VIEW FROM THE PRESS BOX
Last updated : 10 November 2003 By Editor
Telegraph
‘Liverpool resemble a property with impressive gates, a
stunning, sweeping drive but leading disappointingly to a
rather modest bungalow. Michael Owen, still injured, would
have turned all their pretty possession and flowing one-
touch moves, particularly in the first half yesterday, into
something more meaningful.
‘After a poor first half, notable only for some neat
Liverpool moves and a booking for Ruud van Nistelrooy's Hand
of God attempt, United seized control, stirred as usual by
Sir Alex Ferguson's interval rhetoric. Giggs tested Dudek
with a 50-yard volley after the Pole had misdirected a
clearance.
‘Just before the hour, Dudek was finally beaten by Giggs and
although far from solely culpable, Liverpool's keeper must
accept the lion's share of responsibility. When United's
Welshman crossed left-footed from the right, Dudek was
distracted by Van Nistelrooy's run across him to the near-
post, allowing Giggs' cross to curl past him and in. "It was
a cross," confirmed Giggs.
‘Until then, Diego Forlan had done little to overturn the
feeling that Ferguson needs more accomplished striking
support for Van Nistelrooy. But then the Uruguayan crossed
from the left, the ball speeding through to Giggs, who
killed its momentum and sent it spinning at Dudek. Falling
backwards, so limiting his range of reactions, Dudek could
only make slight contact with the ball which raced into the
net.’
Grauniad
‘Once again there was a sob story rather than an epic for
the Anfield crowd. The supporters accepted it manfully,
clapping at full-time because it is still a code of honour
not to gripe and protest in public. The rage is reserved for
phone-ins. Behind the stoic expressions lay the memory of
one more instant when promise turned to pratfall.
‘A deserved, tumultuous comeback was on the verge of being
completed in stoppage- time as Danny Murphy stabbed a pass
through, but Emile Heskey, having positioned himself
perfectly, missed the ball with his right foot as his left
slipped from under him.
‘The anguish crept into this match in the 58th minute. Ryan
Giggs delivered an inswinging cross from the right and, as
Ruud van Nistelrooy and Diego Forlan made for the near post
with Igor Biscan in pursuit, Jerzy Dudek was transfixed. The
ball glided past his statuesque figure.
‘That was embarrassment more than mistake for a goalkeeper
who could not have afforded to commit himself early, but
even if the Pole was blameless there were still heavy
overtones of his hapless afternoon when Manchester United
also won here last season.
‘The writhing frustration of Liverpool is the prevailing
memory of this fixture because United were almost discreet
in their effectiveness. It must be a delight to know that
they can do far better than this, since even unassuming form
has been enough to keep them well placed in the Premiership.
Times
‘No feat has given Sir Alex Ferguson more satisfaction,
since he ventured south from Aberdeen 17 years ago last
week, than what he crudely describes as “knocking Liverpool
off their perch”. Keeping them in the doldrums doubtless
brings certain pleasures, too, but there was an unmistakable
sense of the routine yesterday as his Manchester United team
inflicted Liverpool’s fifth defeat of the Barclaycard
Premiership season, ending any delusions that they may have
had about recapturing the championship which, back in
November 1986, was almost a permanent fixture in the Anfield
trophy cabinet.
‘It was not that Liverpool were outclassed by their rivals —
on the contrary, they were the better team for all but a
crucial 20-minute spell in the second half — but it was a
sadly familiar tale in what, disturbingly, is becoming a
season of hard-luck stories. United, like Chelsea and
Arsenal before them, were more notable yesterday for
perspiration than inspiration but, thanks to two goals from
Ryan Giggs, they achieved the same scoreline at Anfield as
their fellow contenders. If winning while not at one’s best
is the mark of a title-winning team, all three have passed
the test on Merseyside.’
Indie
‘When asked his greatest achievement as manager of
Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson replied that "it was
knocking Liverpool off their perch".
‘At Anfield, they would have digested the news that Ferguson
plans another four years at Old Trafford on a deal worth
£4m a year slowly and grimly. Liverpool show no signs of
climbing back up.
‘It was all eerily familiar. Once more, Liverpool had lost 2-
1 to their great enemy at Anfield, once more Dudek was at
fault, and once more the gulf running the East Lancashire
Road appeared unbridgeable.’
