Sir Alex Ferguson was as relieved as anyone to hear the final whistle at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday, having watched his side make hard work of a 2-0 win over Reading.
Wayne Rooney scored 13 minutes from time, with Cristiano Ronaldo adding a second in injury time. But it was by no means comfortable, Reading caused United problems all afternoon and never gave in.
“By the end we were quite happy to get through it,” admitted Sir Alex afterwards.
“Considering the number of opportunities we had, maybe our decision-making in the final third of the field wasn’t at its best. We kept making chances, but you do start to worry when the game goes on and you haven’t scored.
“You worry whether you’re going to get the goal, and it took a lovely flick from Wayne to get us in front. Credit to Reading they kept going at us. They really do make you work.”
Both sides set out with an attacking agenda, which made for an end-to-end encounter.
“It was a really open match,” added Sir Alex. “It really needed an early goal, which could have led to a lot of goals in that game. We got the goal at the right time and managed to hold on to get through.
“I wasn’t sure how Reading were going to approach it. When I saw their line-up I knew they were going gung-ho. The opportunities they had, they had a go for it.
“Kitson gave us a lot of problems, but in the main it was down to our own attacking play, which wasn’t at its best today. With a bit more care in the last third we would maybe have scored more.”
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Saturday, January 19, 2008
Reading Vs. Manchester United Result Report
United remain top of the Premier League but the Reds made things difficult for themselves at the Madejski Stadium, leaving it late for Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo to seal a 2-0 victory.
Sir Alex Ferguson will not have been thankful for his side’s profligacy in front of goal for much of the match, especially against a side of Reading’s energy, enthusiasm and unwillingness to give in.
It took 77 minutes for Rooney to put United in front with an expert flicked finish, but it should have been far more straightforward. Ronaldo’s goal deep in injury time confirmed victory, although this was a win that tested the nerves.
The game was wide open in the first ten minutes, with United picking up where they left off in the second half against Newcastle creating chance after chance.
Inside the first minute Carlos Tevez and Rooney linked up to play in Ronaldo on the right, and the Portuguese winger’s low shot was only narrowly wide.
The Reds still had to be sharp at the opposite end when Leroy Lita got in behind Rio Ferdinand after ten minutes. Edwin van der Sar saved the Royals striker’s shot, and Nemanja Vidic's brilliantly-timed sliding tackle stopped Dave Kitson passing the rebound into an empty net.
Seconds later Ronaldo sent another shot fizzing past the post, before Rooney and Tevez again combined with the Argentina international firing narrowly wide.
Sir Alex’s men rarely face teams that play an open game; it’s far more common to come up against rigidly stubborn resistance than Reading’s have-a-go outlook. Some could say it was a brave decision by Steve Coppell, simply because it can play into United’s hands.
Owen Hargreaves, making only his 11th league start, was the latest to have a go, this time from a set-piece. Ronaldo was hacked down, central to the goal, 25 yards out. Hargreaves arced in his shot, which Marcus Hahnemann brilliantly turned behind for a corner.
Reading weren’t without their moments. A weak van der Sar clearance was very nearly punished by Kitson, whose 40-yard shot had to be headed clear by Ferdinand, with Edwin stranded out of his goal.
However, as against Newcastle, United could find a way through before the interval and faced a second-half searching for a way to break their opponents down.
Two minutes after the restart, United almost got a similar response to the one against Newcastle. From a corner taken by Ryan Giggs, on for Ji-sung Park at half-time, Kitson almost headed into his own goal, but Hahnemann saved the Reading striker’s blushes.
After an hour Ronaldo had a chance to score his 23rd goal of the season. Rio burst into the box and squared the ball across goal, but it bobbled just as Ronaldo went to shoot and his shot was sent skyward. United’s frustrations continued.
Sir Alex’s side played some good, penetrative football early in the second half, but the final, crucial touch was proving elusive.
The longer the game went on the greater the feeling that Reading would deny United three points. But with little more than ten minutes left, that changed with a moment of sheer brilliance.
Tevez received the ball 35 yards from goal and picked out Rooney’s run into the box. The striker allowed the ball to drop over his left shoulder before expertly guiding the ball past Hahnemann. It was as much relief as joy for the Reds.
Carrick and Ronaldo both had chances to wrap up all three points. Carrick failed to latch onto Nani’s neat pull-back from the byline, while Ronaldo was denied one-on-one by Hahnemann.
Reading kept pushing for an equaliser and there were some desperate moments during the four minutes of added time, which ended with a United breakaway and Ronaldo running the full length of the pitch to dispatch his 23rd goal of the season.
Three points and a goal each for Rooney and Ronaldo: sounds like business as usual. But it certainly wasn’t done the easy way.
Team Line-ups
Reading: Hahnemann; Murty (c), Cisse, Ingimarsson, Shorey; Doyle, Harper, Hunt, Convey (Matejovsky 79); Lita (Long 83), Kitson.
Sub not used: Federici, De la Cruz, Rosenior.
Booked: Convey
Manchester United: Van der Sar; Brown, Ferdinand (c), Vidic, Evra; Ronaldo, Hargreaves (Nani 70), Carrick, Park (Giggs 46); Tevez (Fletcher 79), Rooney.
Subs not used: Kuszczak, O’Shea.
Booked: Ferdinand Read more...
Sir Alex Ferguson will not have been thankful for his side’s profligacy in front of goal for much of the match, especially against a side of Reading’s energy, enthusiasm and unwillingness to give in.
It took 77 minutes for Rooney to put United in front with an expert flicked finish, but it should have been far more straightforward. Ronaldo’s goal deep in injury time confirmed victory, although this was a win that tested the nerves.
The game was wide open in the first ten minutes, with United picking up where they left off in the second half against Newcastle creating chance after chance.
Inside the first minute Carlos Tevez and Rooney linked up to play in Ronaldo on the right, and the Portuguese winger’s low shot was only narrowly wide.
The Reds still had to be sharp at the opposite end when Leroy Lita got in behind Rio Ferdinand after ten minutes. Edwin van der Sar saved the Royals striker’s shot, and Nemanja Vidic's brilliantly-timed sliding tackle stopped Dave Kitson passing the rebound into an empty net.
Seconds later Ronaldo sent another shot fizzing past the post, before Rooney and Tevez again combined with the Argentina international firing narrowly wide.
Sir Alex’s men rarely face teams that play an open game; it’s far more common to come up against rigidly stubborn resistance than Reading’s have-a-go outlook. Some could say it was a brave decision by Steve Coppell, simply because it can play into United’s hands.
Owen Hargreaves, making only his 11th league start, was the latest to have a go, this time from a set-piece. Ronaldo was hacked down, central to the goal, 25 yards out. Hargreaves arced in his shot, which Marcus Hahnemann brilliantly turned behind for a corner.
Reading weren’t without their moments. A weak van der Sar clearance was very nearly punished by Kitson, whose 40-yard shot had to be headed clear by Ferdinand, with Edwin stranded out of his goal.
However, as against Newcastle, United could find a way through before the interval and faced a second-half searching for a way to break their opponents down.
Two minutes after the restart, United almost got a similar response to the one against Newcastle. From a corner taken by Ryan Giggs, on for Ji-sung Park at half-time, Kitson almost headed into his own goal, but Hahnemann saved the Reading striker’s blushes.
After an hour Ronaldo had a chance to score his 23rd goal of the season. Rio burst into the box and squared the ball across goal, but it bobbled just as Ronaldo went to shoot and his shot was sent skyward. United’s frustrations continued.
Sir Alex’s side played some good, penetrative football early in the second half, but the final, crucial touch was proving elusive.
The longer the game went on the greater the feeling that Reading would deny United three points. But with little more than ten minutes left, that changed with a moment of sheer brilliance.
Tevez received the ball 35 yards from goal and picked out Rooney’s run into the box. The striker allowed the ball to drop over his left shoulder before expertly guiding the ball past Hahnemann. It was as much relief as joy for the Reds.
Carrick and Ronaldo both had chances to wrap up all three points. Carrick failed to latch onto Nani’s neat pull-back from the byline, while Ronaldo was denied one-on-one by Hahnemann.
Reading kept pushing for an equaliser and there were some desperate moments during the four minutes of added time, which ended with a United breakaway and Ronaldo running the full length of the pitch to dispatch his 23rd goal of the season.
Three points and a goal each for Rooney and Ronaldo: sounds like business as usual. But it certainly wasn’t done the easy way.
Team Line-ups
Reading: Hahnemann; Murty (c), Cisse, Ingimarsson, Shorey; Doyle, Harper, Hunt, Convey (Matejovsky 79); Lita (Long 83), Kitson.
Sub not used: Federici, De la Cruz, Rosenior.
Booked: Convey
Manchester United: Van der Sar; Brown, Ferdinand (c), Vidic, Evra; Ronaldo, Hargreaves (Nani 70), Carrick, Park (Giggs 46); Tevez (Fletcher 79), Rooney.
Subs not used: Kuszczak, O’Shea.
Booked: Ferdinand Read more...
Friday, January 18, 2008
Reading Vs. Manchester United Match Preview
Paul Scholes could make a dramatic return to action for Manchester United against Tottenham in the FA Cup. The 33-year-old midfielder is set to resume full training on Thursday after a knee operation. Scholes last figured for United in October but could be in the squad for the cup tie at Old Trafford a week on Sunday if all goes well.Assistant manager Carlos Queiroz said: ``Paul might be back on Thursday if he gets the all clear from the medical staff.
``We are very pleased with the situation and maybe he can play in the FA Cup. It is a possibility he could be on the bench.``I think he can start to smell he is coming back to the team.'' Scholes has been involved up to now in light training and Queiroz said: ``He has been like an 18-year-old boy with his attitude. ``It would be fantastic to have someone like him back in the squad.''
While Gary Neville will sit out the match against Reading tomorrow because of an ankle injury, United are to decide later today whether he will travel to Saudi Arabia on Monday for a testimonial. The option for the England defenderis to continue his recovery in the reserves next week. However England midfielder Owen Hargreaves is available again after being sidelined with a rib injury.
Defender Wes Brown also comes into contention after sitting out the 6-0 victory over Newcastle because of suspension. But Louis Saha is unlikely to be risked as he recovers from a knee problem. Queiroz - who reiterated that United do not intend to make any additions to the squad this month - expects another tough game against Reading.
Steve Coppell's side secured a point at Old Trafford on the opening day of the season. Since then Reading have been inconsistent but Queiroz said: ``Steve Coppell is doing a very good job there. ``Reading are a team that never rests and they are very well organised. ``They also have players who can score goals like (Dave) Kitson and (Kevin) Doyle. They are both doing very well. ``It will be a difficult game for us but we would like to think we can perform as well as we did against Newcastle.'' Read more...
``We are very pleased with the situation and maybe he can play in the FA Cup. It is a possibility he could be on the bench.``I think he can start to smell he is coming back to the team.'' Scholes has been involved up to now in light training and Queiroz said: ``He has been like an 18-year-old boy with his attitude. ``It would be fantastic to have someone like him back in the squad.''
While Gary Neville will sit out the match against Reading tomorrow because of an ankle injury, United are to decide later today whether he will travel to Saudi Arabia on Monday for a testimonial. The option for the England defenderis to continue his recovery in the reserves next week. However England midfielder Owen Hargreaves is available again after being sidelined with a rib injury.
Defender Wes Brown also comes into contention after sitting out the 6-0 victory over Newcastle because of suspension. But Louis Saha is unlikely to be risked as he recovers from a knee problem. Queiroz - who reiterated that United do not intend to make any additions to the squad this month - expects another tough game against Reading.
Steve Coppell's side secured a point at Old Trafford on the opening day of the season. Since then Reading have been inconsistent but Queiroz said: ``Steve Coppell is doing a very good job there. ``Reading are a team that never rests and they are very well organised. ``They also have players who can score goals like (Dave) Kitson and (Kevin) Doyle. They are both doing very well. ``It will be a difficult game for us but we would like to think we can perform as well as we did against Newcastle.'' Read more...
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Royals fear Ronaldo
Reading boss Steve Coppell has spent much of this week hoping for one thing – a Cristiano Ronaldo off-day when the Royals entertain United at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday.
The Reds winger’s form has been jaw-droppingly good in recent weeks, scoring 16 goals in his last 13 games.
As a former United wide man himself, Coppell has ultimate respect for United’s Portuguese prince. But that hasn’t stopped him fearing what Ronaldo could do to his side this weekend.
"Ronaldo's goalscoring record is phenomenal for a wide man," Coppell told local reporters.
"You can have nothing but respect for his talents. When I was player I went into the start of a season thinking a goal every six games would be a great return for a winger. But Ronaldo is scoring almost a goal a game - and he's not even a striker.
"He's scoring goals and he's also creating things for the team as well. He's got an awful lot going on in his game and he's a threat to any side in the world. You can only stand back and admire him because he's broken the mould in terms of what wide players can do.”
But if Reading’s players think they have only got Ronaldo to worry about, Coppell has some other words of warning.
"It’s not just Ronaldo, then there's Wayne Rooney. On the four occasions United have lost this season, he hasn't played. I watched their FA Cup tie at Aston Villa and he really made the difference when he came on for the last 20 minutes. That's why he cost £25 million as a 17-year-old, he makes things happen."
But Coppell’s compliments should also come with the caveat that his side are well-drilled at frustrating United. In five meetings in the last two seasons – twice in the FA Cup and three times in the league – Reading have drawn three matches, with United’s two victories both narrow 3-2 successes.
"We've got to think we can get something from these games,” added Coppell. “These are the elite teams by some way and they are always going to be difficult tests for us.
"But we've got to think we're capable of getting points off them. We know we're capable because we've done it before, but that doesn't make it any easier." Read more...
The Reds winger’s form has been jaw-droppingly good in recent weeks, scoring 16 goals in his last 13 games.
As a former United wide man himself, Coppell has ultimate respect for United’s Portuguese prince. But that hasn’t stopped him fearing what Ronaldo could do to his side this weekend.
"Ronaldo's goalscoring record is phenomenal for a wide man," Coppell told local reporters.
"You can have nothing but respect for his talents. When I was player I went into the start of a season thinking a goal every six games would be a great return for a winger. But Ronaldo is scoring almost a goal a game - and he's not even a striker.
"He's scoring goals and he's also creating things for the team as well. He's got an awful lot going on in his game and he's a threat to any side in the world. You can only stand back and admire him because he's broken the mould in terms of what wide players can do.”
But if Reading’s players think they have only got Ronaldo to worry about, Coppell has some other words of warning.
"It’s not just Ronaldo, then there's Wayne Rooney. On the four occasions United have lost this season, he hasn't played. I watched their FA Cup tie at Aston Villa and he really made the difference when he came on for the last 20 minutes. That's why he cost £25 million as a 17-year-old, he makes things happen."
But Coppell’s compliments should also come with the caveat that his side are well-drilled at frustrating United. In five meetings in the last two seasons – twice in the FA Cup and three times in the league – Reading have drawn three matches, with United’s two victories both narrow 3-2 successes.
"We've got to think we can get something from these games,” added Coppell. “These are the elite teams by some way and they are always going to be difficult tests for us.
"But we've got to think we're capable of getting points off them. We know we're capable because we've done it before, but that doesn't make it any easier." Read more...
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