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 Article
by Mark Graham, Editor, Record Keeper & Official Reporter
@ MUFCINFO.COM
In this usually problematic fixture for United, the Champions claimed
their 1st win of the new league campaign after defeating Portsmouth
courtesy of the prolific Darren Fletcher's deflected effort.
The home side after being
comfortably beaten by Chelsea a week earlier had something to prove to
their manager & were quick to take the 1st chance of the game as a
rather speculative long range effort from Papa Bouba Diop's was closer
than far away of EVDS's post.
Wayne Rooney replied for United as he found space in the box only to
shoot straight at David James when he maybe could have done better.
United in control of the game for long periods kept Portsmouth quiet
while the healthier looking central partnership of Anderson & Scholes
controlled midfield, Carlos Tevez returned with Wayne Rooney as United
played some impressive football causing Portsmouth several problems in
the wide areas especially.
David James again was called into action as fellow Golden Oldie Paul
Scholes struck a free kick with the Ex Bindipper saving well as the
ball began to swerve.
On a rare venture into United's well marshalled penalty area, Patrice
Evra made an essential block from Peter Crouch after good build up
play from Jermain Defoe had United's French full back at full stretch
and alert to save a certain goal.
With Harry Redknapp purchasing the Spring Onion this summer expecting
goals, it has been infact a disastrous start to the partnership as
Defoe & Crouch have not came up with the goods so far.
United then took a deserved lead as both the Senegalese born players
Evra & Diop for whom the latter would be glad to see the back end of
his opponent by the end of the match, was beaten on the left, Evra
then crossed for Darren Fletcher to turn in from the near post (who
needs Ronaldo) despite Campbell & Distin both touching the ball before
it crossed the line.
As always though, one goal
is never enough & for all United's possession & decent football the
second killer goal would not come.
Jermain Defoe skied a shot over from close range after a Glen Johnson
free kick & Anderson who was heading for MOTM before he was
taken off in the second half, threaded a ball to Wayne Rooney on the
edge of the box shortly before half time and showing exquisite skills
Rooney turned & enabled himself to let fly with a shot which deserved
more as the ball went inches wide.
The second half was very
much like the 1st with United dominating possession but not scoring,
Tevez & Rooney both combined to almost give Anderson his 1st goal but
the energetic Brazilian failed to convert his chance.
Finding it difficult to
stop United's possession, Harry Redknapp opted for different tactics
for Portsmouth giving the home team a double substitution as Thomas &
Utaka were brought on ten minutes between each other to try to get to
grips with the game.
On the hour substitute Thomas then finally gave EVDS some work as he
cracked a powerful shot which the Stickman could only beat away due to
the power of the shot, reminding United that the game was far from
over.
Bouba Diop then again tried from distance with a drive.
Lacking ideas and with United solid at the back, Portsmouth never
looked like creating a goal only maybe for a slice of fortune from a
perfectly struck long shot or a goal mouth scramble from a set piece.
Carlos Tevez fashioned chances for United with a shot and free-kick as
United ran the clock out on a decent performance on a hard fixture,
with only maybe a few more goals changing the performance from B to a
A+.
So with the performance of Anderson, the return of Nani after his ban,
Park & Owen Hargreaves training on Friday........Manchester United are
starting to look healthier just in the knick if time as Liverpool &
Chelsea await.
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