Fletcher for a second
offence deemed worthy of a yellow card by the referee Matt
Messias.
‘Fletcher caught Boudewijn Zenden at speed but with no great
force. Yet, having been booked in the 42nd minute for a pull
on the substitute Stuart Parnaby, Fletcher was on his way to
the tunnel after Messias rated the Zenden incident worthy of
another booking.
‘This was the low point of a game that was never dirty yet
turned ugly just before half-time when Messias briefly lost
control and booked two Boro players as well as Fletcher.
‘McClaren preferred to concentrate on United's strengths
rather than a match he described as "niggly" and looked at
the top of the table and called United "champions-elect".
‘"I always believed that, I know what's in the camp, the
mentality - and one-nils win you championships. They are
capable of going 20 to 25 games unbeaten. They've got the
hunger, got the experience and they've got to be favourites
because of that." McClaren then admitted to "conversations"
with Ferguson before kick-off but said that Gareth Southgate
leaving for Old Trafford was not discussed.
Not that United needed defensive reinforcements here. Mikael
Silvestre had recovered from his knock against Everton to
accompany Rio Ferdinand - and then there was Middlesbrough's
goalscoring record. They have now scored six times at home
in 10 games and badly need a potent forward to arrive next
month. "I'm not a fool," said McClaren. "Everyone can see we
lacked attacking edge."
‘United steered their way through to an ultimately
comfortable win that would have been greater had Schwarzer
not produced startling agility to tip Scholes' fierce volley
on to the crossbar. Giggs had three breakaways in the second
half and should have scored from one of them.
‘But the season is now half over and 1-0 was good enough, as
Arsenal well know.’
Telegraph
‘Manchester United are past masters in the intelligent use
of possession, working the ball in neat triangles out of
trouble and into promising pastures, acquired through years
of field studies in Europe.
‘Even when pressurised around their own area, Sir Alex
Ferguson's players simply passed their way forward, rarely
looking like conceding possession. Even when reduced to 10
men through Darren Fletcher's unfair dismissal, the
champions passed and moved, never gambling with a hurried
delivery, never panicking. In a Premiership where too many
play pass-the-parcel with the ball, United stay ahead of the
rest by cherishing the ball's company. They will give up
their title as lightly as they give up the ball.
‘Blessed with ball-users of the quality of Ryan Giggs, Paul
Scholes, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Roy Keane, not to mention
Rio Ferdinand who was exceptional in defence, United were
always in control against Steve McClaren's Middlesbrough.
"They are the champions-elect," said McClaren. "United are
dogged and one-nils win you championships. They can go 25
games unbeaten. They did that last year. Rio Ferdinand and
Mikael Silvestre were outstanding and when you have a
defence as good as that, you've always got a chance because
United have such quality going forward. Their players are
all hungry. Their manager is hungry."
‘United were completely in control, their composure and
accuracy ensuring the ball was worked inexorably around Boro
ambush parties. Struggling to stay in touch, the hosts
adopted a more physical approach and some real combative
duels broke out all over the park: Scholes versus George
Boateng was fairly lively but the most fireworks centred
around Mills, inevitably, and Giggs, surprisingly.
‘Mills should have been dismissed for jabbing an elbow
towards Giggs; lack of contact was irrelevant, the intent
was evident and worthy of more than the yellow card.
Committed and enterprising down the right, Mills remains a
liability for a team when he flirts with expulsion like
this.
‘Giggs, though, was fortunate not to be cautioned when
pushing Mills early in the second half. Giggs, who delivered
another busy shift of sinewy runs and clever passes, then
showed his more creative side, crossing from the right to
Van Nistelrooy, whose lay-off was met powerfully by Scholes.
Only Mark Schwarzer's remarkable reflexes thwarted Scholes,
the ball tipped on to the bar and to safety.
‘United were hardly troubled. "I don't think they made a
chance all match," Ferguson said. "Tim Howard didn't have a
save to make." United could have had Michael Howard in goal
against Boro's attack.’
Times
‘Manchester United continue to rule the Barclaycard
Premiership (and, in financial terms, far beyond),
concluding a fine year ahead of Arsenal and Chelsea and
favourites to emerge as champions again. In spite of the
skinny nature of the scoreline, this was an easy victory,
achieved through Quinton Fortune’s opening — deflected —
goal of the season and in spite of Darren Fletcher’s harsh
sending-off in the 65th minute.
‘United dealt with their difficulties in stoic fashion,
defended nobly — Rio Ferdinand was serene — and brought a
halt to Middlesbrough’s run of 11 games without defeat. They
did not help themselves. “I don’t think Boro made a chance
in the whole match,” Sir Alex Ferguson said. Excitement of
any sort has been a rare commodity here; Fortune’s goal was
the first that McClaren’s side had conceded for nine hours
and 23 minutes.
‘If United were far from superhuman, then they could afford
the lapse. From a creative perspective, Middlesbrough were
woeful in the opening period and simply frantic later.
‘United, and more particularly their supporters, were no
innocents. In spite of repeated warnings to the contrary —
both yesterday and over previous seasons — their travelling
contingent persisted in standing throughout the afternoon
and the upshot, however draconian, may be a total ban on
their presence at future games. On this evidence, they would
not be missing much, other than relentlessness clad in red.’
Independent:
‘Forget all the guff about Tottenham Hotspur doing well in
years which end in a one - which at this rate will see them
promoted from the Nationwide League in 2011 - Sir Alex
Ferguson flourishes in years which finish in a three.
‘In 1983, he won his first European trophy, leading Aberdeen
to victory over Real Madrid in the Cup-Winners' Cup. Ten
years later, he seized his first Premiership trophy with
Manchester United, and when he uncorks a bottle of Nuits St
Georges to celebrate his 62nd birthday on New Year's Eve,
Ferguson can reflect that 2003 has been a very satisfactory
year.
‘On Boxing Day last season, United came to Middlesbrough and
suffered a 3-1 defeat which left them third in the
Premiership, seven points adrift of Arsenal and with their
manager's authority and judgement under severe scrutiny.
‘It turned out to be their last defeat of the season and in
the calendar year which has followed Manchester United have
lost three League games. Now, after a more comfortable
victory than Ferguson might have expected against a club
which has persistently caused them problems, United will
begin 2004 occupying the top spot in the Premiership and it
will require all of Arsenal's guile and Chelsea's money to
remove them.’
fatally, last Christmas, only to go the remainder of the
season unbeaten and claim their eighth Premiership title,
Sir Alex Ferguson's players yesterday took a healthy,
assured step towards a ninth championship in 12 years.
‘But Ferguson's pleasure at the victory was dented by the
65th-minute dismissal of Darren Fletcher for a second
offence deemed worthy of a yellow card by the referee Matt
Messias.
‘Fletcher caught Boudewijn Zenden at speed but with no great
force. Yet, having been booked in the 42nd minute for a pull
on the substitute Stuart Parnaby, Fletcher was on his way to
the tunnel after Messias rated the Zenden incident worthy of
another booking.
‘This was the low point of a game that was never dirty yet
turned ugly just before half-time when Messias briefly lost
control and booked two Boro players as well as Fletcher.
‘McClaren preferred to concentrate on United's strengths
rather than a match he described as "niggly" and looked at
the top of the table and called United "champions-elect".
‘"I always believed that, I know what's in the camp, the
mentality - and one-nils win you championships. They are
capable of going 20 to 25 games unbeaten. They've got the
hunger, got the experience and they've got to be favourites
because of that." McClaren then admitted to "conversations"
with Ferguson before kick-off but said that Gareth Southgate
leaving for Old Trafford was not discussed.
Not that United needed defensive reinforcements here. Mikael
Silvestre had recovered from his knock against Everton to
accompany Rio Ferdinand - and then there was Middlesbrough's
goalscoring record. They have now scored six times at home
in 10 games and badly need a potent forward to arrive next
month. "I'm not a fool," said McClaren. "Everyone can see we
lacked attacking edge."
‘United steered their way through to an ultimately
comfortable win that would have been greater had Schwarzer
not produced startling agility to tip Scholes' fierce volley
on to the crossbar. Giggs had three breakaways in the second
half and should have scored from one of them.
‘But the season is now half over and 1-0 was good enough, as
Arsenal well know.’
Telegraph
‘Manchester United are past masters in the intelligent use
of possession, working the ball in neat triangles out of
trouble and into promising pastures, acquired through years
of field studies in Europe.
‘Even when pressurised around their own area, Sir Alex
Ferguson's players simply passed their way forward, rarely
looking like conceding possession. Even when reduced to 10
men through Darren Fletcher's unfair dismissal, the
champions passed and moved, never gambling with a hurried
delivery, never panicking. In a Premiership where too many
play pass-the-parcel with the ball, United stay ahead of the
rest by cherishing the ball's company. They will give up
their title as lightly as they give up the ball.
‘Blessed with ball-users of the quality of Ryan Giggs, Paul
Scholes, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Roy Keane, not to mention
Rio Ferdinand who was exceptional in defence, United were
always in control against Steve McClaren's Middlesbrough.
"They are the champions-elect," said McClaren. "United are
dogged and one-nils win you championships. They can go 25
games unbeaten. They did that last year. Rio Ferdinand and
Mikael Silvestre were outstanding and when you have a
defence as good as that, you've always got a chance because
United have such quality going forward. Their players are
all hungry. Their manager is hungry."
‘United were completely in control, their composure and
accuracy ensuring the ball was worked inexorably around Boro
ambush parties. Struggling to stay in touch, the hosts
adopted a more physical approach and some real combative
duels broke out all over the park: Scholes versus George
Boateng was fairly lively but the most fireworks centred
around Mills, inevitably, and Giggs, surprisingly.
‘Mills should have been dismissed for jabbing an elbow
towards Giggs; lack of contact was irrelevant, the intent
was evident and worthy of more than the yellow card.
Committed and enterprising down the right, Mills remains a
liability for a team when he flirts with expulsion like
this.
‘Giggs, though, was fortunate not to be cautioned when
pushing Mills early in the second half. Giggs, who delivered
another busy shift of sinewy runs and clever passes, then
showed his more creative side, crossing from the right to
Van Nistelrooy, whose lay-off was met powerfully by Scholes.
Only Mark Schwarzer's remarkable reflexes thwarted Scholes,
the ball tipped on to the bar and to safety.
‘United were hardly troubled. "I don't think they made a
chance all match," Ferguson said. "Tim Howard didn't have a
save to make." United could have had Michael Howard in goal
against Boro's attack.’
Times
‘Manchester United continue to rule the Barclaycard
Premiership (and, in financial terms, far beyond),
concluding a fine year ahead of Arsenal and Chelsea and
favourites to emerge as champions again. In spite of the
skinny nature of the scoreline, this was an easy victory,
achieved through Quinton Fortune’s opening — deflected —
goal of the season and in spite of Darren Fletcher’s harsh
sending-off in the 65th minute.
‘United dealt with their difficulties in stoic fashion,
defended nobly — Rio Ferdinand was serene — and brought a
halt to Middlesbrough’s run of 11 games without defeat. They
did not help themselves. “I don’t think Boro made a chance
in the whole match,” Sir Alex Ferguson said. Excitement of
any sort has been a rare commodity here; Fortune’s goal was
the first that McClaren’s side had conceded for nine hours
and 23 minutes.
‘If United were far from superhuman, then they could afford
the lapse. From a creative perspective, Middlesbrough were
woeful in the opening period and simply frantic later.
‘United, and more particularly their supporters, were no
innocents. In spite of repeated warnings to the contrary —
both yesterday and over previous seasons — their travelling
contingent persisted in standing throughout the afternoon
and the upshot, however draconian, may be a total ban on
their presence at future games. On this evidence, they would
not be missing much, other than relentlessness clad in red.’
Independent:
‘Forget all the guff about Tottenham Hotspur doing well in
years which end in a one - which at this rate will see them
promoted from the Nationwide League in 2011 - Sir Alex
Ferguson flourishes in years which finish in a three.
‘In 1983, he won his first European trophy, leading Aberdeen
to victory over Real Madrid in the Cup-Winners' Cup. Ten
years later, he seized his first Premiership trophy with
Manchester United, and when he uncorks a bottle of Nuits St
Georges to celebrate his 62nd birthday on New Year's Eve,
Ferguson can reflect that 2003 has been a very satisfactory
year.
‘On Boxing Day last season, United came to Middlesbrough and
suffered a 3-1 defeat which left them third in the
Premiership, seven points adrift of Arsenal and with their
manager's authority and judgement under severe scrutiny.
‘It turned out to be their last defeat of the season and in
the calendar year which has followed Manchester United have
lost three League games. Now, after a more comfortable
victory than Ferguson might have expected against a club
which has persistently caused them problems, United will
begin 2004 occupying the top spot in the Premiership and it
will require all of Arsenal's guile and Chelsea's money to
remove them.’