THE INDEPENDENT - NO WAY OUT OF CREATIVE VACUUM FOR UNITED
Manchester United laid bare the reality of life without Wayne Rooney last night and, living down to all expectations, what a barren, chastening experience it proved to be.
A goalless draw against a Middlesbrough side with one eye on the Uefa Cup final and the other on the likely departure of their manager ended with Manchester United uncertain of automatic qualification for the Champions' League and their captain, Gary Neville, embroiled in a furious row with a supporter as he headed towards the Old Trafford tunnel.
Could it get any worse? According to Sir Alex Ferguson's sombre assessment on the fitness of his stricken striker, it is certain to do so for England.
On a night when United, or to be more precise, Ruud van Nistelrooy, squandered the opportunityof effectively sealing second place in the Premiership from Liverpool by failing to convert a second-half penalty, Neville was restrained by team-mates and coaching staff after confronting an irate fan who could be seen describing either the performance or the reaction as "a disgrace". The captain's lack of restraint encapsulated the frustration of a testing few days for club and country, although the boos that rang from the Stretford End towards the defender suggested sympathy was very much in short supply.
The ugly dispute and even uglier performance from United diverted attention from an accomplished then resilient display by Middlesbrough and an effective tactical showing from their manager ahead of his anticipated coronation as England manager. McClaren turns 45 tomorrow and may have reason to extend the birthday celebrations by an additional 24 hours if he lands the present that appeared beyond him when it was unwrapped for Luiz Felipe Scolari in Lisbon last week.
THE TIMES - RED MISTS FOR NEVILLE AS UNITED FAIL IN SEARCH FOR INSPIRATION
If this is the effect that Wayne Rooney's absence can have on a team, little wonder that Sven-Göran Eriksson will have greeted the latest medical bulletin from Old Trafford with such despair. Without their talismanic young forward, Manchester United laboured to a depressing draw that ended with Gary Neville confronting an angry supporter as he headed for the tunnel at the final whistle.
Would Sir Alex Ferguson be quite so willing to write off Rooney's chances of a rapid recovery from injury if United's campaign had another two months to run? On this evidence, he would have his medical staff working overtime to get him fit. As it is, he will be relieved that his team have only one match remaining, at home to Charlton Athletic on Sunday, but they can ill afford another such lacklustre display, with Liverpool ready to beat them to second place in the Barclays Premiership — and with it automatic passage to the Champions League, rather than a qualifying round in August — in the event of a slip-up.
At the start of a week that promises to end with him confirmed as Eriksson's successor in charge of the England team, Steve McClaren was delighted with a point that will increase Middlesbrough's confidence for the Uefa Cup final against Seville a week tomorrow, but Ferguson was far less happy. He cited a poor first-half display before appearing to lay the blame at the feet of Ruud van Nistelrooy, whose disappointing evening was typified by a poor second-half penalty, saved by Brad Jones, that is unlikely to have increased his chances of staying at Old Trafford this summer.
Ferguson called it "a bad miss", adding, somewhat unsupportively, that "he has probably missed about half a dozen" penalties over the past three seasons, but Van Nistelrooy was by no means the only poor performer in the United side. Perhaps the only player immune from criticism was Neville, which was probably why the captain felt so affronted by the abuse directed at him as he left the pitch. As he went to remonstrate, he was pulled away by Rio Ferdinand. Ferguson, already in the tunnel by this stage, said that he "didn't see anything".
Afterwards Neville played down the incident: "We were both showing our passion for the club," he said. "He had a strong opinion and we had a disagreement. Now it is finished with."
THE GUARDIAN - FERGIE'S WARM WORDS KEEP BORO SIMMERING NICELY
The visitors' manager was clapped along the touchline as he strode to the dug-out, his achievement in emerging from an horrendous mid-season slump to reach the Uefa Cup final as well as the last four of the FA Cup recognised even by Sir Alex Ferguson.
"It has been an amazing rollercoaster ride for Steve at the Riverside and he must take great credit for steering the club through a minefield," Ferguson had written of his assistant of three years in his programme notes. "If he does get the England job, his Middlesbrough experience will stand him in good stead."
McClaren has had the Indian sign over his former employers recently - Ferguson endured a 4-1 hammering at the Riverside back in October - though the unfamiliar nature of the visitors' line-up suggested that trend might be reversed. That Boro's emphasis was clearly on next week's trip to Eindhoven was understandable, with nine changes made from the team that succumbed to Everton at the weekend and their 62nd game of the season awaiting at Bolton tomorrow. Yet if the reshuffle contributed to the sense of anticlimax which accompanied the occasion, the Teessiders should still have led by the interval so disjointed and apathetic did United appear.
The hosts initially laboured, the absence of Wayne Rooney keenly felt, with the sloppy air-kicks mustered by Van Nistelrooy from a pair of Gary Neville centres and a cross from Ji-Sung Park a reflection of how far off the pace the home team were. The Dutchman did fire a more threatening shot just over the bar as the interval approached, the South Korean also skying over the bar, though, by then, Boro might have gleaned the lead their busier approach warranted.
Their industry was typified by Lee Cattermole's energy at the base of their midfield quintet, with George Boateng and Fabio Rochemback prompting at his side. The Brazilian slipped Maccarone through early on, the Italian holding off Rio Ferdinand before cutting back inside and seeing a low shot deflected behind off the centre-half's lunge. Van der Sar was relieved at that escape, though the goalkeeper reacted smartly to turn aside a skimmed shot from Rochemback before the half hour as Boro, dominant in midfield and biting on the break, continued to hint at reward.
Even without Rooney, United's lethargy was inexcusable. Second may be nowhere for this club, but Liverpool are breathing down their necks - the Merseysiders in third only on goal difference approaching this fixture - and the possibility of surrendering second place, with its automatic entry into the Champions League, made such a pedestrian approach unforgivable.
THE TELEGRAPH - UNITED STALL IN RACE FOR SECOND PLACE
Manchester United will have to beat Charlton in their final Premiership match of the season on Sunday to be sure of finishing runners-up to Chelsea after a lack-lustre display against Middlesbrough last night only marginally improved their advantage over third-placed Liverpool.
Second place to a club who dominated the Premiership in the last decade would not normally be much to shout about, but in a World Cup year it spares their players the rapid return to work to prepare for a Champions League qualifier.
Sir Alex Ferguson's men were expected to beat Middlesbrough opponents drained by extensive commitments in two cup competitions but for the second successive home game - they were kept goalless by relegated Sunderland on Good Friday - they failed to make their mark.
The frustration at their end-of-season slump brought an angry reaction from Old Trafford supporters at the final whistle. Gary Neville, United's captain, was clearly enraged by the comments aimed at him as he left the pitch and was prevented from getting involved in what could have been an embarrassing tussle by the intervention of his England colleague, Rio Ferdinand.
Ferguson maintained that he did not see that dust-up as he made his way to the dressing room, but the United manager was more forthcoming when asked for his view on the night's other major talking point - a penalty save by Brad Jones from Ruud van Nistelrooy.