through Spurs.
You could visible see all the hatred the Spurs’ players feel for Andre Villas-Boas during the 90 minutes, plus insulting
time added on, at Old Trafford on Saturday evening.
It almost felt like 23 years worth of hate.
I do wonder if Mick McCarthy was meant to be on Match of the Day on Saturday night, or was he a late phone call by the production staff. Their intended “pundit” unfortunately couldn’t make it at the last minute. Had to commiserate with one of his pals from The Sun.
So those early morning headlines of “player unrest” and how AVB hadn’t learned from his previous job. Funny that on the same day there was a number of actual interviews with actual players who all seemed to be quite happy. Ah but Lloris is frustrated
. Is he? Well I’m asking you. No you were telling me he is.
Just under 2 minutes in and the Spurs’ player were shoving those words back down the throat of ‘Arry’s chums. Jan Vertonghen left to wonder through the ManUre defence. Not for the first time on the afternoon Ferdinand will be found wanting, before his shot is deflected in for the lead. The only problem about Vertonghen is where to play him when everyone is available, left-back means he might get into the game more, with Kaboul in alongside Caulker in the centre it could be the best option.
It was only minutes in but Spurs were bossing the whole game. Thankfully Fergie thought it was one of those games he could get out of Giggs. Thanks you dozy old soak.
Wasn’t just the midfield that looked old and creaky the back four were there for the running at. Lennon had a go but his shot was blocked before on the half hour Sandro put in yet another great tackle, onto Dembele who fed Bale just inside the ManUre half and he was off. Defoe did a great job of dragging Evans wide as Bale just breezed past Ferdinand to finish with his right.
Poor old Rio. All those that talked about an England comeback post Terry were all of a sudden revising that opinion and finally seeing there is footballing reasons
he isn’t in the thoughts of Hodgson, who was on hand to see.
Two nil was a deserved lead for this dominance. Spurs were in ManUre’s face. Dembele was running the show.
Of course this being Spurs against ManUre and especially at Old Trafford it may have been deserved but it wasn’t going to be enough. Though a glimmer of light shone through. Nani in the box, Vertonghen grabs his shirt and the Portuguese falls to the ground. Shock horror! Nothing given. Yes it was a penalty with the grab but why would a grab of your shirt make your legs lift up at the knees? Over-egged it, even the old soak admitted it. But still a shocker.
The first half finished with Spurs dropping deeper and deeper. It was kind of obvious what was required from both managers. My only criticism of AVB is that he didn’t get his right while Fergie did.
At the break I Tweeted that all it needed from Spurs was to stick someone on Scholes. Instead of one player scuttling about and pressing who ever had the ball amongst the hosts furthest back players, just do a man on man job with the only player that was making ManUre tick. AVB tried to do it later in the second half but it wasn’t really done properly.
Fergie on the other hand withdrew the inept Giggs for Rooney. Now while Rooney changed things and brought an impetus it was still Scholes they kept looking at to get things going. Many have gone on about the pass percentage of such a large number of attempts but he was an easy outlet as were the passes with no real pressure.
Dropping deeper and deeper, the Spurs way when leading it was no surprise that a goal came and came relatively quickly after the break. What was a surprise was what followed in the next couple of minutes. As most Spurs fans started to digest that here we go again
feeling a hump up the park – plenty of those just this one paid off – to Defoe and the little fella did some of the best work I think I’ve seen from him. Though he was only up against Ferdinand, who he mugged to come inside and played an excellent ball into the path of the charging Bale his shot was blocked by the ‘keeper as Dempsey was all on his Todd in the middle of the area to tap in his first goal for the club.
Two goal lead restored. For all of a minute and a half and some slack defending saw Kagawa onside and slotting in their second. Back to being one up.
One up with what turned out to be just over 40 minutes left. Spurs can’t hold onto that. Not against ManUre, not at home never mind away.
But in one of the ugliest one sided displays by those in white – with thankfully the blue shorts back – they did. It was a pretty hopeless display of hoof ball just gifting those in red the ball with ease and most days it wouldn’t come off but on this day it did.
Of course there was the usual screams of penalties from the home lot. Sandro’s was ball to hand when he hand’t a clue where the ball was but then that’s never stopped a ref at Old Trafford before has it.
At the final whistle that loathing shared between manager and his players was on full show as they jumped about and hugged each other in celebration. It was pure hate.
Fergie then pops up post match with his usual routine that, slightly slurred, we woz robbed
. Four minutes of added time was an insult
. Hahaha. No penalties and the ref not handing out plenty of Fergie time
. Oh dear, how could this be? Oh and there wasn’t six substitutions that would count Alex, you made one at half-time, it isn’t added. You had forty minutes to score against a Spurs side away from home, camped in their own penalty area, aimlessly giving the ball away. Couple of more minutes wasn’t going to change things, van Peries and the rest would have just missed more open goals and great chances.
Poor old ‘Arry, what will his chums come up with now. Now that Old Trafford monkey is off the club’s back after 23 years. Yes he got a couple of away wins where they’d been hard to come by but didn’t do this one. Unlike AVB.