IF YOU CAN BEAR IT - VIEWS FROM THE BROADSHEETS

THE SUNDAY TIMES - CANARIES ROCK UNITED'S HOPES

Manchester United picked a fine Saturday to surrender most of their values and to be beaten for the first time in the League in Norfolk since January 1990.

Give credit, of course, to Norwich, and even if this victory turns out to be the defiant act of a drowning club then they thoroughly deserved the points. Norwich trapped United after a first half of mediocrity by resisting the vulgarity that too often laces the boots and the performances of a player we are still hoping to herald as England’s most gifted of the future, Wayne Rooney. It was his introduction in the second half that led to both Norwich goals and United facing the threat of a third-place finish in the Premiership.

The first half was an apology for a team wearing United colours. Five minutes before the break, Sir Alex Ferguson was on his feet and fixing a glare in the direction of Kleberson, the hairdryer treatment from 70 yards. December 1 was the last time the Brazilian disappointment had been selected for first-team duty, and one suspects the rarity of this choice will not be repeated for many a month. But the manager surely bear some responsibility: this is April, United have gone 20 Premiership games unbeaten, yet are marking time behind Chelsea, not even in the slipstream of the champions elect; and Ferguson does what? He has £65m worth of striking potential in his squad, but the greater part of it, Rooney, Ruud van Nistlerooy and Cristiano Ronaldo, were sitting on the bench.

This kind of stunning result was not supposed to happen in an era of Premiership polarisation. From the foot of the table Norwich City summoned up a stirring display of defiance to inflict a savage blow on both Manchester United's pride and their hopes of finishing second to claim automatic qualification to the Champions League.

When Sir Alex Ferguson watched the Grand National drama unfold before the evening kick-off he might have guessed it was not going to be his day.

Hedgehunter stormed to victory in the green and yellow colours that would later dominate a stunning second half at Carrow Road in which Norwich scored twice to give themselves a semblance of hope of avoiding the drop.

Fergie clearly backed the wrong horse here, leaving Ruud van Nistelrooy, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo all on the bench. Rooney came on at the interval but then played a substantial part in United first defeat in 21 league outings, conceding the free-kick which led to Dean Ashton's opener and then losing possession in the move which culminated in Leon McKenzie's second as the Canaries recorded only their fourth win of the campaign.

Already without Ryan Giggs through injury, Ferguson's decision to leave out his star attackers clearly backfired. But then who could blame him for anticipating that the home team would struggle to live with his second-choice front line? After all they had conceded 63 goals before the start of play and even the most passionate of their supporters had become resigned to their return to the Championship.

Norwich inflicted a shock defeat on Manchester United at Carrow Road - courtesy of second-half goals from Dean Ashton and Leon McKenzie - although it may have come too late to save their Barclays Premiership season.

Canaries manager Nigel Worthington had called on his men to show the passion required to produce what would be the most unlikely escape act of modern times, Norwich having been seven points adrift of safety going into this weekend's fixtures.

But each and every man battled to the last, frustrating United, who had started the game with the likes of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench.

Norwich still have it all to do to retain their top-flight status, but may now just have found the fight, if not the overall quality, to compete with the elite clubs of English football.

And with Arsenal's win over Middlesbrough earlier this afternoon, United will now need some much more inspired performances of their own if they are to claim second place.

As the final whistle pierced the Norfolk night, Carrow Road, otherwise known as Letsby Avenue after Delia Smith's famous exhortation, erupted. The Norwich captain Craig Fleming ran to the Barclay End, fists pumping. Youssef Safri, his combative attitude the difference for a less tame, less accommodating City side than too frequently this season, kissed the turf.

Suddenly, with a famous victory over as limp a Manchester United side as recent memory can recall and one their good-natured and long-suffering supporters can dine out on for a long time to come, Norwich can almost glimpse safety. Bottom they may remain, but they are now just four points adrift of that magical, elusive line that cuts off the bottom three. The PA played the theme from The Great Escape and, after looking down and out for so long, you could understand it.

The absence of Roy Keane was understandable, with him just a yellow card away from a suspension that would mean missing the FA Cup semi-final against Newcastle United on Sunday. But Ruud van Nistelrooy - now without a goal in eight games - Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo starting on the bench proved to be folly.

Ronaldo did arrive after an early injury to Louis Saha, while Rooney and Van Nistelrooy were introduced later, but by then a mind-set had developed. Though they passed the ball well enough in controlling the game, with Kleberson even looking busy and tidy in his first start for four months, there was a lack of tempo and penetration. Saha, then Alan Smith, looked forlorn up front, with support from wide fitful.

In a dull first half of few attempts on goal, United might have had a penalty when Gabriel Heinze's cross hit Thomas Helveg's arm, but they might also have had a man sent off when Smith lunged at Safri. Sir Alex would have settled for the decisions - not to do anything in either case - made by the referee Howard Webb.

Ferguson, though, was clearly not about to settle for what he was seeing. On came Rooney for the second half, Norwich themselves seeking more attacking invention with the introduction of David Bentley for his first game in three months after injury.

Rooney was soon in the action, shooting powerfully wide then getting himself booked for a late tackle on Helveg. Greater punishment was swift. Bentley swung in the free-kick from deep and wide on the right, and up above Mikaël Silvestre leapt Dean Ashton to head home forcefully from 15 yards for his third goal since signing from Crewe in January.

Now United raised the pace, as if playing a proper Premiership match rather than the formality against the bottom club they had earlier appeared to be treating it as. On came Van Nistelrooy and United returned to the 4-4-2 more associated with Ferguson's successful teams.

They were soon caught by a sucker punch, however. Safri dispossessed Rooney and sent Darren Huckerby racing away. He then picked out Ashton's run into the inside-left channel, no United player tracking him. With only Silvestre between him and goal, he accurately picked out Leon McKenzie at the far post for a simple volley past the exposed Tim Howard.