THE INDIE - PANDIANI GIVES BRUCE REASONS TO CHEER
For 25 minutes late in this rousing encounter between the sides lying second bottom and second top in the Premiership, Manchester United were poised to cut Chelsea's lead to seven points. Then came Birmingham's second equaliser, from the substitute Walter Pandiani, followed swiftly by Joe Cole's winner in Manchester.
Pandiani's 78th-minute goal, in a game the Uruguayan was not expected to play amid reports of an imminent transfer to Espanyol, meant United ended the game 11 points behind the champions. Sir Alex Ferguson's side also failed for the first time to win a match in which Wayne Rooney scored.
Even an unlikely win would not have lifted Birmingham out of the bottom three. Yet on a night when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made his return as a United substitute after a 19-month absence through injury, Steve Bruce's team were also entitled to feel a sense of renewal.
The United manager, having seen his team score early in each half through Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rooney, was less complimentary about his own players and the referee, Howard Webb. Complaining of his "frustration" over a "bad result", he said: "I can't accept that kind of defending. We really should be doing better."
Ferguson argued, justifiably, that Webb had failed to spot a foul by Nicky Butt on Cristiano Ronaldo which led to Birmingham's first goal. "He listened to the crowd when the boy was clearly brought down. It's unfair and it's happening every time we play away."
THE TIMES - PANDIANI'S SRIKE GIVES FERGUSON THE BLUES
There was an enticing spell of 25 minutes midway through the second half of this thrilling and chilling draw last night when Manchester United, leading through the Wayne Rooney goal that normally guarantees victory, could see Chelsea’s lead at the top of the Barclays Premiership melting away to a mere seven points.
Then Walter Pandiani, a substitute whom Steve Bruce is looking to offload to finance the goalscorer his Birmingham City team need to lead their battle against relegation, appeared out of the Midlands chill to plunder a vital point. Joe Cole scored Chelsea’s winner against Manchester City and, all of a sudden, United were 11 points off the pace. On such swings of fortune are challenges won and lost.
United showed their class when Rooney scored his eleventh goal of the season in the 53rd minute. Again Scholes was pivotal, playing in Alan Smith, whose low pass was cunningly left by Van Nistelrooy for Rooney to slot home left-footed.
United seemed to be toying with their opponents, but Birmingham roused themselves once more and equalised through another unlikely source 12 minutes from time. Pandiani had been on the field for three minutes when he was on hand to sidefoot home. If he is to leave next week, that goal could be some farewell gift.
THE GUARDIAN - PANDIANI ENDS UNITED'S WINNING RUN
Walter Pandiani, who is on the verge of a move to Espanyol, received a muted reception when he was introduced as a late substitute last night but within three minutes the Uruguayan brought St Andrew's to its feet with an extraordinary late equaliser to earn Birmingham a precious point and seriously dent Manchester United's title aspirations.
Having twice led through first Ruud van Nistelrooy and later Wayne Rooney, who have now shared 25 of United's 36 league goals this season, Sir Alex Ferguson's side looked set to register an eighth Premiership win in nine matches only for Pandiani to announce his arrival in dramatic fashion. It was only his second goal of the season and will no doubt be well received by Chelsea, whose lead over Manchester United has now stretched to 11 points, as well as at Liverpool.
The United manager felt Birmingham deserved a draw, although he was clearly frustrated at Howard Webb's failure to spot a foul on Cristiano Ronaldo which played a crucial role in the home side's first equaliser. Nicky Butt caught the heels of the Portuguese forward but Webb allowed play to go on, culminating in Jamie Clapham drilling a low shot beyond Edwin van der Sar.
Ferguson intimated that the official had been influenced by the home crowd's decision to boo Ronaldo when he went to the ground. "I think they [referees] have a problem with Ronaldo," he said. "Every time he gets the ball away from home the crowd boo him. [The referee] definitely responded to the crowd, there's no question about it. I don't know what you can do about that. It's unfair because he's such a great player."
The return of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who appeared as a late substitute after 19 months out with a serious knee injury, proved to be small consolation to Ferguson, who had watched his side take the lead within five minutes. The breakthrough owed much to the vision of Paul Scholes, whose intelligent pass picked out Richardson on the United left. The England international outpaced Stephen Clemence before firing a cross towards the near post, where Van Nistelrooy nipped in front of Matthew Upson to slide the ball home from about three yards.
Birmingham, though, refused to be bowed and drew level 14 minutes later when Clapham gambolled forward on the left to exploit the space vacated by Ronaldo. He was still beating the ground in frustration, having failed to win a free-kick, when Clapham found Jiri Jarosik in space. The Czech delivered an adroit ball into the feet of Emile Heskey, whose neat lay-off was dispatched by the onrushing Clapham. Van der Sar got a strong hand to the shot and must have been bitterly disappointed that he could not keep it out.
Birmingham, having responded impressively, deserved to be on level terms but nine minutes after half-time United wrestled the lead back with a free-flowing move which showed Ferguson's side at their very best.
It began, predictably, with Scholes, who released Alan Smith on the United right. His pass across the Birmingham area was brilliantly dummied by Van Nistelrooy, allowing Rooney to bisect Martin Taylor and Kenny Cunningham with his run before slipping the ball effortlessly into the far corner of the net for his 10th league goal of the season.
It looked like being the match-winner but Pandiani clearly had other ideas when he rammed home Damien Johnson's right-wing cross.
THE TELEGRAPH - BRUCE RESPITE AS ROONEY RECORD FALLS
Steve Bruce would gladly pay to see Wayne Rooney perform, but the fact that his spirited Birmingham City side ended the England tyro's incredible record of never failing to win when scoring for Manchester United could prove priceless in his quest to avoid relegation this season.
Twice Birmingham, with eight defeats in their previous 10 Premiership games, came from behind to leave Ferguson bemoaning the "bad result," after his side looked like they were heading for an eighth away victory from the moment Van Nistelrooy took his tally to 17 goals, turning in Kieran Richardson's cross, with the help of a deflection from Matthew Upson.
"It was a frustrating night and I can't accept that kind of defending. To lose the lead twice is not like us and we should be doing better with these things," said Ferguson.
Jamie Clapham's first goal in 92 starts for Birmingham, his shot squeezing under the body of Edwin Van der Sar, levelled the first time and started United's consternation.
Most of it was directed at referee Howard Webb for failing to penalise Nicky Butt for a foul on Christiano Ronaldo in the build-up to the goal. "The crowd boo Christiano whenever he gets the ball. Referees respond to that, but it was a clear foul and Nicky brought him down," said Ferguson.
Rooney's sublime second for United, eight minutes into the second half, seemed to restore normality and should have eased Ferguson's tension, but United reckoned without the impact of Pandiani.
The Uruguayan's second goal in 17 games this season could prove pivotal for both clubs.