United's new crop clobber Town
30th July 2003
THOSE of you irritated by Manchester United’s supremacy in English football face a miserable decade ahead if the Red Devils’ comprehensive win at the County Ground is anything to go by.
Ricky Sbragia’s Old Trafford youngsters made the game look ridiculously easy as they passed Andy King’s men off the park in a 4-1 triumph.
The only consolation is that such quality opposition will be nowhere to be seen when the serious stuff gets underway on August 9.
Although supporters were disappointed at the absence of names like Ruud van Nistelrooy, Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs, unfamiliar players such as Neil Wood, Eddie Johnson and Chris Eagles look to have every chance of making the breakthrough.
Certainly Town were not at their best and were perhaps expecting an easier encounter against a ‘bunch of kids.’
The match was supposed to be part of the United youngsters’ footballing education.
If Town were cast in the role of teachers, their pupils were the ones dishing out a lesson.
King fielded a strong side with only Andy Gurney and Tommy Mooney the notable absentees.
Stefani Miglioranzi continued in the back three while Grant Smith partnered Sam Parkin in attack.
Town could have taken the lead on five minutes when Igoe dinked a beautiful ball from the right edge of the area for David Duke to stretch and poke a shot into the side-netting.
However, the visitors took the lead two minutes later when Paul Tierney’s left wing cross was met by Eddie Johnson inside the area. He turned swiftly to crack the ball into the net via Bart Griemink’s right post.
Town simply could not get near their young visitors as they played some superb one touch football, rarely wasting a pass and surging forward menacingly at every opportunity.
Matty Hewlett dragged a poor 20 yard effort wide of Ben Williams’ right post on 19 minutes but the men from Old Trafford were gifted a second goal on 23 minutes.
Wood’s corner from the right was met by Phil Bardsley who, completely unmarked, glanced a header into the bottom left hand corner of the net.
Town should have reduced the deficit two minutes later as Duke cushioned the ball into Brian Howard’s path but the England under 20 man blazed over from eight yards.
It was Griemink to the rescue on 28 minutes as he hurtled to the right to keep out a fierce drive from Danny Byrne.
Parkin’s leap in the six yard box on 33 minutes caused Williams to spill the ball but Miglioranzi blasted the loose ball wide while at the other end, Griemink’s palms were warmed by a stinging strike from Wood.
Parkin curled an effort high and wide on 40 minutes, having been unable to get the ball from out under his feet when well placed on the right edge of the box and the miss was promptly punished as United made it 3-0.
Phil Picken cut in from the right and thrashed a terrific right foot shot into the top corner from 20 yards.
Town responded immediately and after Viveash had set up the opportunity, Duke hooked a shot into the top left hand corner of the net from 18 yards.
Rhys Evans replaced Griemink at the second half while Smith made way for French triallist Mickael Antoine-Curier.
Evans’ first action was to pick the ball out of the net as David Poole pounced on a poor defensive header to nip in and and slot home.
Town’s French triallist lasted all of 25 minutes before being replaced by Jon Stevenson but King’s men were closed down at every turn and prevented from making any real impact in the final third.
Igoe sent Parkin clear down the right but the big striker was crowded out while Howard skipped through only to blast wide of the right post.
Keith O’Halloran’s appearance as a 72nd minute substitute was greeted with a huge roar.
However, the Irishman could not help prise a second goal for Town and it was the visitors who looked the more likely scorers.
Alan Young and Ben Martin were introduced late on but the contest was well over by that stage.
Town’s last chance came with a Howard strike on 84 minutes but it was charged down by the wall of blue that had dominated proceedings throughout.
Town: Griemink (Evans), Robinson, Duke, Viveash (Martin), Heywood, Miglioranzi (Nicholas), Hewlett (O’Halloran), Igoe (Herring), Howard, Parkin (Young), Smith (Antoine-Curier (Stevenson).
Manchester United: Williams, Sims, Tierney, Bardsley, Tate, Jones, Byrne, Wood, Williams, Johnson, Eagles. Subs: Calliste, Jowsey, Picken, Poole, Hogg. Att: 5,289.
Reality Check
30th July 2003
INVINCIBLE is a word Andy King hopes Town fans have swiftly dropped from their vocabulary after his side were comprehensively conquered by a young Manchester United side.
It is nothing to do with a certain Australian striker * rather a desire for supporters to focus on reality.
A 4-1 drubbing at the County Ground disappointed King but he felt it sent out a powerful message that success this year cannot be taken for granted.
He said: “It’s good for people to realise early on that we are not invincible. I knew that anyway but maybe this result will have brought a few people back down to earth.”
King was left salivating about the performance of United’s young stars and while he would love to acquire some of them to aid Town’s Division Two campaign, he knows that removing talented young players from a glittering team unit is no guarantee of success.
King feels the Manchester United ‘universe’ is a world away from a cold night in Colchester.
He said: “Maybe the answer is for me to buy the whole United youth team.
“To take individuals out of that unit and drop them into Division Two will be a huge shock to them.
“It’s within their own ‘world’ that they’re different class.
“The great players in a side will move on and excel elsewhere but take other players out of a great team unit and you never hear from them again.
“We’ve all seen it happen.”
However, there is nothing to suggest that King will not at least talk to United reserve team boss (and his great friend) Ricky Sbragia about certain individuals who excelled for the Old Trafford side last night.
Chris Eagles and Neil Wood were shining lights for United.
He said: “I’m no fool. There were some good players out there and the first thing to check is whether people are available.
“I have to be careful and make sure the year-long loans I go for are the right ones.
“This defeat has dampened what has been a good pre-season but again, as I have stressed, playing Manchester United’s youngsters is not a guide to how we will fare in Division Two.”
Trying their hardest to impress in Pre-season I see.
They really do play lovely one touch passing football.