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Electronic Telegraph


Sunday 31 August 1997
Issue 828


Impregnable United cruise on auto-pilot
By Derick Allsop


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   Man Utd (1) 3 Coventry (0) 0
   
   THERE will doubtless come a time when Manchester United are
   required to awaken their dormant talents and, no doubt, they will
   respond to the challenge with vivacious conviction.
   
   In the meantime, however, they appear content to slumber along at the
   expense of teams devoid of the wit or luck to catch them unawares.
   
   Coventry will feel the fates conspired against them at Old Trafford
   and the margin of United's victory compounded their sense of
   injustice. But, already, the champions are on a familiar, ominous
   course, and the Premiership will have to be wrenched from Alex
   Ferguson. United have 13 points from a possible 15 and have yet to
   concede a goal. Some statistics do not lie.
   
   From the moment, 72 seconds into the match, Andy Cole's shot ballooned
   off Richard Shaw and over the stranded Steve Ogrizovic, Coventry were,
   in the modern parlance, chasing the game. By the last minute, when
   Karel Poborsky dispatched the third, they were chasing shadows.
   
   Genuine chances were lost in the backdrop of the great theatre, Dion
   Dublin, once a bit-part, if highly popular, player here, left most
   frustrated by the plot. Three times in the first half he might have
   brought his side level, three times he could not. When he struck the
   post with an acrobatic overhead kick, he may have feared the worst.
   
   The early goal, which has so often eluded United, might well have
   lulled them into an apparent state of semi-consciousness. United still
   displayed their finery, but it was mere edging. David Beckham's early
   enterprise dwindled and the supply dried up.
   
   Cole, lifted by his break, went in search of more bounty, only to
   arrive tantalisingly too late on two occasions. Gradually, he was
   stifled by the excellent and alert Shaw and was withdrawn, along with
   Phil Neville, mid-way through the first half, a compliment to the
   purpose and persistence of Coventry's football.
   
   The introduction of Poborsky for Cole enabled Beckham to move inside,
   in support of Roy Keane and Nicky Butt and stem the flow of Coventry's
   optimism. It also served to ignite Ryan Giggs, who dipped into his bag
   of intricate tricks to mesmerise his would-be markers.
   
   Belated urgency carried United to an improbably comfortable scoreline,
   yet could not camouflage a lingering problem for Ferguson. United have
   sustained their phenomenal run of success without a prolific scorer
   and Cole still looks ill at ease charged with the responsibility. Ole
   Gunnar Solskjaer's return will be even more eagerly anticipated.
   
   Ferguson conceded: "It was a flattering scoreline. They had an
   appetite for the game, showed us no respect and we played like a team
   who felt we could win if we wanted to. It wasn't that we gave them no
   respect, but we are a better team when we show real hunger and
   determination to get at the game."
   
   His one-time protg, now Coventry manager, Gordon Strachan, said: "With
   a bit of luck, which you need against world-class sides, we could have
   taken something out of the game. People will see 3-0 and think it's
   the usual Coventry performance. I didn't have a bad player in my
   side."
   
   Among the best of his players was Shaw, who read Cole's intention as
   the striker shaped up just outside the area but his intervention
   became an unwitting assist, the ball looping over Ogrizovic into the
   net.
   
   Roland Nilsson, brought into Coventry's side at the expense of Gary
   Breen, helped compensate for the continued absence of the captain, and
   creator-in-chief, Gary McAllister, with splendid service to Dublin.
   The big centre-forward, alas, headed wide and then shot tamely before
   hitting the frame of United's goal.
   
   Beckham, relishing the opportunity to run from a more central position
   unleashed a characteristically ferocious shot from distance, which the
   effervescent Ogrizovic turned away.
   
   In the 72nd minute, however, Coventry's resistance was breached again.
   Giggs and Beckham worked the corner on the left, Gary Pallister
   attacked the centre and Keane applied the finish. Giggs was the
   orchestrator of the finale, threading a devastating, angled pass into
   the path of Poborsky who accepted the invitation with gusto.
   _________________________________________________________________
   
   Man Utd (1) 3 Coventry (0) 0
   Cole 2, Keane 72, Poborsky 90.

   Man Utd: Schmeichel, G. Neville, Pallister, Beckham, Butt, Cole
   (Poborsky 66), Sheringham, Giggs, P. Neville (Irwin 66), Keane, Berg.
   Subs Not Used: McClair, Van Der Gouw, Curtis.

   Coventry: Ogrizovic, Shaw, Burrows, Williams, Huckerby, Dublin,
   Salako, Telfer, Richardson, Hall, Nilsson. Subs Not Used: Lightbourne,
   Borrows, Soltvedt, Johansen, Hedman. Booked: Nilsson.

   Att: 55,074
   Ref: G R Ashby (Worcester).
   _________________________________________________________________

Man United              (1) 3 Coventry                (0) 0 FT
Cole 2
Keane 72
Poborsky 90

Manchester United created another piece of Old Trafford history with a 
fifth clean sheet, but boss Alex Ferguson will know that only poor 
Coventry finishing and a huge slice of good luck got his men off the hook.
                                      
Goals by comeback man Andy Cole, skipper Roy Keane and substitute Karel
Poborsky ensured United's unbeaten start to the season continued, while
the visitors' inability to beat Peter Schmeichel made it five blanks on
the bounce for the Reds their best defensive start to a campaign in 105
years of league football.
                                      
But Sky Blues boss Gordon Strachan will travelling down the M6 tonight 
feeling that his men were hard done by after giving the champions a torrid
afternoon.
                                      
Coventry, who arrived without a victory at Old Trafford in 23 years, must
have had a bout a deja vu as Cole fired United ahead after just 73 seconds
on his return after surgery to remove an abscess.
                                      
The Sky Blues were breeched twice in the opening four minutes as they 
crashed to a 3-1 defeat by the home side last March and this time the 
seeds of defeat were sewn even earlier.
                                      
The 55,074 crowd which included David Beckham's Spice Girl girlfriend 
Victoria had hardly taken their seats when Cole latched onto a pass from
Teddy Sheringham, drifted in from the left, and fired a shot that 
ballooned off Paul Williams and over the stranded Steve Ogrizovic.
                                      
Coventry looked set to be swept away by a tide of Red goals. Richard Shaw
produced a timely clearance to prevent Cole heading home David Beckham's
cross and Henning Berg heading across goal and narrowly wide from
Beckham's resultant corner.
                                      
But Coventry must have delighted Strachan with the way they fought back to
dominate he remainder of the first period on his old stomping ground.
                                      
Former Old Trafford favourite Dion Dublin should have done better than 
head well wide from Roland Nilsson's cross.
                                      
Dublin did better from another Nilsson cross minutes later, turning to 
fire in a first-time shot that was saved at full-stretch by Schmeichel.
                                      
And although Cole had an effort ruled out for offside and both Gary 
Neville and Sheringham forced Ogrizovic into action with thunderous
long-range blasts, the visitors should have been level by the break.
                                      
Dublin was desperately unlucky when John Salako served up an inviting 
cross from the right and the Sky Blues skipper arched into a spectacular
overhead kick that clattered the post before Schmeichel could move a
muscle.
                                      
Moments later, Schmeichel came unwisely from his line when Darren Huckerby
found himself in the clear, but the high-speed winger's finish was
wastefully high and wide.
                                      
Butt did try to galvanise United with a curling shot from 20 yards that
beat Ogrizovic but also the big keeper's left-hand post by inches, while
Sheringham blazed wastefully over from a Giggs cross.
                                      
But Coventry came again to force United into some desperate defending and,
after the ball had drifted dangerously across goal, Huckerby returned it
with a low cross that hit Butt and ricochet inches wide.
                                      
The visitors were unable to turn their bright approach play into goals,
however and were made to pay dearly.
                                      
Beckham forced Ogrizovic into a marvellous tip over with a trademark 
25-yard blockbuster, before Keane made it 2-0 after 72 minutes with a 
close-range finish after Gary Pallister had flicked a Giggs free-kick 
across goal.
                                      
Even then it took a goal-line clearance from Berg to deny Williams, but
Poborsky sealed it seconds before the end when he swept the ball home over
Ogrizovic from Giggs' pass.
                                      
Man United: Schmeichel, G. Neville, Pallister, Beckham, Butt, Cole 
(Poborsky, 66), Sheringham, Giggs, P. Neville (Irwin, 66), Keane, Berg.
Subs not used: McClair, Van Der Gouw, Curtis.
                                      
Coventry: Ogrizovic, Shaw, Burrows, Williams, Huckerby, Dublin, Salako,
Telfer, Richardson, Hall, Nilsson.
Subs not used: Lightbourne, Borrows, Soltvedt, Johansen, Hedman.
Booked: Nilsson.
                                      
Attendance: 55,074.
Referee: G R Ashby (Worcester).
-----------------------------------------------------------------
    FERGUSON SYMPATHY FOR SKY BLUES
    
   By Simon Mullock, PA Sport
   
   The Sky Blues suffered a 3-0 mauling against Manchester United at Old
   Trafford.
   
   And they must have known it was not going to be their day when former
   United favourite Dion Dublin planted a spectacular overhead kick
   against a post just before half time.
   
   Andy Cole opened the scoring after just 73 seconds when his shot took
   a deflection off Paul Williams and looped over the stranded Steve
   Ogrizovic.
   
   And when Keane made it 2-0 on 72 minutes and Poborsky added a
   last-minute third, boss Gordon Strachan must have questioned whether
   there is any justice in the game.
   
   Strachan made only a fleeting visit to the post-match press
   conference, revealing that he wanted to return to the dressing room to
   console his players.
   
   The Sky Blues conceded two goals in the first four minutes in the
   corresponding fixture last season and were lucky to get away with a
   3-1 defeat on an afternoon when United could have doubled their tally.
   
   But today Strachan said: "I am very proud of my team. The team that we
   brought here last March has improved out of sight.
   
   "With a bit of luck - and you need that playing against a world class
   team - we could have got something out of the game.
   
   "Five games into the season we would have liked a few more points, but
   I've seen individual players improve immensely over the last five or
   six months and that is what has pleased me."
   
   He added: "My players are devastated. People will see that it was 3-0
   and say that it was a typical Coventry performance, but it wasn't."
   
   Even Alex Ferguson had sympathy for the Sky Blues, although he was
   also satisfied with another piece of Old Trafford history.
   
   Despite winning by a comfortable margin United were forced on the
   backfoot for long periods before the late strikes from Keane and
   substitute Poborsky.
   
   The clean sheet meant United have not conceded a goal in their opening
   five Premiership fixtures - their best-ever defensive start to a
   campaign in 105 years of league football.
   
   Old Trafford boss Ferguson, who brought back Cole for his first
   Premiership start of the campaign when Paul Scholes reported ill,
   said: "It wasn't fair on Coventry, but we won 3-0. What can I say?
   
   "Coventry deserved better than they got. They played like a team who
   want to go somewhere, while we played like a team who felt they could
   win the game at any time.
   
   "That's no disrespect to Coventry. It's just that coming off the back
   of a terrific performance at Everton in midweek, we were perhaps a
   little too complacent."
   
   Ferguson added: "It was a bonus to score so early. That should have
   set us up for a good afternoon, but it didn't.
   
   "It's nice that we have kept another clean sheet. I'm pleased with
   that, but not the performance."
   
   © PA Sporting Life


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