THE INDEPENDENT - RONALDO AND KEANE PUT UNITED ON EASY STREET
The one thing you cannot accuse Sir Alex Ferguson of is taking his reviews too seriously. Criticised for making too many changes against Fulham eight days ago, he made even more against Leeds on Tuesday and tinkered again yesterday - and for what result? As many wins as the fingers he would no doubt like to brandish at his detractors.
Yesterday it was Portsmouth's turn to experience the Ferguson effect that rarely seems to go wrong even when logic would suggest otherwise. For the vast majority of the game Manchester United were just as lethargic and sloppy as they had been against Fulham but this time they walked off with the points and a flattering scoreline.
Yet it could have gone wrong and still might have done but for the appearance of Cristiano Ronaldo and Roy Keane as substitutes with 15 minutes to go. Until then United were hanging on unconvincingly to a 1-0 lead secured by Diego Forlan's third goal in as many matches, but with their arrival was like the appearance of the cavalry on a ridge. A goal apiece and suddenly the afternoon had all the appearance of an easy stroll.
Enter Ronaldo and Keane and exit Pompey's chance. Giggs, who was in exhilarating form all afternoon, was tripped wide on the left after 80 minutes and Ronaldo fired in a low drive that may have begun as a cross but soon became something far more ambitious as is skidded through the area. Too late Hislop realised the danger and the ball bounced into the far corner.
Ronaldo also had a hand in United's final goal, albeit a small one, as he directed a routine throw-in in Keane's direction with eight minutes remaining. Suddenly the United captain turned and then curled a left-foot shot that had a precision an architect would have admired.
THE SUNDAY TIMES -UNITED FINISH WITH KEANE FLOURISH
It was business as usual at Old Trafford yesterday, although two late goals gave the scoreline an emphasis Portsmouth’s spirited performance scarcely warranted. Having pushed United to discomfort for 80 minutes, the visitors surrendered to goals by two substitutes introduced, as Sir Alex Ferguson later admitted, to consolidate rather than add gloss.
United hewed their way to three points under the aegis of the hard-grafting Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville, who attacked venomously and defended calmly when those around him surrendered possession.
Hard-earned though United’s victory was, it exorcised the demons invoked by Fulham’s victory at Old Trafford last week, United’s first Premiership reverse since Boxing Day last year. Ferguson blamed the aberration on United’s "unrecognisable lethargy", combined with Fulham playing "extremely well" and a coda claiming his troops were "drained" after their Ibrox exertions.
Without a victory at Old Trafford since 1957, Portsmouth were probably United’s visitors of choice. This morning they still seek their first Premiership victory away and are without a league goal in 354 minutes. Worse, as they tumble down the Premiership, their travels are already beginning to acquire the dangerous hue of days out rather than opportunities to earn points. Now, they must look over their shoulders.
They began impressively, deploying the physically imposing Yakubu Ayegbeni as a lone striker and Teddy Sheringham, given the warmest of welcomes by the home faithful, immediately behind him. In midfield, if Portsmouth were not capable of outcrafting United, they could outhustle them; while a disciplined defence was conducted by the flame-haired Hayden Foxe with an authority Sir Simon Rattle would have envied.
Base camp established, Ports-mouth aimed for the summit. In the 12th minute, miscommunication between Nicky Butt and Eric Djemba-Djemba — the central midfield combination Ferguson is keen to persevere with — was exploited by Patrik Berger. The Czech hurtled towards goal, spun around Neville and Rio Ferdinand with exuberant panache. A rising drive beat Howard and the bar, but only just.
THE TELEGRAPH - UNITED SHOW LATE SWAGGER
As Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp feared all along, Manchester United just do not lose two home games on the trot. Even so, it took a double substitution by manager Sir Alex Ferguson to produce the late goals by Cristiano Ronaldo and Roy Keane that prevented the promoted south-coast side from adding further embarrassment to the 3-1 defeat heaped upon the Premiership champions by Fulham last week.
Until the zest of Ronaldo and Keane was added to the mix 15 minutes from the end, a lacklustre United were in danger of conceding an equaliser and, horror of horrors, losing ground to Arsenal and Chelsea at the top of the table. Portsmouth, as has often been the case this season, played some nice football without being able to convert it into goals; and they certainly had the chances to equalise.
But, with the convalescing Paul Scholes missing as well, Nicky Butt and Eric Djemba-Djemba were never able to establish any kind of mastery over the central midfield. Only Gary Neville, magnificently combative and enterprising at right-back, and Ryan Giggs, as quick and inventive as ever, really troubled the Portsmouth defence until the 37th minute, when Neville's crossfield pass was headed back by Giggs for Diego Forlan to drive a half-volley into the bottom corner.
Ruud van Nistelrooy ought to have joined Neville and Giggs on the United honours list, but his one moment of magic saw him clip the crossbar thrillingly with a dipping volley. Then, presented with a clear run at goal by Giggs's defence-splitting pass, the normally deadly Dutchman skied his shot high over the crossbar. With finishing like that, no wonder Van Nistelrooy has not scored for a month now.
THE OBSERVER - KEANE SEALS IT WITH STAMP OF AUTHORITY
Accusations, denials, conspiracy theories, betrayals. It is difficult to remember whether it is Manchester United or the late Princess Diana we are reading about these days. But, Rio Ferdinand's drug charges and United ire at Arsenal's punishment by the FA notwithstanding, the champions were able to focus on the pitch for 90 minutes against Portsmouth.
The performance was hardly stunning - a flattering victory inflated by two late goals - but after disaster at Old Trafford last weekend, the players in football's greatest running soap opera must have been relieved to have collected three points, which keep them in the thick of what is rapidly becoming a three-horse race for the title.
Ferguson again fielded what would be considered a weakened team yesterday, the experienced pair of Roy Keane and Phil Neville starting on the bench, without suffering on this occasion.
However, the significance should not be lost that until the introduction of Keane and the gifted Portugal youngster Cristiano Ronaldo in the 75th minute, the outcome of the match hung in the balance and it required goals from both replacements to secure a lopsided victory