THE OBSERVER – CITY LEFT RED-FACED BY RUUD & CO
Manchester United are through to the last eight of the FA Cup for the first time this century and their neighbours' reputation as comeback kings is in tatters after less than a fortnight.
'We've only got 10 men,' Old Trafford chorused as United coasted into a 3-0 lead in the second half, making light of the numerical disadvantage imposed by Gary Neville's idiotic sending-off five minutes before the interval. City's inspired revival at Tottenham Hotspur in the previous round was achieved despite being a man down for the whole of the second half, but the only resemblance this high-scoring game bore to that one was that, once again, Kevin Keegan's team got started only after going three goals down.
In all fairness, though, the man responsible for that was Tim Howard. The United goalkeeper made a string of first-class saves either side of half-time to prevent City making their extra man count, in the process preventing more accusatory fingers being pointed at a defence that had conceded six goals in the previous two games. As the attacks responsible had belonged to the less than fear some Everton and Middlesbrough, legitimate questions were being asked of United's ability to stay in the hunt for silverware in the enforced absence of Rio Ferdinand.
This Cup tie did nothing to answer them. Better finishing from City, or a less agile performance from Howard, would have resulted in United surrendering their lead at the start of the second half and anything could have happened from there. Even at the death, with the tie seemingly settled at 4-2, Antoine Sibierski (twice) and Robbie Fowler broke clean through the United rearguard but could not hit the target.
THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY – EXIT THE SHOP STEWARD – THEN UNITED STRIKE
The banner at the Stretford End that mockingly records how long it is since Manchester City last won a trophy has only recently been updated to 28 years but might as well be amended now to 29. It was 1976 when City won the Football League Cup, and even further back in time when they walked away from Old Trafford celebrating a victory.
There is never a dull moment in Manchester football these days. If it is not seven-goal thrillers involving City or United, it is intrigue behind the scenes at Old Trafford. With all sides denying agreement was imminent on Sir Alex Ferguson's claim for a king's ransom for a horse from United's two major shareholders, John Magnier and J P McManus, the real drama, as last weekend, was confined to the pitch. United had to overcome the loss of Gary Neville to a red card to defeat City 4-2 at Old Trafford and reach the last eight of the FA Cup.
If a Manchester derby ever can idle along then this one did for half an hour or so as City's apparent mission to contain paid off until Paul Scholes pounced on hesitation to put United ahead. Then, as they say, it all went off - or at least Gary Neville did. Brought in to stiffen United's recently rocky rearguard (witness last weekend's 4-3 struggle past Everton), the full-back joined the waves of United attacks and scented a penalty when tackled by Michael Tarnat.
Few were impressed by his fall and even fewer by his subsequent head-butt on his former brother in the England international players' union, Steve McManaman, as tempers frayed. After separating various warring parties, the referee Jeff Winter gave Neville his cards, a yellow for the dive followed by a red for the butt. Ferguson, while not arguing with the dismissal, was disappointed that the referee had not intervened quicker. "He allowed the mêlée to develop," he said of Winter. "It was an absolutely ridiculous bit of refereeing." And he was unhappy with McManaman's involvement, saying the winger was aggressive in the build-up to England's international shop steward going strike.
THE SUNDAY TIMES – NEVILLE’S VALENTINE CARD IS RED
Disregard Robbie Fowler’s 86th-minute consolation, Manchester United won this FA Cup fifth-round tie comfortably, despite having Gary Neville sent off in the first half for butting Steve McManaman.
City will point to Tim Howard, the United goalkeeper, making three top-notch saves in the second half, but the bottom line has to be that Keegan’s side, who have gone 14 matches without a win in the Premiership, were deservedly beaten again and are out of the cup, where they needed a good run to keep a disintegrating season alive.
After a week of takeover talk off the field and the team getting turned over by Middlesbrough on it, United were in need of a lift, and fillips come no sweeter than this.
There was no disputing Sir Alex Ferguson’s post-match assertion that “in the first half we were outstanding and should have been three or four up”. The doyen was spot-on again when he added: “In the second our counter-attacking was fantastic and we could have had five.”
Unfortunately, the United manager then departed from reality by praising his team’s “discipline” and criticising the referee, Jeff Winter, for his handling of the incident that led to Neville being sent off.
The red card is mandatory for a butt, which is how the England full-back reacted to provocation which resulted in McManaman’s every touch being booed for the rest of the game. Privately, Ferguson must be furious that having hurried Neville back after injury to bolster his dodgy defence, he now loses him for a further three games, suspended.
THE TORYGRAPH – CITY CRASH TO TEN-MEN UNITED
When your home is desperately in need of a spring clean, there can be no more heartening sight than that of moss sprouting through the next door neighbour's front drive, the bins overflowing and the front windows thick with bird droppings.
Thus Manchester United discovered that their so-called domestic crisis is actually not much more than the need for a little light dusting compared to that of City, who need a team of industrial cleaners to put their house in order. At the moment, it is in danger of condemnation, if only to the Nationwide League.
"Are you City in disguise?", United's fans brilliantly mocked them. Sadly not. Just City in all their familiar crazy colours, managing to turn a one-man advantage for 51 minutes into an unbearable handicap, spurning their best chance to win here for over 30 years.
Even the sending off of United's Gary Neville ultimately served only to increase the level of humiliation for City, a club who do not so much trade in perversity as revel in it. Three down with ten men at half-time in the previous round of the FA Cup against Spurs? No problem.
One down to ten-man United just before half-time? Mission impossible for a City team that actually managed to concede three second-half goals in eight minutes. Then, turning calamity into farce, they managed to spurn several late chances to earn at least a replay
THE PEOPLE – THEY'RE MAD FOR IT
Not a broadsheet but a good piece anyway:
How many times were these two wheeled out during Keegan's England days to say there was no rift between the Mancunians and the Scousers?
Oh, yeah. And Thatcher and Scargill were secret lovers.
And a decade of mutual disdain erupted in 30 seconds of hugely entertaining madness.
First there was Neville's response to being denied a penalty after Michael Tarnat's legitimate challenge.
For some reason, he thrashed around like an electric eel...in pain.
Macca had some caustic words and put his fringe in Gary's face and the animosity that has festered for years exploded on to Shaggy's nose.
Not a nut that a Scouser like Macca or a Glaswegian like Fergie would write home about - but meaty enough all the same.
Astonishing. Gary Neville - headbutter? It was like finding out that bloke Atkins was fat.