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The Stamford Bridge soap opera has caused more than a little mirth at Old Trafford over the past week, but, for those Manchester United supporters who took great joy in mocking Roman Abramovich, Peter Kenyon and the absent José Mourinho during the 2-0 victory yesterday, there was even greater satisfaction at a fifth consecutive win to underline the momentum that their title challenge is gathering.
After a stuttering start to the season, United are second in the Barclays Premier League, two points behind Arsenal, who have played a game fewer, but three points clear of Chelsea. They have yet to match the form shown by Arsenal – who have scored 15 goals in six games, compared with United’s six in seven - but, with Carlos Tévez and Louis Saha getting off the mark in a 2-0 victory, there are some ominous signs about Sir Alex Ferguson’s team.
“The first half was as well as we have played this season,” Ferguson said. “There was terrific penetration and movement and passing in our game and we were really in top form. At that point, we could have been two or maybe three goals ahead. We were dominant. The second half we weren’t as good. We played with too much caution, but when we play with risk and penetration, like we showed in the first half, we’re a very good team.”
That is quite an understatement, of course, but United have been slow to recapture their title-winning form of last season, as Ferguson recognises.
“I am only too well aware that we have so far been well short of the Manchester United we are capable of being, with everyone flying and producing great penetration,” he wrote in his programme notes. “We have got by, digging out those valuable one-goal wins, but I know better than anyone that we have been lacking in the attack department. With a bit of luck, I shall be able to select a team today that can turn that around.”
By that, Ferguson meant fielding Tévez and Wayne Rooney in tandem for the first time. With Tévez putting United ahead in first-half stoppage time, his first goal in seven games for United, it could certainly be classed as a successful afternoon for the new partnership as they kept Chelsea on the back foot throughout. The postmatch statistics suggested that, contrary to Avram Grant’s claims, United were utterly dominant. Tévez was even named man of the match by Sky Sports – a little mystifyingly, given the top-class contributions of Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick and Ryan Giggs – and, while there were few signs of an instant understanding with Rooney, the Argentinian’s goal, along with Saha’s penalty, underlined Ferguson’s confidence that it will come with time.
“I think he’s a really good player,” Ferguson said of Tévez. “I think he will get better. He’s still a young lad, but he has a confidence in himself. He’s as brave as a lion and tough as nails. I’m pleased today that he has got a goal. He had a good goalscoring record at West Ham and scoring today will only help him. Now he’s got his first goal, he will go on from there.”
So, too, one suspects, will Saha and, for that matter, Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, who have had slow starts to the season because of injury and suspension respectively. Neither was at his best yesterday, with Rooney briefly consumed by red mist in the second half as he was booked for dissent and involved in verbal exchanges with Ashley Cole and John Terry, but it is a given that their form will come. “That’s what it’s about,” Ferguson said. “In the past few weeks we’ve kept our togetherness and kept playing as a real team. That way, we can get results. We’ll chase the leaders, chase Arsenal, and that’s the way to do it.”
After a stuttering start to the season, United are second in the Barclays Premier League, two points behind Arsenal, who have played a game fewer, but three points clear of Chelsea. They have yet to match the form shown by Arsenal – who have scored 15 goals in six games, compared with United’s six in seven - but, with Carlos Tévez and Louis Saha getting off the mark in a 2-0 victory, there are some ominous signs about Sir Alex Ferguson’s team.
“The first half was as well as we have played this season,” Ferguson said. “There was terrific penetration and movement and passing in our game and we were really in top form. At that point, we could have been two or maybe three goals ahead. We were dominant. The second half we weren’t as good. We played with too much caution, but when we play with risk and penetration, like we showed in the first half, we’re a very good team.”
That is quite an understatement, of course, but United have been slow to recapture their title-winning form of last season, as Ferguson recognises.
“I am only too well aware that we have so far been well short of the Manchester United we are capable of being, with everyone flying and producing great penetration,” he wrote in his programme notes. “We have got by, digging out those valuable one-goal wins, but I know better than anyone that we have been lacking in the attack department. With a bit of luck, I shall be able to select a team today that can turn that around.”
By that, Ferguson meant fielding Tévez and Wayne Rooney in tandem for the first time. With Tévez putting United ahead in first-half stoppage time, his first goal in seven games for United, it could certainly be classed as a successful afternoon for the new partnership as they kept Chelsea on the back foot throughout. The postmatch statistics suggested that, contrary to Avram Grant’s claims, United were utterly dominant. Tévez was even named man of the match by Sky Sports – a little mystifyingly, given the top-class contributions of Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick and Ryan Giggs – and, while there were few signs of an instant understanding with Rooney, the Argentinian’s goal, along with Saha’s penalty, underlined Ferguson’s confidence that it will come with time.
“I think he’s a really good player,” Ferguson said of Tévez. “I think he will get better. He’s still a young lad, but he has a confidence in himself. He’s as brave as a lion and tough as nails. I’m pleased today that he has got a goal. He had a good goalscoring record at West Ham and scoring today will only help him. Now he’s got his first goal, he will go on from there.”
So, too, one suspects, will Saha and, for that matter, Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, who have had slow starts to the season because of injury and suspension respectively. Neither was at his best yesterday, with Rooney briefly consumed by red mist in the second half as he was booked for dissent and involved in verbal exchanges with Ashley Cole and John Terry, but it is a given that their form will come. “That’s what it’s about,” Ferguson said. “In the past few weeks we’ve kept our togetherness and kept playing as a real team. That way, we can get results. We’ll chase the leaders, chase Arsenal, and that’s the way to do it.”