THE GUARDIAN
Rio Ferdinand and Roy Keane may have more in common than anyone ever imagined. Relocated to Keane's old central midfield role, Ferdinand suffered one of the Irishman's red-mist moments and was sent off a second bookable offence, a nasty high tackle on Robbie Savage which had the Welshman taken off on a stretcher in the 87th minute.
By way of emphasising his self-destructive impulse, the dismissal came only 60 seconds after the England defender - whose bad error had been responsible for Blackburn's second goal - had been shown his first yellow card after tangling with Morten Gamst Pedersen before appearing to shove Savage.
It was the first red card of Ferdinand's career but served as a microcosm of United's defensive indiscipline on a night when David Bentley's hat-trick not only highlighted Mark Hughes's knack of reviving careers but illuminated the fault lines in Sir Alex Ferguson's rearguard.
Indeed United might have conceded six goals as their back line undermined an attacking performance which was at times vibrant and might have ultimately secured a point. Yet a draw would have been harsh on Blackburn, who compensated for last week's Carling Cup semi-final exit to Ferguson's team by completing their first league double over United since before the second world war.
THE TIMES
If Manchester United thought that their troubles were behind them, after success in their domestic cup challenges last week, then a hat-trick from David Bentley, helping Blackburn Rovers to gain some measure of revenge for last week’s defeat in the Carling Cup semi-final, will have made them think again. The dismissal of Rio Ferdinand, after another run-in with Robbie Savage, only compounded Sir Alex Ferguson’ s woes.
Bentley, who completed his transfer from Arsenal for a nominal fee this week, completed his treble early in the second half with a sumptuous shot after Savage had helped the ball into his path. Even though Ruud van Nistelrooy, introduced as a substitute, scored twice as United fought back, their defensive frailties, with Ferdinand nominally their midfield protector, did not resemble that of Barclays Premiership title challengers.
Considering that Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic, the defenders who arrived at a combined cost of £12.5 million, were Ferguson’s only signings in the transfer window, it is fair to say United look set for a transitional period. Pipping Blackburn to a place in the Carling Cup final cannot mask this reality.
This was Blackburn’s first league double over United since 1931 and few would doubt that they deserved the victory. Ferdinand, reprising his central midfield role, came into direct opposition with Savage, with whom he had clashed in the players’ tunnel during the half-time interval last week, but their enmity was overshadowed in the first half at least by an explosive ten minutes of football before the break.
Ferdinand had strolled through Sunday’s game in the midfield anchorman role, when faced by Coca-Cola Championship opponents in the FA Cup tie away to Wolverhampton Wanderers, but this was more of a test. Until gifting Bentley the second of his goals, the England defender had looked assured, but when he nodded back Shefki Kuqi’s header to where he assumed Edwin van der Sar would be, and Bentley tapped the ball over the line, he was made to look foolish in the extreme. Van der Sar barely covered himself in glory either.
THE TELEGRAPH
A stunning hat-trick by David Bentley was only just enough to see Blackburn through an epic encounter with Manchester United last night, Ruud van Nistelrooy producing a two-goal cameo from the substitutes' bench which almost rescued an unlikely point before Rio Ferdinand was sent off late on for two bookable offences.
A Lucas Neill penalty for Blackburn and a neat first-half strike by Louis Saha for United completed the scoring.
Even the most committed Blackburn supporters were pinching themselves as the completion of Bentley's amazing hat-trick gave them a commanding 4-1 advantage.
Those home fans had feared the worst early on as United, a week after their Carling Cup semi-final triumph over Mark Hughes' men, dominated the proceedings. United's failure to turn that initial supremacy into goals cost them dearly, however, as Bentley celebrated making his loan transfer from Arsenal a permanent £1 million deal in fairytale fashion with his first Premiership strike of the season.
His first two goals were basic close-range finishes and both owed considerable debts to the contributions of others.
The first came via a massive assist from Morten Gamst Pedersen, the second from a crazy piece of defending by Rio Ferdinand.
Ferdinand, deployed again in an emergency midfield role by United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, forgot how to do what he does best when a routine looping header by Steven Reid came into the penalty area.
With Edwin van der Sar about to claim the high ball, Ferdinand, to the bewilderment of all around him, chose to head it back from near the penalty spot and the goalkeeper was stranded as Bentley beat the covering Wes Brown for a simple tap-in.
THE SUN
Robbie Savage had the last laugh on midfield rival Rio Ferdinand.
Blackburn midfielder Savage was pole-axed by a thudding challenge from Ferdinand which earned him a red card.
Savage was taken off on a stretcher following the 88th-minute incident.
But he would soon have been celebrating his side's first league double over Manchester United for 75 years.
David Bentley was the Rovers hero with a deadly hat-trick following some kamikaze United defending, not least from Ferdinand, who gifted Bentley his second just before the break.
Substitute Ruud van Nistelrooy lashed home a double to drag United back from 4-1 down.
But there was to be no miracle comeback for United, who yet again failed to take advantage of slip-ups from Chelsea and Liverpool.