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Electronic Telegraph


Sunday 8 March 1998
Issue 1017


United caught cold
By Steve Curry


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   Sheff Wed (1) 2 Man Utd (0) 0

   IT MAY not yet persuade the bookmakers to re-open trading on
   Manchester United winning the Premiership, but those whose money is
   elsewhere will have walked with a new spring in their step last night.
   
   Peter Atherton's powerful header on the run in the 28th minute and a
   late spectacular overhead kick from Paulo Di Canio an hour later,
   decided this trans-Pennine contest.
   
   Perhaps the weekend after a European quarter-final with a team
   depleted by injury was the right time to meet United, for they looked
   mentally as much as physically tired.
   
   Yet United, after staying over in Monte Carlo to take in a few hours'
   sunshine on Thursday, were as ready as they could have been for this
   game.
   
   The hectic schedule, however, had taken its toll. Peter Schmeichel,
   Denis Irwin, Gary Pallister and Ryan Giggs, plus the long-term injured
   Roy Keane were all absentees when United crossed the Pennines.
   
   After a run of 19 consecutive games, Petter Rudi was absent through
   injury and Graham Hyde began a two-match suspension, but Andy Booth
   was back after injury and Dejan Stefanovic was drafted into
   Wednesday's side.
   
   With Schmeichel out with a calf injury Alex Ferguson called on Gary
   Neville to skipper United for the first time, a proud moment for a
   model professional and, no doubt, the first step wowards him
   captaining his country.
   
   Henning Berg took the place of the injured Denis Irwin at left back
   and Ole Gunnar Solksjaer was played with Paul Scholes stepping down to
   the bench after his efforts at Monaco.
   
   After the cobbled pitch in Monaco there was a better opportunity for
   United to play their passing football and a flowing move from Phil
   Neville to Beckham and across to Solksjaer should have produced the
   first goal, Kevin Pressman making a fine, close range, reaction save.
   
   Wednesday's threat came on the break when Di Canio sprinted in from
   the right and squared the ball unselfishly for Mark Pembridge to
   volley it strongly but wide.
   
   But they took their lead from a set-piece, a Pembridge short corner on
   the left being superbly crossed by Benito Carbone for Atherton to
   steam in with the most powerful of headers inside the six-yard box.
   
   Paul Scholes replaced Ronny Johnsen at half-time, a positive move by
   Ferguson, and it almost produced instant results, his first shot
   thundering against the Wednesday crossbar.
   
   Pembridge, who had been showing signs of discomfort towards the end of
   the first half, gave way early in the second for Guy Whittingham, but
   it was Di Canio who almost increased Wednesday's lead.
   
   He got a clear run down the inside-left channel and might have been
   expected to score but Van Der Gouw stood his ground to make a fine
   save. United ought to have equalised midway through the second half
   when Berg headed a corner back across the penalty area but Scholes,
   from a good position on the edge of the six-yard box, managed to lift
   his shot over the bar.
   
   With United pressing for the equaliser, Di Canio made the game safe.
   He and his Italian compatriot Carbone exchanged passes on the break
   and when the final ball came in Di Canio got his 13th goal of the
   season with an overhead kick in the 88th minute.
   _________________________________________________________________
   
   Sheff Wed (1) 2 Man Utd (0) 0
   Atherton 26, Di Canio 88.

   Sheff Wed: Pressman, Atherton, Pembridge (Whittingham 49), Newsome,
   Walker, Carbone, Booth, Di Canio (Oakes 89), Stefanovic, Hinchcliffe,
   Barrett. Subs Not Used: Clarke, Nicol, Mayrleb. Booked: Barrett.

   Man Utd: Van Der Gouw, G. Neville, May, Johnsen (Scholes 45), Beckham,
   Butt, Cole (McClair 77), Sheringham, P. Neville (Curtis 60),
   Solskjaer, Berg. Subs Not Used: Thornley, Pilkington. Booked: May.

   Att: 39,427
   Ref: P Jones (Loughborough).
   _________________________________________________________________

   March 8 1998 FOOTBALL
   
   Wednesday outwit the champions 
   
   Louise Taylor at Hillsborough
   Sheffield Wednesday 2 Manchester United 0 
   
   PLEASING width, Italian wit and, ultimately, sheer willpower propelled
   Wednesday to a win which should help de-bunk whispers about certain
   Hillsborough players suffering from debilitating attitude problems.
   
   By contrast United suffered from a lack of wide men, not to mention
   individuals to rival the flicking, tricking, back-heeling audacity of
   Benito Carbone and Paolo Di Canio.
   
   Perhaps Alex Ferguson's charges had simply taken too much heed of Ron
   Atkinson's programme notes, in which Wednesday's manager declared
   United "have already won the League at a canter". He may be proved
   right, but here the Mancunians had several uncharacteristically
   laissez-faire moments, often leaving themselves frequently undermanned
   in essential areas.
   
   United were unfortunate to be facing Atkinson, who revels in
   discomfiting his former employers, along with a home team fresh from a
   good old-fashioned managerial rollicking following last week's 3-0
   reverse at Derby.
   
   Atkinson called that debacle "possibly the worst performance by any
   team I've managed" and the midweek rumour mill suggested he appeared
   poised to recruit David James from Liverpool. Suitably affronted,
   Kevin Pressman, the present Hillsborough goalkeeper, responded with an
   exceptional 17th-minute save from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Wednesday were
   wrong-footed by a classic United counter-attack and David Beckham
   delivered a far-post cross from the right. Solskjaer's ensuing shot
   looked unstoppable until Pressman, who had stayed on his line,
   diverted it for a corner.
   
   He could possibly do with losing a few pounds but Wednesday boast an
   excellent keeper. Ditto United - except that here, Peter Schmeichel
   was absent injured and replaced by Raimond Van Der Gouw.
   
   If Pressman was right in refusing to leave his line as Solskjaer
   closed in, Van Der Gouw erred in failing to come out and challenge for
   Carbone's 26th-minute cross following a Andy Hinchcliffe's short
   corner and a grateful Peter Atherton headed Wednesday in front.
   
   Atherton, one of four centre-halves in the Wednesday side, was
   operating alongside Dejan Stefanovic, another exiled stopper, in
   central midfield. This duo's abrasive instincts not only ensured that
   much of United's passing was less adhesive than usual but gave Carbone
   and Mark Pembridge licence to persistently stretch the visitors down
   the flanks.
   
   Ferguson, lacking the injured Ryan Giggs, Gary Pallister and Denis
   Irwin and having opted to let Paul Scholes rest on the bench, had
   indulged in a spot of positional rotation, deploying Henning Berg at
   left-back, Phil Neville in central midfield and Solskjaer on the left
   wing.
   
   The trouble with this game plan was that the latter's overwhelming
   instinct is to drift inwards, frequently depriving his team of genuine
   width. With Beckham, too, clearly pining for much more central
   involvement United were failing to dispatch the sort of crosses
   required to fully extend Des Walker and Jon Newsome. Maybe talk of
   Keith Gillespie returning to Old Trafford is not so fanciful.
   
   It was no surprise that Ferguson - who attributed this latest blip to
   a combination of injures, post-Monaco fatigue and another heavy pitch
   - put Scholes on at half-time in central midfield.
   
   A natural goal-scorer like Scholes can seem wasted when deployed so
   deep but his defensive duties failed to prevent him from quickly
   threatening the Wednesday goal. This time Andy Cole - otherwise
   excellently policed throughout by Walker - crossed and Scholes brought
   another splendid reflex save from Pressman.
   
   Further forward, Stefanovic and Di Canio both struck the woodwork as
   Atkinson's charges showed the appealingly positive side of an
   undisputably chameleon nature. Comfirmation arrived in the 88th
   minute, courtesy of a goal from south Yorkshire's Italian conncection.
   Carbone crossed, Guy Whittingham headed on and Di Canio scored with a
   startling overhead kick. Width, wit and will had deservedly won the
   day.
   
   Sheff Wed: Pressman, Atherton, Pembridge (Whittingham 49), Newsome,
   Walker, Carbone, Booth, Di Canio (Oakes 89), Stefanovic, Hinchcliffe,
   Barrett. Unused: Clarke, Nicol, Mayrleb.
   Scorers: Atherton 26, Di Canio 88.
   
   Man Utd: Van Der Gouw, G Neville, May, Johnsen (Scholes 45), Beckham,
   Butt, Cole (McClair 77), Sheringham, P. Neville (Curtis 60),
   Solskjaer, Berg. Unused: Thornley, Pilkington.
   
   Booked: Barrett (62min), May (81min).
   Referee: P Jones (Loughborough).
   Attendance: 39,427.

   Copyright 1998 The Times Newspapers Limited.


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