VIEW FROM THE BROADSHEETS
‘Manchester United must hope Old Trafford is still capable
of afflicting Porto with stagefright. Sir Alex Ferguson's
team did not suffer irreparable damage last night but, after
another flawed performance and the 11th red card of Roy
Keane's career, it will need an exhilarating display without
their most inspirational player if their hopes of reclaiming
the European Cup are not to be extinguished.
‘Apart from another reminder of their captain's impetuosity,
the most obvious deduction from a galling night for Ferguson
and his players is that Porto are a far more accomplished
side than that which lost 4-0 at Old Trafford in the quarter-
finals of this competition seven years ago. Keane will be
sorely missed when they renew acquaintance in 12 days, but
even if he were available there could be no guarantees of
the English champions turning this tie upside down.
‘United's captain was sent off for a sly stamp on the Porto
goalkeeper Vitor Baia shortly after Benni McCarthy had
scored his second goal. Baia's histrionics infuriated Celtic
in last season's Uefa Cup final but though his extravagant
body-rolls here may have influenced the referee Herbert
Fandel, television pictures incriminated Keane for an act of
frustration which may well bring him a three-game
suspension.
‘Ferguson was so angered that at the final whistle he waved
away the attempts of Porto's coach Jose Mourinho to shake
hands. But his assessment was charitable to Keane, to say
the least.
‘There was good sense in Ferguson's decision to leave out
John O'Shea, one of the players implicated in Keane's recent
criticisms, and to move Gary Neville alongside Wes Brown in
the centre of defence, but there were still periods of the
match, particularly in the final exchanges, when United
looked anything but secure in front of Tim Howard's goal.
‘United's management must have been perturbed, too, by their
lack of creativity in attack, with Louis Saha struggling on
his European debut and Paul Scholes uncomfortable on the
right flank - the seventh player Ferguson has used this
season to fill the void left by David Beckham.
‘Even their goal owed something to the generosity of the
referee, who gave Ryan Giggs the benefit of the doubt when
he went down under Jorge Costa's challenge. Giggs touched
the free-kick to Scholes, whose shot came back off Baia and
Fortune arrived just in front of Van Nistelrooy to score
with an assured finish.
‘United have scored in 35 of their past 38 Champions League
ties and they will have to do so again if they are to stand
any chance of reaching the quarter-finals for a ninth
successive season. Otherwise their hopes of winning some
silverware this season will have to be diverted to the FA
Cup, a possibility that Ferguson will not want even to
consider.’
Torygraph:
‘Manchester United lost the lead and their leader here last
night, Quinton Fortune's early goal being forgotten after
Benni McCarthy struck twice and Roy Keane, the English
champions' captain, was deservedly dismissed for lowering
his studs into the back of Vitor Baia, Porto's goalkeeper.
‘This was embarrassment writ large for Sir Alex Ferguson,
whose side had started so promisingly. It was also a deeply
unprofessional act from Keane, who now misses the March 9
second leg when United will need to play with greater
composure if they are to rescue their season from despair.
As well as Gary Neville sought to fill in at centre-back,
Ferguson was left to rue his failure to recruit a top-class
stopper of the calibre of Gareth Southgate during the winter
break.
‘Gary Neville stood firm, cajoling his colleagues, clearing
aerial and land-borne dangers. His display will have been
watched with interest by Sven-Goran Eriksson, the England
head coach. But the pressure built, inexorably, flowing
towards United as powerfully as the nearby Douro to the
Atlantic. United's defence had not been breached in 427
Champions League minutes when Dmitri Alenitchev wriggled
down the right, using his skill and sudden, pitter-patter
change of pace to work an opening.
‘The cross was good, hard and fast into the area, racing
towards McCarthy, who had cleverly moved silently away from
Gary Neville and Wes Brown. When the ball reached him,
McCarthy's response was magnificent, his right foot sending
it flying past Tim Howard.
‘With 13 minutes remaining, Porto's fans were jubilating as
United were again caught out in the middle at the back. When
the ball came over from the left, sent steepling in by Nuno
Valente, McCarthy rose strongly above Gary Neville and Brown
to send a strong header flashing past Howard. Darkness then
descended on United as Keane imploded, departing for the
first time since his Aug 31, 2002, spat with Sunderland.’
Times:
of afflicting Porto with stagefright. Sir Alex Ferguson's
team did not suffer irreparable damage last night but, after
another flawed performance and the 11th red card of Roy
Keane's career, it will need an exhilarating display without
their most inspirational player if their hopes of reclaiming
the European Cup are not to be extinguished.
‘Apart from another reminder of their captain's impetuosity,
the most obvious deduction from a galling night for Ferguson
and his players is that Porto are a far more accomplished
side than that which lost 4-0 at Old Trafford in the quarter-
finals of this competition seven years ago. Keane will be
sorely missed when they renew acquaintance in 12 days, but
even if he were available there could be no guarantees of
the English champions turning this tie upside down.
‘United's captain was sent off for a sly stamp on the Porto
goalkeeper Vitor Baia shortly after Benni McCarthy had
scored his second goal. Baia's histrionics infuriated Celtic
in last season's Uefa Cup final but though his extravagant
body-rolls here may have influenced the referee Herbert
Fandel, television pictures incriminated Keane for an act of
frustration which may well bring him a three-game
suspension.
‘Ferguson was so angered that at the final whistle he waved
away the attempts of Porto's coach Jose Mourinho to shake
hands. But his assessment was charitable to Keane, to say
the least.
‘There was good sense in Ferguson's decision to leave out
John O'Shea, one of the players implicated in Keane's recent
criticisms, and to move Gary Neville alongside Wes Brown in
the centre of defence, but there were still periods of the
match, particularly in the final exchanges, when United
looked anything but secure in front of Tim Howard's goal.
‘United's management must have been perturbed, too, by their
lack of creativity in attack, with Louis Saha struggling on
his European debut and Paul Scholes uncomfortable on the
right flank - the seventh player Ferguson has used this
season to fill the void left by David Beckham.
‘Even their goal owed something to the generosity of the
referee, who gave Ryan Giggs the benefit of the doubt when
he went down under Jorge Costa's challenge. Giggs touched
the free-kick to Scholes, whose shot came back off Baia and
Fortune arrived just in front of Van Nistelrooy to score
with an assured finish.
‘United have scored in 35 of their past 38 Champions League
ties and they will have to do so again if they are to stand
any chance of reaching the quarter-finals for a ninth
successive season. Otherwise their hopes of winning some
silverware this season will have to be diverted to the FA
Cup, a possibility that Ferguson will not want even to
consider.’
Torygraph:
‘Manchester United lost the lead and their leader here last
night, Quinton Fortune's early goal being forgotten after
Benni McCarthy struck twice and Roy Keane, the English
champions' captain, was deservedly dismissed for lowering
his studs into the back of Vitor Baia, Porto's goalkeeper.
‘This was embarrassment writ large for Sir Alex Ferguson,
whose side had started so promisingly. It was also a deeply
unprofessional act from Keane, who now misses the March 9
second leg when United will need to play with greater
composure if they are to rescue their season from despair.
As well as Gary Neville sought to fill in at centre-back,
Ferguson was left to rue his failure to recruit a top-class
stopper of the calibre of Gareth Southgate during the winter
break.
‘Gary Neville stood firm, cajoling his colleagues, clearing
aerial and land-borne dangers. His display will have been
watched with interest by Sven-Goran Eriksson, the England
head coach. But the pressure built, inexorably, flowing
towards United as powerfully as the nearby Douro to the
Atlantic. United's defence had not been breached in 427
Champions League minutes when Dmitri Alenitchev wriggled
down the right, using his skill and sudden, pitter-patter
change of pace to work an opening.
‘The cross was good, hard and fast into the area, racing
towards McCarthy, who had cleverly moved silently away from
Gary Neville and Wes Brown. When the ball reached him,
McCarthy's response was magnificent, his right foot sending
it flying past Tim Howard.
‘With 13 minutes remaining, Porto's fans were jubilating as
United were again caught out in the middle at the back. When
the ball came over from the left, sent steepling in by Nuno
Valente, McCarthy rose strongly above Gary Neville and Brown
to send a strong header flashing past Howard. Darkness then
descended on United as Keane imploded, departing for the
first time since his Aug 31, 2002, spat with Sunderland.’
Times:
‘Just when Sir Alex Ferguson thought that things could not
get any worse, the dismissal of Roy Keane compounded his
anguish last night after FC Porto became the latest team to
expose the gaping holes in the Manchester United defence.
‘Keane was shown a straight red card — the eleventh of his
club career — after he seemed to put his studs into the ribs
of Vítor Baía, the Porto goalkeeper, with three minutes
left. He will be suspended for at least one match, though
Uefa has the power to increase the punishment after
reviewing video evidence. There is a danger that any ban
will extend into next season unless his team-mates can
produce a vastly improved performance in the second leg on
March 9.
‘Ferguson had declared that Porto represented the toughest
possible opponents as the European Cup moved into the
knockout phase, but, not for the first time of late, his
team proved their own worst enemies. An early goal from
Quinton Fortune gave them the start they craved, but the bad
habits that have undermined their defence of the Barclaycard
Premiership title enabled Benni McCarthy, Fortune’s South
Africa team-mate, to score twice, giving Porto the victory
they deserved in their first European fixture at their
magnificent new home, the Estádio do Dragão.
‘One Portuguese journalist accused Ferguson of
underestimating Porto, who are unbeaten in 26 matches in all
competitions. This, though, was not the case. While
questions could be asked about his team selection, which saw
Gary Neville replacing John O’Shea in the centre of defence,
Ferguson had resorted to such measures precisely because he
was aware of the threat that Porto posed to a defence that
had conceded 11 goals in the previous five matches.
‘Perhaps the most surprising selection was that of Fortune,
whose recent performances at left back have contributed to
the team’s defensive problems. Porto appeared to have
identified him as United’s weakest link, given the
regularity with which Deco sought out Paulo Ferreira on the
right-hand side.’
Indie:
‘The air around Old Trafford is black with chickens
returning to roost. Manchester United may yet progress to
the quarter-finals of the European Cup. However, their
failure to strengthen their defence and the sale of Juan
Sebastian Veron and David Beckham, their two most naturally
creative players on the European stage, had left them
vulnerable long before Roy Keane's moment of recklessness
deprived them of their captain for the second leg.
‘With fewer than 10 minutes remaining, Keane, chasing a
through ball from Cristiano Ronaldo, trod on the Porto
keeper, Vitor Baia, and was shown a straight red card. Given
Manchester United's enormously impressive record at Old
Trafford in European football, Sir Alex Ferguson might have
settled for a defeat that was wounding but not fatal but,
without Keane, his task looks a formidable one.
‘Even with Keane available last night, Manchester United
looked a makeshift team. Ferguson used to joke that, had he
grown a few inches, Gary Neville would have made an
outstanding centre-half and several years ago he used him in
that position whenever United needed to counteract Michael
Owen's pace.
‘Last night, however, he was there out of necessity since
all other candidates were either suspended, injured or
hopelessly out of form. Generally, he performed admirably
but his younger brother, Phil, switched from central
midfield to right-back, was beaten three times at the far
post until he was finally replaced by the discarded John
O'Shea.
‘Only for the opening 20 minutes were Manchester United
competitive. After taking the lead through Quinton Fortune,
they surrendered it to two superb goals from Benni McCarthy.
Both, tellingly, were from crosses and neither gave Tim
Howard the ghost of a chance. The first was struck low and
first time, the second was eerily similar to Alan Smith's
goal for Leeds on Saturday, a remarkable leap to meet Nuno
Valente's deep cross. McCarthy rose between Gary Neville and
Wes Brown and directed the ball into the net via the
underside of the crossbar.’
get any worse, the dismissal of Roy Keane compounded his
anguish last night after FC Porto became the latest team to
expose the gaping holes in the Manchester United defence.
‘Keane was shown a straight red card — the eleventh of his
club career — after he seemed to put his studs into the ribs
of Vítor Baía, the Porto goalkeeper, with three minutes
left. He will be suspended for at least one match, though
Uefa has the power to increase the punishment after
reviewing video evidence. There is a danger that any ban
will extend into next season unless his team-mates can
produce a vastly improved performance in the second leg on
March 9.
‘Ferguson had declared that Porto represented the toughest
possible opponents as the European Cup moved into the
knockout phase, but, not for the first time of late, his
team proved their own worst enemies. An early goal from
Quinton Fortune gave them the start they craved, but the bad
habits that have undermined their defence of the Barclaycard
Premiership title enabled Benni McCarthy, Fortune’s South
Africa team-mate, to score twice, giving Porto the victory
they deserved in their first European fixture at their
magnificent new home, the Estádio do Dragão.
‘One Portuguese journalist accused Ferguson of
underestimating Porto, who are unbeaten in 26 matches in all
competitions. This, though, was not the case. While
questions could be asked about his team selection, which saw
Gary Neville replacing John O’Shea in the centre of defence,
Ferguson had resorted to such measures precisely because he
was aware of the threat that Porto posed to a defence that
had conceded 11 goals in the previous five matches.
‘Perhaps the most surprising selection was that of Fortune,
whose recent performances at left back have contributed to
the team’s defensive problems. Porto appeared to have
identified him as United’s weakest link, given the
regularity with which Deco sought out Paulo Ferreira on the
right-hand side.’
Indie:
‘The air around Old Trafford is black with chickens
returning to roost. Manchester United may yet progress to
the quarter-finals of the European Cup. However, their
failure to strengthen their defence and the sale of Juan
Sebastian Veron and David Beckham, their two most naturally
creative players on the European stage, had left them
vulnerable long before Roy Keane's moment of recklessness
deprived them of their captain for the second leg.
‘With fewer than 10 minutes remaining, Keane, chasing a
through ball from Cristiano Ronaldo, trod on the Porto
keeper, Vitor Baia, and was shown a straight red card. Given
Manchester United's enormously impressive record at Old
Trafford in European football, Sir Alex Ferguson might have
settled for a defeat that was wounding but not fatal but,
without Keane, his task looks a formidable one.
‘Even with Keane available last night, Manchester United
looked a makeshift team. Ferguson used to joke that, had he
grown a few inches, Gary Neville would have made an
outstanding centre-half and several years ago he used him in
that position whenever United needed to counteract Michael
Owen's pace.
‘Last night, however, he was there out of necessity since
all other candidates were either suspended, injured or
hopelessly out of form. Generally, he performed admirably
but his younger brother, Phil, switched from central
midfield to right-back, was beaten three times at the far
post until he was finally replaced by the discarded John
O'Shea.
‘Only for the opening 20 minutes were Manchester United
competitive. After taking the lead through Quinton Fortune,
they surrendered it to two superb goals from Benni McCarthy.
Both, tellingly, were from crosses and neither gave Tim
Howard the ghost of a chance. The first was struck low and
first time, the second was eerily similar to Alan Smith's
goal for Leeds on Saturday, a remarkable leap to meet Nuno
Valente's deep cross. McCarthy rose between Gary Neville and
Wes Brown and directed the ball into the net via the
underside of the crossbar.’