Everton came to Old Trafford boosted by an impressive unbeaten run and in spells, it showed. Without the brilliance of Ronaldo to call upon, the gap at the top may well have been more than a point. A wonderful acceleration of pace, a cut inside and left foot shot that swerved beyond Howard gave United the lead. United’s advantage was cancelled out by Cahill’s well-taken leap and header from Pienaar’s cross but it fell to the show pony turned showman to once again grab the headlines and points with an expertly placed penalty, that few doubted he would miss.
Ronaldo can be irresistible at times. His pace and trickery are well documented but it is his accuracy and end product that now stand him out as one of best players in the world. To be great in spells is doable. But to be consistently United’s best performer is something else. It must have helped learning alongside players of the dedication and quality of Ryan Giggs. Let us hope that same level of dedication in the pursuit of perfection is passed down to the likes of Anderson and Nani.
Credit for the three points must also go to United’s management. With the game seemingly heading for a draw, United took off both Carrick and Anderson and on went a third attacker in Saha together with the almost forgotten Fletcher. Such a decision could have left United vulnerable to the break. Yet, it is the United way to go all out to win games and attack until the final whistle for the three points. Such hunger for wins is the hallmark of the Fergie era. It was a gamble that paid off. More pressure was put on Everton’s defence and with United camped at the Stretford End, players like Pienaar were found defending in the penalty area. Somewhere I doubt he, Moyes or the Everton fans will want to see him again. To say his challenge on Giggs was rash is an understatement. A reverse sweep of the attackers legs is a move normally only witnessed in a Dojo. Moyes placed his head in his hands for good reason, a lesser manager may have cried.
United were missing Van der Saar, Ferdinand and Hargreaves. Speculation surrounds the injuries. It is hard to believe that these were not absences inflicted upon them by Manchester United. Van der Saar for his shocking display at Anfield and Ferdinand for his role in the Xmas Party. Time will tell. Either way, it provided an opportunity for Simpson, Carrick and Kuszczak. An opportunity that none took. Simpson was replaced at halftime, to the relief of most of us. Carrick made a couple of telling passes and a couple of sloppy ones and remains a source of mild frustration. He was replaced on 70 minutes. As for Kuszczak, he handled well but his kicking was abysmal and he remains unconvincing.
With Arsenal beating Spurs, this was an important three points. However, Manchester United must do more to ensure that Ronaldo is not overly relied on this season. More and more, my thoughts turn to Berbatov.
