Manchester United 3 - West Bromwich Albion 1

Dave Watkin:

The 5,000 travelling Albion fans played their part in the pre-match celebration and mourning for George Best, by at one stage leading the singing for the famous international and later impeccably observing the one minute silence.

Unfortunately, once the formalities were complete, the match itself had the air of a testimonial rather than a competitive cup-tie. It was played at a tempo which suited the skilful home players and with tackles few and far between, United dominated the first hour. By then they were three goals up and although each of our substitutions improved the team's competitiveness and we did inject some pace and pull a goal back, there was never much doubt as to who would progress to the quarter-finals. In all probability this was a match in which Kanu, who was apparently rested, would have thrived, but without him we were outclassed.

Until that late rally I was tempted to give the match award to the away followers, but in the end Nathan Ellington shaded it with an all round contribution rounded off by a well taken goal.

TEAM NEWS

There were two enforced changes, as the injured Steve Watson and cup-tied Curtis Davies made way for Martin Albrechtsen and Darren Moore. Bryan Robson made three more alterations, bringing in Russell Hoult, Darren Carter and Geoff Horsfield for Thomasz Kuszczak, Jonathan Greening and Kanu.

HIGHLIGHTS

Early on United had the ball in the net but Saha had just strayed in front of the last defender when he tapped home a left wing cross from Rossi. In the 12th minute the Reds did score. Moore was stretching as he intercepted a cross from Fletcher and could only direct the ball as far as Ronaldo. His dribble to the edge of the box was halted by a trip from Kamara and the referee judged his foot was over the eighteen yard line and awarded a penalty. RONALDO himself stepped up to place his shot in the bottom left hand corner.

Just four minutes later and the match was effectively over. Rossi played a ball in to Saha and as a defender hesitated whether to close him down or cover a pass left, SAHA shot early and Hoult failed to get down quick enough to effect a save. Next there were appeals for a second penalty as Park dived spectacularly, after a slight touch from Inamoto just inside the area. The referee ruled no foul. Then after Albion gave away possession near the halfway line, the ball was swiftly transferred to Saha, but Ronaldo moved too early and was rightly given offside, as he swept home the left wing cross.

Albion's only significant goal attempt of the half came from Geoff Horsfield. He was played through by Kamara, pulled clear of his marker and hit a left foot shot which was just inches wide of the foot of the opposite post. Even then United came closer, as a cross from Saha was stabbed against the foot of an upright by Rossi.

Albion injected a little more pace into the defence, by replacing Moore with Thomas Gaardsoe during the interval. There was little he or any of the defenders could do about the third United goal in the 56th minute. In the best move of the game O'SHEA ran at the defence slipped the ball to Saha, carried on running and accepted the flicked return before hammering an unstoppable shot past Hoult.

Albion brought on Richard Chaplow for Horsfield and then Rob Earnshaw for Kamara and upped the tempo. At last we were creating chances ourselves and when a cross from Darren Carter reached Earnshaw near the far post only a flying save by keeper Howard kept out the Welshman's goalbound effort. From the corner in the 77th minute, taken by Darren Carter, NATHAN ELLINGTON stepped ahead of static defenders and headed powerfully past Howard for a consolation goal.

ALBION FORMRATE : POOR

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH : NATHAN ELLINGTON

AND FINALLY

All is not doom and gloom, if any of my overseas readers failed to pick up on the previous night's Carling Cup results, a full strength Villa team were thrashed 3-0 by League One side Doncaster Rovers.

Also I was quite amused by the latest song from the Sunderland fans, who are seemingly resigned to relegation to the Championship, where they seem convinced our Black Country neighbours also belong. To a well known John Denver tune they sing:

Take me home Sunderland,
to the grounds where we belong.
Like Sheffield Wednesday,
Wolverhampton,
Take me home, Sunderland.

Chiang Mai Baggie:

Hoult starts for this game, after many thought his loan at Forest would spell the end of his Albion career. Moore takes the place of cup-tied Davies, and Carter starts in place of Greening. Horsfield partners Ellington, giving Kanu a rest.

MUTV didn't show the match live, just the very emotional tribute to George Best. Great to see so many ex WBA players from the 60s and 70s out there in the line. Carter is playing on the left of midfield. Albion have started well, playing mostly in the United half. Richardson fouled Ellington on the edge of the box after a good run on 4 minutes. Clement shot through the wall, and the ball was cleared. United broke on 6 minutes, through Rossi, and Saha converted the cross with a back-heel, but the linesman ruled it offside. Kamara fouled Ronaldo inside the edge of the box on 11 minutes to give away a penalty. Ronaldo converted on 11 minutes.

Hoult should have saved but let the ball go under his body on 16 minutes as Saha beat Albrechtsen and shot. 2-0. Albion are looking poor now, after 2 quick goals. Robinson tried to find a way forward on 20 minutes, but Park intercepted. Albrechtsen did well on 22 minutes, but the cross went straight to Neville, and Kamara blasted wide from the clearance. Hoult made a hash of kicking the ball out on 24 minutes, and nearly got caught.

Park was challenged in the box (seemed like a penalty) but the ref didn't give it, on 25 minutes. Albion won a corner on 26 minutes, Kamara's cross was good, but cleared by Richardson. Clement cleared for a corner as Rossi attacked on 27 minutes. Horsfield headed Park's cross clear and the ref blew for a foul. Park attacked and Neville ran on the right and shot on 29 minutes, but Hoult just managed to save it. Richardson attacked on 30 minutes, and his shot was blocked by Albrechtsen and Carter cleared. Ronaldo put the ball in the net again on 35 minutes, after confusion between Robinson and Inamoto let ManUre in, but the linesman ruled him offside.

Albion won a corner on 36 minutes, but the ball was cleared by Park after Moore headed it. Robinson played a good ball to Carter to attack on 37 minutes, but his pass was very poor and the move broke down. Albion poor, the only players who have impressed the commentators are Wallwork and Ellington. Albion attacked on 43 minutes, and Horsfield did well to shoot just past the post, beating Howard well. Saha passed to Rossi on 44 minutes, after a good move, and his shot hit the post when Hoult didn't even try to stop it. HT 2-0.

Gaardsoe on for Moore at HT. Carter headed bravely from an Albrechtsen cross, and the ball went out for a corner on 46 minutes. The cross was poor and cleared easily. Ellington shot wide on 47 minutes, after a pass from Kamara. Saha beat the defenders on 49 minutes, and Clement got back just in time to clear for a corner. Park crossed, and the ball eventually was headed by Silvestre straight at Hoult. Albion won a corner on 53 minutes, after good work by Robinson. The cross was headed on by Clement, but cleared by the ManUre defence. O'Shea split the Albion defence and volleyed home to beat Hoult at the near post after some great individual skill to create a way through for himself on 56 minutes.

Jones on for Fletcher on 59 minutes. Albion won a corner on 62 minutes. Carter crossed, and Clement headed well wide. Bardsley on for Park on 63 minutes. Ellington ran well and won a free kick on 64 minutes, but the cross was cleared upfield. Chaplow on for Horsfield on 65 minutes.

Pique on for O'Shea on 66 minutes to complete the ManUre subs for the night. Albion are playing with a 5 man midfield, with Chaplow in the 'hole' behind Ellington. Saha passed to Ronaldo on 68 minutes, and he tried to chip Hoult but the ball went well over the bar. ManUre attacked strongly on 69 minutes and the shot from Rossi was just wide of the far post. Earnshaw on for Kamara on 70 minutes.

Albion revert to 2 up front. Hoult (196th Albion appearance!) looks off the pace, and was nearly beaten again by Saha on 31 minutes. Wallwork and Ellington are being praised by the Albion commentators. Earnshaw did well to set up an Albion attack on 75 minutes, but Ronaldo came back to clear. Albion attacked well again, and Howard did well to block Earnshaw's close range shot on 76 minutes for a corner. Ellington headed Carter's cross straight into the net on 76 minutes.

Wallwork miss-passed straight to Ronaldo on 77 minutes, and he shot just wide. ManUre won a free kick outside thebox on 83 minutes. Ronaldo shot and Wallwork did a good job blocking it in the wall. Albrechtsen crossed well on 84 minutes, but Earnshaw didn't get on the end of it. Pique fouled Ellington just outside the box on 85 minutes. Earnshaw shot the free kick well wide to waste a good chance. Saha ran through and shot on 87 minutes, but Hoult was able to clutch the ball safely.

FT 3-1. Back to concentrating on the Premiership. Ellington has again showed his goalscoring prowess, and Wallwork had a good game. Moore and Hoult were both poor, and Earnshaw failed to impress after he came on.

It is notable how few crosses we put in when Greening isn't playing (only 1 today, compared to 12 against WHU, 9 against Everton and 14 against Boro!)

tony jones:

I am a Manchester United fan and would just like to thank your followers at Old Trafford tonight for their impeccable behaviour throughout the one minute silent tribute to George Best.

THANKS

nick wood:

The football came a bit of a second to the ocassion last night and quite frankly I think it would have been bad manners if we had won. Not that there was much chance of that, in the first half they had the ball in the net 4 times and hit the post. I was sat with the United fans along side my 12 year old who had never been to Old Trafford before, and we were both impressed by the way the Albion fans conducted themselves during the pre-match George Best memorial, even starting a song praising him.

As for the football, I will leave that to others, but the only players who looked like they could get a place in the United starting line were Inamoto and Robinson. Hoult and Moore both looked well past their sell-by date and we missed Greening and Kanu. Shades of Chelsea?

AJ-B:

GEORGE BEST - R.I.P.

Well it was certainly a privilege to have 'been there', pre-match had all the emotion & more, than was expected. Outside the main entrance was an unbelievable array of tributes embracing flowers and shirts from just about every football club in the world - including many from Albion fans, the display must have covered all of 100 metres by 5 metres crammed full of passionate, emotional tributes to the best footballer ever produced from our islands. Inside the ground tributes were voiced including a short, but pertinent appraisal from Sir Bobby Charlton, this tribute was concluded by wreaths being placed by both Sir Alex Ferguson & Bryan Robson on a special banner created by Man U supporters that read - George Simply The Best - who could argue with that?And the 1 minutes silence was just that - silent - from all corners of the ground, thank you to our 5,000 Albion fans who observed these proceedings with dignity.

Kick off came reminding us what we were really here for, our attempt to progress in the Carling cup, sadly though from the start our selected XI lacked any spirit or urgency, United in every attack (which there were many) simply cut through us as though they were in a training game against a bunch of 'wannabe' schoolboy type players. Once again the 'Tinker Man' Mr Robson made selections that were to say the least suprising, and the vast improvements of the past few weeks suddenly sunk way back into the memories, frankly we were truly awful. So bad in fact that really we could & should have gone in at half time 5-0 down! yes that is 5-0, apart from the 2 'legitimate' goals United scored, they had 2 more disallowed for marginal infringements/offside decisions, and Rossi hit the post. Once again our defence was just too bad for words, why oh why was Darren Moore selected over Gaardsoe? Thomas must really have blotted his copybook with Robson, & Hoult in goal!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He cannot stop a kids soap ball blown at him from 10 paces, sureley this must be the very last game he ever plays in an Albion first XI, I can partly understand Robsons decision here in that with Kirkland still injured, he did not want to risk Kuszczak also getting a knock with Fulham coming up Saturday, but frankly I would have preferred young Luke Daniels from the youth side than play Hoult, who has been so fortunate to have still been first choice 'keeper these past 2 years, he & Moore are WELL PAST their use by dates. For me these selections said loud & clear we were not going to progress any further in this competition, and it was correct.

Only Inamoto, who stood way above any other player on the pitch, deserves to be called an Albion premier class player, also Ellington showed good skills and energy & took his goal well, Kamara was the only other who showed anything, but he was in & out & very clumsy in emulating Paul Robinsons tackle against 'Boro, when he bundled Ronaldo over giving away another needless penalty. Sides like United are more than good enough to turn us over without the charitable benevolence we gave them. All in all, we got what we deserved, but a bigger thumping than the scoreline suggests. Our shooting was wild to say the least & Tim 'Frankie' Howard in Uniteds goal did not have one single shot to save all match, although he had no chance with Ellingtons superb header from a corner. Horsefield missed our best chance of the night from our one & only good creative move, by firing well wide when he should easily have scored. One can only hope this has not dented the new found 'confidence' in our league games & that Robson restores the side that has played so well recently, sureley by now he can see the dross that needs to be cleared out - hopefully in January - & the first to go must be Darren Carter, send him 'gift wrapped' back to your mate Steve Bruce Robson, he sure sold you a pig-in-a-poke.

My Player Review (oh deary deary me)!

• HOULT: TOTAL UTTER GARBAGE. Responsible for 2 of the goals.
• ALBRECHTSEN: POOR, but with all the swapping about he has been given he must be confused if he is right or left!
• MOORE: AWFUL. Enough said.
• CLEMENT: REASONABLE I suppose, the best of our poor defence.
• ROBINSON: POOR also, not the player of his pre-suspension.
• KAMARA: REASONABLE, in & out, made good runs & bad, distribution poor.
• WALLWORK: POOR started reasonable, then got progressively worse, although his pointing improved!
• INAMOTO: STAR MAN, the ONLY Albion player to deserve to be out on the same pitch as the United 'stars', terrific control, defending & passing.
• CARTER: TRULY AWFUL could not pass to his shadow, why he was allowed on for 90 minutes is beyond me.
• HORSEFIELD: VERY POOR missed great chance & his play overall not good.
• ELLINGTON: VERY GOOD our 2nd best player after Inamoto, scored excellent headed goal, getting better every game.

SUBS:

• GAARDSOE: Replaced Moore at half time, did well & tightened the back line, should have played from the start, after all he is still the best centre back we have.
• CHAPLOW: Replaced Horsefield, did sort of OK, but seems lacking in attitude & comittment.
• EARNSHAW: Replaced Kamara (why not Carter)? another 'cameo' for Earnie, looked liveley, created a couple of openings for others but missed with a badly structured free kick near the end.

UNUSED SUBS:

• Greening & Kuszczak, Grening at least should have been given 20-30 minutes in place of Carter, & Tomasz should have played from the start, then the scoreline might have been much more respectable.

BRYAN ROBSON: How in his after match comments can he say we played some good football at times is beyond me, was he at the same game? Taking off Kamara was just a joke, Carter should have gone with Greening in his place, Horsefield should have gone before or at half time to give Earnie & Ellington a chance to 'gel' or is he going to dispose of Earnie come the January sales? Get our recent settled formation back together for Saturday Bryan, because if we do not beat Fulham, the tinkering tonight will have been worthless.

Jules:

I think we all agree that the actual game came second last night. I was moved by how there were thousands of fans outside old trafford yet where the tributes had been laid out it was defeaningly silent. Shirts from hundreds of clubs and countries. If only he died a week later and maybe utd would've been less up for it? It was amusing when the utd fans sang georgie the best etc etc and we responded with astle is the king.... i expect they're both up there in their armchairs watching the match on their planet-sized tv, exchanging banter etc.

I hope we'll be back to the side that faced middlesborough on saturday. Ellington has four goals in three games, let's build our momentum shall we?

Good Bye George, say hello to Jeff and Ronnie for us.