It was looking as though it was going to be ‘one of those days’ as time ticked away at White Hart Lane on Saturday. United just couldn’t get in to their rhythm, and despite equalling Spurs for possession, rarely looked dangerous. Our best chance came with a wicked Anderson shot, whose omission from the starting lineup always puzzles me, on a day when our forwards just couldn’t seem to penetrate.
Of course, credit has to go to the top class Spurs’ defence, with the addition of new signings Woodgate and Hutton putting on a united front to protect their goalkeeper. However, when we were given the opportunity, we just couldn’t get the ball in to the danger area, we couldn’t make the keeper work for a save, and realistically, just didn’t look like scoring.
Rooney continued to look frustrated in front of goal and even resorted to diving, despite looking as though he’d got the better of Dawson, who was arguably the surprising man of the match. Tevez was almost non-existant, contributing little negative, whilst little positive to the game, and Ronaldo didn’t have the spark we’ve become accustomed to over the season. Giggs and Scholes were woeful in midfield, unable to push the forwards on or provide them with the killer ball, and our defence let the Spurs’ attack in too easily. For the second time in a week Robbie Keane should have scored the goal which killed off United, and we were again fortunate that he didn’t.
With Arsenal collecting all three points at the council house, thanks to a pathetic showing from the blues, we just couldn’t afford to lose at White Hart Lane. Of course that doesn’t mean we’d have conceded the league with a loss, but three points behind in February, with Arsenal a few weeks away from a trip to Old Trafford, would be unacceptable. In the final ten minutes, United seemed to wake up and realise this, as we saw chances from Anderson, Nani, Tevez and Rooney all fail to beat the keeper.
When the third minute of the allotted minimum stoppage time came to an end, United were handed a lifeline with a corner. Nani has proven he is certainly worth giving these kicks to, the only player on our books who can consistently take a good corner, and was happy to step up to take it. With Ronaldo our only attacking player with any height, and Ferdinand and Vidic rarely hitting the target, there didn’t seem to be too much to get excited about. However, our fantastic away support roared, desperate to salvage something from the game.
Tevez’s goal, which was attributed by some to Spurs’ defender Dawson, is not the first important one he has scored after the minimum injury time has run out. He got his first goal of his Manchester United career against Chelsea after first half injury time was up. Like that goal, he celebrated the equaliser against Spurs furiously, and was booked for doing so, which will not have put a dampner on it for our young Argie. He now has 11 league goals to his name and will be worth every penny we spend on him.
Claiming this point, in the manner that we did, could prove vitally important to United for a number of reasons. A draw wouldn’t have been a massive result for United, if we’d been told of the dropped points before kick off, however to claim the result at the death will have left morale high. The celebrations which followed the goal showed how important it was. United have learnt a valuable lesson, without having to pay the full price to do so. I imagine every single one of our lads imagined they were travelling back to Manchester with nothing, and the feeling of gifting Arsenal such an advantage would have been painful. They will still remember that pain when going in to their next games, Fergie will remind them if they can’t do it alone, and that could serve as motivation to go out and claim all three points.
However, if United had won the game, no lesson would have been learnt, and we may have been forced to learn it the hard way later on in the season. United needed that wake up call. After painfully easy victories against Portsmouth and Newcastle over recent weeks, it was about time we were really tested. We didn’t play well enough over the course of the match, with the final 20 minutes showing what United were really capable of. They should have played that way since the kick off, not assuming they could take away points from White Hart Lane without having to work for them.
Of course Fergie will have torn a strip off them at half and full time, and I’m sure they’ll pay the price for their lacklustre performance in training this week, completing the learning curve the Spurs game provided us with.
The rest of February sees us play City at home and Newcastle away in the league, as well as cup games against Lyon and Arsenal. We need to be at our best and the Spurs game will have reminded the players of exactly what is required of them to be at their best. Onwards and upwards…
Do you think Spurs taught United a lesson?
I completely agree that we needed the lesson of almost dropping the full 3 points at WHL. It was an abysmal performance for United and – as you said – had we won, had we gotten away with that kind of performance and taken 3 points, the lads would have felt they COULD play like that. And honestly, it was unacceptable. Embarrassing even at times. We needed the lesson and should be well happy with the 1 point results that we barely scraped by with.
That said, Tevez deserved that goal completely.. and his celebration was completely appropriate, in no way malicious towards Spurs or their fans. The yellow card was a joke, as was the ref for most of the match. I’m well fed up with the willy-nilly tossing of cards for players celebrating on the pitch. Not throwing it in the oppositions face, but truly celebrating with their own fans. If there was ever a better reason to tear off your shirt and run to your fans, I don’t know it. Tevez deserved a victory lap, shirt or no shirt, for saving our asses on Saturday.
and Nani IS a true star when it comes to corners. He puts a new excitement in United winning a corner. I have never felt we do much with them. Dreading the opposition winning a corner and watching when we do, how it appears as though are boys are just eager to put the ball back into play rather than make a result out of the opportunity. Nani has changed that for us and I look forward to seeing him take more of them. Just a shame that is means Giggs must be off for him to do so, but he shows the difference his style makes when he’s at the corner dropping them in.
And why Anderson was left out for so long, I will never understand.
All in all, we got too comfortable at the top. And we can’t afford any comfort, ever, til the season ends. And so we finished the match how we should have begun, fighting every second until the whistle blows. THAT is how United play.
That is a fair summary. What surprised me was how Rooney- for all his talent and hard work- provides so little threat. A couple of years ago, when playing United, you felt that if he got the ball he would score. Now you don’t feel concern if he gets it. Your manager said he was working too hard in tracking back- I have never heard a manager say that before but I am sure he is right. Be interesting to see if Rooney can get that sense of threat back.
Honestly, United were rattled by the pace of Spurs in the first half. The speed of their attacks with pkayers running all over reminds me of Ramos’ Sevilla — they are getting close, no doubt.
The same thing happened in the FA Cup, but their poor defending, as has been the case this season, proved to be their undoing. If a lesson had to be learnt, it had to have been after the FA Cup. Spurs defended well enough to back their good attacking play the other day, and that’s what made the difference.
That, and Anderson not starting.
That is a very fair summing up of the game but I was disapointed in the attitude of Ferguson and Ferdinand saying what a rubbish Referee he was
(& he was) but they seem to forget that it was him who disallowed Mendes`s
goal from the half way line a couple of seasons ago. Very convenient that
Ebony – surely that strengthens Fergie’s argument. He really is a shit ref! The Merseyside derby was testament to that!
If the game had been dirty, then 7 yellow cards would make sense. But there was nothing in it really.
On Rooney’s caution, Ferguson said: “If he dived and the referee deems it, he’s right to book. But a few minutes later Huddlestone dived, he’s already been booked, and he did nothing. He told the player to get up on his feet and did nothing about it. You have got to say ‘is that fair?’
Fair point, no?
The final 20 looked good because because Scholes and Giggs finally came off, and Anderson had a chance to warm up.
Fergie’s team and tactics for Spurs match were woeful. Everyone knew Spurs were foaming at the mouth to get revenge for the cup defeat, and that the game would be FAST and FURIOUS!. It was obvious that Scholes and Giggs should have been coming on for the last 30 minutes, and Anderson and Nani should have started. Anderson showed what a COMBATANT he is in the Arsenal and L’Pool away games. He has the pace Scholes doesn’t, and Nani more effective with corner kicks than Gigsy. Spurs downfall was all the high fives going on amongst their players 10 MINUTES FROM TIME. They thought they had it won!. But Tev, Anderson and Nani thought otherwise, and the Apache got reward for his never say die attitude. I know Giggs and Scholesy fans may not agree with my thinking, but hey, one man’s meat etc!!!!!!!!.l
Anderson is now beginning to get the respect he deserves; the kid has been simply fantastic since he got established in the first team. I know that Paul Scholes has been a terrific player for a dozen years but I also think that Paul Scholes is being played out of position – he was at his best when he ran into the box NOT when he is diddling around, passing the ball sideways and backwards. That said, I’m not sure how to accommodate Scholes in this “New United” team .
Anderson should start as the attacking midfielder and one of Hargreaves of Carrick (or even Fletcher) is the complementary, defensive player, so where does Scholes fit in ? Watching this season come to “squeaky bum time”, I’m getting the sense that Scholes’ time as a dead-cert first-teamer is fading fast. And, from what I gather about Paul Scholes’ personality, I would imagine that he won’t hang around once he sense that the curtain is coming down on a celebrated career.
Good article but is it a bit unfair and disrespectful to Spurs, after all they fought for every ball and stoped us from playing.
Come on folks let’s get real here! Utd were thoroughly outplayed by Spurs for 75 minutes and, contrary to some comments, they only played as well as they were allowed to play and were darned lucky to get the draw. All 7 bookings were justified. Van der Aar and Ronaldo’s (constant) moaning, Roonie’s “penalty’ dive, some other dubious fouls and blocks, etc. It’s also amazing how all the Pro-Utd media and these sites totally ignore Nani’s dirty “over the ball, studs up” tackle that could have broken Chinbonda’s leg!! It’s funny how Lord Fergie , and all of you, missed that one – a straight red card! As for Jeanas’s tackle on Ronaldo, it was certainly a foul but replays clearly showed it was a mistimed tackle and that’s why Jenas was not sent off! And spare me the handball crap on the first goal! Jenas’s hand hit the ball but he was sparwling backwards – period – the deflection was an accident and both the Ref and linesman saw it clearly. The sad thing is that I’ve always repected Utd but they are now becoming moaners like ARSEnal and that w*nk*r Wnger, even the websites are now calling them “Moan Utd” – as for the game Fergie should be ticked – he was outmanaged, outplayed, and outhought by Ramos – PERIOD! And for heaven’s sake cut out the Clatterhead nonsense – if he had not played 4 minutes OT instead of the 3 posted Spurs would have got the 3 points that they fully deserved!
Raptor, if Ramos outmanaged, outplayed and outthought Fergie…but still only ended up with a draw at home, the future can’t be as bright as you’d like it to be, surely?
Scott the Red – nice try, but as i noted, it was Clatterhead playing the extra minute that cost the goal – even Ramos cannot account for an idiot ref who can’t keep time – too many football Refs let play go on, after time has run out, just because a team is attacking – they should blow the whistle when time is up, not extend the time to see what happens. The only exception would be a penalty kick! The NHL and NBA have independant timekeepers who sound a bloody big horn at the end of time, irrespective of what the Ref is doing – that is also good as the Ref can concentrate SOLELY ON THE GAME! Even you have to admit that Spurs, under Ramos and with the new additions and training, are a much better organized and tougher team than at the start of the season. They gave Utd notice in the FA cup last week and followed it up with one of their best performances of the season. With a few good additions in the summer they will be a top 4 threat next season! despite my annoyance at Fergie’s “blind eye” comments I still would rather see UTd overhaul the Gooners for the title. They are too good a team to keep moaning when they are outplayed – they should be better than that – surely you don’t want them to be like the gooners?
Raptor – have you ever heard the phrase “minimum amount of stoppage time”? When the boards get held up, the MINIMUM amount of injury time the referee has to play is held up. Within that MINIMUM amount of time, United won a corner. It’s a bit soft to then blame the referee. If your players had been defending properly, which they should have done if their manager outthought, outplayed outmanaged the opposition, then you’d be celebrating a win, not complaining about a referee.
For all your criticism of moaning, you’ve done an awful lot of it on my blog. Come on, you don’t want to be like an Arsenal fan do you?
raptor, you must be a yank! Talking about nba and nhl. Those games are completely different and thats what makes football (or maybe you would call it soccer) so much more attractive to us fans. Nba allows unlimited substitutions and many time outs. Do you want football to have all these as well? Stop being a sore drawer and stop whining like gooner
So when Arsenal snatched a late draw against Man U earlier in the season and celebrated, this blog was critical of them claiming that it showed lack of ambition amongst many other things. Now when Man U snatches a draw and celebrates, the reverse argument is used ..that it leaves morale high etc. I suggest you relook at your blog where you denounced Arsenal for doing so. Hypocritical of you methinks.
United Ray – actually I was born in Norn Iron and played for Glentoran in the Irish League – in addition, I was also scouted by Bob Bishop for Man United (in case you don’t know, he’s the guy who discovered Utd’s greatest ever player – Georgie Best) – I had a number of trials for United in NI but decided to stay at home as my Mum had terminal cancer! I also have a bit of affinity for Utd despite being a Spurs fan! By the way a buddy of mine, Chris Mc Grath, who I played BB football with, also played for Sputs and Utd! So I have a little idea of what I speak!
The point that you guys on here miss is that Utd were outplayed and all the moans about the yellow cards are a smokescreen for that! Unlike you UnitedRay, I have an appreciation for a number of sports not just one! You were close as I live in Canada now but catch the games each week on Setanta sports TV. I don’t expect football to cahnge to other sports but it also could learn from them too!
PG – you can’t see the difference between celebrating a draw at home and a draw away? Regardless, United after Spurs did not celebrate like Arsenal after United. We celebrated the goal madly, but at the final whistle, there were no laps of honour and tearful hugs
Scoot The Red – re: celebrations – you are correct, and not only that , but at least, in this game, the two managers and other coaches actually spent a few minutes talking to each other over what was an excellenet game. I don’t think there are too many managres in the Premier League who take more than a second with Wenger!!!
Raptor, whether the handball was accidental or not, you can not deny that it made the difference. FFS, Hargreaves’ position got fucked because of it. Not complaining, a point was probably more than we deserved, but all this ‘unintentional handballs should not be called’ thing is bollocks. No caution for Jenas, for sure, but we should’ve had a free kick there. To be fair, we’ve had our fair share of fortunate calls as well, so we have to take the bad with the good.
Actually the Setanta TV commentaors thought that Hargreaves take down was a blatant pentalty kick so UTd were still fairly punished. You are right about Utd getting calls too and that’s the nature of football. However, the call that should have been made , over any other call in the game, was a red card for Nani for his dirty “over the top, studs up” tackle on Cimbondra that could have broken his ankle! – if Clatterhead had had the “b*lls” to make that one it’s game over yet Clatterhead, every Utd fan, and Lord Fergie, somehow didn’t see that one!!!!! I guess as they say “Love is blind!!”