VIEW FROM THE PRESS BOX

Last updated : 26 September 2004 By editor

Patrick Barclay in the Telegraph:

Already memories of Manchester United's unimpressive start are fading. A second win of the Premiership week continued the rise of Sir Alex Ferguson's team to a more familiar station and they thoroughly deserved the points here, a single goal from the spot by Ruud van Nistelrooy proving enough to frustrate the ambitions - such as they were - of Jacques Santini's Tottenham.

‘Spurs, accused of excessive caution by Jose Mourinho at Chelsea last weekend, went forward with conviction only in spasms. While United could take some credit for that, Roy Keane and John O'Shea protected their back four splendidly, the lack of a more abundant service to Jermain Defoe disappointed the neutral as much as it must have done an expectant home support, who had rightly viewed the opening six matches under Santini with approval.

‘Where there was Silvestre, however, there was hope for them. The French defender, whose headed goals had given United victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford last Monday, again gave the ball away, again to Mendes, whose 30-yard drive had Carroll scrambling to turn it round a post. Silvestre had to absorb a trademark glare from Roy Keane.

‘United nevertheless remained the more assertive side, and before half-time they took the lead. Heinze, who has settled so quickly into the habits of the English game, flighted a free kick from the left and Erik Edman, crawling all over O'Shea at the far post, could have had no legitimate complaint over the award of a penalty when the United man accepted his invitation to fall over; it was desperately poor defending, of the sort that always makes me wonder if today's players are so intent on using their arms on each other that they forget the basics, such as heading the ball away now and again. At any rate, Van Nistelrooy put the kick away with power and devilish accuracy, recording his first goal in the Premiership this season.

‘Whatever the home side did seemed merely to coax United up a gear and on the hour they appeared unlucky not to increase their advantage when Van Nistelrooy, sweeping in Cristiano Ronaldo's low free kick, was judged offside.’

Amy Lawrence in the Guardian:

‘The Premiership's main contenders all won 1-0, but of the big three managers Sir Alex Ferguson will be most content with the clean sheet. They endured precious few scares, although that was as much due to Tottenham's attacking shyness as a big, bad, organised backline. Although there were still some anxious moments, Ferguson is particularly thrilled to see the difference Ferdinand is plainly making. 'Rio was absolutely magnificent,' he said, 'although I am not surprised at how well he has done since coming back. It has inspired a general uplift in form and Rio coming back has given the other players a lot of confidence. I'm delighted with the way things are going.'

‘Equally pleasing was the regularity with which United created chances against a team whose safety-first approach had previously served them well. The Spurs backline held firm until just before half-time, when a lofted cross from the all-action Gabriel Heinze fell towards John O'Shea. Erik Edman had a handful of the Irishman's shirt and, when the referee noticed his assistant on the far side waving frantically, he pointed to the spot. The home players barely contested it and Van Nistelrooy swept the ball past Paul Robinson with the perfect fusion of power and precision.

‘In the second half United ought to have sealed the points, with Alan Smith, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mikael Silvestre all presented with excellent chances, but Tottenham had little to offer in response except for high balls for Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe to chase, and the odd potshot from Pedro Mendes. Santini's Spurs have scored only four goals in seven games and the way they set about this game they seldom looked like adding to their tally.

‘After watching Van Nistelrooy belt the only goal of the game, the pocket of Manchester United fans teased their hosts with the ironic chant: 'Tottenham are back.' Tottenham might not be. But United are getting ominously closer.

‘Man of the match, Roy Keane:

‘Difficult to pick an individual from an accomplished team performance. Gabriel Heinze dominated his flank, Cristiano Ronaldo created chances, Ruud van Nistelrooy led the attack, Rio Ferdinand calmed the defence, but Keane kept everyone around him on their toes with an endless supply of bite in the middle of the park.’

Rob Hughes in the Times

Jacques Santini, the Tottenham manager, last night criticised the FA Premier League for allowing Peter Walton, in his first season as a Premiership referee, to take charge of their match against Manchester United and accused the official of going into the visitors’ dressing room at half-time to have a laugh with them.

‘This observer believes that Santini is making a mountain out of a molehill and, unlike the Spurs manager, was impressed with Walton’s handling of the game. He got all the big decisions right.

‘United thoroughly deserved their victory — the first away in the league this season — while Tottenham tasted defeat for the first time this campaign.

‘It should silence some of those who have been so quick to declare that United have lost too much ground to be a force this season. It should put some perspective into the ludicrous suggestions that a Premiership is won or lost in the first breath of autumn.

‘The edge had been with United even before the officials gave it to them. Their leader, Roy Keane, has nothing like the ferocious venom that he once commanded, but boy, does he mean to be a winner.


‘There had been a hint of United weakness just before the break, when Mikael Silvestre, under pressure largely of his own making, had turned and hastily booted the ball straight to Pedro Mendes. The Portuguese struck it with a wicked curl, a late dip and Roy Carroll just managed to bundle it to safety around his right-hand post.


‘But still it was United who threatened most. They had a goal disallowed just after the hour when a free kick from Ronaldo was tapped into the net by Van Nistelrooy but he was evidently, offside.

‘Although the tiring Van Nistelrooy had applied the triumphant touch, the man of this encounter was a defender, Heinze. The Argentinian had taken three months to arrive from Paris St Germain, via the Copa America and the Olympics. But worth waiting for has to be the verdict, worth the award of man of the match.


‘He has a left foot that can deliver a pass pinpoint in its accuracy, and demonstrated as much midway through the second half. He released Ronaldo, who danced inside Edman and, with a low and powerful shot, asked Robinson to show his quality yet again. The goalkeeper obliged with a reaction save with his legs.’


STAR MAN
: Gabriel Heinze (Manchester United)


Steve Tongue in the Indie:

‘If the match-winning penalty, for shirt-pulling, might not have been given by some officials, neutrals will surely welcome defenders being punished for the infuriating holding and pulling that is so prevalent in penalty areas these days. The upshot was that Tottenham's nascent revival was snuffed out by United's, a first defeat of the season being inflicted by Ruud van Nistlerooy’s spot-kick as the visitors followed up victory over Liverpool six days earlier with another deserved success. The newly parsimonious Spurs defence was regularly troubled, despite Ledley King's continuing excellence, by some vintage play down the wings, especially from the outstanding Cristiano Ronaldo.

‘United had taken the bold option by bringing back Alan Smith to play right up alongside Van Nistelrooy in the absence of Paul Scholes, who was protecting a groin injury. They were the more threatening side even before Ronaldo drifted past several challenges in a run parallel to the penalty area to feed the left-back Gabriel Heinze, who crossed to the far post. A sharp-eyed referee's assistant spotted that Erik Edman was holding John O'Shea's shirt, and Van Nistelrooy drove in a powerful penalty-kick.

‘So a familiar result meant that the top of the Premiership table is developing an equally familiar look, this result completing a hat-trick of 1-0 away wins for the big three clubs.’