It’s Raining Penalties
Poor Avram Grant must be thinking of ways to get the penalty mark removed from the field of play. Eighteen months ago, John Terry slipped on the spot that cost Grant his job at Chelsea. Last night, Wayne Rooney showed how to stay on your feet not once but twice when taking a penalty to steer Manchester United to a comfortable victory at the once impregnable Fratton Park.
United’s formation, based around Rooney’s power play as a sole striker together with Antonio’s Valencia’s speed and Ryan Giggs’ imaginative darts and flicks, were a thorn in the Portsmouth side. There was the usual poor first half performance from the Red Devils, which was understandable when they looked over to their bench and did not see the calming, gum-chewing influence of Sir Alex Ferguson.
United created numerous openings with the forward players’ movement, helped by a Portsmouth defence which makes Burnley’s look water-tight. Sir Alex may have found a role that fits Paul Scholes in his final few years as the deep-lying playmaker. The gingerhead looked much more comfortable with Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher combing the middle in front of him. They gave him time and space to distribute the ball as only he knows how.
Tomasz Kuszczak reassured United fans that there is life after Edwin Van der Sar with a faultless performance in goal. He was already better than Ben Foster because he could actually kick the ball. Three brilliant saves last night makes him a serious contender for the future number one spot. But it won’t stop fan forums from continually mentioning the names of Igor Akinfeev and Manuel Neuer.
The game could have gone all wrong for United had they allowed yet another unfathomable refereeing decision affect them. Referee Mike Dean was all ready to blow for a foul on Kuszczak when he got a message in his earpiece from his assistant, who somehow spotted an infringement by Nemanja Vidic 50 yards away. Sometimes, you wonder whether these people just want to get on the back pages of the newspapers, a sure-fire way to a book publishing deal in the future.
Thankfully, while my frustration was taken out on a pillow which I almost threw out the window, United focused their efforts on regaining the lead and after the interval, started to show why they had those champions badges on their jerseys. The manner in which Rooney tucked in his second goal from a trademark Giggs flick harkened back to the days of Eric Cantona, the nonchalant finisher extraordinaire.
Rooney’s hat-trick was sealed with his second penalty of the day and another to be added to the list of dubious refereeing calls in the match. Frederic Piquionne was clumsy in trying to win the ball back from Giggs but there was minimal contact between them. Dean probably used this opportunity to make things right and prevent Sir Alex from calling him bald or ugly after the game.
Giggs, who becomes 36 years young this weekend, turned it into an impromptu birthday party with a splendid free-kick just before the end. This Welsh man is the greatest Manchester United player in history. His commitment to the United cause since he was a schoolboy is a dying breed in a time when players’ loyalty to their clubs is determined by the numbers on their pay cheque. There will never be another Ryan Giggs so cherish every minute that he spends in a red jersey.
This performance may be over-stated against the bottom dwellers of the league but seeing his side win comfortably and put some pressure on Chelsea must have brought a smile to Sir Alex’s face, along with the fact that he didn’t have to sit on the bench in monsoon weather conditions.
As for Portsmouth, it’s going to be a struggle till May for them to save their top flight status. I salute the half naked lunatic fan who kept ringing his bell throughout the ninety minutes. If only his team showed just as much commitment and consistency.
I like Portsmouth