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Chelsea crumble in face of inspired United onslaught
By Henry Winter | |
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Chelsea (0) 3 Manchester Utd (3) 5 AT the conclusion of this bewitching FA Cup third round tie, as the flood of goals and rain, tackles and bookings at last came to a breathless stop, Ruud Gullitt moved across to embrace Alex Ferguson. It was the first time Chelsea had got to grips with Manchester United all afternoon, writes Henry Winter. Forget the scoreline. Ignore Gullit's assertion that this was simply a two-goal defeat. This was a stinging in the rain by United, who counter-attacked with brutal effectiveness, running up five goals before Chelsea could find any semblance of team cohesion, of pride even. Gullit, his initial tactics flawed, had been out-thought by Ferguson. And not even the most one-eyed Chelsea follower could dispute that Gullit's players had been out-fought by Ferguson's until it was too late. The match was a collection of duels, match-ups across the pitch dominated by the men in red. Nicky Butt, again outstanding, and Paul Scholes were masters of midfield, dealing almost dismissively with Roberto Di Matteo and Mark Hughes, patently out of position. Hughes, captain for the day, deserved better than this fire-fighting assignment. Gullit would have done better to cover for Dennis Wise, suspended and terribly missed, with a natural ball-winner like Bernard Lambourde. And how Chelsea looked toothless in attack without Hughes. Tore Andre Flo resembled a sapling among giant redwoods. Chelsea did not trouble United until Flo departed, allowing Gianluca Vialli to bring his pace and trickery into play, the Italian scoring twice in the final eight minutes to make it 5-3. Such a scoreline inevitably had the statisticians diving into their satchels to check the history books. This was United's seventh FA Cup victory out of eight over Chelsea, whose concession of five goals was their worst at home in this competition. United's reward for dimissing the holders was a straightforward-looking home draw against either Peterborough United or Walsall. Where United really hurt other teams, where they operate on a different plane to all the pretenders in England, is the relentless way they hound opponents into conceding possession. Whatever their fame, defensive or creative, Ferguson's players hunt in pairs or threes, one making the initial challenge while the others lurk like practised pickpockets. United's speed in possession make such a capacity even more potent. Butt characterises this tackling brio, often proving the lead man by launching into 40-60 situations, blind to any glinting studs. Unfussy in collection and careful in distribution, Butt is surely displaying the form that warrants England involvement against Chile on Feb 11. David Beckham and Andy Cole can also expect Wembley summonses such was their sustained excellence. How they relished yesterday's combat in a city they once called home. Appropriately, given weather that would have floated an ark, the goals started going in two by two, Beckham starting a brace race carried on by Cole. After a spell of concerted pressure by United, the ball moved wide and down the channels with accustomed ease, Beckham forced the breakthrough. Ryan Giggs, overshadowed only by Butt as man of the match, curled the ball forward to Cole, who held off Frank Leboeuf like a basketballer creating space. Support was swiftly in attendance, Cole delivering the ball to Teddy Sheringham and then Beckham, who beat Ed De Goey comfortably. Chelsea's Dutch keeper soon experienced again the power of Beckham's finishing. When Mark Nicholls panicked into fouling a flying Giggs, Beckham began addressing the 20-yard free-kick. Sheringham, unseen by the otherwise excellent Steve Lodge, opened up the wall by yanking Dan Petrescu clear. Beckham found the gap, the ball bending through and past De Goey. Chelsea at last showed some signs of life, Nicholls bringing a first save from Peter Schmeichel, who was subsequently relieved to see Petrescu head over, following a bustling run by Graeme Le Saux. United, dealing with such pinpricks as a lion does a fly, showed Chelsea the way with a classic counter-attacking strike as the half closed. Pallister, again displaying his undimming anticipation, dived in to steal possession, neatly flicking the ball out to Giggs. The rest was a blur of red, Giggs feeding Cole who charged down the inside-left corridor, using Sheringham as a decoy, before planting the ball powerfully past De Goey. Cue deepened delirium among the United support, who would have raised the West Stand roof if the builders had not beaten them to it. Chelsea had some team restructuring to do. Andy Myers came on at left-back, Steve Clarke moved into midfield, Le Saux pushed up, and, finally, Hughes was allowed to play the Welsh dragon again, breathing fire in attack and providing a welcome adhesive touch in the final third. Vialli soon replaced Flo and 11 men went to work. Or so we thought. United love a challenge, took the re-jig as a compliment, and went on scoring. Cole added his second following a match-defining cameo between Butt and Clarke. Chelsea's Scotsman had just fouled Butt, who uncomplainingly bided his time and then went in with a real "no prisoners" challenge to muscle the ball from Clarke. Giggs, alert as ever, despatched another fast delivery through to Cole. A low finish, from left to right, carried Cole to 18 goals, now ahead of John Hartson at the head of the elite's scorers. On came United again, the big red machine at full steam, their fifth arriving when Sheringham met Beckham's cross. Sheringham and Cole versus Chile? Club partnerships have worked for England in the past. United, home and dry but for shirts dampened by precipitation and perspiration, then took their eye off the ball, off the need for unstinting concentration. Three goals, all consolations, ensued. Le Saux struck a fine riposte, a chip placed between bar and Schmeichel, making it 5-1 with 13 minutes left. Petrescu, increasingly influential, played in Vialli, whose right-footed shot thundered past Schmeichel. The excitement mounted when Vialli seized on Pallister's mistake and exchanged passes with Petrescu before completing the scoring. So Chelsea salvaged some late pride but their three goals may have more of an effect on United. Such aberrations will doubtless be used by Ferguson and Brian Kidd, the players themselves even, to maintain the desire that sets this team apart from the rest. __________________________________________________________ Chelsea (0) 3 Man Utd (3) 5 Le Saux 78, Vialli 83, 88; Beckham 23, 28, Cole 45, 65, Sheringham 74. Chelsea: De Goey, Petrescu, Clarke, Le Saux, Duberry, Leboeuf, Di Matteo, Nicholls (Myers 45), M. Hughes, Zola, Flo (Vialli 61). Subs Not Used: Lambourde, P. Hughes, Hitchcock. Booked: M. Hughes, Nicholls, Di Matteo, Leboeuf, Le Saux. Man Utd: Schmeichel, Neville, Irwin, Johnsen, Pallister, Beckham, Butt, Scholes (Solskjaer 71), Giggs, Sheringham, Cole. Subs Not Used: McClair, Berg, Clegg, Pilkington. Booked: Irwin, Scholes, Sheringham. Att: 34,792 Ref: S Lodge (Barnsley). __________________________________________________________ Best still to come, says Ferguson By John Ley THE good news, for the rest of the country at least, is that Manchester United have conceded six goals in two games. The bad news is that Alex Ferguson believes that the FA Cup favourites and Premiership leaders will get better. The remarkable 5-3 victory at Stamford Bridge was United's best away victory in the Cup since 1970 when they won a fifth-round tie 8-2 at Northampton. Chelsea, in contrast, became the first holders to lose in the third round since Arsenal were beaten by Wrexham four years ago. Ferguson said: "I don't think it was a bad thing to lose goals at the end because it can be easy sometimes to get carried away. We were serious today. The players were focused and, after losing at Coventry, they woke up." United return to Stamford Bridge for a Premiership fixture next month and Ferguson added: "It's a long season but I think we'll get better as it goes on in terms of being consistent, because that's what's needed to win the League and do well in Europe." Chelsea were missing both captain Dennis Wise and Frank Sinclair, and manager Ruud Gullit revealed that he was unable to field himself because he was ill. "I was sick in bed this morning and I wasn't going to come. I'm glad I did because I was pleased with the way we came back in the second half. We showed some character but before then we were too sloppy. But what we did in the second half after going 5-0 down inspired me." __________________________________________________________ January 5 1998 FOOTBALL Rampant United hit peak form to humiliate holders BY OLIVER HOLT, FOOTBALL CORRESPONDENT CHELSEA 3 MANCHESTER UNITED 5 FA Cup LAST season, the romance of the FA Cup sustained Chelsea through winter and spring, from a stirring comeback against Liverpool to the grace and elegance of Roberto di Matteo's Wembley goal. Yesterday, that romance went the way of all things that have the misfortune to cross Manchester United's path these days: it was trampled underfoot, lost in the face of a display of withering power and excellence. The holders never really had a chance in their first defence of the trophy. Amid the squalls that howled around Stamford Bridge, United whirled into West London like a tornado that tears teams out of its way and leaves them like so many crumpled bits of wreckage in the scrapyards of English football, a land it has laid waste. Do not be fooled, either, by the damage-limitation exercise that Chelsea mounted in the last 13 minutes, when they clawed back three goals and a tiny bit of pride. That Chelsea began to hold their own when they were 5-0 down should be of scant consolation. It is easy to play well when there is nothing at stake. When it mattered, United were in their pomp, playing as well as they have done at any time in their blitzkrieg towards another title. They looked like a group of supermen. Nicky Butt was indestructible in the centre of midfield, running through tackles, humbling Mark Hughes and Di Matteo when they tried to contain him, punishing Steve Clarke when he tried a more physical approach. Alongside him, Paul Scholes was the model of creativity and swift, unforgiving incision. In the first half, Chelsea were overwhelmed. If Butt and Scholes softened Chelsea up, Andy Cole finished them off. His pace embarrassed Leboeuf and made the first goal for Beckham. His confidence, and the return of that supreme ruthlessness in finishing that many at the beginning of this season thought he had lost for ever, brought United their third and fourth goals and put the game formally out of reach. All the parts are working perfectly now. The machine is rolling on. Deprived of Dennis Wise, their most combative and consistent midfield player, because of suspension, Chelsea knew they were starting the third-round tie at a disadvantage. Ruud Gullit opted for a bold strategy to try to disguise the lack of depth in his squad, but playing Hughes as an orthodox midfield player behind the out-of-sorts Zola and Flo backfired horribly and left Di Matteo fighting a lone battle against the excellence of Scholes and Butt. Chelsea opened brightly enough, but their poise seemed to be undermined by the early hesitancy of De Goey, who, surely, is not the answer to their prolonged goalkeeping problems. The Dutchman survived two moments of uncertainty in the first ten minutes, a mix-up with Leboeuf and a hash of a punch at a corner, but they were only stays of execution. As Chelsea chased shadows, Hughes and Di Matteo sometimes getting close enough to hack Butt and Scholes down but more often not even managing that, it was inevitable that the crisp, flowing passing of United would bring its reward. Midway through the half, it came. Cole outpaced Leboeuf and took the ball to the byline. He turned and hit a deflected cross that Sheringham headed on and Beckham met at the back post to sidefoot past De Goey. Six minutes later, brilliant interplay between Scholes and Giggs resulted in Giggs being brought down by Nicholls on the edge of the box. As Sheringham dragged Petrescu out of the wall, Beckham curled his free kick into the space where the Romanian should have been and De Goey, scrambling to his left, could only push it feebly into the left-hand corner. Some supporters suggested that there was still time for Chelsea to rally, to overhaul United like they had overhauled Liverpool in the fourth round last January. This time was different. This was no fitful, fragile Liverpool team they were up against and, on the stroke of half-time, Cole picked up a pass from Giggs inside his own half, outpaced Leboeuf, ignored Sheringham and chipped his shot over De Goey from left to right. At half-time, Gullit took off Nicholls and pushed Hughes into attack and Clarke into midfield to try to stem the bleeding. It did not work. After Clarke had tried to intimidate Butt with a wild challenge, Butt won a juddering block tackle with him that left Giggs in possession. Giggs slid a pass through to Cole and he beat De Goey effortlessly again. It was his nineteenth goal of a prolific season, his seventeenth in 16 games. When Sheringham met a cross from Beckham at the near post and headed it firmly past De Goey in the 74th minute, it began to get embarrassing. The statisticians said it was going to be Chelsea's heaviest home defeat since 1913. At least they avoided that. A beautiful chip from Le Saux and two opportunist goals from Vialli, as United relaxed their grip, gave the home supporters something to cling on to. By that time, though, many of them had already streamed out of the exits. CHELSEA (4-4-2): E de Goey - S Clarke, F Leboeuf, M Duberry, G Le Saux - D Petrescu, M Hughes, R di Matteo, M Nicholls (sub: A Myers, 46min) - T A Flo (sub: G Vialli, 61), G Zola. MANCHESTER UNITED (4-4-2): P Schmeichel - G Neville, G Pallister, R Johnsen, D Irwin - D Beckham, P Scholes (sub: O G Solskjaer, 72), N Butt, R Giggs - E Sheringham, A Cole. Referee: S Lodge. Copyright 1997 The Times Newspapers Limited. _________________________________________________________________ January 5 1998 FOOTBALL Ferguson lines up jackpot on treble chance BY OLIVER HOLT, FOOTBALL CORRESPONDENT FA Cup THERE was something cold and ominous about Alex Ferguson as he was urged to sift through the debris of Manchester United's 5-3 demolition of Chelsea yesterday. Some of his words and their hints of humour brought hoots of admiring laughter from his listeners, but his message only underlined the relentless ruthlessness of his side's charge towards an unprecedented treble this season. As he looked ahead to United's burgeoning assault on the European Cup, the FA Carling Premiership and the FA Cup, the United manager gave the impression that the last of this trinity had become almost an irritation, not quite such a trifle as the Coca-Cola Cup but a secondary competition in which the opposition had to be killed off at the first attempt or not at all. He related the story of how he had told the United goalkeeper, Peter Schmeichel, that if the sides were still level when it got to within ten minutes of the end of their third-round tie at Stamford Bridge yesterday, he would tell him to play up front. As he sat back for a second, he seemed to be only half-joking. "No draws," he said. "We don't want any draws." There was never much danger of that as United raced into a 5-0 lead within 74 minutes. The reality for the rest of the Premiership and those who dare to take a pot-shot at the champions in the FA Cup is that they hold not the slightest fear for Ferguson and his team. It is clear that it is not other teams that worry him, far from it. He has identified the bugbear of fixture congestion as the only thing that can stand in the way of total domination. Anyone who witnessed United's performance in West London yesterday would be hard-pressed to disagree with him. His side seems to be maturing with every match. United are, patently, a class above any other team in the country. Those who have the temerity to challenge them are swatted away like flies. "It is a long season," Ferguson said, "but I think we will get better. We need to be consistent to win the Premier League and, if we are not, we will suffer. I played my maximum team today and it was a good performance. The defeat against Coventry was maybe a blessing in disguise. They knew they were slipshod that day and so they focused on the game today. "People are saying the priority is the European Cup and the league, and that is true, but when you get drawn against Chelsea, it produces anticipation in the players. I was a bit disappointed with the three goals we conceded at the end, but there may even be some meaning for us there, too, because we come back here on February 28." Even in the loss of three unanswered goals, something that would be a calamity in most other games for most other clubs, there was something positive for United, something that might stop them from sinking into a superiority complex before they return for that league match against Chelsea at the end of next month. Everything seems to be going their way. An hour after they had begun their journey home, Kevin Keegan pulled their name out of the plastic bowl for the fourth round of the FA Cup at home to either Peterborough United or Walsall. That prompted the bookmakers to install them as hot favourites to win the competition at 3-1. Ferguson is unlikely to have to brief Schmeichel about a striking role before that game. The tie that will attract most attention, though, is the match between Stevenage Borough, who are struggling in the lower half of the Vauxhall Conference, and Newcastle United, who edged past Everton 1-0 yesterday courtesy of a predatory goal from Ian Rush, still breaking hearts on the ground where he caused so much despair in his Liverpool days. After the initial euphoria about the home draw for Stevenage, who beat Swindon Town at the County Ground on Saturday, wore off, the agonising began about where the game should be played. The traditional romance of the Cup dictates that it should take place at Stevenage's Broadhall Way; the new climate of commercial gain that has swept the game - and led to a furore when Stevenage switched their third-round tie with Birmingham City to St Andrew's last season - will probably take it to St James' Park, where much of the frisson will be lost. The recompense would be gate receipts of about £300,000. "I think, realistically, it will have to go to Newcastle," Paul Fairclough, the Stevenage manager, said. "We were a Football League facility when we drew Birmingham City, but it was because of the numbers who wanted to see the game that it was transferred." Victor Green, the club chairman, passed the buck to the police. "If the game goes to St James' Park, it will be entirely a decision taken by them," he said. Kenny Dalglish, the Newcastle manager, refused to budge from his usual phlegmatic stance after the draw. "We'll settle for the same result we had against Everton today," he said of the Stevenage tie. "You can't be complacent. You have to give them respect because they deserve that. It would be tricky to go to their ground, but it would be tricky playing them at home, as West Ham found out against Emley yesterday." Elsewhere, Sheffield Wednesday will face Blackburn Rovers at Hillsborough if they win their replay against Watford, Coventry City will play Derby County and Crystal Palace will play Leicester City. With Liverpool, Bolton Wanderers, Southampton, Chelsea and Everton already out and at least three more Premiership clubs to follow in the next round, the task facing Manchester United is getting easier and easier. No draws, remember - United do not want any draws. Copyright 1997 The Times Newspapers Limited. _________________________________________________________________ Soccer showcase-United send Chelsea crashing out of Cup (Adds quotes, detail) By Mike Collett LONDON, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Manchester United ended Chelsea's brief reign as F.A. Cup holders by winning 5-3 in a dramatic, incident-filled third-round match at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. United, 5-0 up after 75 minutes, lost their concentration in the closing stages to allow Ruud Gullit's totally-outplayed side the unlikely chance of a comeback with three late goals. Although the final scoreline suggests a closely-fought match, in reality it was nothing of the sort, with United totally in control until the last few minutes of a blood-and-thunder encounter marked by eight bookings and played in wet and windy weather. "I don't know whether to talk about the start of the match first or the end," said a delighted United manager Alex Ferguson. "But until we got a little bit careless at the end it was a very good performance by us. In a way, losing to Coventry last week was a blessing in disguise for us -- it made us very focused today, we were very serious. We were not going to be intimidated or second best. "We didn't want to draw today -- I told Peter Schmeichel before the match if we were drawing with 10 minutes to go he had to go up front," he joked. "We threw it away ourselves," said manager Gullit. "We gave away sloppy goals and made it easy for them. At least we played with some pride in the second half." Chelsea were completely over-run in midfield where Gullit elected to start with Mark Hughes in place of the suspended Chelsea skipper Dennis Wise. The tactic misfired. Hughes, skipper for the day against his old club, was ineffective until he moved further upfield in the second half. Chelsea created nothing for Gianfraco Zola and Tore Andre Flo up front, and United, with Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt rampant, totally dominated the midfield. United won with two goals from David Beckham, two from Andy Cole and one from Teddy Sheringham while two goals from substitute Gianluca Vialli and another from Graeme Le Saux gave the final scoreline a false look of respectability for the home team. "If I had known how well Gianluca was going to play when he came on, maybe I would have started with him, but I didn't really have any other options because players were out of form, or suspended or unfit," said Gullit ruefully afterwards. Beckham opened the scoring with a close-range shot after 23 minutes and added a second direct from a free kick five minutes later after Giggs was fouled by Steve Clarke. But Chelsea goalkeeper Ed de Goey was at fault for the goal: badly positioned at the free kick, he got a hand to the ball but could not stop it going over the line. Cole, in blistering form in recent weeks, made it 3-0 with a finely-angled shot into the far corner of the net on the stroke of halftime and made it 4-0 in the 66th minute after a Giggs through-ball split the Chelsea defence. That was Cole's 19th goal of the season and his 18th in the last 17 matches and he took it superbly, giving De Goey no chance. But still United were not finished, sweeping forward at every opportunity, with Sheringham making it 5-0 after 75 minutes with a powerful header following a United corner. Thousands of Chelsea fans who had celebrated their F.A. Cup final victory over Middlesbrough so joyously last May, left the windswept ground at that point -- and so missed three more goals, all of them Chelsea's. Le Saux pulled one back with a cleverly-taken chip over goalkeeper Schmeichel with 12 minutes remaining, before Vialli added two more soon afterwards -- one with a shot that beat Schmeichel at his near-post and the second after a mistake by Gary Pallister. His poor pass back to Schmeichel was intercepted by Vialli and led to a comedy of errors in United's defence which ended after an exchange between Vialli and Dan Petrescu with Vialli scoring the third. Sunday's victory was United's third in the F.A. Cup over Chelsea in the last five seasons following wins in the 1994 final and the 1996 semifinals. More ominously for their rivals, it also puts United on course for what could well be their third F.A. Cup and league double in five seasons, too. © Reuters Limited 1997 ____________________________________________________________________ CHELSEA 3-5 MAN UTD David Beckham and Andy Cole each scored twice as United humbled high-flying Chelsea in an FA Cup third round thriller at Stamford Bridge. United were coasting at 5-0 when substitute Gianluca Vialli inspired Chelsea to a frantic finale, but it was all too little too late, leaving Ruud Gullit's Cup holders comprehensiveley beaten in a one-sided match - at least it was for 77 minutes. The opener came in the 23rd minute. Ryan Giggs sent the Andy Cole on his way, and while he might have gone down under Frank Leboeuf's challenge, the striker kept his feet. The on-song striker then waited for support to arrive, and his cross was met with a slight deflection which spearheaded into the path of the on-coming Beckham who sidefooted past a helpless De Goey. United had to wait just five minutes for the second. Beckham's 25-yard right foot free-kick was bent low around the wall from the edge of the box, leaving de Goey struggling to get a hand on it, eventually helping the ball into the net. The goal sparked Chelsea into life forcing Peter Shmeichel, back from a bout of the flu, into his first save of the match. Dan Petrescu headed over from Graeme Le Saux before Mark Nicholls forced Schmeichel into a save. Just before the break a Chelsea attack broke up and Giggs sent Cole off on a run with the Chelsea defense in hot pursuit. Frank Leboeuf desperately tried to get back, but Cole sped away and as De Goey came off his line he clipped the ball past him. Rudd Gullit tried to change things for Chelsea in the second half, sending on Andy Myers for Nicholls, pushing Mark Hughes up front alongside Tore Andre Flo and throwing everything forward. Michael Duberry unleashed a 25-yarder which Schmeichel could not hold, Le Saux's return came back off the bar, and Gianfranco Zola's fierce drive was parried by United's great Dane. Vialli then came on for Flo, but before the Italian could have any influence on proceedings, Cole struck again. A superb first-time ball from Giggs sent Cole running free beyond Duberry and into the box before sliding past the keeper. Now it was becoming a humiliation, Sheringham adding insult to injury by steaming in to head home Beckham's cross with 16 minutes of torture still to go. The came a frantic last 13 minutes. Le Saux took advantage of a Beckham's error to clip a drop-shot arcing above Schmeichel and into the net. Vialli then added their second six minutes from time after he was found by Petrescu. Then the Italian got his second and Chelsea's third after a foul-up by Gary Pallister after a terrible back-pass. But it was too little, far too late, a crazy finish to a sensational game. Chelsea knew that the scoreline flattered them, so outclassed had they been when it mattered. Can anybody stop United? Alex Ferguson sent a chill through the heart of the rest of the Premiership after watching Manchester United demolish Chelsea by declaring: "We're going to get better." "We will get better as the season goes on," he said. "We know that we have to be consistent if we are going to win the league and that's what we will do." "People talk about priorities, look at us and say we're only interested in the Champions' League and the Premiership. "We are to a degree but when you draw Chelsea away from home in the FA Cup that generates a real feeling of anticipation, the thing that makes players show their true character." Ferguson knows just how well Andy Cole is playing at the moment. "Andy's lightning quick and is a threat to defenders all the time. "The thing about him is that he plays in the right areas. All he ever concentrates on is running towards goal. Some other players don't do that, run from the middle out wide but Andy always heads for the net." Skipper Peter Schmeichel admitted: "That has to be one of our best performances in English football though we did take our foot off the pedal towards the end." Ferguson was not too bothered with the lapses, adding: "Perhaps it would do us some good because otherwise we might have got carried away with the way we played." Official Manchester United Page ____________________________________________________________________ FERGIE VOWS BEST IS YET TO COME By Martin Lipton, PA Sport Alex Ferguson sent a chill through the heart of the rest of the Premiership after watching Manchester United demolish Chelsea by declaring: "We're going to get better." Ferguson's fearless side put Chelsea's glory pretensions in true perspective as they ran them ragged for 75 minutes of sheer magic. The game won - United had scored five through doubles from David Beckham and Andy Cole and a close range header from Teddy Sheringham - they took their foot off the pedal. That allowed Graeme Le Saux to chip home one consolation goal with substitute Luca Vialli getting two more in the dying minutes. But the bitter truth for Ruud Gullit's Blues was the true nature of the gulf in class between the champions - now surely red hot favourites for another double - and the pretenders to their crown. The Cup was ripped from Chelsea's grasp with another almost frightening display which was followed by Ferguson's stark warning that his men are only warming up for the second half of the campaign. "We will get better as the season goes on," he said. "We know that we have to be consistent if we are going to win the league and that's what we will do. "People talk about priorities, look at us and say we're only interested in the Champions' League and the Premiership. "We are to a degree but when you draw Chelsea away from home in the FA Cup that generates a real feeling of anticipation, the thing that makes players show their true character." Ferguson added: "I could sense in the dressing room that they were really ready for it, that they wanted to win. There was no doubt about that. "When you're coming to play a big club like Chelsea you want to give your best. That's when the natural instincts take over." While Beckham's goals - a sidefoot finish followed by a free-kick Ed De Goey should have saved - put United on their way, the difference between the teams was Cole. Uncontainable, bursting with pace and attacking intent, Chelsea simply did not know what to do with him and his two goals made it 17 in his last 16 appearances this season. The striker's only words were brief, admitting: "They were great goals for me. I was delighted for myself and the team." But Ferguson knows just how well the one-time £7million misfit is now playing. "Andy's lightning quick and is a threat to defenders all the time. "The thing about him is that he plays in the right areas. All he ever concentrates on is running towards goal. Some other players don't do that, run from the middle out wide but Andy always heads for the net." Gullit, more than disappointed with his own side's nightmare first 75 minutes, agreed with that. "We gave away some sloppy goals, and too many of my players did not live up to their normal standards," said the Dutchman who revealed he had almost been too sick even to attend the game. "For two of their goals we got caught on the break and against Cole that is a real problem for you. "It gave him a yard and the space to run towards goal and when he's in the form he's in at the moment you just can't afford to give him that half a yard." Gullit tried to take consolation from the final score - "If it had been 5-0 I would have been really disappointed," he claimed - but the reality was that his side were outclassed. "It's a long time since I have been 5-0 down in any game and I didn't enjoy it. At least we showed some pride but it was far too late by the time we did." Gullit had gambled by putting skipper-for-the-day Mark Hughes in midfield at the start but with Nicky Butt commanding the middle of the park United's performance, until that late casualness, was masterful. Their skipper, Peter Schmeichel admitted: "That has to be one of our best performances in English football though we did take our foot off the pedal towards the end." Ferguson was not too bothered with the lapses, adding: "Perhaps it would do us some good because otherwise we might have got carried away with the way we played." Later in the day, Ian Rush caused more heartache for Everton as Newcastle ensured both Merseyside's Premiership sides were bundled out of the FA Cup. Just 24 hours after Liverpool had been knocked out by Coventry, their former striker scored the only goal in the live TV clash at Goodison Park. It was Rush's 43rd goal in the FA Cup and continued his jinx over thr Blues, who have seen him score four times against them in Wembley finals. He struck midway through the second half of a dull game after coming on as a substitute for Tino Asprilla. , Another former Anfield favourite John Barnes saw his cross deflected across the face of goal and Rush was on hand to stab home from just a yard out. Wimbledon were held to a 0-0 draw by Division Two Cup battlers Wrexham. Hereford's FA Cup third round against Tranmere has become the latest victim of the weather. The Edgar Street pitch was deemed waterlogged on Sunday morning and the tie became the sixth third round clash to be postponed this weekend. © PA Sporting Life |
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