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Manchester United once again reaped the rewards of
playing until the final whistle when a late injury
time equaliser gave a poor United side a share of
the points against
Steve Bruce's Sunderland.
Rio
Ferdinand's baby brother steered in Patrice Evra's
shot four minutes into injury time seconds before
Sunderland were on the brink of victory. Goals
from Darren Bent & Kenwyn Jones twice put the
visitors ahead before a luminous goal from Dimitar
Berbatov (who played on a different galaxy then most
of his team mates today) equalised.
SAF rang
in change to his squad with Fletcher & Paul Scholes
central, Nani & Danny Welbeck occupying the wide
positions & Wayne Rooney partnering Berbatov.
Rio Ferdinand was on the bench as Jonny Evans took
his position alongside Nemanja Vidic at the heart of
United's defence
According to Spurs boss Harry Redknapp, his mother
in law is a better finisher & when on seven minutes
the former Spurs man turned and giving himself
space belted a low shot past Ben Foster giving his
team a shock lead, I began to doubt Mr Redknapp's
claim.
To say
that United had an off day would be an
understatement, just seven days ago Paul Scholes
moved the football around as if it was under his
spell, today was the total opposite as the Ginger
Ninja was awful.
In a rare
day that saw Darren Fletcher & Wayne Rooney
youngster Danny Welbeck have equally as bad days at
the office as Scholes, a tired looking plodding team
stood like statues as Dimitar Berbatov tried his
best to orchestrate some sort of order to a
shambles.
Time and
time again no movement saw passes into areas where
Sunderland defenders & midfielders surrounded their
opponent making a bad decision even worse.
With
Sunderland keeper Craig Gordon unemployed for the
entire half several in your editors opinion "spoilt
basterds" decided to treat the United team to a
chorus of boo's as the team, heads down trudged off
the pitch leaving SAF walking down the touchline
giving him food for thought for what must have been
the inevitable hair dryer treatment.
Scholes
was taken off at half time replaced by Anderson as
the United engine room looked to actually turn on
the ignition after a feckless 1st half.
Nani who
was as poor as his 1st game at Stoke suddenly found
a patch of form in the form of pacy attacking
running as he force Brown into action when Rooney
shot, for United the second half couldn't have
started any better as the rebound came to JOS who
crossed into the box for Berbatov to sumptuously
volley a goal into the bottom corner.
With the
bit between their teeth United were back in the game
so early and the game was set up for the Reds to now
add to their lead.
WRONG......Instead, United fell behind again only
seven minutes later when in perhaps controversial
circumstances Sunderland striker Kenwyn Jones may
have fouled Ben Foster after Andy Reid sent a high
cross into the United penalty area.
With many
arguing that Foster was "light weight" in his
challenge Sunderland an no doubt other ABU's will
have been pleased to see Jones' header roll into an
empty net as the Black Cats in Alex Ferguson's 666th
game in charge took the lead for the second time.
Anything
is possible in a game of football and as we are
renown for our late goals, it indeed wasn't going to
be one of our own players that were the toast of Old
Trafford, on this occasion it was one of our
opponents, as after a needless sending of from Big
Time Charlie Ex Red
Kieran Richardson's Sunderland were at a
disadvantage for the rest of the game.
Under a
spell of pressure at Old Trafford, late on, most
teams seem to buckle & fortunately & maybe
undeservingly Patrice Evra's shot was steered into
his own net by Anton Ferdinand giving United & his
older brother a point. |
Article by Mark Graham, Editor, Record Keeper & Official
Reporter @ MUFCINFO.COM.
Berbatov (51),
