VIEW FROM THE SHEETS
‘Arsene Wenger was right about Ruud van Nistelrooy. He is a
good player.
‘The much vilified Dutchman received a hostile reception at
the Walkers Stadium, but answered his critics in the best
possible way with the fifth hat-trick of his Manchester
United career. Van Nistelrooy now has seven Premiership
goals in eight appearances, and would end the season with 70
if he could play Leicester City every week.
‘United had 19-year-old Darren Fletcher making his first
Premiership start on the right wing and Ryan Giggs restored
to his original role on the left, but it was Paul Scholes's
return as a support striker that seemed to cause Leicester
most problems.
‘The match was effectively settled after quarter of an hour
by two telling interventions within a minute by Scholes.
‘Van Nistelrooy's first few touches drew boos from the home
crowd, presumably on account of his behaviour at Old
Trafford last week, but the Leicester fans found they could
not keep it up when so many of the Dutch striker's touches
resulted in goals.
‘Leicester had not scored against United this century, until
Sinclair's late consolation goal, and never looked like
doing so here. A John O'Shea mistake let in Marcus Bent when
the game was still scoreless, but with only Tim Howard to
beat he failed to hit the target. Taggart was more accurate
with a header 15 minutes later, only to see the goalkeeper
make a stop on the line.
'Are you England in disguise?' United's travelling support
wanted to know. This was meant as an insult, obviously. For
some obscure reason the United fans kept up a stream of anti-
England chants throughout the game. Leicester were not
standing for that, and after Jordan Stewart spoilt a good
run with a shot that nearly hit a corner flag, Muzzy Izzet
sent over a corner from the right that Sinclair met with an
unstoppable header.’
Roy Collins in the Telegraph:
‘Arsenal might have gone slightly over the top with their
manhandling of Ruud van Nistelrooy last Sunday. But
Leicester's defenders kept such a respectful distance from
him that he must have longed for a slap round the head or
even a friendly nudge or two in the kidneys.
‘Not that Van Nistelrooy needed any official help in
collecting his fifth Premiership hat-trick for United, not
with a set of defenders who surely did not all keep their
hands to themselves because they were frightened of him
diving from the slightest challenge.
‘Van Nistelrooy proved once again that when he stays on his
feet, he is the most dangerous striker in the world. And
Leicester's back four proved that if you cannot stay on your
own feet, there is no way of stopping him.
‘No game in Leicester history had sold out quicker than this
one, which suggests that there is either an unhealthy
interest in masochism in the East Midlands or they are
overdosing on wild-eyed optimism.
‘Despite an unbeaten home record stretching back to Boxing
Day 2002, Leicester had lost their last seven games against
Manchester United and their youngest fans needed misty-eyed
fathers to describe their last goal against these rivals
back in January 1999.
‘For United, the most shocking thing about the so-called
battle of Old Trafford was the scoreline, a rare goalless
draw. But it did not take long for them to take familiar
control of this fixture.
‘If Leicester fans took delight in baiting Van Nistelrooy,
United supporters decided it was open season on Sven-Goran
Eriksson's England, perhaps because he keeps upsetting
Ferguson by picking his players.
‘After crudely suggesting what Sven could do with his team,
they goaded Leicester with chants of "Are you England in
disguise?" They might have been more accurate chanting "Are
you Wolves in disguise" as it threatened to end up with the
sort of cricket score they are becoming used to in the Black
Country. ‘
Steve Tongue in the Indie:
‘The popular notion that there are no easy games in the
Premiership was given the lie again in the Midlands
yesterday, when Manchester United might have matched
Chelsea's recent 5-0 victory away to Wolves if they had not
taken key players off ahead of a midweek Champions' League
visit to Stuttgart - or if they had a Hernan Crespo in
reserve.
‘If United have a potential weakness, it is their dependence
on Ruud van Nistelrooy, which hardly mattered here. He
racked up his fifth Premiership hat-trick for the club to
snuff out Leicester City's promising start, with no
penalties, diving or unseemly controversy needed in a match
without a single yellow card.
‘Paul Scholes's return without having needed a hernia
operation encouraged Sven Goran Eriksson and added another
scoring option to United's armoury, though on this occasion
he was the creator, baffling the home defence with his
constant flitting between midfield and the front line. When
he dropped deeper, Roy Keane stole forward, and was thus
able to put his name on the score sheet for the first time
in a scarcely believable 41 matches, stretching back 18
months.’
Joe Lovejoy in the Times:
good player.
‘The much vilified Dutchman received a hostile reception at
the Walkers Stadium, but answered his critics in the best
possible way with the fifth hat-trick of his Manchester
United career. Van Nistelrooy now has seven Premiership
goals in eight appearances, and would end the season with 70
if he could play Leicester City every week.
‘United had 19-year-old Darren Fletcher making his first
Premiership start on the right wing and Ryan Giggs restored
to his original role on the left, but it was Paul Scholes's
return as a support striker that seemed to cause Leicester
most problems.
‘The match was effectively settled after quarter of an hour
by two telling interventions within a minute by Scholes.
‘Van Nistelrooy's first few touches drew boos from the home
crowd, presumably on account of his behaviour at Old
Trafford last week, but the Leicester fans found they could
not keep it up when so many of the Dutch striker's touches
resulted in goals.
‘Leicester had not scored against United this century, until
Sinclair's late consolation goal, and never looked like
doing so here. A John O'Shea mistake let in Marcus Bent when
the game was still scoreless, but with only Tim Howard to
beat he failed to hit the target. Taggart was more accurate
with a header 15 minutes later, only to see the goalkeeper
make a stop on the line.
'Are you England in disguise?' United's travelling support
wanted to know. This was meant as an insult, obviously. For
some obscure reason the United fans kept up a stream of anti-
England chants throughout the game. Leicester were not
standing for that, and after Jordan Stewart spoilt a good
run with a shot that nearly hit a corner flag, Muzzy Izzet
sent over a corner from the right that Sinclair met with an
unstoppable header.’
Roy Collins in the Telegraph:
‘Arsenal might have gone slightly over the top with their
manhandling of Ruud van Nistelrooy last Sunday. But
Leicester's defenders kept such a respectful distance from
him that he must have longed for a slap round the head or
even a friendly nudge or two in the kidneys.
‘Not that Van Nistelrooy needed any official help in
collecting his fifth Premiership hat-trick for United, not
with a set of defenders who surely did not all keep their
hands to themselves because they were frightened of him
diving from the slightest challenge.
‘Van Nistelrooy proved once again that when he stays on his
feet, he is the most dangerous striker in the world. And
Leicester's back four proved that if you cannot stay on your
own feet, there is no way of stopping him.
‘No game in Leicester history had sold out quicker than this
one, which suggests that there is either an unhealthy
interest in masochism in the East Midlands or they are
overdosing on wild-eyed optimism.
‘Despite an unbeaten home record stretching back to Boxing
Day 2002, Leicester had lost their last seven games against
Manchester United and their youngest fans needed misty-eyed
fathers to describe their last goal against these rivals
back in January 1999.
‘For United, the most shocking thing about the so-called
battle of Old Trafford was the scoreline, a rare goalless
draw. But it did not take long for them to take familiar
control of this fixture.
‘If Leicester fans took delight in baiting Van Nistelrooy,
United supporters decided it was open season on Sven-Goran
Eriksson's England, perhaps because he keeps upsetting
Ferguson by picking his players.
‘After crudely suggesting what Sven could do with his team,
they goaded Leicester with chants of "Are you England in
disguise?" They might have been more accurate chanting "Are
you Wolves in disguise" as it threatened to end up with the
sort of cricket score they are becoming used to in the Black
Country. ‘
Steve Tongue in the Indie:
‘The popular notion that there are no easy games in the
Premiership was given the lie again in the Midlands
yesterday, when Manchester United might have matched
Chelsea's recent 5-0 victory away to Wolves if they had not
taken key players off ahead of a midweek Champions' League
visit to Stuttgart - or if they had a Hernan Crespo in
reserve.
‘If United have a potential weakness, it is their dependence
on Ruud van Nistelrooy, which hardly mattered here. He
racked up his fifth Premiership hat-trick for the club to
snuff out Leicester City's promising start, with no
penalties, diving or unseemly controversy needed in a match
without a single yellow card.
‘Paul Scholes's return without having needed a hernia
operation encouraged Sven Goran Eriksson and added another
scoring option to United's armoury, though on this occasion
he was the creator, baffling the home defence with his
constant flitting between midfield and the front line. When
he dropped deeper, Roy Keane stole forward, and was thus
able to put his name on the score sheet for the first time
in a scarcely believable 41 matches, stretching back 18
months.’
Joe Lovejoy in the Times:
‘Rightly or wrongly, Ruud van Nistelrooy felt aggrieved by
last week’s events at Old Trafford, and it was with
undisguised glee that he took it out on Leicester yesterday.
His emphatic hat-trick was his fifth for Manchester United,
and his first away from Old Trafford.
‘United needed a win after Arsenal’s victory over Newcastle
on Friday night, and they achieved their objective with ease
to stay just one point behind the league leaders. Roy Keane
was their other scorer — amazingly, it was his first goal
for 42 games and 17 months — on a day when six would not
have flattered them.
‘The referee, Graham Poll, patted Van Nistelrooy on the back
before kick-off, as if in sympathy with the rough treatment
he received last Sunday. The home crowd took a rather
different view, booing his every touch — not that it did
them much good.
‘When your team is as ordinary as Leicester’s, it makes no
sense to wind up one of the world’s best strikers, and the
object of their derision settled the issue before half-time
with two thumping goals. When he stays on his feet, there
are very few better at the finishing trade.
‘Blasé and bored by the routine nature of proceedings,
United’s fans sought entertainment of their own, and treated
their hosts to choruses of “Eff off to the Nationwide” and
“Are you England in disguise?” Their preoccupation with
England matters was a strange one.
‘In mitigation, they had their amusing moments, notably
with: “Who put the ball in the Arsenal net? Half of effing
Europe.”
last week’s events at Old Trafford, and it was with
undisguised glee that he took it out on Leicester yesterday.
His emphatic hat-trick was his fifth for Manchester United,
and his first away from Old Trafford.
‘United needed a win after Arsenal’s victory over Newcastle
on Friday night, and they achieved their objective with ease
to stay just one point behind the league leaders. Roy Keane
was their other scorer — amazingly, it was his first goal
for 42 games and 17 months — on a day when six would not
have flattered them.
‘The referee, Graham Poll, patted Van Nistelrooy on the back
before kick-off, as if in sympathy with the rough treatment
he received last Sunday. The home crowd took a rather
different view, booing his every touch — not that it did
them much good.
‘When your team is as ordinary as Leicester’s, it makes no
sense to wind up one of the world’s best strikers, and the
object of their derision settled the issue before half-time
with two thumping goals. When he stays on his feet, there
are very few better at the finishing trade.
‘Blasé and bored by the routine nature of proceedings,
United’s fans sought entertainment of their own, and treated
their hosts to choruses of “Eff off to the Nationwide” and
“Are you England in disguise?” Their preoccupation with
England matters was a strange one.
‘In mitigation, they had their amusing moments, notably
with: “Who put the ball in the Arsenal net? Half of effing
Europe.”