Premier League
Old Trafford
Okay, minute-by-minute action, as long as there is something worthy to talk about. Both teams aren’t afraid to score goals, and both sides field starting elevens with the emphasis on attack.
Man Utd: Foster, O’Shea, Vidic, Jonathan Evans, Evra, Nani, Fletcher, Scholes, Welbeck, Rooney, Berbatov.
Subs: Kuszczak, Ferdinand, Brown, Anderson, Carrick, Fabio Da Silva, Valencia.
Sunderland: Gordon, Bardsley, Turner, Ferdinand, Richardson, Malbranque, Cana, Cattermole, Reid, Bent, Jones.
Subs: Fulop, McCartney, Nosworthy, Campbell, Henderson, Da Silva, Healy.
Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire).
~~~
0 mins – Sunderland kick off.
6mins – GOAL – A very positive start for Sunderland, capped by a very well taken goal by Darren Bent, right in the corner of the goal by the in-form striker. Slack defending by the home side, who have to come from behind for the second game in a row. Questions may be raised about Foster, but he wasn’t getting to that.
0-1
10 mins – A woeful opening ten minutes by the home side. The first sign of anything half-decent comes from makeshift left midfielder Danny Welbeck, who looks keen coming forward, but narrow positioning and tight marking diffused any kind of serious threat. Utd, particularly when defending, look like they’re a man down already. Captain Rio, not fit enough to play three times in a week, may be what they’re lacking. Add Neville and Giggs to that, it becomes aware what United are missing: a loud influence on the pitch.
14 mins – The new, slim-looking Andy Reid nearly finds a great pass from inside his own half towards captain Cana, but Evra gets enough of a touch on it away from the midfielder.
18 mins – O’Shea aims a cross towards Welbeck, Anton Ferdinand knocks it away for a corner, which comes to nothing.
21 mins – Another corner for Utd, wasted by Nani. As it’s not cleared, it allows first Welbeck, then Scholes to have a wallop at it; the latter bounced off Rooney and then a Sunderland player for another corner, which again was never threatening.
As many may be uttering under their breath at OT, Nani is NOT first team material. Sunderland are defending solidly, and Cattermole is looking flawless already. Rooney starting to get his grump on.
24 mins – Oh look, Scholes has mistimed a challenge and has been booked for it. I know he has a reputation, but he was never this consistent with them, was he?
Sunderland’s 3,000 fans are louder than Utd’s 70,000+. Too many day returns, one may assume.
27 mins – Well, that’s better from the reds; nearly a wasted free kick, Utd keep possession, the ball finding its way to Vidic in an unusual right wing position, and the daisy-cutting cross is stopped by the Scottish goalkeeper. Up the other end, Jones’ shot is easily gathered by Ben Foster.
38 mins – when Utd are good, they’re very very good, when they’re bad, they’re horrid. Changes must be made at half time, and the hairdryer is surely being plugged in. This is unwatchable.
45 mins – Well, that wasn’t one sided. Sunderland and Steve Bruce will be looking for a similar half to that one; Fergie on the other hand, will be looking for objects to throw.
46 mins – First Sub – Anderson replaces Scholes, who received that deserved yellow,and had little else to offer.
50 mins – GOAL – Finally, 50 minutes in and Berbatov has done something. Initial play from Nani was better which led to Rooney’s attempt on goal being blocked by Gordon. The cross back into play by O’Shea is met by a Peter Crouch-style bicycle kick / volley by the Bulgarian beyond Gordon. The 28 year old striker has spent half the game missing, but has scored well taken goal. For £30 million, why does he not impress like this more often?
1-1, game on.
57 mins – GOAL – Another awful corner by Nani flys over everyone. Rooney wins another from the other side, decides to take it himself to show Nani how to do it, but doesn’t do much better himself. Less than a minute later, Andy Reid is at the heart of Sunderland’s attack again, his one two with Jones, followed by a looping cross should have been caught by Foster, but he was well and truely beaten by Jones, who’s header puts the Black Cats back in front. Fletcher gets booked for dissent soon after.
1-2
Who will be given the boot out of OT first; Foster or Nani? I guarantee no-one’s specifically paid to see them play today.
62 mins – Welbeck, one of today’s more eager performers, shoots over from just outside the box, causing Rooney’s anger-o-meter to reach 65% – he wanted that early pass, even if it wasn’t on.
64 mins – Oooft. Rooney has a go, which beats Gordon, alas it’s just wide – Utd could score at anytime, Sunderland must remember. Carrick is stripping off to come on, surely it’s for Nani.
70 mins – Six minutes later, and Nani is still on the pitch. To be fair, his crosses are starting to look a little bit more threatening. He even has a shot, but Gordon can stop those low strikes all night long.
Some SUB action: Carrick is joined by Valencia in coming on, Danny Welbeck and Fletcher make way. Utd have no backup strikers now welbeck is off.
72 mins – Nothing from set pieces for Utd today, Nani with another corner, Berbatov’s header into the Stretford end.
SUB for Sunderland, the impressive Reid comes off, the promising Henderson comes on, and is straight into the action.
73 mins – Oh how unlucky; Jones air kicks in front of goal that could, nay, should have been game over. It may have been Carrick’s touch that took it away from him. Will that come back to haunt Steve Bruce?
78 mins – the 3,000 Sunderland fans are now ole’ing the passes on the right flank, to which the rest of OT have no response. Roy would blame the prawns.
82 mins – With rooney too busy at 70% grump factor, and Berbatov having done what he thinks all he needs to do, Utds midfield need to spark something in the final third – Valencia’s run was going nowhere, but uneasy defending by the black cats sees Anderson able to lean back and have a try. Leaning back a little too much see’s his shot over.
5th SUB, Campbell is coming on, another former Utd player. Jones is off.
84 mins – Well, that is ridiculous. Anton Ferdinand was booked earlier in the half for kicking the ball away, now the makeshift left back Kieran Richardson does exactly the same thing. Sadly for him, it’s his second booking, and he’s sent for an early bath. Tactically stupid, Utd now have a man advantage for the last few minutes, which will also add a few minutes at the end of the game, and as we know, that will favour the home side.
Quick SUB on the back of that red card, Sunderland bring on another left-back, George McCartney, for Steed Malbranque.
87 mins – Deep cross into the Sunderland box, but the Vidic header wasn’t threatening, however it’s another chance. Hugely impressed by Turner for Sunderland. Add Cattermole and Cana to that list, such a good spine for this new look Sunderland side.
89 mins – Here’s the official showing a minimum of four added mins. So that will be 4:59 plus Fergie-time. The first effort after 90 goes to Carrick, but again, no real threat to Gordon. No-one is wearing shooting boots for Utd tonight.
92 mins – GOAL – Well, they’ve done it again, those plucky reds. Promising attacking play by Utd, including alertness by Valencia on the right. Eventually the ball comes back to O’Shea, who again swings the ball in the box to Vidic, who’s header is cleared as far as Carrick, who rolls it to Evra, and his left-footed shot comes off Rio’s brother Anton, who looks flabbergasted. What a mood killer that is. United will now go into 9th gear.
2-2
93 mins – 9th gear it is. I count that as four corners in a row, and Utd have everyone forward, it seems. They spend the whole game looking like they are missing a man, now with the man advantage, they look a different team. Sunderland have bodies in front of everything and appear to hang on. The final action sees Rooney have a shot blocked, and that’s that.
How unfortunate for Sunderland; they really do not deserve to lose 2 points. Man for man, their players had a much better night; to go to OT and play so well, and lead for much of the game takes some doing. They will hopefully look on the brighter side, and continue this motivation for the rest of the month.
Sir Alex’s side played slightly better in the 2nd half, but that isn’t saying much. They’ll play better with Giggs and Van Der Sar, but there is great scope for improvement. The big worry seems to be the central defenders, who are having real issues dealing with a decent strikeforce.
Scoring last minute goals can win you titles, relying on them will not.
Haha love it! :)
[…] of the downfall; a 4-5-1 line up with no real attacking threat other than Carlton Cole. When Sunderland visited Old Trafford last October they played with confidence in their own ability and played to their own strengths. Cana and […]