THE OBSERVER - RONALDO'S GOOD AND BAD DAY
Close but no cigars. And it was ultimately appropriate that a Premiership season mediocre beneath the top three, and which has seen Liverpool claim that generous fourth Champions League place due largely to the shortcomings of others, should end with Aston Villa failing to claim a Uefa Cup place when so well placed to do so.
A regular scramble for some big clubs to finish sixth, Villa this time the occupants of the musical chair, sounds predictable, even depressing. Almost as depressing as the letter-of-the-law performance of the referee Rob Styles as he flourished nine cards, including the two reds. Perhaps there is a golden whistle on offer for most cards shown in a season; if so, he won by dint of this performance, which took him past the inactive Alan Wiley to the top of the table, with 87 cards from 20 games.
'I can't even comment, it's so bizarre,' said the United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Of more concern to him was the form of his side going into Saturday's FA Cup final against Millwall. 'The victory was important confidence-wise,' he said. 'Our football through midfield up to the front was good.'
Indeed, frighteningly for Millwall, it was, especially in the first half-hour as they matched for vigour a buoyant Villa, on an eight-game unbeaten run, despite their own poor recent record of only four points from 18. They do like Villa Park, after all, having gone unbeaten here since 1995 when Fergie's fledglings found themselves 3-0 down at half-time before a kid called David Beckham pulled a goal back in the second half.
Yesterday they could have been at least three up by the break. It began when the excellent, driving Fletcher found Ronaldo, with his marker Jlloyd Samuel absent, and the Portugal youngster drove a wicked, swerving low shot past the embarrassed Thomas Sorensen.
Soon, the hapless 19-year-old defender Liam Ridgewell, otherwise impressive, had missed Paul Scholes's crossfield pass and Ruud van Nistelrooy had nipped in to poach his twenty-eighth goal of the season, his twentieth in the Premiership.
THE SUNDAY TIMES - NINE MAN UNITED FOIL VILLA BID
United finished with only nine players, and the two sent off were among the liveliest and certainly the most promising in their side. Both were victims, you might say, of their own youthful exuberance and, if you like, of the crude system whereby one yellow card, however trivial or serious the offence, is as good or bad as another.
So it was that Darren Fletcher incurred his first yellow card for stupidly kicking the ball away, his second for a foul. Cristiano Ronaldo, for his part, was booked for diving, and should have had far more sense later in the second-half than foolishly to put the ball in the net again having scored from an offside position and being properly penalised for it.
This should not however, detract from the vigour, versatility and exuberance of these two players, particularly in the first-half, when United were so emphatically calling the tune. If Roy Keane is ruled out of Saturday’s FA Cup final in Cardiff, and even if he is not, you feel United will perhaps be even better served by Fletcher. The young Scot, one of the pitifully few talents to emerge from his country in recent seasons, showed huge energy and great versatility in central midfield.
Of course, he could not pretend to Keane’s authority and experience, but he has the legs and the pace to be a force in his team’s midfield.
One remembers especially a moment in the first half when he ran boldly at the home defence, banged in a shot that flew over the top, only to pop up in barely a minute later deep in his own half to block a cross.
As for Ronaldo, he operates with pace, great skill and daring on either flank, beginning yesterday on the right, but frequently and effectively popping up on the left. His skills are exceptional, he is always eager to take on his man, and if he has a tendency to exaggerate in this respect, it is surely a positive fault.
There was so much Villa had to play for in this game while United had very little. Whatever happened, they would retain their third position in the Premiership and it was much to the club’s credit that it put out such a strong side and gave the game, especially in its earlier stages, so much commitment.
United went ahead thanks to these two lively youngsters as early as the fourth minute. Fletcher made ground on the right then found Ronaldo. The Portuguese shot from some 20 yards with force, but the attempt did not look irresistible.
THE TELEGRAPH - VILLA FALL AT FINAL FENCE
Using their final Premiership fixture as a full dress rehearsal for the FA Cup final, United outclassed Villa with their powerful counter-attacking game. They never looked like being overhauled even when they were reduced to nine men by the dismissals of Darren Fletcher and Ronaldo during the final quarter of an hour.
From the start, it was clear that United did not intend to take this game lightly. The side they fielded here was probably the one they will send out against Millwall next Saturday if Roy Keane is not fit to play. Indeed, their strength and determination were such that they shocked Villa by taking a two-goal lead inside the first 10 minutes.
THE INDEPENDENT - STYLES STEALS THE LIMELIGHT AS VILLA SUFFER STAGE FRIGHT
The destination of this match was decided inside the first 10 minutes with goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Ruud van Nistelrooy and thereafter Villa were dependent on Liverpool doing them a favour. The point gained by Newcastle at Anfield was, cruelly, enough to deny Villa their first gallop in Europe since 1990, but they could not complain about this defeat.
United set about them as if it was they, and not the home team, who were desperate for the points and until Mr Styles found the full range of his production gestures in the second half - a total of eight yellows and two reds as a result of second yellows issued to Darren Fletcher and Ronaldo - the match flowed excitingly.
If Villa were eager for victory it hardly ever showed, especially in the first half when, with Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes working their miracles in midfield and Ronaldo showing the cleanest of heels to Jlloyd Samuel every time he was in possession, United were back to their classy best after recent disappointments. Villa were left gasping at the first goal. Fletcher played a short ball to Ronaldo, who accelerated to the verge of the penalty area before unleashing a vicious, dipping, swerving shot which beat Thomas Sorensen comprehensively at his near post.
While Villa and their fans were still trying to come to terms with that setback, they suffered another. Scholes pumped a long ball in from the left, the young centre-back Liam Ridgewell missed it and it ran on for Van Nistelrooy to put his name on the scoring list for the second straight week, rounding Sorensen to tuck home.
The Holte End's biggest cheer greeted Liverpool's goal at Anfield, but there was no second cheer and, as Villa manager David O'Leary readily conceded: "We were just outclassed."