Report on Blackburn Rovers vs Manchester United

This was not a performance of champions, but it was enough to ensure Manchester United earned the victory that extended their lead at the top of the Premier League table to five points.

Antonio Valencia broke the deadlock with a cross-cum-shot  that curled past Paul
Robinson

With seven games left it is their title to lose and although they were indebted to goalkeeper David De Gea, the opening goal, a glorious strike by Antonio Valencia, was worthy of claiming any contest.

A 20th title beckons as the delirious ranks of visiting fans were quick to remind everyone soon after Valencia’s bolt struck the net. Ashley Young added a second – only marginally less dramatic – and  Blackburn Rovers were sent into the bottom three.

This has been a burial ground of United’s dreams in the past, not always the happiest of venues, most recently in the campaign before last when a title challenge died with a goalless draw. The title was taken last season here but, interestingly, it was with another draw. Victories have been eked out.

But such is the confidence in the United camp at present, following a sequence of nine victories and a draw that has erased Manchester City’s advantage, that Sir Alex Ferguson shuffled the pack with three changes of personnel and a change of formation.

Hopefully I’ve picked the right team,” he said pre-match and it was certainly one bristling with intent with Phil Jones, the £16.5 million signing from Blackburn, recalled and given licence to roam in midfield between an attacking triumvirate.

It was a fine raking long ball from Wayne Rooney that fashioned the first opportunity. Pushed out to the left-wing, Rooney’s flighted pass confused Grant Hanley and Javier Hernández was given a clear sight of goal only to wastefully screw his shot wide.

Hernández went much closer soon after — latching onto a low cross from Antonio Valencia to fire a first-time shot that cannoned off a post, then struck goalkeeper Paul Robinson on the back. Robinson gratefully, and smartly, clutched it before it crossed the goal-line. United continued to press, going for an early kill with Michael Carrick curling over from distance and Blackburn failing to gain a foothold.

Suddenly there was a break away from the dangerous Junior Hoilett and as he ran towards goal he unleashed a fierce shot from distance, which De Gea spectacularly punched away.

It served as a reminder that Blackburn, who claimed a famous 3-2 victory at Old Trafford earlier in the campaign, had just as much at stake. Despite their plight they are also a dangerous, goal-scoring side, not least through Yakubu and he was crowded out as he threatened to force his way through.

From a corner, Patrice Evra found Jonny Evans, only for the central defender to side-foot weakly at Robinson before United stretched the play with Paul Scholes spraying the ball wide after fine build-up work by Evra. This time Valencia crossed deep, finding Jones — but he mis-directed his header. Another chance spurned.

By now, United had lost a little of their sting. The advantage of Rooney’s tweaked role was that it involved him more in the play; the disadvantage was that it involved him too much with the build-up play as he dropped deeper away from goal.

It meant United lost a bit of their cutting edge.Rooney was too close to Scholes and too far from Hernández.

Just before half-time Carrick appealed long and hard for a penalty after his shot was blocked by Scott Dann, claiming the defender had handled.

Just as the interval approached, Rooney lost possession as he tried to thread another intricate pass through and Blackburn countered. De Gea superbly clawed away Marcus Olsson’s powerful snap-shot from the area’s edge and then, from that corner, the goalkeeper pushed over Hanley’s header. United had been warned.

United were greatly indebted to De Gea for not being behind in the encounter. The Jones experiment had not been a success and yet Ferguson delayed any changes although he did, importantly, switch Rooney and Hernández, which meant the England striker was given a far more central role and he had the first pot at goal for United after the resumption – striking over from distance. Moments before Dann had glanced a header wide.

The pace needed to quicken and eventually it did although Hanley broke up United’s play with an arm in Scholes’s face. It gave Rooney the chance of another strike at goal, but Robinson comfortably pushed away his free-kick. The pressure grew with Rafael da Silva, again from distance, forcing a more taxing save from Robinson before Hernández lost the ball as he attempted to head home from close-range.

Blackburn also had more chances as Carrick delivered a wayward pass straight to Yakubu, who blazed over and then the striker was given another opportunity, but he sliced wide. Blackburn went even closer. Scholes was harshly penalised and from the free-kick Morten Gamst Pedersen drove in a low shot. De Gea stopped it, but spilled the ball which was scrambled away.

Blackburn retrieved it — and Pedersen spectacularly fired in only for the effort to be ruled out with the assistant referee judging the ball had gone out of play before it was centered by Steven Nzonzi.

It needed something special to break the deadlock and Valencia achieved it, with a sharply angled right-foot shot after he ran in from the touchline, that was simply too powerful for Robinson.

A second, almost as arresting, soon followed with Young spinning on the area’s edge and driving just inside the post to end any doubt.

Player Ratings

Blackburn Rovers

1. Paul Robinson - 6.2
2. Bradley Orr - 5.3
3. Martin Olsson - 5.6
4. Scott Dann - 5.6
5. Grant Hanley - 5.1
6. Jason Lowe - 5.1
7. Marcus Olsson - 5.6
8. David Hoilett - 5.8
9. Morten Gamst Pedersen - 5.6
10. Steven N'Zonzi - 5.3
11. Yakubu - 5.8

Manchester United

1. David De Gea - 8.5
2. Phil Jones - 6.3
3. Rio Ferdinand - 7.2
4. Patrice Evra - 6.8
5. Rafael - 7.0
6. Jonny Evans - 7.0
7. Antonio Valencia - 8.9
8. Michael Carrick - 6.7
9. Paul Scholes - 7.0
10. Javier Hernández - 6.0
11. Wayne Rooney - 7.0
12. Ashley Young - 7.6
13. Danny Welbeck - 5.9
14. Ryan Giggs - 6.8

Man of the Match : Antonio Valencia ( Manchester United )

This is the Points table with only 7 matches left.

Report on Manchester United vs Fulham

A collector of fine art, Martin Jol must have an apocalyptic vision of Old Trafford straight from the imagination of Hieronymus Bosch. Jol never experiences any joy here, his latest nightmare at the Theatre of Dreams ending with him arguing with the officials over the denial of a late penalty to Fulham.

This was a story of three important and deserved points for Manchester United, and one burning, frustrating talking point for Fulham. With a minute remaining, and United protecting Wayne Rooney’s first-half strike, Danny Murphy charged into David de Gea’s area and clearly had his heel clipped by Michael Carrick.

Michael Oliver, one of the best referees in the Premier League, erred badly, waving play on and it will be interesting to see whether one of the authorities’ favoured sons is dropped from elite duties next weekend. As United cleared, Jol went into meltdown, even stepping on to the pitch. At the final whistle, the Dutchman approached Oliver, although he did conclude their debate by shaking hands.

Jol has never savoured much luck at Old Trafford, being denied a victory by Mark Clattenburg when Pedro Mendes’s shot was ruled not to have crossed the line on Jan 4, 2005. Replays confirmed that United’s goalkeeper, Roy Carroll, clawed the ball back from almost a yard inside the goal. Adding to the sense of sporting symmetry at work, Carrick was in Jol’s Tottenham midfield that night.

United will point to mistakes against them, to Mike Jones’s decision to award Newcastle United a penalty here on Nov 26 when Rio Ferdinand challenged Hatem Ben Arfa. Ferdinand actually got the ball cleanly but Jones pointed to the spot, Demba Ba secured a point and Sir Alex Ferguson described Jones’s decision as a “travesty”. United could also highlight Oliver’s failure to award them a penalty in the first half when Fulham’s right-back, Stephen Kelly, handled Patrice Evra’s driven ball.

City will still be seething. Roberto Mancini’s next media briefing at Carrington, across a few fields from Ferguson’s lair, is likely to be an all-ticket affair. Yet City have enjoyed some good fortune, notably Gareth Barry escaping a caution, and the concession of a penalty, when poleaxing Stoke City’s Glenn Whelan on Saturday.

Back in January, Oliver showed remarkable leniency when City’s Mario Balotelli stamped on Scott Parker, the Spurs midfielder. Balotelli stayed on to score the decisive goal, a penalty (although he was subsequently banned).

For all the hyperventilating of the conspiracy theorists, both Manchester clubs will be able to highlight injustices during the season. For any neutral assessing the ebb and flow of last night’s match, a point for Fulham would also have been an injustice.

United were rarely in third gear, rarely at their fluent best but still had Rooney’s goal and a strong display from Jonny Evans, who defended well and provided an elegant assist. Fulham were also indebted to some fine goalkeeping from Mark Schwarzer to keep the score down.

Jol had posed a tactical problem that took the champions 42 minutes to solve. Until then United had just run into a wall of white shirts.

This was supposedly one of the more straightforward challenges in the title run-in but the visitors refused to roll over. Jol had set his team up to frustrate in numbers and attack on the counter.

Mahamadou Diarra anchored behind a hard-working quartet of the right-sided Damien Duff, Moussa Dembele, Clint Dempsey and Kerim Frei on the left.

David De Gea make a great save

Pavel Pogrebnyak looked isolated in the early stages but Fulham were soon supporting him well, particularly Dempsey from his central-midfield station. The American even ventured forward, testing David de Gea with a low shot. Dempsey’s next effort brought a spectacular, slightly theatrical save from De Gea.

Until the excellent Rooney broke through, Fulham’s defending was both dogged and disciplined. United were attacking like a drill-hammer, pounding away. Three minutes from half-time, United had their reward.

Following a United corner, Evra stroked the ball down the left to Young, who cut inside and did one of those little shuffles, opening a yard of space next to Kelly. Young curled the ball over, menace glinting under the floodlights, yet still Fulham should have cleared.

Brede Hangeland was well-placed to meet the ball but misjudged its flight. The ball continued towards the far post yet still Fulham should have cleared. Riise could have stopped its journey but hesitated, the ball continuing to Evans.

The centre-back, who has enjoyed his best season at Old Trafford, responded like a season centre-forward with his confident cutback to Rooney, who thumped the ball past Schwarzer.

Rooney fires United ahead at the end of the first half 

This was Rooney’s 28th United goal of the season, and he could close on his record of 34 in 2009-2010.

The lead secured, the thought of improving their goal difference, pulling closer to City, must have passed through United’s minds.

Attacking the Stretford End in the second half, United pushed on with even greater pace and purpose. A fine move involving Rooney, Antonio Valencia and a magnificent first-time pass from Giggs culminated in Valencia bringing a fine save from Schwarzer.

Then came a remarkable double save by Schwarzer after 72 minutes. When Valencia lifted over a long ball, Young met it first time with real power. Schwarzer did superbly to repel the first strike and then again to keep out Young’s follow-up. As the ball rolled clear, as the Stretford End gasped in disbelief, Giggs let fly with a shot that Hangeland managed to keep out.

Rooney runs off in celebration

For all their possession, United had to beware the sucker-punch. Bryan Ruiz swerved in a free-kick from the right, and De Gea appeared through a crowd of players to punch clear. Controversy then ensued just inside De Gea’s area and Jol’s nightmare vision of Old Trafford returned.

Man of the Match : Jonny Evans (Manchester United)